Comments on: Sunday Mailbag http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/2008/07/27/sunday-mailbag-108/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sunday-mailbag-108 Tom Richmond- Cartoonist and Humorous Illustrator Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:26:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/2008/07/27/sunday-mailbag-108/comment-page-1/#comment-48250 Tom Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:35:59 +0000 http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/?p=2425#comment-48250 That is very true. The freelance world isn't as big as one might think. Reputations do proceed you, be they ones concerning your work, ability to make deadlines, ability to take art direction, etc. Solid professionalism and ethical responsibility beget the kind of reputation that helps get a freelancer jobs. That is very true. The freelance world isn’t as big as one might think. Reputations do proceed you, be they ones concerning your work, ability to make deadlines, ability to take art direction, etc. Solid professionalism and ethical responsibility beget the kind of reputation that helps get a freelancer jobs.

]]> By: Frosted Donut http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/2008/07/27/sunday-mailbag-108/comment-page-1/#comment-48248 Frosted Donut Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:54:43 +0000 http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/?p=2425#comment-48248 I've faced this same issue with freelance Technical Writing, both as the contractor and the contractee. Aside from all the ethical issues you raise and address nicely, I've found one additional compelling reason: it's a small world. If you cut somebody out of a contract (by going to work directly for the client), it will eventually get out. Other people won't give you contracts (you'll steal their clients). Clients won't give you work (would you hire somebody who'd do something that unethical?). You get a reputation, and not a good one. This never happened to me--I'm always adamant about "Sorry, but you need to contact the agent directly"--but I've seen it happen to other people. And for years afterward, the reputation lingers. I’ve faced this same issue with freelance Technical Writing, both as the contractor and the contractee.

Aside from all the ethical issues you raise and address nicely, I’ve found one additional compelling reason: it’s a small world.

If you cut somebody out of a contract (by going to work directly for the client), it will eventually get out. Other people won’t give you contracts (you’ll steal their clients). Clients won’t give you work (would you hire somebody who’d do something that unethical?). You get a reputation, and not a good one.

This never happened to me–I’m always adamant about “Sorry, but you need to contact the agent directly”–but I’ve seen it happen to other people. And for years afterward, the reputation lingers.

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