Money Matters
A lot of magazine writers will tell you that negotiating a good contract and a fair pay rate is the hardest part of the job, but even more magazine writers are likely to tell you that the toughest task is actually collecting what you've been promised. Virtually every writer working for magazines today has a horror story to tell about spending days, or even weeks, working on a writing assignment and then getting stiffed after turning in the final copy. It's never pleasant when it happens to you, but you're definitely not the first person in the business to experience this particular brand of aggravation.
Why would a magazine fail to pay a writer?
Maybe the publication went out of print before the story editor signed off on the writer's invoice. Perhaps the writer's invoice got lost in the bowels of a massive accounts payable department. And, though it's sad, it's also true that editors are sometimes simply unscrupulous, and they want to get copy for free.
The most important things to remember if you find yourself dealing with these kinds of money matters are that you're a businessperson and that you must act like one — no matter how frustrating the situation becomes.
Remember, It's Just Business
Business of any kind is tough. Not everybody is cut out for it. When you have payment problems with a magazine, try to remember that you're experiencing the same kinds of issues that businesspeople of all stripes have to handle every day, all over the world. Their clients don't always come through with promised money or goods on time, either. It's a simple fact of doing business.
The important lesson is that the best businesspeople find ways to get their money in the end, or at least some of their money. You have to adopt that same attitude. Don't take the matter personally. Leave your emotions behind and try to think of nonpayment as a standard business transaction that needs to be rectified, like a lost bank statement.
The Right Attitude Is Key
Writing is such a passionate career choice that writers often have a hard time maintaining a decent attitude when handling anything having to do with their stories. You may get away with losing your cool when an editor changes your words around, but when it comes to getting paid, it's paramount that you keep calm.
More often than not, you will end up dealing not only with your editor, but also with the magazine's managing editor and perhaps its accounts payable department. The folks in those jobs don't have any patience for “passionate creative types,” and they're more likely to help you if you act like the businessperson that they expect you to be.
At many magazines, your editor may not be the person responsible for ensuring you get paid. She may shuffle your invoices into the in-box of a managing editor or executive editor, who then sends them to the magazine's business manager, who then sends them to an accounts payable department. You can be mad at your editor — but nonpayment simply may not be her fault.
One thing that will help you stay focused during stressful discussions about money is having a plan of action to follow. If you know exactly what to do and how to do it when you realize your check isn't in the mail, you will have a far better chance of reconciling the problem.
