Payment Problems with Cricket Media

[Kim Rosenlof]

I have never submitted anything to Cricket Media, but found this article warning authors and illustrators about submitting anything to the magazines. Hopefully nobody here on the forums has had this problem with them.
https://writerbeware.blog/2022/11/18/long-standing-payment-problems-at-cricket-media/?fbclid=IwAR0JmJmzVp1eIIp80SRGf1m1dz4_c3cuddIU4FD7wE-tJ52wyedSeFXdgYc

[Julia Hegetusch]

@Kim-Rosenlof oh no. I was planning on submitting some time in the future. There are not alot of kids magazines left unfortunately

[Jeremiahbrown]

@Kim-Rosenlof Ha, this is concerning. I illustrated 6 illustrations for a Spider article and then 7 illustrations for a Lady Bug article in the last year and haven't been paid. I wasn't too concerned because it does state in the contract that, "the payment will be 6-8 months after publication." I guess I'll get my email ready. Thanks for sharing!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Kim-Rosenlof uh-oh... i’m still waiting for payment from Ladybug.

[Kim Rosenlof]

@Julia-Hegetusch Yes, I had thought about submitting there too, but then I saw this article.
@Jeremiahbrown I hope you get your payment. At least they put a payment deadline on it, so you have a rough idea when you need to start being the squeaky wheel.
@Nyrryl-Cadiz Oh no. I hope you get it. They did say that some people get their payments. Just be persistent. Did the contract have a time when you would get it, such as in 6-8 months like @Jeremiahbrown ?

[NessIllustration]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz @Jeremiahbrown I know personally of artists who have been stiffed by Cricket Media. After sending them 10+ emails asking for payment, threatening legal action, etc, in the end the only ones that were paid are the ones that threatened to make this public on social media. Then, Cricket Media miraculously bumped them up the priority list on their long list of creditors....

[Jeremiahbrown]

@NessIllustration Thanks! That gives me hope that eventually I'll get paid if I'm persistent enough.

[ArtMelC]

This is so sad I don't see many alternatives for children editorial work. I wonder if the market for children's magazine itself has shrunk considerably they can't maintain operation costs. Sounds like a ship that is about to sink with delays getting longer and longer.

[baileyvidler]

@Kim-Rosenlof Very glad that you posted this back in November!

Yesterday I got an email from Cricket with a job opportunity. So I responded asking what Cricket has done to address the issue... No response yet, and I'm not really expecting one.

[Kim Rosenlof]

@baileyvidler I am glad it was helpful. It is so crazy that this is happening.

[Charlotte Glaze]

They are having trouble paying writers too. My friend from SCBWI has written several things for them and her husband swears its a ponzie scheme because they have to pay people from months earlier first and you may never see your money.

I guess it's still exposure, so if you want to do it for that, go for it.