How to Pay Your Local Team

As a publisher, you are responsible that your local team is appropriately compensated for the work they are contributing to the success of your magazine. See below for how each of your local team members receives compensation.

Issuing Payment for Local Staff

1. You will cut the check yourself to your staff with the earnings from your magazine.
2. You are expected to pay your staff within the first ten (10) days of the publication month for the rate stated in the agreement.
3. Your staff will be hired as independent contractors, so they will need to fill out a W-9 with you, and you will file a 1099 for tax purposes.
   1. If you pay an independent contractor by credit card, debit card, or by using a third-party service like PayPal or Payable, you aren’t required to file a 1099-MISC with the IRS and, therefore, wouldn’t need them to complete a W-9.
   2. If you pay an independent contractor more than $600 during the year and the payment method is NOT one of the ones mentioned in the previous section, then a W-9 needs to be completed and a 1099-NEC filed with the IRS and a copy provided to the independent contractor by January 31 of the following year.
   3. If you pay them less than $600 during the year and the payment method is NOT one of the ones mentioned in the previous section, then a W-9 needs to be completed and a 1099-MISC filed with the IRS and a copy provided to the independent contractor by January 31 of the following year.

Paying Freelance Writers and Photographers

Each magazine handles this a little differently based on the individual publisher. As a general procedure, the publication director or editor can send invoices to the publisher each month for the freelance writing and photography that will need to be paid that month. Work with the publisher to decide upon an agreed rate for freelance contributors or any trade deals for photography. The publisher will pay those agreed-upon rates monthly. Payments should be mailed within 10 days of the magazine going to print.

Issuing Trade for Photographers

1. The Editor will track the assignments that are completed by the photographer(s) for that month’s issue and provide you with an invoice. 
2. When the photographer meets the agreed-upon number of assignments for an ad, you will upload a $0 contract.
   1. Be sure that you have created a client account for the photographer in ARC.
   2. Within the photographer’s client account, you will create a $0 deal to send to the photographer to sign by the agreement deadline so that the ad appears in your ad list for the particular month(s).
3. The photographer will need to provide a print-ready ad or submit a creative request by your first ad's deadline and have the ad approved by the final ad's deadline.