I was amused to read in Adweek about a freelance web designer who replaced his client's website with an angry public letter when they didn't pay him. Visitors to the site - for a US fitness company - saw the brand described as mean and dishonest. The designer (his name is Frank Jonen) signed the letter: "I am writing this on behalf of the tens of thousands of freelancers and small businesses out there facing larger corporations who can afford to starve them out."
These days I'm lucky to have several loyal clients who usually pay on time. This has not always been the case. Newspapers, magazines and a couple of very large agencies have commissioned me to write something urgently, and then taken months to pay. It reminds me of the English writer P.G. Wodehouse's comment about freelancing: "One has to beg for one's money as if it were a loan, rather than being one's rightful earnings long overdue."
As collaborative working becomes more common in the digital era, I hope this situation will evolve. Companies - particularly in creative industries - are more efficient if they have a light core structure supported by a network of outsiders. But those outsiders need to feel appreciated, well-fed and happy. And remember, full-time jobs are fragile these days. So next time a freelancer rings you up begging to be paid, take pity on them. You might be in their shoes very soon.
