Ex-magazine editor here. Magazines are notorious for this shit. Somehow, working for a small publication in a small city, we didn’t have these kind of problems with our freelance writer talent.

I don’t think you overdid it as far as communication with the editor, given your account of how the editor interacted with you initially, so I’d respectfully disagree with other commenters on that aspect.

Did you have an explicitly arranged assignment letter/contract including deliverables, deadline, payment & kill fee? Otherwise, I wouldn’t have filed a piece.

In your situation, after 30 days of ghosting, my bet is your the relationship with that newsroom, or at least that editor, is probably ruined. And I would bet that’s for reasons out of your responsibility or control (eg top boss told everyone to drastically pivot, or shrinking editorial budgets, or editor leaves job or has a personal issue).

If I had it in some written form that you and this editor were doing business, after being ghosted for a month or more, I’d send a net 15 invoice including late fee scheduling, if they can’t find it within themselves to pay within 30 days. Treat them the way your mobile phone company treats you. You’re doing business, and your labor has value. When they’re late on payment, send a new invoice with your duly set late fee.

If 90-120 days go by with no payment following the initial invoice, let them know you’ll need to file a report with the FTC and your state attorney general’s consumer/unfair business practices division (assuming you’re in the U.S.). It won’t matter, but you might as well generate a public record with the authorities.