Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Freelancing Tips: Organizing Workload

How do I organize my workload so that my writing assignments aren't all done at the eleventh hour? I spread them out. Some clients give me a few weeks to get work done. Unless the project has a really short turnaround time, I make a schedule to get it done in plenty of time. This way, I can plan my time in advance. For instance, my schedule today looks like:
3 x client X articles
check status of team project # xxx
2 x client Y articles

I allow myself time to spread the work out because it can help me significantly. Some projects work best if I dedicate a day to them where others might work better if I spread out the research time, the writing time and the editing time. Wherever possible, I always buffer in a few days in case I'm delayed or another project takes longer than anticipated which often reduces last minute midnight oil burning nights (although some of those are inevitably part of this writer's life) and helps me sometimes deliver early to the delight of my clients.

If you have several clients, spread the work around. It's also good to set flexible deadlines for other things like:
-self promotion
-your own blogs
-working on that novel
-reading up on news in your niche

Setting a schedule can be a big help, especially if you have a labour intensive or long project to do. By doing a bit each day or each week it lessens the stress and if you have several projects on the go, it can be helpful to break up your day and keep your mind fresh by only dedicating shorter bursts of time to a particular subject.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Clients give me a few weeks to get work done. Unless the project has a really short turnaround time, I make a schedule to get it done in plenty of time

Bruno LoGreco said...

Some clients give lots of time. I'm almost ready for the next set. :)

Have a great day!

Dana Prince said...

Thanks for stopping by Bruno & Motorrad.

Cheers,
Dana