Hi, yes I guess this kinda thing happens to everyone, I have suffered before in the same way, completed hours of work and told right at the end, sorry we have money issues or ,can we pick this up in a few months etc, or like you say people will go quiet on the email, been there before, it can be annoying. One way to deal with it is have a signed simple contract, you can find many free templates on the net. Also ask for some payment up front, Thats an easy way to filter out the time wasters. if your the man for the job and have the skills the client is looking for, no serious client would mind a percentage of payment upfront,I find also that clients will expect to sign a contract, and might even want to do so, as of course a contract works for both parties.
