Contract Update
Six years of work. One subject line. And a question I still can't answer.
In six years of working together, I never once heard their voices or saw their faces. Everything was through email. I was their only designer for a magazine that was published 6 times a year. They were my longest-running client. I was originally hired only to redesign the magazine’s look. That was successful and well-received, so they asked if I’d like to continue working with them to lay out future issues. Considering I had set up the new design and template, why not? After a while, I had my workflow down to a science, and they never wanted to deviate from the original look I had created for them. There were never any surprises, and it was easy, stress-free work with a paycheck every few months I could depend on. Yet that also brought a downside. It was starting to feel repetitive.
The chain of events all started when I requested a rate increase. For six years, I had charged them the same rate without ever asking for more. It wasn’t a rash decision, but I felt I needed to do it and stop shortchanging myself. I also didn’t want to jeopardize our working relationship. I should have brought it up sooner. A year or two earlier, at least, so then I’d be making what I deserved before it was decided I wasn’t needed anymore.
The length of time it took, I knew the answer I was going to get wasn’t going to be good. After a month of not knowing, I had gotten my response. The email’s subject line was “Contract Update.” I opened it, and I just stared at the first couple of sentences in disbelief. They were not renewing my contract. They were going with an in-house designer. I felt a mixture of relief and resentment. Relief that I had at least gotten an answer, yet resentment that, after 6 years of work, someone I’d never met viewed me as a line item for cost savings. On top of it all, I still had about a month left before the current project I was doing for them would be finished. It was the last thing I wanted to work on, but I committed to it and would deliver it on time, as always.
I replied and told her I hoped my asking for more money hadn’t influenced the decision. My contact said it was out of her hands, that it was a cost-saving measure by her new manager, and assured me it wasn’t a reflection on my work or my rate increase request. She told me other designers’ contracts weren’t renewed either and that there was no room for negotiations. I wanted to believe her.
It’s been nine months since it happened. I haven’t really looked for other work to fill the void. If anything, it’s freed up time for other things. Yet there’s still a small part of me that wonders. What if I hadn’t asked for that rate increase? Would things have turned out differently? Or would it have ended the same way regardless?