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!@#$%! · 01.09.2008, 12:07 PM

no no no no no sir, fuck no, and no.

first of all-- and this is the important-- there is no reason you should have to "wait months before you see that $4000 check". i'll explain more below.

second-- your wife gets a steady paycheck from the feds. should be sufficient to cover most basic expenses, no?

and third-- there are other ways than working retail if you want to be out among people.

look, im self-employed too, and i used to get ripped off, paid late, etc. no more.

the reason is simple-- well not so simple-- but a) i work with contracts now , b) i don't work with wankers who don't have money to pay upfront.

yeah, my contracts often specify a 50% down payment or partial payments whenever an important milestone is completed. this is no joke. i can't finance my client's projects. contracts also specify penalties for late payment, etc.

and then at this point i have gotten good at sniffing bullshit-- i have good clients that require no contracts, people who pay the second i ask them, and i cultivate those. i can do small jobs for them without down payment because i know i'll have my money the moment i'm done.

rather than running back to the retail trenches, i suggest finding a lawyer and an accountant and getting your shit organized. you have to price late payments into the cost of doing business and you have to be able to say you neeed 20 or 30 or 50% down when you sign up for a gig.

now, if you are looking for an extra paycheck, i would suggest something that increases your visibility as a writer. something good for marketing. imagine you're whipping up a latte and one of your corporate clients shows up-- the same one you've told all about your professionalism-- no-- just no. if you were 22 and out of college and were working on a novel i'd say starbucks is a good company with benefits for part timers bla bla bla. let your kids work a starbucks. but you could maybe get a teaching gig at a local college, or pick up some journo work at a local paper or magazine, or write record reviews for no pay-- something that will increase your prestige with your clients and will make them pay you more.

anyway, you need an accountant and a lawyer. find them.

and if you need to see people, you can always take your laptop to starbucks and write there. pick a coffee shop and make it your home. become a regular. have "your" table. you'll make friends in no time.

01.09.2008, 12:07 PM	#12
!@#$%! invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mars attacks Posts: 42,731	no no no no no sir, fuck no, and no. first of all-- and this is the important-- there is no reason you should have to "wait months before you see that $4000 check". i'll explain more below. second-- your wife gets a steady paycheck from the feds. should be sufficient to cover most basic expenses, no? and third-- there are other ways than working retail if you want to be out among people. look, im self-employed too, and i used to get ripped off, paid late, etc. no more. the reason is simple-- well not so simple-- but a) i work with contracts now , b) i don't work with wankers who don't have money to pay upfront. yeah, my contracts often specify a 50% down payment or partial payments whenever an important milestone is completed. this is no joke. i can't finance my client's projects. contracts also specify penalties for late payment, etc. and then at this point i have gotten good at sniffing bullshit-- i have good clients that require no contracts, people who pay the second i ask them, and i cultivate those. i can do small jobs for them without down payment because i know i'll have my money the moment i'm done. rather than running back to the retail trenches, i suggest finding a lawyer and an accountant and getting your shit organized. you have to price late payments into the cost of doing business and you have to be able to say you neeed 20 or 30 or 50% down when you sign up for a gig. now, if you are looking for an extra paycheck, i would suggest something that increases your visibility as a writer. something good for marketing. imagine you're whipping up a latte and one of your corporate clients shows up-- the same one you've told all about your professionalism-- no-- just no. if you were 22 and out of college and were working on a novel i'd say starbucks is a good company with benefits for part timers bla bla bla. let your kids work a starbucks. but you could maybe get a teaching gig at a local college, or pick up some journo work at a local paper or magazine, or write record reviews for no pay-- something that will increase your prestige with your clients and will make them pay you more. anyway, you need an accountant and a lawyer. find them. and if you need to see people, you can always take your laptop to starbucks and write there. pick a coffee shop and make it your home. become a regular. have "your" table. you'll make friends in no time.
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