If I could . . . .

If I could say anything to the editors and companies I work for . . .it would be this . . . .

When you tell me that:

• you have misplaced my invoice
• you need my invoice on a different form
• your accounting person is on vacation or maternity leave
• you are changing accounting systems
• your payment system had a glitch
• you can't find my W-9 form and need another one
• you overlooked my original invoice, so please resend
• your process just changed from 30 days to 45 or 90 days

This is what happens on my end because YOU are the only money I get. If it isn't in the mailbox, I don't have any income. I have no regular "payday. So when you don't send the check when I am expecting you to: 

• We don't go out for coffee
• We don't fill up the gas tank
• We don't pay our bills on time
• We start buying groceries at the Dollar Tree
• We skip meals
• We fall behind on utilities
• We empty our coin jars
• We empty our savings accounts

So, please, PLEASE, try to pay your writers on time. You have no idea what a domino effect it can have when you send an email letting us know the check we expected three days ago has been delayed a week, two weeks, a month--or more. It isn't fun, it isn't easy, and it makes my work that much harder. 

Thus end today's public service announcement.