Sigh.
As much as I love being a freelance writer and being able to write every day there are times when I'm simply disgusted by the way some companies treat writers.
I've been having payment difficulties with a particular content-creation company I work for. I've been with them almost a year now and at first they paid us on time every time - straight into PayPal every Monday. Great.
Then the pay starting dropping to every second week. Then once a month. Now we're down to getting paid whenever we beg for it on their forum. It's humiliating and embarrassing.
After waiting and begging for 4 weeks, we finally got paid today - but that payment came with a direct insult to all their writers.
You see, the management posted a comment that basically told us that any writer suspected of being fraudulent had payments suspended. (um... that's all their writers, by the way).
I've been freelancing for more than 6 years. I wouldn't still be in business if I was fraudulent in any way. My customers wouldn't keep coming back and I wouldn't get so much repeat business if there was any doubt as to my integrity as a freelance writer. My content is always individually researched and written to a high standard. I haven't even had any complaints in the past! And now this...
To be accused of "suspected fraudulence" is just a slap in the face for daring to request the payment that was rightfully due to me after completing the work they wanted. I'm offended and I'm annoyed - and I'm choosing to write content for this company's direct competitor from now on instead of spending any further time with a company that first doesn't pay and then insults the writers who make their profit for them when those writers dare to ask for their payments!
What a shame.
You see, I like content-creation work. It's quick, simple work. If you can type fast then you can easily churn out 5 or 6 of thiese quick little pieces in an hour after the "real" article writing work is done for the day.
On a normal week I'll do 5 of these little pieces a day, spread across two different content providers. They'll never be my full-time gig. But they do provide me with a bit of extra income and they also give me a mental break from the intensive research of feature articles for magazines.
I guess all my content work will now be exclusively sent to just the one company that really does pay on time - every time.
:)
9 comments:
Is it Articles and Content? I've heard a lot of stories like that about them. There are a lot of companies out there that believe freelancers can't get work anywhere else, so it's ok to treat them like dirt and they'll still come back for more. It's laughable, really.
Yes it's articles and content.
I firmly believe that without writers many of these companies would go broke very quickly - so why do they feel the need to treat the people who make their profit for them like dirt?
Oh well. There are always other companies to work for ;)
wouldn't be ForumBooster, by any chance? I signed up with them on someone else's recommendation a week or so ago, and gave up in a few days. After seeing that the only action on the forums was complaints about not being paid, I was less than impressed. The company is probably having financial problems, but they will never admit to that, and keep stringing the writers along. I've seen it happen so many times. Suddenly the site shuts down and you have to kiss your unpaid earnings goddby. Anybody remember Themestream?
Partly thanks to you, I quit Triond this week.
HI Catana,
I refuse to mention any specific names, but I have worked for companies before that have strung writers along, forgotten to pay them and then conveniently disappeared. That's why I was so angry about this company holding our payments.
And yes I remember Themestream. LOL . That was a long time ago!
Hi. I know what you mean. Still working for them?
We writers need to share information about the websites and affiliate networks that get content from writers, don't pay them and then insult them as frauds.
A database of all frauds is necessary, as it will be time and energy saving for writers from around the world.
There are a couple of databases for writer's scams around the place. The biggest would be Writer Beware (google it - I haven't got the link handy). Another is Victoria Strauss' brilliant blog.
If ever you find a publication or agent that you're unsure of, check these sites first ;)
I've heard a lot of stories like that about them.There are a lot of companies out there that believe freelancers can't get work anywhere else but they are wrong I believe without writer they can't do any thing and they would go broke very quickly.
i agree with you, bianca...
it felt so bad to be begging for a payment/salary that should have been given on time in the first place. :)
Post a Comment