Re: Denver Contracting

["Mike Bradley" <mbradley -at- techpubs -dot- com>]

> 1. Contracting rarely leads to more money than full-time employment. It
> certainly doesn't lead to more free-time.

That isn't my experience. I've done better as a contractor than employee.


> 3. Avoid so-called writers' unions. Most of them are anti-business
> organizations that do far more harm than good. Business people aren't
> interested in their antagonistic brand of activism. Some business people
won't
> hire you if they know (or even suspect) you have any involvement with
writers'
> unions.

Well, being a member of a so-called writers union, I guess I gotta reply to
this.

Actually, I don't know any so-called writers unions. The National Writers
Union is affiliated with the United Auto Workers, which I'd say makes it a
real union.

As regards clients not wanting to hire union members, I'm sure some don't,
although no prospect has ever told me so. I list the union in my resume.
Here in the SF Bay Area, our members often run into managers who are pleased
that we're in a union. Some are union members themselves.

Franklyi, I'm 64 and I'm more worried about age discrimination than
anti-union discrimination. And if I were a person of color, I'd be a heck of
a lot more worried about that that my union membership.


> 4. Most employers don't take kindly to full-time employees "moonlighting"
> unless if has zero impact on the full-time job. Before you do any
moonlighting,
> you better check with your current employer and ask them if its okay.

I would never do that. Unless there are special circumstances, it's not the
employer's or client's affair. It may not be legal, either. Even police
officers have the right to moonlight.


> 6. Recruiters/Agencies are not free marketing for you. If you work through
an
> agency, don't try to steal their business. That can get you sued and in
deep
> trouble.

They're not free, that's for sure. They take 20-40% of your earnings and, in
my experience, don't stand up for you in disputes with a client. Literary
agents, who rarely take even 20%, will negotiate disputes for you.

As for "stealing their business," I think Andrew refers to working directly
for a client after having worked there through an agency. Most agency
contracts forbid that for a year or more after the agency contract ends.

In California, that sort of restriction is illegal. In a number of states,
it is limited to special cases that we don't fit. In pretty much all states,
it is limited to short-term, narrowly-defined restrictions and never allowed
if it prevents you from pursuing your career, as the language in some
contracts does.


> 7. If you don't know contracts well, find a business lawyer. Beware of
advice
> from various assortment of ego queens on the Internet. These people have
> agendas, not advice. You need real, practical legal advice.

Good idea.


- Mike Bradley
  www.techpubs.com




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