# Writers: How do I politely ask about payment for an article once it's accepted? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781 "2003-06-27T16:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/1 "2003-06-27T16:10:27Z")
I wrote a small little piece about my Arab mare that has been submitted and accepted by _Arabian Horse World_ magazine. They want pictures as well (yay!) so those are being sent out next week, once the photographer prints the best shots. It’s all happened very quickly–I contacted AHW Monday, asking for Writer’s Guidelines, and instead they suggested I just send the piece via email. I did–and got a phone call from the publisher the next day saying they loved it and wante to use it! I’m ecstatic about the whole thing, as you may imagine. It’s all happened so fast that I haven’t had time or thought regarding an honorarium. I’d like to ask about what the payment is (I assume there is one; I’ve always been paid before, even by smaller publications), but am not sure the best way to go about doing that. Do I wait a bit longer? And how should I word it? The article will appear in their September issue, btw. I know it’s perfectly well within reason for me to inquire about such things, I’m just not sure _how_ to inquire about it! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/2 "2003-06-27T16:20:38Z")
Just shoot them an email asking the question straight up. If they were that enthusiastic about your writing, I would hit them up for freelance work too. I’m an editor, and you wouldn’t believe the crap I see. If I find someone who can meet a deadline and make subject and verb agree in an interesting way, I’ll send some more work their way. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/3 "2003-06-27T18:01:58Z")
$$$$$$$$!!! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/4 "2003-06-27T18:36:03Z")
Their guidelines should indicate what they pay, but if you can’t find that, a polite e-mail should be fine. It would be a miracle if you saw a check already for an article accepted on Monday, BTW. “Payment on acceptance” usually means you get paid a month after acceptance; “payment on publication” means you’ll get it a little after the magazine is on the newstands. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/5 "2003-06-27T18:47:39Z")
I just straight-up asked them, as **vibrotonica** suggested. I couldn’t located writer’s guidlelines (when I called for them, they just said to send the piece to them via email–so I don’t know what any policies are). They’ve offered me a year’s subscription to their magazine, and heck…it’s an expensive magazine that I would like to have, so that seems to work fine (in a way, it’s the most I’ve ever been paid for writing–not that it’s much!). I am going to ask for a few extra copies of the September issue to give to family members–that seems okay on my end, at least…do you think? I’m just excited…it’s my first _article_ published in a national magazine. I’ve had some short stories published, and articles in small things like a college newspaper, but this is pretty darn cool for me, however small it all may be in the writing world. **vibrotronica** , how do I best “hit up” for freelance work? (And what exactly does that mean? I thought freelance meant you wrote on your own, submitted on your own…does it entail more? Do editors then assign you pieces?) ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/6 "2003-06-27T19:28:22Z")
Congrats, **Ruffian**. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve got your foot in the door, and you’ve got a credit to your name so you’re on your way. Now, if an editor in the future asks, “Where else have you been published?” You’ve got something to tell them. As for asking for a few extra copies, they shouldn’t have any problem with that (I also am an editor so…I thought I would throw in my two bits). TV ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/7 "2003-06-27T21:48:49Z")
Ruffina, most freelance writers will send query letters to the magazines they want to sell work to. It’s unusual for editors to assign work before they have worked with you for a while – in general you need to come up with ideas, sell the ideas, then write the articles. When you’ve got your foot in the door and have proved yourself reliable and good, then some editors will assign articles to you. Congrats BTW 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/8 "2003-06-28T01:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \*\*\* > _vibrotronica_, how do I best “hit up” for freelance work? (And what exactly does that mean? I thought freelance meant you wrote on your own, submitted on your own…does it entail more? Do editors then assign you pieces?) \*\* Hie thyself down to the library and take a gander at _The Writer’s Market_. It comes out every year and will most likely be in the Reference section so you’ll have to look at it at the library. It is a list of book _and_ periodical publishers including the incredibly obscure ones. Information includes where to submit your pieces, what they pay (if anything) and when, what they’re looking for, and what not to send. If you become serious about freelancing, a big chunk of your income if not your entire livlihood, you’ll want to buy your own copy every year. But for now, use the library’s. Has your nym perchance have any ties to Ruffian, the filly? I’m hoping [Seabiscuit](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0329575) does really well come July – well enough that they’ll tell her story, too, sad though it may be. DD ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/9 "2003-06-28T03:01:48Z")
**Desert Dog** , I have several copies of _The Writer’s Market_ of my own. 🙂 I used it to get guidelines and ideas for several equine-related publications, but many of the ones I was familiar with weren’t listed in any WM editions I owned. AHW is not obscure, and _Equus_ is one of the major horse-related mags on the stands–yet neither are listed. (In fact, it just lists a few of the biggest, like _Horse Illustrated_–but not its youth-oriented counterpart _Young Rider_!) I have done some freelance work before, and am well acquainted with query letters. (Ugh…they _suck_ for me! I find them harder to write than any short story/article!) I was just confused by **vibrotronica’s** comment about “hitting them up for freelance work.” More or less, that’s what I’d already done, and it read like s/he was saying it was something more regular and assigned. Perhaps you were saying to hit them up for _more_ freelance work, **vibro**? BTW, judging by the pay listed in TWM, I can’t imagine anyone making a livlihood doing this…but apparently they do! I’ve scrapped together a total of $75 and a free magazine subscription (worth $40) in all my publishing. Whee. And yes, my s/n is in partial homage to the late great filly. (I also like the idea of _being_ a ruffian.) _Seabiscuit_ is an awesome book, and I really look forward to seeing several real horse racing star jockeys in the film. Gary Stevens is THE man in racing, and he plays George Woolf (the guy who says “Kinda small, isn’t he?” in the commercials); Chris McCarron is in there, too. Not sure what he does, though! ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/10 "2003-06-28T07:17:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > \*\*BTW, judging by the pay listed in TWM, I can’t imagine anyone making a livlihood doing this…but apparently they do! I’ve scrapped together a total of $75 and a free magazine subscription (worth $40) in all my publishing. Whee. \*\* It takes time, but once you’ve established a name in the business, you will get paid more and you will get editors calling you (actually their secretaries or assistants) instead of the other way around and there are reprints and other angles that can help. It’s not easy, especially early on, but it’s possible. TV ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writers-how-do-i-politely-ask-about-payment-for-an-article-once-its-accepted/184781/11 "2003-06-28T17:53:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > **Desert Dog, I have several copies of _The Writer’s Market_ of my own. 🙂 I used it to get guidelines and ideas for several equine-related publications, but many of the ones I was familiar with weren’t listed in any WM editions I owned. AHW is not obscure, and _Equus_ is one of the major horse-related mags on the stands–yet neither are listed. (In fact, it just lists a few of the biggest, like _Horse Illustrated_–but not its youth-oriented counterpart _Young Rider_!)** Sorry 'bout that. My take on your OP was that you’d sort of stumbled onto your situation. Sounds like you’re well versed with the process. No _AHW_ or _Equus_, huh? Color me surprised. Make that disappointed. DD Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got to show my grandmother how to suck eggs.