New client does not respond to my messages.

[rschnell1]

I just started on my first contract as a freelance photographer here - a small photo shoot of some exercise equipment for a client. My assumption is that they will send the equipment to me for the shoot, but have not heard a response from the client about this for a couple of days. I am new here, so maybe this is normal, but would welcome any advice.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

re: "New client does not respond to my messages."

Clients are not obligated to respond to a freelancer's messages.

re: "I just started on my first contract as a freelance photographer here - a small photo shoot of some exercise equipment for a client. My assumption is that they will send the equipment to me for the shoot, but have not heard a response from the client about this for a couple of days. I am new here, so maybe this is normal, but would welcome any advice."

Bob: You are telling us that you accepted a contract BEFORE you had the information or materials necessary for you to do the job.

That is NOT something that I do.

I always have ALL of the things I need in order to FINISH the job before I accept a fixed-price contract.

BUT: Because you need actual physical equipment, I understand why your situation may be different.

Is this an hourly contract?
If it is an hourly contract, then do everything you can do in terms of preliminary work, and send the client a single message telling him what you have finshed and what you need next.

If this is a fixed-price contract, then if you have sent the client a SINGLE message explaining what you need next, then your next step is to just wait. If this is the fixed-price contract, then then client's credit card has already been charged. He has paid money. He wants this work to be done. He will contact youo when he contacts you.

Remember: This is NOT your project.

This is not your time table.
This is the client's time table and schedule.

[rschnell1]

Understood, but if my completing the job is contingent on receiving the product for the shoot, what are my options? 

[prestonhunter]

Honestly, Bob, this is a very unusual situation.

Nearly every fixed-price job on Upwork can be set up in a way that a client sends the needed files to the freelancer, and THEN the freelancer can look at the files and confirm they have what they need, and THEN the freelancer can accept the job and do the job without ever hearing from the client again.

For example, if a client asks me to design a database based on data in an Excel file and a description in a text file, the client sends me those first. Then I look at them, and then I accept the job, and then I do the job, and then I get paid. It doesn't matter if the client ever talks to me again. The client doesn't even need to approve of my work. Because the money will be released to me AUTOMATICALLY after I click the Submit button.

If you need to PHOTOGRAPH EQUIPMENT... I don't know how you are going to do that without receiving the equipment.

But you have nothing to worry about.

If you don't receive the equipment, then you won't do any work, right?

So worst case scenario:
You do zero work, and you get zero pay.

The client is an intelligent human being. The client understands that if he doesn't send you these things, you can not provide him with the photography he needs. So he isn't going to send you a message tomorrow, angry that he hasn't received the photos yet.

[rschnell1]

Yes, I'm going to chalk it up to newbie mistakes and wait for his response, if any. Thanks again!

[rschnell1]

Thanks Preston. It is a fixed price contract and I probably should have nailed some details down - or not made assumptions. I am just eager to succesfully complete my first contract on this platform. 
I will wait for his response at this point. 
I appreciate your context here. 
Thanks again.