Are you holding a suitcase full of IOU's? Tell us how much you're owed!

“I sell my services, I make a small profit. With that I buy groceries. The grocer makes a profit. We call it earning a living. You may have heard of it somewhere.”

It was the fourth time Buddy Freelancer emailed his client for a payment that should have been made months ago. He pressed "Send," leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself, "What a heel."

"Thanks, they're Ferragamo, but I might have to pawn them soon."

There she was, Buddy's business partner, a vision in yoga pants, standing at the threshold of his home office door balancing a big, black suitcase on her hips.

"Why's that doll?"

"I told you not to call me doll. I'm a multi-talented corporate consultant with a rolodex that would make Kim Kardashian look like a loner," she heaved the suitcase onto the desk and popped it open, "IOUs... every last one of 'em."

"Oh this rotten business!"

"Aww, lay off the business. It's like any other business, it's the deadbeat clients that make it rotten."

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71% of freelancers struggle to get paid - which incurs astounding income losses across the freelance workforce annually. But no one talks about it.

Start the conversation: Add your unapid invoices to the World's Longest Invoice and see how much we're collectively owed - It's truly terrifying!

How much are you owed?

The #FreelanceIsntFree Campaign is a nationwide effort to legislate and enforce protective measures against late and nonpayment for freelancers. Presently, New York City Hall is considering first-in-the-nation legislation that will improve protections and recourses for New York City freelancers - learn more about the Freelance Isn't Free Bill here.

Join the campaign and help make deadbeat clients a thing of the past.

A new soul and media geek, Laura writes about sustainability, community, poetry and pop culture. Find her @Pennyscientist or on Freelancers Union.