Payment on Acceptance vs. Payment on Publication -------------------------------------- You’ve written an article and editor has approved it. Now comes time to pay you. Well, not quite. Many publications prefer to pay their writers on publication, meaning when article appears in print. In established magazines, time between acceptance and publication can be months, so you may write an article in January, and be paid for it in June. Always try to get paid on acceptance.

Clips ------- When you write a query, editor wants to see more than just a good idea. She wants to know whether you can do it justice, whether you’ll be able to carry it through or not. For this, she needs to see samples of your writing. Published samples are termed as clips. Simply stated, you photocopy pages of approximately three magazines in which your articles have appeared and send them to editor.

If you haven’t been published, you’ll still need to send in samples of your writing. For this, write out an article or two related to subject of magazine, and send them off with your query.

Lead Time ----------- A magazine usually asks writers to submit their work well in advance so that there are no last-minute goof-ups. Magazines, especially reputed ones, cannot risk delaying an issue because of a single writer. This period is usually termed as lead-time. Although most magazines have lead times of approximately three months, many have periods of more than six months.

Kill Fees ----------- Editors are always “killing” articles that they’ve assigned. To writer, this could mean wasted time, as well as money. To reimburse writer for her research and hours put in, magazines usually have a 20-50% kill fee. Simply put, if your query has been accepted, but your article isn’t published for some reason, you’ll be given a kill fee for your work.

Expenses --------- For your article, you may have to interview a subject. In some cases, you may have to make long-distance calls or spend a few bucks on travel, lunches and other expenses. All such expenditures incurred for assignment are usually paid for by publication. You should be very clear on this before you get on assignment. Usually, editors will agree to reasonable expenditure refunds.

Bios and Photos ----------------- Haven’t you sometimes noticed how author’s picture or contact information appears alongside article? Yours could too. Although this isn’t always done, sometimes editors may agree to put up a photo or a short bio beside your article. It never hurts to ask.

Simultaneous Submissions -------------------------- Although this is something magazines advise against, it isn’t always feasible waiting three months for your hot idea to strike a note with editor you’ve submitted it to. This is where simultaneous submissions come in. Although I truly warn you against submitting same article to more than one publisher (I did it, and I regretted it), I do advocate simultaneous queries.

Now that you’re armed with basic knowledge, you’re all set to go out into big, bad world of publishing, and show them what you’ve got. Good luck!

* This article was previously published on www.WritersCrossing.com

If your article required a lot of traveling, phone calls, lunches or other expenses, ask publication to reimburse it. There will usually be a limit to how much a publication will pay, but it should cover your total expenditure on writing article. Send in bills, appropriately marked, and you’ll be paid. If this clause isn’t mentioned in your contract, be sure to bring it up.

Finally, you want copies of magazines. As many as you can get, actually. Most publications will give you two-three copies of magazine or publication in which your work appears. If possible, ask for more. This is especially important for international writers who can’t buy copies of magazine themselves.

Get it Right -------------- If you’re like most writers, you’re a pro at writing emails with demands no editor dare refuse, but when it comes to negotiation in person or over phone, you give in a little too soon. You know you could have got more, but you caved in before you could gather yourself to say, “I was expecting more.”

Negotiating is a whole other job in itself. (That’s why we have agents right?). But as a freelancer, an agent would do you more harm than good, so you’ll have to take up this profession as well. (You’re already a writer, marketer, promotion expert, website developer and accountant... what’s one more job?)

When an editor sends over a contract in which you can see need for negotiation, don’t hesitate to pick up phone and talk to her. It’s easier than you think. Editors expect writers to negotiate. Professionals do it all time. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise to her when a writer asks for a bigger paycheck. She’s probably even prepared for it. And this is sole reason why she’ll give in more easily than you thought. Stand your ground, and be confident. If you believe you deserve to be paid more for your words, she will too.

So, let’s imagine you’ve got an acceptance letter (or phone call) from editor. Yippee! Do victory dance, run around and tell everyone you know and then come back to planet Earth for a reality check.

Before talking to editor, you should have a fair idea of what you’re expecting from publication. Don’t keep your demands too high. At same time, don’t keep your expectations too low either. The publication’s guidelines should give a rough idea of upper and lower limits and depending on your article length and research, you should be able to determine a rough amount.

A few pointers on actual process of negotiating:

* Don’t be first to state figure. Sometimes you just have to, but try to get editor to propose amount and you can work your way up from there. * Use phrases such as “I was expecting more” and “That sounds a little low” or even “I was thinking more in range of ...” * Don’t argue with editor. After all, you do want assignment. Reach a figure that you’re both comfortable with. * If editor doesn’t budge on money front, ask for a better rights agreement or a bigger byline. Payment on acceptance is always a big plus. * Finally, never be unprofessional. If you don’t like terms of agreement and decide not to write for publication after all, be polite. Demeaning editor or publication will get you nowhere but in black list.

Get it in Writing ------------------- Nothing is final (or legal) until you get it on paper. If your old contract didn’t state terms correctly, ask for a new one. Check and recheck terms and only then sign contract.

Writers are often deprived of their hard-earned money simply because they were too nervous to ask. Looking back, I see many times when I knew I could have asked for more, but didn’t. And there are many other writers who don’t either, because they don’t want to risk a relationship with an editor before it’s even begun. Whether you’re a novice, or a seasoned pro, truth is – you won’t get something unless you ask for it. So next time, give it a try and you might end up making more than you thought.

* This article previously appeared on www.WritersCrossing.com