Mitzi Valenzuela of "Mitzi & Co."

Here we are with yet another story. This time from a makeup artist. She makes a good point in her e-mail about getting everything outlined in an e-mail, at the very least. Always get the terms in some form of writing, even if it's just an agreement through e-mail. Don't make any deal over the phone.

Mitzi Valenzuela of "Mitzi&Co."Because of her, I now incentivize my tear sheets and make clients outline all terms of a gig in a simple email - not over the phone. I am a makeup artist. Mitzi called me regarding hiring me for a shoot wherein she would be sending in the images for consideration. She told me that she would be paying me $75 + tear sheets.At the end of the gig, I am waiting for my money and finally had to ask for it. She then tells me that I had misunderstood...that *IF* the images ran, she would be paid and thus I would be paid.A couple of months went by.

I emailed her on an unrelated item and she tells me that the images were published and that she's got a copy of the magazine for me. (So, if I hadn't emailed her WHEN was she planning on telling me?)I ask about my $75 and "Oh, they never pay." was Mitzi's reply. She had my copies of the tear sheets - calculatedly planned, I soon realized. So, I couldn't be anything other than nice with her instead of flatly asking "...so, you didn't tell me that I would be paid $75 when you called to hire me, and you didn't tell me after the gig that I would be paid $75 *IF* the images ran??"

Is it possible I misunderstood TWICE?! Hardly. And that's why I now incentivize my tearsheets and operate under a refund policy AND TELL ANY/ALL ARTISTS TO DO THE SAME; pay me what you would be paying me if there were no tearsheets involved, and if tearsheets materialize, I will offer a refund AFTER I have secured them.