The fastest way to get burned freelance writing is to spend upcoming payments or rely on them to bail you out of a tough spot. Just like you have to meet your deadlines; publishers should meet theirs. Unfortunately, since every business is structured differently, not every company pays when you expect them to. Some authors who work on multiple assignments might get paid in one lump sum months from when their first assignment was submitted; others might not pay until 60 days after publication, even if that publication is delayed.

The bottom line here is: don’t spend what you don’t have and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches as you grow your freelancing business.