Why Does it Have to be So Hard?

"So, I admit that I'm a bit confused."
-Me, e-mail to Fidlar-Doubleday rep.

Another delay in the publishing process. Egad, will this book ever be printed? This time the delay is because of payment. I spoke with the gal about using a purchase order for payment, and she said that'd work. Then, a couple of days ago she asked where our credit application was. But, we're doing a PO for payment, not a credit card. Huh?

A handful of e-mails and a couple of phone calls later, I spoke with someone in customer service (the rep. I'd been talking with is out of the office for the next couple of days) and finally got it cleared up. The credit application (which requires a credit card number) is a safeguard for them, to make sure they don't get ripped off. Fair enough.

The next hitch - the woman who had the P-card for the English department (i.e. the department credit card) is out of the office until next Wednesday. More waiting. I'm tellin' ya, sometimes I wonder if this book is ever going to happen. And now it's time to start working on the next one already...

One of these days we'll get a nice big box full of the finished product, and I think I may die of shock right on the spot.