Complaint Review: Writer's Craft Toronto - Toronto Internet

In late June 2010, I contracted with the above listed individual to write a chapter for a college textbook, in the area of teacher education. He had posted the job on a freelancing website. He claimed to be the "editor", and I agreed to produce a chapter of approximately 17000 words on the topic of Cultural Diversity in Schools. I am a certified, working teacher; I have some years of professional experience in this area, so this individual received not only the benefit of my writing skills, but personal experience, expertise and research. The project was to be completed within two weeks.

The agreement (expressed in writing through several documented emails) stipulated that I would deliver the material by July 12th, and would be paid 100% when it was completed. I delivered on July 11 -before the deadline - over 19000 words, of which he approved. He then said he was forwarding the work to his CLIENT. An additional email stated that "HIS CLIENT was impressed". Up to this point, he had led me to believe he WAS the client - he was, in any case, the buyer for this job, and the person with whom I had contracted. He said he'd get back to me shortly and would "keep me in the loop". He did not. I waited, thinking there might be additional changes from the publisher, but after reasonable wait time, there was no word.

When I was NOT paid on time, I began to investigate his website - where his blog stated that HE was "writing two chapters for a textbook" - a laughable untruth. His blog posts and online magazine articles are so poorly written, it is blatantly apparent that he is a recently graduated 20-something, and a non-native speaker with a very tenuous grasp of the English language. He doesn't proofread his work - he's not even "editing" himself. Grammatical errors, syntactically awkward sentences and misapplied idioms are telltale signs. While he self-styles himself as an "editor" on his website, he has little experience with writing in English. Anyone who compares his blog posts to the textbook chapter in question will have no trouble realizing that the chapter is NOT his work.

As of July 28, there had been no word from him for over two weeks. I was not "kept in the loop" as he had said. The agreement had stated clearly that I would be paid when the job was complete. I repeatedly sent invoices, which he ignored. I finally approached the freelance website about the issue, and filed a dispute. He was STUNNED that I would "dispute" anything. He became petulant and insistent that he couldn't POSSIBLY pay me until his PUBLISHER had paid him. He apparently had no sense of responsibility for a written agreement he had made, under the guise of "editor". It was THEIR fault (the publishers). What nonsense.

I reminded him that I had an agreement with HIM, not his publisher or any other party. Payment was his responsibility. He then promised to post payment within 10 days. He did not. It has been a month since the work was completed, and there has been no sign of payment. He avoids contact and has tried to "cancel" the job on the freelance site - to avoid THEIR fees. Of course, he's gotten what he needed from it - a free textbook chapter, which he's now claiming to have written - in addition to breaching contract.

I would advise anyone against hiring or contracting with this individual OR his web service. He is shifty and immature, attempts to "reneg" and back out of transactions with professionals, and operates with a very underdeveloped business sense. He denies his obligations according to the terms of agreement - apparently clueless that the documentation of agreement online is considered legally binding under UETA. He ignores the protocols involving intellectual property. In addition to my work, it is highly likely that he has also claimed the work of others as his own, since he is clearly unable to produce professional-level writing on his own. He has no sense of ethics or credibility. I would of course, be happy to inform the publisher of this situation - but most legitimate, reputable publishers of textbooks are unlikely to have contracted with an upstart company such as Writer's Craft of Toronto, which has been in business only six months.