I'd call and ask for a specific person to talk to and direct emails. I'm not all that surprised you haven't been paid yet. The newspapers I work for have a billing/payment cycle (usually monthly), and with Rex Features as intermediary, there may be a second billing/payment cycle after that. For your own piece of mind it would be worthwhile to learn from Rex about theirs. Payment from stock agencies can be even more protracted. Magazines usually don't pay till a month after publication, even though they often need the photos as much as a year before publication. Overlaying that, the stock agency will have it's own cycle and procedures.
It pays to keep careful records of publication dates, amounts due, and projected due dates, and if you can get them, samples of the publication or "tear sheets" whenever possible. With that info in hand you have the necessary information to send an invoice any time payments are overdue, if not beforehand.
Many agencies pay on a quaterly basis, so don't get too worried yet. It is very common not to recieve payment for several months after something has been published.
I would stay away from agencies that make it a common practice to wait "several" months before sending payments. A letter can still cross the ocean in a day. It's hard to believe that simply being over seas causes months of delay in receiving payment. The more photographers except this practice the more it will become the norm. Go put some gas in your vehicle and tell them you will be back in several months to pay. Photographers have bills to pay too.
When an agency uses your images you must agree to their terms and they must agree to yours, upfront. I hope the terms were spelled out properly.
Payment routines are really variable, but they're the normal operating system of the company or entity you're dealing with. The more you understand it and can work with it, the less of a PITA you seem to them. And most aren't willing to work again with anyone they regard as a PITA. We built our business over the years on repeat clients, some of whom we've dealt with over 20 years, and for whom we are the only photographers they use.
Key is understanding their system and helping them "remember." That's why we track our invoicing and billing really carefully and schedule reminders (actually write them on our calendar) for each client, in case we haven't received payment in a timely manner------ with "timely" defined by their own internal system.
We did a large (very large) job last fall that involved 4 corporations and one government entity splitting the bill. Each paid within their normal payment cycle, which meant it took 3 months to receive all the payments. Because we knew what those cycles were and worked within them without being a PITA ourselves, we've already done additional work for each of the clients individually. They see it as "professionalism" when you work with them in their own regime in a smooth fashion. And professionalism, however defined, results in repeat business.
The absolute worst about payment used to be the US government. It was "quick" if you were paid for a job in 5 months, and 7 to 9 months was more typical. That all changed when they issued credit cards to their people. If you're set up to take credit cards, payment is now immediate. Love it!
And that's a nice option when you have a slow pay. If you're set up to take credit cards, you can often glean a payment simply by calling and suggesting they give you a credit card number rather than making the payment later (and incurring and interest charge from you) by waiting more weeks for the paperwork to finally emerge from their internal processes.
Hank, is it common not to receive a notice on how much is due, or when? They emailed me back and said the billing cycle is after the 5th day of every month. My images were published on April 15th.
When I've dealt with stock agencies (always when they come to me for photos, rather than as one of their stable) it can get a little scrambled. I'm typically on assignment, paid by the hour for shooting plus a % of the photo fees. The fee portion of the payment is usually an unknown until the photo is published and paid. I know how much I'm being paid for the shooting, but the additional stock fees are an unknown for the most part. It's a little nerve-wracking the first time I deal with a company, but once you know their routine.....
In the sense that Rex (I don't know them) appears to function as a stock agency for press photos, I wouldn't be too surprised that you're not getting much info. I've always found I get more info from a phone call than email. If when you call you identify yourself as a "newbie" with the company and you're just trying to find out what's normal, they're usually very cooperative. If you come off as a PITA complainer, they're not likely to use you again.
BTW- Upon re-reading your last post, I'd only get pushy if the check didn't show up before June 5. That gives you a little "leg up" when you can point out to them that they're a month late on the expected May 5 payment.
Discussion
8 repliesIt pays to keep careful records of publication dates, amounts due, and projected due dates, and if you can get them, samples of the publication or "tear sheets" whenever possible. With that info in hand you have the necessary information to send an invoice any time payments are overdue, if not beforehand.
They did send scans from the newspapers where my images appeared, however.
That's a good sign that they're on the up-an-up, and the "delayed" payment is most likely due to the billing cycles I referenced.
When an agency uses your images you must agree to their terms and they must agree to yours, upfront. I hope the terms were spelled out properly.
Key is understanding their system and helping them "remember." That's why we track our invoicing and billing really carefully and schedule reminders (actually write them on our calendar) for each client, in case we haven't received payment in a timely manner------ with "timely" defined by their own internal system.
We did a large (very large) job last fall that involved 4 corporations and one government entity splitting the bill. Each paid within their normal payment cycle, which meant it took 3 months to receive all the payments. Because we knew what those cycles were and worked within them without being a PITA ourselves, we've already done additional work for each of the clients individually. They see it as "professionalism" when you work with them in their own regime in a smooth fashion. And professionalism, however defined, results in repeat business.
The absolute worst about payment used to be the US government. It was "quick" if you were paid for a job in 5 months, and 7 to 9 months was more typical. That all changed when they issued credit cards to their people. If you're set up to take credit cards, payment is now immediate. Love it!
And that's a nice option when you have a slow pay. If you're set up to take credit cards, you can often glean a payment simply by calling and suggesting they give you a credit card number rather than making the payment later (and incurring and interest charge from you) by waiting more weeks for the paperwork to finally emerge from their internal processes.
In the sense that Rex (I don't know them) appears to function as a stock agency for press photos, I wouldn't be too surprised that you're not getting much info. I've always found I get more info from a phone call than email. If when you call you identify yourself as a "newbie" with the company and you're just trying to find out what's normal, they're usually very cooperative. If you come off as a PITA complainer, they're not likely to use you again.
BTW- Upon re-reading your last post, I'd only get pushy if the check didn't show up before June 5. That gives you a little "leg up" when you can point out to them that they're a month late on the expected May 5 payment.