Freelancers and those who employ them often run into situations where judgement calls need to be made. Are you a freelance writer dealing with a difficult situation with an editor? Are you an editor trying to sort out issues with your freelancers? Here’s a handy do-and-don’t list to help you regardless of which side of the desk you find yourself;

10. Re-evaluate your relationship with any publication that makes excuses for not paying you. Editors, do the same for any freelancer who makes frequent excuses for not delivering the goods as per your arrangement. You don’t have to terminate the relationship right away, but letting the other party know the issue is on your radar is a good thing in any case.

9. Don’t backdoor your writer or editor. If there is a situation that needs to be discussed, TALK about it. Don’t let your writer or editor know after the fact that there was something that needed urgent attention.  This can include everything from telling your writer you found major errors in fact in a pending article to letting your editor know that your interviewee was hostile and might be a source of trouble in the future.

8. Freelance writers should know the terms of their relationship with the editor in full including payment dates and conditions, fact checking needs, the urgency of deadlines and what happens if either party needs more time to deliver according to the terms of their arrangement. Sometimes companies get in financial trouble and have to delay payment by a few days or weeks. Sometimes freelancers get bogged down and can’t deliver the articles strictly on deadline. Each side should understand how to proceed when these issues occur. Continue reading Working With Freelancers: A Handy Do-and-Don’t List →