Back in January, Simply Beautiful magazine accepted an article I wrote on aromatherapy for their 'upcoming' issue - this was the first piece of writing I'd sold, but unfortunately it wasn't a great experience.
This morning, seven months down the line, I received a phone call from a helpful woman in KAL Media's accounts department, saying she had 'found' my invoice and would pay me immediately. Found? I had been sending and resending my invoice to the only contact I had - the editor - who assured me on the rare occasions my correspondence was acknowledged that she was passing on my details to accounts. This information shocked the lady I was speaking to.
I know I won't receive my contributor copy, but at least I now know which issue I was published in at least - they didn't even have the curtesy to tell me so that I could seek out my own copy when it was on the shelves.
Sadly, mine isn't an isolated case. Lots of the talented crafters at Folksy have sold articles, how-to's and patterns to KAL Media's craft magazines, and many are still fighting for their payment. I have been lucky, and my advice to them is to try and contact the accounts department directly as, apparently, there is a severe lack in communication!
I'm just relieved there is some closure now. This has been a huge weight on my shoulders, and for a while it really affected my confidence when I was trying to sell my work. I guess it was bad luck that it was my first time, but I'm glad I didn't meekly submit to the big scary publishers and kept on fighting!
Thanks for visiting my blog. I think, essentially, if we visit others and leave comments, this could also raise our profile. This is simple, but it takes time. If you want somewhere small to start, this may be it.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like to subscribe to A Blogger's Books, you can get other helpful articles as they're published. Thanks again for visiting and commenting.