Securing Payment

[dashinvaine]

Securing payment seems to be an area of trouble for freelance illustrators. The Writers and Artists Yearbook and the podcast on Ninja Mountain both give the impression that this just goes with the territory. An illustrator just has to accept that it takes time and effort to get any money from clients, in the general run of things. (It seems to be a widespread problem for many kinds of freelance work. My sister once had a hand-made greetings cards business and also had the worry of collecting long over-due debts.) Yet I've read elsewhere that instead freelancers should not commence any work until they've received up-front payments, or at least deposits (and certainly not do anything until they have a contract). My question is why this culture of parsimony is just accepted, and why can't (or don't) illustrators stipulate up-front or prompt payment as part of their contracts?

[Collywobbles]

This an issue in any kind of freelance work, art or not. You have to remember that a lot of clients don't really understand what artists do. What kind of person wants to pay for their project up-front when the artist only spends two hours painting it? They don't realize all of the time and energy and knowledge that goes into the other twenty two hours.

From their perspective it doesn't make sense, but they are paying for the ideas not just the hours. Also they get flaked out on as well, some artists don't follow through with the project, then they are leary in the future. I like to get something up front but I explain why, materials and time spent, most will understand, some will complain. It's hard to just demand money when you really need the job, and don't want a strained relationship for the rest of the project. Certainly when we are dealing with people across the world that we will never meet, it's easy to rip someone off anonymously, see piracy.

Some clients are cooperative, some are not. In my experience if it starts out shady, it will be shady for the rest of the project.

[MiniGoth]

ALL freelance work is like that.

Don't be a bonehead like me who got taken all the time, get yourself a contract that requires half the fee up front before starting work on a project. It'll weed out the flakes right away.

You will find the number of people 'hiring' you drops drastically. The ones that never intended to pay you don't like this contract.

[J Wilson]

If you are working with an established company you petty much follow their terms. I've never heard of anyone asking for payment up front, and if you did it would seem like a pretty big insult, suggesting you have no faith that they won't screw ya.

If you are working with a complete unknown, I'd suggest working out a schedule of payments. I've used half on approval of the sketches, and half for the final illustration.

Also, just watch for over all professionalism, and if they seem to know what they are doing. I've never personally been screwed by anyone who seemed to really know what they were doing. Plenty of late payments sure, but they have all eventually arrived.