new editor/internet publication misadventures

ATP

What happened to my LIFE?!
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Very recently, I had made a serious error in relation to dealing with a new client (editor) who runs an online publication, my first time dealing with such reduced deadlines.

I am a features writer and analyst who normally writes for print publications, which provide a minimum of month turnaround time.

In this case, I was taken by surprise, and had discarded most of the "quality assurance" measures I normally implement, to meet his requirements, a new client.

On a late Friday afternoon, he unexpectedly sends me an email commissioning me for an article. Great!! I am having cashflow issues, and am getting back into the 'field' after a lengthy absence, and need to get updated CV entries. I am under duress, and I have to attend to other pressing issues as well.

In his favour, he provides good general content descriptive detail, where it is to be published (2 online publications), number of sources sought (3 maximum) and where they might be found,offers of where to go for assistance, mention of the price. But, he simply neglects the issues of when I will be paid, how, rights sought etc.He wants the piece submitted within a week.

Normally, I would be expected to spend some time planning & negotiating with editors about all of this. But, I realise that this is not going to be possible. I simply have to get the business side of things done before he leaves the office, and so begin on the following Monday, as the time required for production is tight and very precious in order to meet his deadline. I am under duress.

And I later sense this is how editors who are dealing with internet publications & shorter deadlines normally work.

I check for the missing information that I require, discuss this with him, receive an indication that he might be able to extend, that he will assist with the provision of names of people whom to contact for interview. I assure him that an extension might be necessary, but very unlikely.

Time is running out. All relevant information is very quickly added to my subsequent email which I shoot off to him before he leaves the office. He answers in the affirmative, and I will have to await his provision of contacts. He leaves the office for the weekend. Quite a number of other important procedural details I have not raised.

Some hours later, I realise that I have made a mistake concerning the per word rate. I send a follow up email correcting this. Forced to re-read and check his original email, I realise that my subsequent email was *wrong*--I had made the mistake. It is simply too late--I can not retrieve/recall this email. I have cashflow issues, and I am under duress.

I have sacrificed a lot of conditions that I normally discuss & include in my agreements, and I realised later that I have endured a pricing revision or sleight of hand by him and likely from many other editors in that part of the world, resulting in this case a loss of income by an estimated 15%; including other sacrifices, this brings the estimated total loss of income to around 20%,and possibly more, from what I would normally get. The hourly rate of return is now beginning to look low.


I am not sure that a simple apology, or effort to downplay it with "suffering from Fridayitis" is going to do the trick. But I have to come up with some (meaningful) explanation. The worst is that he changes his mind, with the obvious consequence, while the best is that we proceed,he approves the material (w/out great changes), I get paid & then he probably discontinues.

I think that what I have realised here is that while I specialise in the kind of work he wants, to avoid such problems & misadventures, and maintain the quality, is let him (& others) know that for ALL work, I require a minimum of two weeks, and preferably a month lead time.They want the quality alright, but do not provide sufficient time or monies for it. But, if this comes out ok, I grit my teeth while reminding myself that it is essentially (but not only) for the CV that I am doing this. We'll see how things turn out...


ETA: Well, despite my issues & misgivings, it has turned out well (so far). I did get the information he said he would give me,
& with the reduced time, I still managed to get the article written and submitted on deadline on a Friday. I was not happy with the result I had submitted, and did a third draft on the Sunday, and re-submitted early Mon. morning in time for him to get it when he came to work. It was a much better product. He accepted the product & thanked me, acknowledging receiving it and invoice. He subsequently stated he was open to working with me in the same way again! The only problem is that his publication has been taken over by a MNC, media organisation, so that puts kinks in the process as far as subsequent work goes. I forgot to make a point of asking about byline early on, and my asking about this following submission has not been answered. While not necessarily a major issue, for local journalism association membership, this counts. I am now a bit concerned about getting my payment, as he states that things are hectic at the moment (with the takeover).
 
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