Besides the freelancer, does Upwork has access to my work in process or the final manuscript?

[ac5bb616]

I am about to retain the services of a freelancer. However, I first need answers to the following questions:
1) Is Upwork (or anyone else in the Upwork organization) going to have access to the content of my communications with my freelancer, our work in progress or the final manuscript?
2) My agreement with the freelancer will be as follows:
- Initial payment to start working as a ghostwriter and then 10 more payments for every 10,000 words written, according to an agreed upon schedule.
- If there is a fee to be paid to Uptown, who has to pay it? The client? The freelancer?

[versailles]

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@Luis C wrote:

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> 1) Is Upwork (or anyone else in the Upwork organization) going to have access to the content of my communications with my freelancer, our work in progress or the final manuscript?

Yes, they will. But they won't be doing anything with it. They are not interested in your manuscript.

2) My agreement with the freelancer will be as follows:
- Initial payment to start working as a ghostwriter and then 10 more payments for every 10,000 words written, according to an agreed upon schedule.

No way. You put money into an escrow account with Upwork and you break the amount into milestones. You release each milestone once the freelancer has delivered the work corresponding to the said milestone. You don't pay in advance. Never.

> - If there is a fee to be paid to Uptown, who has to pay it? The client? The freelancer?

The freelancer. But they will include it in their rate.

[BojanS]

Hi Luis,

Please refer to privacy policy here, specifically article 2. Upwork may access the information available on your account and your communication with your freelancer if it's necessary for investigation or dispute process.

[prestonhunter]

Upwork's escrow system works quite well.

Use it as intended.

There is simply no reason to pay any up front money to a ghost writer.

Fund escrow money for the first deliverable. Release the money AFTER the freelancer has delivered it to you.

Then fund the next milestone.

If you don't like the writer's work, then stop working with her. Hire someone else.

[prestonhunter]

Upwork doesn't care about your manuscript.

But if, for whatever reason, you don't want Upwork to have access to it.... You don't need to let Upwork have access to it.

Ask the writer to send you the manuscript via email or FTP or Dropbox or flash drive or whatever... And Upwork will have zero access to it.