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Hi everyone,

Can anyone help me please? I claimed a writer pool request in the Australian writing project and after I'd claimed it the buyer reduced the word count by more than half and lowered the price drastically too. I had already copied and pasted the original instructions, so I know I didn't make a mistake. I also checked the instructions again in the Projects section while I was writing the article, and there was no change until when I checked again now. I have the article ready to submit and I don't want to cut it down so much and waste more time for very little money. I have sent a message to the buyer and to CC and haven't submitted anything yet. It isn't a buyer I've written for before, and it isn't a writer pool I even want to be in, but because I had spare time I accepted two requests.

Has anyone else had this trouble? I would be so grateful for your advice as I don't know what to do.

Thank you!

Abba May

I'd refuse to comply with the changes after all the hard work, and post it for sale, then tag or send a request to the order or buyer. If they dont want to buy it, as is, another client might, and you'd still get your money.

How frustrating.

I would probably do as Renee said. Did they change it right away or did they change it in the middle of working? Sounds like they did it much later than when you started the work, which to me is not ethical. Is it something that could sell in the general pool? I would be frustrated too, but there is a good chance it will sell in the general pool, so your hard work isn't wasted.

It's not unlike any other type of project. You can't create a work order, have the person/company start the job and midway change the spec and the pricing without even the slightest bit of communicating with the worker. So yeah, I'd keep what you've done, submit it at the agreed upon price, and let it slip into the general pool if the buyer argues with you.

CC should probably put something in the system that doesn't allow buyers to change the spec or the price after it's been claimed by a writer, but maybe I'm being shortsighted on that idea.

Thank you very much ReneeF and Lysis. So nice to have you on my side!

Yes, they changed it in the middle of working, so it would have been almost complete by the time they changed it I think. It could sell in the general pool but it's one of those "30 ways to..." things which the buyer wanted to be very long. Too long for most buyers I guess, but I could chop it into three if it doesn't sell at it is in the general pool.

I'll take your advice and submit it as it is for the price the buyer quoted initially (if I don't hear from CC before then). Then if he doesn't want it it'll go into the pool.

Thanks heaps guys!

Abba May

Hi guys,

I'm still working through this, and I still appreciate your advice! I received a really nice email from Sienna today saying she'd noticed this thread. I was supposed to have received an email (which didn't reach me) that said that all writers had to go back and adjust the word limit for each section in their articles, but that the total word count hadn't changed. Even if I had known this, adhering to the paragraph length wouldn't have got me anywhere near the total word count I was supposed to have. It doesn't explain why the word count and price were so drastically reduced without my knowledge after I'd already written the article.

I am working on my other regular private requests now so I can't go back and spend more time on this one. It really doesn't seem fair. I feel very confused about it all, but I'm sure I've checked everything properly!

Is anyone else in the Aussie writers' pool? (I'm a New Zealander, so maybe that's my problem! )

Thanks again.

Abba May

It's me again. I really shouldn't reply to my own post so often!

Sienna has worked it out so that the guy bought my original article at the right price after all - thank you Sienna! I have declined an offer to write another short version for less because I have spent all morning emailing the poor editor and explaining the situation, and I can't waste more time - so frustrating how long it all takes! (If anyone wants work you could try asking to join the Aussie pool.)

I'm glad I listened to you, Lysis and ReneeF, as it has worked out in the end. Perhaps this will be helpful for others in the same situation who don't want to be mucked around.

I hope I haven't annoyed the editors by sticking to my guns (very politely) but I wasn't at fault this time. I don't usually say to anyone that I have such limited time to write because I have two little daughters to take care of, but once they're in bed I write as fast as I can until my husband gets home, so efficiency is important and time-wasting is annoying.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great day and that none of you are in England where the floods are taking over.

Abba

Sienna is pretty damn awesome. I hearts her.

Grats and glad it worked out!

Lysis wrote:Sienna is pretty damn awesome. I hearts her.

So true!!!

Interestingly, I had that email from Sienna and was tearing my hair out because an article that had already been bought and paid for needed to be changed so that each point in the list had 100 words, but the word count was to stay the same. So, my 500 word article that had 10 points (the minimum for that request) would have had to have each of the 10 points extended to 100 words. So, 1000 words, plus intro, plus conclusion! At least doubling the word count for the price of a 500 word article. Luckily, I then got an email from Sienna saying that the customer had decided it only related to requests from 23rd Jan onwards. I checked and the request in question was 21st Jan - woo hoo!

Abbamay wrote:(If anyone wants work you could try asking to join the Aussie pool.)

Thanks for the tip! I'm down in Adelaide trying to cope with monster heat waves, random bushfires and now surprise flooding, so the only thing to do in these conditions is to sit down and WRITE more!

I produced several articles for that buyer on a very short deadline and managed to get them in, but they were completely ignored by the buyer. I was a little miffed to say the least, so I removed all of them. I haven't bothered since, in spite of the fact that the requests fill my inbox daily. The briefs constantly change and the deadlines are too short for the amount of work required. I am an Australian writer, but most of the material required doesn't seem particularly Australian to me. On the other hand, yes, dealing with Sienna is a pleasure, not her fault I guess that I wrote and uploaded several pieces for nothing.

I was going to add that I am in Australia, so if that project is short of writers I'd be happy if more hands were needed - but the comments here slightly worry me, I must admit....

Hi guys,

Lucky for you, EFowler! I know that feeling. I think the pricing is a bit low anyway, so it's hard to think we might have to redo an article and get paid only a little.

I'm sorry to hear that, Gail - that is SO frustrating! Hope that doesn't happen to you again.

Philipanderson: I don't think it would hurt to send a message to CC and ask to join the pool. It's up to them whether they let you or not, but at least it's good to register your interest. I prefer writing for the other clients I have, so I hope you get to join the pool!

Take care, everyone.

Abba May

As one of the lesser mortals who has not been invited to join any pool, I was interested in the suggestion about emailing support and asking to be invited to the Australian pool. How does one find out exactly what pools exist?

Hi ScriptMaster,

It's really a matter of waiting until CC asks you to join. I asked several times about joining a pool or inquiring what they were about and how to join, and didn't receive any answers for months. Then suddenly one day I started receiving invitations. This was after I had written and sold quite a lot of articles over more than a year. Maybe they wait until you're a bit more established as a writer or perhaps they choose you because you are frequently writing in the categories that they need when a new pool opens up or needs new members.

Sorry that I'm not certain about it, but I always think it doesn't hurt to ask and you might find yourself lucky!

Let us know if it works for you...

Abba May