Beware the Ides of August

August is almost upon us. The month in which freelancers' income traditionally goes to hell.

The problem, basically, is that August is vacation month in New York. It's when everyone who can packs up and goes somewhere else. Unfortunately that includes the people who normally handle dreary details like cutting checks, not to mention the editors to whom you can appeal.

Their replacements are, perhaps, less motivated and certainly less experienced. So things slip. Like payments to authors.

Result: Every August freelancers' receivables balloon, income shrinks and writers suffer.

I've already had my first taste of this and August is nearly a week away. Ah well, to paraphrase SuperChicken: You knew the job was silly when you took it, Fred.