My history with CGL, Why I think things are better now Options

[Patrick Goodman]

Way back in the dark days of the CGL/freelancer debacle (and I can think of no better word, I'm afraid, for what went down), there was a whole lot of yapping by a whole lot of people about freelancers getting paid. I wouldn't write for them for a while, and I knew some other freelancers that also held off writing for them. When I mentioned that I had started freelancing for them again, it was after a good bit of discussion with other freelancers and CGL themselves; I didn't re-enter that madhouse willy-nilly.

While the public outcry has long since subsided, I've received several emails and PMs from people since making that decision, asking me, "What the hell are you thinking?! They're just going to screw you again! Have you lost your damn mind?"

So here's a little bit of transparency for some of you people to chew on: I get paid for proofreading, and I get paid for writing. Since my return, I've proofed five products (that I recall; I'd need to double-check my records, but I believe five is correct) and written for one. I have been paid for all five products I've proofed, and while I've not been paid for my writing on Street Legends, that payment is also not contractually due for a few more weeks. I'd love it early, especially my author's copies, but patience has never been my strong suit.

All back payments from the Great Unpleasantness of last year have long since been made good.

Now, this is all connected to me, because I don't know the details of the other freelancers' situations, but the fact is we do talk and no one has, to my recollection, bitched about not getting paid. So what this tells me is that CGL has turned things around fairly successfully. We've put out a great deal of product recently, and I think the quality has been steadily increasing. I think some of the stuff coming down the pipe, my involvement (or lack thereof) notwithstanding, is some pretty good stuff.

So I'm not saying that you have to like what CGL is doing with the line, you don't have to like any of the new products, and you don't have to like the company. But for those of you concerned that they're just going to rip off their freelancers again, I have to say that, from my perspective at the moment, at least...that's not an issue any longer. I sure wouldn't be working on some of the projects I'm preparing to pitch if I thought they were still going to rip me off.

Far as I'm concerned, everything's cool. I don't know that I need shades at the moment, but the future looks bright to me.