Freelance writing - Do you ask for upfront payment?

I do ask for funds upfront on all work that I do with the exception of large ebooks as you've described in your post. In that case, I ask for half and then the other half upon completion.

I do however offer a guarantee that if they aren't simply delighted with my work, I'll refund them 100% to ease the risk factor that may be brewing in their minds. I still to this day have never had a refund request.

Terra

Martin..get some money upfront, like for 10 articles and upfront for next 10 etc., Its a good practice and like Terra said(which is also good)..you can refund back but I suggest don;t think about it. If you can't do it.. do not accept.

I ask for payment upfront for shorter writing assignments. For larger ones like ebooks, I ask for half payment upfront, with the other half to be paid upon completion.

As a client, I've been asked for payment up front, or at least a deposit every time. So at this point I assume it's SOP. I think most serious clients will expect to pay part or all upfront.

With new clients I always get at least something up front if it is a large order.

Occasionally I'll do something very small without money up front, but only if I feel confident with that potential client.

e-books I typically request payment after each chapter (or other milestone) with one chapter up front.

If a client is unwilling to give you anything up front (and you're an established writer) that almost always means they are either intentionally going to scam you OR they don't have the money yet and are hoping it will come in before you've completed the job which often leads to trouble.

Upfront payments are fine so long as you have shown the client your writing portfolio. This is to set your clients' expectations as to the quality of output they will receive. Once a client agrees to pay upfront after seeing your writing samples, there is minimum risk of your client asking for refund because of unsatisfactory work.

Writing takes time and can be very laborious depending on the assignment specifications. If you present yourself as a serious, credible writer (i.e., website, blog, portfolio, links to social media profiles, etc.) and have policies and procedures in place, you won't have to worry so much about this issue and "they" won't be demanding that you do anything.

Typically, I don't begin work unless the invoice is paid, but as a few others have said, exceptions are made for bigger projects (with a down payment). Receiving payment upfront is a way to guarantee you have the time to work on project(s) and to give a more accurate completion time (especially when you have a full clientele and need to manage tasks and time properly to meet deadlines). Thus, when they pay upfront they are reserving your time.

Depends on the job. Small jobs then I ask for upfront and big jobs I would ask for a deposit upfront of between 25% and 50% and then the remainder on completion.

It also depends if they're a new customer or not.

I'll contribute 2 thoughts here:

1) I don't deal well with demands. I take advice, constructive criticism, requests, orders, etc all day every day. If I have a client who starts making demands, I refer them to vWorker or somewhere else and move on to the next client.

2) I don't lift a finger until the bill is paid. It's in all of my ads and it's on my website. It might have cost me a customer or two, but I seriously doubt it. (If it did, they didn't bother to email me and tell me.)

-- j

EDIT: After reading HN's post below mine, I think he has a VERY good point. Our goal in IM is to create a passive income...I may have to PM him later and see what his methods are so that I can learn from that.

Never accept less than 50% upfront, unless you know that your client is good for it, and even then, don't accept less than 50% upfront.

But to be honest, I did ghost writing for a decade, and I ONLY accepted 100% down, unless I am doing a large report and word counts were unknown at the beginning of the project. Then I took 50% of estimated word count.

Please do NOT follow my method, but since you asked... I often get paid up to 1
or 2 MONTHS after I submit my final work to a client.

I've also had clients pay me in advance, and only send me the assignment
a week or two later, at times.

It boils down to trust - on both sides.

And it helps that I *only* work with people I trust and who trust me.

That, and the downside is limited. For most projects, my 'worst case'
is that I'll have wasted an hour or two. That's a risk I'm willing
to take.

You?

All success
Dr.Mani

I have meet huge amount of fraud buyer online at freelance market. I see they always try to steal freelance contractors work and samples. You have to understand is he real or fraud. See his previous feedbacks. If you think he is real then you could deliver work without money. But if you have doubt then dont deliver your work without money.

I see some very bad advice being offered here. *shaking head*. Nobody suggested to go for a share of profits if client can't pay upfront? I 'd go for 5% of future profits anytime instead of one time upfront payment. If you can get (maybe a smaller) payment upfront plus commissions for your work that's even better.
One time payments = you are destined to work all life long to keep getting paid.
Share of profits = passive income (possibly for the rest of your life).

But don't worry! We 've done a survey here in Northern Europe and found out that 79% of people would prefer €100 one time payment to €10/per month commissions for the rest of their life for the same amount of work done. This is insane and only shows how desperate and financially illiterate the balance of the population is.

Luckily I was able to find 2 warriors here who are helping me with my WSO for just $50 upfront payment each. Normally they charge $1000 for their service. But once I sell out the product I'll make damn sure that they will get paid well and want to work with me on my next project. You just have to find honest people who will keep their promises.

For articles it's 50% upfront and balance on delivery.

For an ebook its 1/3, 1/3, 1/3: start, first draft, final.

For copywriting projects its the "standard 50/50. If the
client is a repeat client then I could always bend those
rules. But to write without something in your hands
is foolhardy.

I've only had one client in 10 years who didn't pay the
balance and he was a referral from another copywriter.

If I'm offering a special then it's always 100% upfront.

-Ray Edwards

When I was writing mostly non-fiction, I sent an invoice after delivery - like fin. I got paid. Except once or twice at the beginning. Also I worked with some interfaces that allowed escrow like freelancer.com and elance.com.

However since I've focused mostly on ghostwriting fiction, I always ask for 50% upfront. And no, I wouldn't do profit sharing with a client...why would I? I might as well publish the darn thing myself.

Ask for 50% upfront. Not only does it ward off scammers, it shows buyers that you are serious about your business. If you give work for free up front, it brands you as an amateur, and someone who is not a confident business professional.

Thanks a lot guys, this really clears up this issue for me as almost all of you are in agreement.

However I do have one other question, when applying for new freelance writing gigs sometimes they state that you have to provide a sample specific to their niche. They write the job description to sound like only samples of their particular topics will be considered.

I really do not like the idea of writing a sample in the hope I can gain a new client only to have my sample and clients business rejected.

What to do in such a scenario? (Its common enough from the writing gig descriptions I encountered so far)

Martin

You can't ever go wrong getting paid upfront before you do any work. Good luck.

For single articles I request payment up front. I provide clients with full contact details (name, address, telephone number etc) so they feel more comfortable.

For larger "package deals", reports, or eBooks I like to arrange suitable milestones with the client.

@Elluminati: He has been flooding the forum with the same old post he got. Now he has been banned. That was quick!

Back to the topic:

I always write for one article and ask for an upfront payment. When the transaction goes smoothly, payment after submission will be alright for me. This will only applies when the client has positive feedback.

If the order is huge, I ask for 50% upfront and the balance after submission. I guess it depends on every writer what his preference is.

Bottom line, nobody would want to write for free for a living! We do have bills to pay and need to eat, too.

Wanted to chime in, I always ask for payment upfront. Especially if its someone who I haven't done business with. Just recently got scammed by someone on DP for taking a chance and won't do that again. If you're a new client, then please send payment with order. Once we get established, then do 50/50. If I don't know you and don't know if you'll send a payment, its the only way to go. If its a large order, then you can come up with different percentages to go with.

I always ask for 100% in advance.

The only time you won't get the money in advance is when they were planning to make the money while you write the book....yeah right! Those orders you want to run a mile from.

If you are building a business then you are going to be around for a long time. They are buyers and could easily disappear off into the world with your work, losing nothing by doing so. Sod that!

Get the money in your pocket and then start work. This way you know you aren't going to get scammed and you'll feel better about doing the project.

Always protect yourself. There are scam buyers right on this forum, and if you don't protect yourself you will end up getting caught. I know many writers that have been tricked, don't join their number by following bad advice.

There was a warrior, a few years back now, actually teaching people how to scam writers out of example chapters, then assembling the rejected sample chapters into a book. Don't fall for this one ether!

Create examples of your work that you can show potential clients and never do anything (marketing aside) unless you are being paid for your time. You are creating a business. Businesses get paid.

@Dr Mani Your method is very interesting and certainly not for the average freelance (I think). I guess when your clients are paying a lot of money per article then its a whole different ball game due to the different type of clients you are going to attract.

Its something to consider, but I will take the "safer" route on this and ask for 100% payment upfront before I do any work.

always choose Milestone

It depends upon the buyer you working for. In case of regular buyer, you may not ask for milestone payments. In case of new buyers, if you directly ask for milestone payments it may sound rude to him or her. You can take order and if the order is big, you can create 2-3 articles and send to the buyer for quality checking. If the buyer likes your work then you may ask for the milestone payments. It will be very generous I think.

HI,
Freelance writing is a very lucrative earning option online.
Payment can be in so many ways.
1. You can get paid after every article you submit. Some sites offer it that way.
2. If you've agreed to submit 15 articles, you can ask to get 50% pay in advance and 50% pay after submitting the articles. That way you are guaranteed of at least 50%.

These two stand out. You get many more the more you view offers.
Always make it a point to GET CASH FIRST.

All the best
Ravi

I always opt for the 'half upfront, half upon delivery' method because it seems fair to both parties.

Frankly, I think writing content piecemeal is a very frustrating way to earn money online. At the same time its still better than having an annoying 9 to 5 job

I ask for payment up front. I've had some bad experiences with having to chase down clients for payment. I know it might feel risky for clients to purchase up front, but I have found that most people don't mind.

@drmani - you have a very good point there, but I don't think it suits well the service this thread talks about.

The example you give is convincing - you take the pony back and we're all good. But what happens in our case, if the client doesn't pay after the article is delivered?

First, he can get away by indexing it first. I think you can somehow take it down, but I'm not sure how (I don't know how DCMA complaints work).

Second, even if he doesn't use it and refuse to pay for it, what can you do with it? Yes, sometimes you can sell it to someone else, but:
- not everybody will be interested in it, since it was tailored for the specifications provided by the some else.
- not every freelancer has many clients to whom they could market the unpaid-for article.

So, in this case, asking upfront for all the money as Alexa suggests is actually a good guarantee, one that people who recognize the value of this service are willing to accept. This is a different medium than the one in which people sell eBooks that help solve problems.


But why not blend together both techniques and say something like:

"Look, first time clients will have to pay 100% in advance. Why? Because it happened (if it did, obviously) to me that they just went south after I delivered the work, and consequently I did not receive the money, or I received just a part of it. I was left with my work in my hands, and with some sore fingers too. I couldn't do anything about it because I had no one else who would buy this article.
However, if our business relationship grows, I'm willing to accept 50% upfront payment and the rest on the delivery. Heck, I'll even accept to receive the money after you get the work and only if you're happy with it. But I can't take that risk until I can trust you. Take a second and put yourself in my shoes, and I'm sure you'll understand me."

It might not be the best ad, but you get it.

So coming back to your idea, I think that's actually a good one, but it works with products that can be re-used, or for which you won't have to do extra work.

Example: if you sell an eBook, you can offer a $1 trial, and take the remaining $28 (for example) after 21 days in which the buyer can make up their minds if it's worth it or not.
In this case, you won't have to do anything, just set up the payment system in such a way that everything will be done automatically.

But can you do that with article writing? I highly doubt.

And remember: people who buy expensive articles know how to use it, and recognize their value, whereas people who want an eBook on how to lose weight have a different mindset - they don't know actually if it will actually work or not, and your technique reduces their fear, but there's no such fear (or should not) when people want to buy $100 articles.

With new clients I ask for upfront payment.

With existing/repeat clients I trust I will generally do the work and invoice.

Sites like Elance are great for new writers. You may have to deal with competition but the escrow feature all-but ensures you'll be paid for your work if you complete it and deliver. Just don't agree to the start-date until the escrow account is funded.

Always get money in hand before starting a project. New customers must pay 100% up front. End of story. Repeat customers pay 50/50. I have a billing policy page on my site so potential customers can read what the policy is.

For those who contact me for work, they should already know what my expectation for payment is and I ask them, if they read my billing policy before beginning a project.

You cannot be squeamish when it comes to getting paid. Be professional and communicate your expectations and things will be fine.

In most cases, I require 100% payment up front. In rare situations where I think the long term benefits outweigh immediate payment for one project, I'm willing to bend. It's important to be steadfast in your negotiations and not get a reputation for being weak, but never do so at the expense of being flexible.

Asking for upfront payment is really dependent on if it is a new client. Once the client has become trustworthy then I feel a little more relaxed about taking an order without some sort of up front payment. I normally charge new clients at least 50% upfront, but I do have a 100% guarantee on the work. I send the work in increments so the client can see the work and ask for changes if needed before a deadline. Communication is a big deal and building trust is a good think. However, no one can say how the economy is going to turn a business sour. It is best to make sure all the bases are covered.

I nearly always invoice upfront. For really big jobs I will sometimes accept half in advance and half on completion, it depends on how well I know the client really.

You should ask for upfront payment.
If you have a website or a thread somewhere offering your service, you should ask payment beforehand. This is a fair deal. Why? If you don't ask upront payment and deliver the articles to your customer, you are in big risk. If he don't pay after receiving the articles, you can't do nothing. On the other hand, if you got payment and did not deliver the articles, the customer can get back to you by posting feedback on your service offer thread or your website so there is only a little risk on the customer side... Explain this to your customer if he is hesitant to pay upfront.

Last year, I lost around $600 to several customers whom I trusted. Even if he is a long-term customer, it is always better to stick with your system. No one knows when someone disappears even if he is a long-term customer running away with unpaid articles.

I do a lot of outsourcing particularly in the writing field. I am always happy when some one does not ask me for an upfront payment and many do so. However, I am sure there are some clients who can take advantage of that and they will fail to pay.

I also dont get mad when some one asks for the full payment upfront. But I will only pay the whole money if I have used you before or if you have good feedback and a good number of hours/projects completed.

So I would say that it all depends: For example, if you see that your client has not had any previous job posts, you should not risk with them. Ask for full upfront payment or at least half. If you have worked with them on more than one project and they have always paid, it would be okay not to ask upfront payment.

However, the whole thing of outsourcing/freelancing has its cons for both the outsources and the freelancers. I have got freelancers take my money and not produce or give substandard work. The process of getting the money back is also not that easy. So we also proceed with caution. Just do not be mad if you ask upfront and I refuse not to honor. Similarly, I do not feel bad when your exercise your right. What is important is that you have the wisdom to know when to do what and to whom.

Hey Martin!

During my ghostwriting days, I started out getting paid after delivery.

Then it became 50 upfront, 50 on delivery.

Then it became 100% upfront.

It was all about having a reputation and client list. Kind of like that episode of Seinfeld where George wants "hand" in the relationship...?

When you're new, desperate for work, the client has hand. Then it becomes more even, then when you have a waiting list, you have hand.

tiff

I wouldn't mind paying up front but the very first time I hired a writer and they told me to pay upfront, I did, and guess what! I never got anything, not one page. And this was through Odesk. Tried filing a complaint but it didn't go through because upfront payments are a risk, they tell me. So now what I do when hiring a writer is I set up milestone payments and pay after certain marks are completed such as 10%, 25%, 50%, etc. And then my rating on Odesk is pretty good and I have spent over $3,000 throughout the years so they can at least see I'm good for it.

I don't feel comfortable paying upfront if it's someone I have never done business with although I understand why writers would obviously want money up front.

It's a catch 22.

I charge most of my clients 100% upfront, even if they are regular customers, with some exceptions here and there.

Sometimes I deliver in batches and charge in respective batch sizes, but most clients don't worry about that.

Most clients (not all) feel comfortable making single up front payments of $200-500+. I have also had first time customers pay $500-2000 straight (up front) without trying my service before. But this is perhaps because they have my threads on WF as proof

I've been in a service-oriented business before as a Graphic Artist. And like any other service based business, especially when you're a freelancer, its always smart to get some money upfront. Getting half is the standard. I can honestly tell you that when you perform a service and don't collect money upfront, its not unusual for people to pretend to be unhappy with your work only to avoid having to pay you.

I charge all my clients 100% upfront, no exceptions. Whether it's a $10 job or a $1,000 project. I always convince my clients that I am the real deal, and that I won't run away with their money. So far, my clients have no complaints about paying me 100% upfront.

50% at minimum upfront, and sometimes payment in full, depending on the work involved. I have several regular clients that I do bill weekly (they provide steady, regular work and pay like clockwork), but they are larger businesses with an accounts receivable dept.
For social media work -- where I manage one or more accounts for a client via hootsuite, clients are billed a month in advance, so they basically pay for the month ($150-800), then service starts. No payment? no posts
Hope this helps!

I like HN's comment above, and for my higher end writing (sales copy, ebooks, etc) this is how I've done it majority of times. I have made thousands by taking a small fee, (in my case 10%) with 20%-30% share on the back end. Yes, sales copy that I would normally charge a one-off $1000 plus, has netted me in once case $10,000 over 3 year period using this type of philosophy. I'm glad to see someone else doing this. In my coaching business for higher end packages, I do the same thing (15%-20% up front) and either share of profits, or return on full payment plus commission for sales. If you believe in your skills, then why not do it this way. If you are that good at sales copy, then at least try it with someone who has a good profit. At minimum, it will make you double that.

Be well,

Lane