So I finally mailed out all the 1099's last week, thinking they should be mistake-free.
And the 1099's from the publishers started rolling in to me. One of them caught my attention because it was in a brown envelope - I was secretly hoping it was a surprise check for my author - but when I opened it, not only did they have the wrong mailing address, but the amount they had paid me was also twice what I had sent to my author. I knew this because I had been working on the 1099's so long and hard that I could recite the amounts by heart.
I checked my deposits and checks written to make sure I didn't make a mistake, but, no, there was only one check to this author in the amount I had written down.
I called the company first thing in the morning and told them that I thought there was a mistake. They called me back and told me they had sent two checks, gave me the check numbers and dates, and I frantically went through four months of bank statements, but there was no second deposit and no second check to the author. I asked them to make sure both checks were deposited in my bank account.
I had an early lunch and an afternoon appointment, so I was out of the office all day. When I got back, there was no message.
I got a phone call in the morning saying they would overnight me the second check and change the 1099. It turned out that Fed Ex never delivered one and never reported it undelivered or returned it to sender.
I am so thankful that I was on top of this, or my author would have been out some money, although I do wish he had been more like all my other authors and emailed asking, "where's my check." I would have caught it sooner. So, the moral of this story is DO email your agent when you believe a check is due.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
1099's, Superbowl and Super Tuesday
It's been a busy two weeks, which is why I haven't posted.
I'm sure very few of you were aware that last week was the time when agents mail out their authors' 1099's (the W-2's of non-employee compensation). This is always more work than I anticipate.
Years ago we used to have to buy forms with built-in carbons and type them all, but now everything is computerized and saved from the year before, which does make it much easier. Except that the agent still has to remember who moved, changed their name or had a mistake in last year's form that needs to be changed this year.
And, of course, there are always one or two writers who haven't given me their Social Security Number or Federal I.D. number (for a business), and wait until the last minute to return my frantic emails and phone calls about this discrepancy.
But they are all done and in the mail now and I have a month to hear if there are any mistakes (from typos to under and/or over-reporting) and then they go off to the government.
Needless to say this is not one of my favorite tasks, and even though I have an accountant who does most of the work, I am so used to doing it myself (and know how to) that I always find mistakes before they go out.
I was also just overwhlemed by the Superbowl, although I am not a big football fan. The Yankees take so much out of me during the season, that I feel I need a break after October (and I put all that extra time into reading your books). However, I am a New Yorker, and it was such a hard-earned win that I almost went to the ticker tape parade (and then thought better of it - I have lived in New York City my whole life and never been to Times Square on New Year's Eve, so I obviously don't like the winter crowd thing). I just put the TV on while I worked yesterday.
And it was Super Tuesday, a very weird phenomenon - to have so many states voting in a half-national primary. And to have so many Democratic voters so split. But it's also great to see so many young voters particpating in the process. It's going to be a very interesting Democratic convention.
Plus, in case any of you don't read the non-Britney gossip, Judith Regan settled her lawsuit with HarperCollins. She was given an undisclosed amount (probably the remainder of her contract) and a statement that said, in effect, she did not make the anti-semitic remarks that were the so-called reason for her firing.
People ask me what I think she'll do (because I had two books with her I am now considered an expert). But here's my two cents on that. I think she's perfect for Hollywood and will take her settlement and start a production company.
I'm sure very few of you were aware that last week was the time when agents mail out their authors' 1099's (the W-2's of non-employee compensation). This is always more work than I anticipate.
Years ago we used to have to buy forms with built-in carbons and type them all, but now everything is computerized and saved from the year before, which does make it much easier. Except that the agent still has to remember who moved, changed their name or had a mistake in last year's form that needs to be changed this year.
And, of course, there are always one or two writers who haven't given me their Social Security Number or Federal I.D. number (for a business), and wait until the last minute to return my frantic emails and phone calls about this discrepancy.
But they are all done and in the mail now and I have a month to hear if there are any mistakes (from typos to under and/or over-reporting) and then they go off to the government.
Needless to say this is not one of my favorite tasks, and even though I have an accountant who does most of the work, I am so used to doing it myself (and know how to) that I always find mistakes before they go out.
I was also just overwhlemed by the Superbowl, although I am not a big football fan. The Yankees take so much out of me during the season, that I feel I need a break after October (and I put all that extra time into reading your books). However, I am a New Yorker, and it was such a hard-earned win that I almost went to the ticker tape parade (and then thought better of it - I have lived in New York City my whole life and never been to Times Square on New Year's Eve, so I obviously don't like the winter crowd thing). I just put the TV on while I worked yesterday.
And it was Super Tuesday, a very weird phenomenon - to have so many states voting in a half-national primary. And to have so many Democratic voters so split. But it's also great to see so many young voters particpating in the process. It's going to be a very interesting Democratic convention.
Plus, in case any of you don't read the non-Britney gossip, Judith Regan settled her lawsuit with HarperCollins. She was given an undisclosed amount (probably the remainder of her contract) and a statement that said, in effect, she did not make the anti-semitic remarks that were the so-called reason for her firing.
People ask me what I think she'll do (because I had two books with her I am now considered an expert). But here's my two cents on that. I think she's perfect for Hollywood and will take her settlement and start a production company.
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