What to do when a freelance writing client doesn’t pay

In freelance writing, there’s a paradox when it comes to payments: Most clients pay on time, but every freelance writer seems to have at least one experience with clients who don’t pay.

In other words, this isn’t common, but it’s probably going to happen at some point (if it hasn’t already.) In this episode, we’re sharing our experiences with non-payers and how we’ve handled those sticky situations.

What do I do when a freelance writing client doesn’t pay me?

When your client hasn’t paid and is being non-responsive to your friendly reminder nudges, stay calm. Panic is never helpful in these situations. Remember: The outstanding invoice isn't a personal issue between you and the client. More often than not, it’s a management issue on the client's side.

“No one wants to be left thinking: ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to count on this income or not.’”

Along with this, make sure you understand how things work on the payment processing side of things for your clients (ideally, before work begins.) While the marketing or content person is the one that hires and communicates with you, most of the time the payment is cleared by accounts payable within the company’s accounting department.

This internal process is often slow: For bigger companies, 30 days is the standard window for payment once an invoice is received (referred to as Net30.) As a result, it’s not always possible to get paid immediately, and you may have to wait a bit for that invoice to get processed.

Before you start worrying about why your invoice isn’t paid a few days after sending, reach out and ask for clarity around the payment processing window (and moving forward, do this up front.)

What if it’s been longer than 30 days?

Most of the time, you just need to send a reminder email to the person you are working with that your invoice is still outstanding after the Net30 window has passed. You can do this a day or two before the deadline as well. Accounting software such as Wave comes with automated reminders built-in that take this task off your plate completely.

After a couple of follow-up emails with the person you are in touch with, the next step is to contact the accounting department directly. Track down the accounts payable person with the details of your invoice. You can do this via email or get on the phone with them.

Other steps to take when your invoice is unpaid

Lawyers: You can go the legal route if strongly worded emails are no longer working. Sending them a letter from a lawyer is the first step. There are two things to consider with this option though—it’s expensive and time-consuming.

Use a collections agency: Collection agencies go after your lost revenue for a 30% cut. There are some freelancer-specific collection agencies out there, but they are hard to find. Think hard about if the amount of the invoice is worth chasing down.

When is it time to walk away?

Sometimes, it’s best to cut your losses and walk away. It’s hard to see your work and time not getting paid for, but walking away saves you from mental stress and additional lost time.

Consider the value of the time spent on chasing a payment. Would it be better to just walk away and move on to the next job? Maybe so. Mark this payment as a loss and move on (and don’t work with that client again.)

What NOT to do when you haven’t been paid

Burn bridges

When you go to the accounts payable person, you don’t want to damage your relationship with the person who is hiring you for repeated work. To get around this, either cc the person when you contact the accounting department or mention this in an earlier follow-up email.

Post about it on social media

The temptation to drag a company on social media when this happens might be irresistible, but that’s not the route to go when working to solve payment disputes. At the end of the day, this puts you in a bad light and positions you as unprofessional.

Avoiding non-payment in the future

Prevention is the best cure. Avoid getting in such a situation again with these steps.

Have a well-defined process

A well-defined and documented payment process is crucial for every freelance writer.

Set clear expectations on the deliverables you are providing and implement benchmark payments or require deposits for work to begin. This should be in your contract.
Get clarity around the time frame for invoices to get paid.
Impose a penalty fee or interest for past-due invoices within your contract.

Ask around before working with new clients

When you’re approached by a new client, don’t just jump in. Ask around and leverage the freelance writing community. Don't ignore the red flags.

If you find someone who’s worked with them, find out: Are they difficult to work with? Any payment issues? What’s their process like?

“It’s never the great client that doesn’t pay.”

As a freelance writer, it’s important to get a good gut feeling from the people you’re working with.

Get a deposit up front

Get a 50% deposit of your project value or minimum monthly spend upfront. This saves you from the worst-case scenario where you've done a couple of thousand dollars worth of work for no money.

A deposit signals client credibility. If a deposit gets paid, you're in their system and your contract has been approved internally. This further reduces the probability of non-payment.

Build long-term relationships

Having long-term ongoing relationships with clients means working with clients you trust on a regular basis.

“You can do one-off jobs with a new client every single month, but long-term clients are the ones you can count on to pay you on time.”

Both of us have built businesses on long-term relationships. This approach is more predictable and eliminates the uncertainty that comes with working with brand new clients all the time.

Get paid as a freelance writer (every time)

It sucks to not get paid for work completed. Period. To keep this from happening, the best thing you can do is have a proactive approach and a documented, signed contract that outlines your expectations, requirements, and process before work begins.