As is the case with all freelancers, freelance writers count on clients making payments in a timely manner. After all, if you’ve gone to the trouble of completing a project on time and on-budget, the least a client can do is honor their end of the arrangement. Unfortunately, not all clients are equally obliging when it comes to making scheduled payments – which is why it pays for writers to know how to handle delinquent clients. Whether you’ve dealt late-paying clients in the past or simply wish to prepare yourself for such a prospect, the following pointers are sure to come in handy.
Reach Out
Dealing with late payments is immensely frustrating – particularly for writers who live paycheck-to-paycheck. However, it’s important to keep in mind that most late payments are not the result of maliciousness on the part of clients – but rather innocent mix-ups. For example, an overactive spam filter may have prevented a client from receiving your invoice. So before adopting a combative tone, reach out to a client with a polite phone call or email. More often than not, this will produce the desired result. Conversely, becoming angry with a client or accusing them of intentionally withholding a payment from the get-go will diminish your chances of receiving their business again.
Submit an Invoice
While some clients compile invoices for writers, others rely on writers to put together their own invoices. This can lead to confusion if a writer has grown accustomed to the former. If a payment is not submitted by an agreed-upon date, make a point of submitting – or re-submitting – your invoice for the job in question. If you’ve never done this before, there’s no need to fret, as you can easily create invoices online at Aynax.com. Once your invoice has been submitted, give the client 24 to 48 hours to respond before reaching out again.
Cease Outstanding Work
If a delinquent client refuses to respond to your communications, it may be in your best interest to cease work on any outstanding assignments you’re handling for them. Your time is valuable, and devoting it to working on assignments for an uncommunicative client who refuses to pay you is not a good use of it. Prior to ceasing work, send the client one final email informing them of your intent. If no response is received within 24 hours, make good on your threat. Furthermore, if the client owes you a substantial amount of money, consider exploring your legal options. Should you decide to go this route, it’s a good idea to save emails, texts and other communications with the client.
Computer monitoring software This can lead to confusion if a writer has grown accustomed to the former. But the latter case could actually be even more beneficial to you, especially if you’re using computer monitoring software to track your work and billable hours (and if you’re not, you might want to consider it and go to www.workpuls.com for more information). This way, you can bill your clients for exactly the amount of work you’ve done for them. If a payment is not submitted by an agreed-upon date, make a point of submitting – or re-submitting – your invoice for the job in question.
Freelance writing can be a fun and rewarding way to earn one’s livelihood. While you’re likely to have a good working relationship with many of the clients you’ll serve, it’s important to realize that not all clients are equally reliable. Some will consistently fail to make payments on time, while others will forgo paying you for your work altogether. Fortunately, knowing how to handle this type of client can ensure that you’re well-prepared if such a situation arises.
