Lesson Learned

I am not a businesswoman. I am no good at that type of thing, which helps explain why my net worth is closer to zero than a million. I'm the artsy creative analytical type. But my learning curve is short. For example:

When I was negotiating a book contract for the author who I wrote about in the last post (and busted my hump for), and I asked the publishers, i.e., my bosses, if we would accept payments for this author. What I didn't think about was that that meant I would be paid in payments. I don't know what I was thinking, but it was something along the lines of "the publisher will pay me the full amount when the work is delivered, and they will accept the payments."

And I'm a gullible and naive nincompoop for assuming that and not asking. So for the last three months, I have been receiving payments of $200- a month. That pays my cell phone service and cable bill. Last month, by November 30th, I had not received even that. Not even an email or a phone call or a text (from the same author who likes to text at 8am on Sunday, midnight whenever, and expect me to drop everything I'm doing and meet her demands--and which I generally did [if I was awake.]).

I emailed my "boss" and asked her if they were still making payments or if something had changed? She told me to ask the author. So I did. At the last meeting I had with the author and their spouse in early November, they discussed with me in depth how they were trying to get financial backing for the book from a close family friend who would then get a share of royalties. So I emailed and asked if a payment was forthcoming or had something changed?

They had forgotten. They were sorry. They then drove over to my boss' house and dropped off a check that night. I then received my portion (90% of total) from my "boss" (really a friend more than a boss, although technically she is my boss and yay), from our publishing bank account at the author's book launch party on Dec. 3.

Now it is December 20th. No check has arrived. I'm concerned that I am going to have to chase them down every %(#&ing month for the monies I am contractually owed. I am still due about $2,000. If they continue at $200- a month, that will take ten more months.

*sigh*

So here is where the lesson is learned. I will never, ever accept payments again. Either you can afford our editorial services, or you can't. Yes, our goal is to get great authors published who normally might not (we don't accept every ms submitted to us--believe me--I've seen a few doozies. Wow. Awful.), but I also am doing this in an attempt to make a living.

I enjoy what I'm doing, I like working at home in my own time frame and in my pajamas, bathrobe, clothes, or whatever I feel like; the pay is good (when I get paid), but clearly I'm going to have to pay attention to more of the business side in this position. I have no one to point the finger at except myself. When this author, or any future author, wants to hire me for services, "NO, I won't take payments" is going to be in my lexicon. I'm sorry. Yes, I would love to see you published. Yes, you can even learn to format an e-book yourself (plenty have), but if you want a polished, clean book? One you won't be embarrassed to put up for sale? Hire an editor. I'm an editor and I had two other people review my resume. The writer spends so much time with their writing, that they no longer see it the way an anonymous reader would. The editor's job is to make sure that the anonymous reader understands what it is you're trying to say. After donut-eating, making someone else's writing better is my greatest skill and love. But I'm not a volunteer.

Lesson learned.