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.
Showing posts with label writing deadlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing deadlines. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Do You Have Productivity Traps?
When you sit down to write, do you always meet your goals or do you get driven to distraction by a number of things? Do you feel like you work all day but rarely get as much done as you need to? Are you on your pc from morning till midnight and still having trouble hitting deadlines?
If you are a work at home parent, you might not be able to avoid distraction by your children but if your productivity is hampered by other things, it’s important to deal with it. There are at least two productivity traps that can slow you down. I’ll call them Writer’s ADD syndrome and the WAH syndrome. I’ll explain them so you can identify some of your own productivity traps. If you don’t nip those traps in the bud you’ll miss deadlines, have trouble meeting financial goals and find yourself “working” way more hours than you need to.
Writer’s ADD syndrome
Do you have attention deficit disorder when you are online? If you are prone to stopping and starting writing tasks, it’s time to become more militant. Many writers type a little, check email. Type a little, get into an Instant Messaging conversation. Type a little, answer the phone to the sister or friend who thinks you’re on the sofa watching Oprah and have all the time in the world to gossip. Before you know it you’ve sat at your desk all morning and typed only fifty usable words instead of your goal of 2000 words by lunch. You probably get paid per word for many of your gigs so you when you look at time and money it will quickly become apparent that you might be someone that needs to buckle down.
Getting Un-Trapped
Read your e-mails at set times. Maybe you want to only check every hour instead of every five minutes. Turn your phone off or screen calls for emergencies only when you’ve scheduled writing time. Schedule time for work and a different block of time for self-promotion or play. Don’t turn on MSN or Yahoo and resist the urge to tab back and forth between your writing assignment and checking your Adsense or Commission Junction earnings ten times a day.
While tabbed browsing is fabulous, it can also be a productivity trap for writers who work at home. Instead of being a click monster that tabs back and forth endlessly between work and other things choose to reward yourself if you want to read blogs, check community forums or play online Scrabble. Only let yourself do this when you hit milestones in your day. Set your schedule up for rewards and you might find your word count per day and $$ earned per day count up substantially.
The WAH Syndrome
As a work at home writer it can be tempting to do too many things at once. Family and friends see you as a stay at home Mom or dad instead of a work at home mom or dad so may decide to drop in, call incessantly or ask favours like babysitting when you really should be working. Define parameters with people in your life and let them know your home office is just as much a working office as their office outside the home. Take a lunch break to make calls or do laundry or wash floors but when you establish a working schedule, try to stick to it. Part of the bonus of working at home is the flexibility but if you are too flexible with your work schedule you become lax and this will hurt your productivity.
If you make a to do list and prioritize your tasks as well as set special time for surfing, chatting or self-promotion and networking with other writers you might find you have more writing work completed, more time with your family and a better work/family balance
If you are a work at home parent, you might not be able to avoid distraction by your children but if your productivity is hampered by other things, it’s important to deal with it. There are at least two productivity traps that can slow you down. I’ll call them Writer’s ADD syndrome and the WAH syndrome. I’ll explain them so you can identify some of your own productivity traps. If you don’t nip those traps in the bud you’ll miss deadlines, have trouble meeting financial goals and find yourself “working” way more hours than you need to.
Writer’s ADD syndrome
Do you have attention deficit disorder when you are online? If you are prone to stopping and starting writing tasks, it’s time to become more militant. Many writers type a little, check email. Type a little, get into an Instant Messaging conversation. Type a little, answer the phone to the sister or friend who thinks you’re on the sofa watching Oprah and have all the time in the world to gossip. Before you know it you’ve sat at your desk all morning and typed only fifty usable words instead of your goal of 2000 words by lunch. You probably get paid per word for many of your gigs so you when you look at time and money it will quickly become apparent that you might be someone that needs to buckle down.
Getting Un-Trapped
Read your e-mails at set times. Maybe you want to only check every hour instead of every five minutes. Turn your phone off or screen calls for emergencies only when you’ve scheduled writing time. Schedule time for work and a different block of time for self-promotion or play. Don’t turn on MSN or Yahoo and resist the urge to tab back and forth between your writing assignment and checking your Adsense or Commission Junction earnings ten times a day.
While tabbed browsing is fabulous, it can also be a productivity trap for writers who work at home. Instead of being a click monster that tabs back and forth endlessly between work and other things choose to reward yourself if you want to read blogs, check community forums or play online Scrabble. Only let yourself do this when you hit milestones in your day. Set your schedule up for rewards and you might find your word count per day and $$ earned per day count up substantially.
The WAH Syndrome
As a work at home writer it can be tempting to do too many things at once. Family and friends see you as a stay at home Mom or dad instead of a work at home mom or dad so may decide to drop in, call incessantly or ask favours like babysitting when you really should be working. Define parameters with people in your life and let them know your home office is just as much a working office as their office outside the home. Take a lunch break to make calls or do laundry or wash floors but when you establish a working schedule, try to stick to it. Part of the bonus of working at home is the flexibility but if you are too flexible with your work schedule you become lax and this will hurt your productivity.
If you make a to do list and prioritize your tasks as well as set special time for surfing, chatting or self-promotion and networking with other writers you might find you have more writing work completed, more time with your family and a better work/family balance
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Common Sense and Caution: Managing Your Writing Deadlines
It’s tricky being a freelance writer sometimes. Time management skills are vital for success in this business and many freelancers are also work at home mothers with busy schedules and many hats that they need to wear. Without time management skills, you’ll pull your hair out, let your clients down and end up hating your job.
It’s important to take only what you can handle 99% of the time. We all have those days when we burn the midnight oil or drink two pots of coffee and plop the kids in front of the tv or the Wii too long so we can get our deadlines met but if that happens more than 1% of the time you’ll soon have yourself a problem such as suffering work quality or writer burnout. (I've been there & it ain't fun! If you look back on some posts here from several months ago you'll see what I have put myself through in my career so far!)
How do you stop yourself from biting off more than you can chew? As you grow your writing career you'll learn a few things along the way. It’s important for your career that you keep in mind that meeting deadlines can make or break you in the eyes of your clients. It’s vital that you try whenever possible to meet or exceed the deadline on a project.
When a client asks for an ETA…
Be realistic when your client asks how long you will take to finish a project. When in doubt add extra time so that you can deliver early and make them happy. Be sure you understand the full scope of the project before agreeing on an ETA. Allow time for other assignments, interruptions and emergencies. I always try to schedule my time to finish an assignment early so I have a little bit of a buffer for emergencies. Sometimes this isn’t possible and many of my clients have tight deadlines or drop rushes in my lap regularly so it’s important that I don’t take on more than I can handle unless I know some of the work has flexible deadlines. Balance is important so try to find yourself some flexible clients.
When a client is unrealistic…
If a client is putting a demand on you that you know you’re very likely not going to be able to meet it’s best to say so up front instead of agreeing while biting your lip hoping you’ll be able to somehow swing it. ‘Tis better to risk having them not give you the gig than it is to stress yourself out by trying to reach a near impossible goal. The end result will be that it will ruin the relationship anyway. The first option at least shows the client you’re professional and realistic and they might either adjust the deadline or at least come back to you with a new assignment offer later.
When something comes up and you know you’re going to miss deadline…
When something unexpected comes up and you have to ask for an extension (and it’s bound to happen eventually even if you are ultra organised) it’s important to ask for the extension as soon as possible. Don’t simply deliver late and leave the client waiting; tell them what’s going on and apologise. If you have a good relationship with the client and they know you are being honest they might be ok with it. But, some deadlines are absolute and you run the risk of alienating a client when you’re late so always do your best to view the deadline as very literal.
By literal I mean that missing a deadline could be the death of your reputation and your writing career. Now that I’m dealing with a team of my own I see all sorts of lame excuses and really honest problems come up that can impact work coming in on time. When I deal with someone I know is otherwise conscientious I am as understanding as I can be but if it happens too often I have to cut the ties with the writer as I cannot risk losing my clients because of poor time management. Sometimes problems can’t be helped but if lates and excuses come up repeatedly it’s time to reassess.
While it’s tempting to take every job offer that comes your way there comes a time when you have to look at the big picture. If you’re working too many hours and are stressed out it’s important to take the time to evaluate:
-the type of work you are doing
-the rates your work efforts are paying you
-the type of clients you have
Better to drop a few clients or turn down a few gigs rather than struggle with an unmanageable workload.
When you schedule your writing workload you need to:
-Allow extra time for editing and rewrites. Always plan to deliver at least a day or two before deadline so you have a bit of extra time
-Look at not only the word count of a project but also look at research time and additional requirements such as special coding or formatting
-Carefully read the project brief as soon as you get it so you can accurately estimate it. If you plan your schedule based on word count or comfort level with a subject matter alone you could find yourself scrambling at the last minute and jeopardizing your writing reputation and career.
It’s important to take only what you can handle 99% of the time. We all have those days when we burn the midnight oil or drink two pots of coffee and plop the kids in front of the tv or the Wii too long so we can get our deadlines met but if that happens more than 1% of the time you’ll soon have yourself a problem such as suffering work quality or writer burnout. (I've been there & it ain't fun! If you look back on some posts here from several months ago you'll see what I have put myself through in my career so far!)
How do you stop yourself from biting off more than you can chew? As you grow your writing career you'll learn a few things along the way. It’s important for your career that you keep in mind that meeting deadlines can make or break you in the eyes of your clients. It’s vital that you try whenever possible to meet or exceed the deadline on a project.
When a client asks for an ETA…
Be realistic when your client asks how long you will take to finish a project. When in doubt add extra time so that you can deliver early and make them happy. Be sure you understand the full scope of the project before agreeing on an ETA. Allow time for other assignments, interruptions and emergencies. I always try to schedule my time to finish an assignment early so I have a little bit of a buffer for emergencies. Sometimes this isn’t possible and many of my clients have tight deadlines or drop rushes in my lap regularly so it’s important that I don’t take on more than I can handle unless I know some of the work has flexible deadlines. Balance is important so try to find yourself some flexible clients.
When a client is unrealistic…
If a client is putting a demand on you that you know you’re very likely not going to be able to meet it’s best to say so up front instead of agreeing while biting your lip hoping you’ll be able to somehow swing it. ‘Tis better to risk having them not give you the gig than it is to stress yourself out by trying to reach a near impossible goal. The end result will be that it will ruin the relationship anyway. The first option at least shows the client you’re professional and realistic and they might either adjust the deadline or at least come back to you with a new assignment offer later.
When something comes up and you know you’re going to miss deadline…
When something unexpected comes up and you have to ask for an extension (and it’s bound to happen eventually even if you are ultra organised) it’s important to ask for the extension as soon as possible. Don’t simply deliver late and leave the client waiting; tell them what’s going on and apologise. If you have a good relationship with the client and they know you are being honest they might be ok with it. But, some deadlines are absolute and you run the risk of alienating a client when you’re late so always do your best to view the deadline as very literal.
By literal I mean that missing a deadline could be the death of your reputation and your writing career. Now that I’m dealing with a team of my own I see all sorts of lame excuses and really honest problems come up that can impact work coming in on time. When I deal with someone I know is otherwise conscientious I am as understanding as I can be but if it happens too often I have to cut the ties with the writer as I cannot risk losing my clients because of poor time management. Sometimes problems can’t be helped but if lates and excuses come up repeatedly it’s time to reassess.
While it’s tempting to take every job offer that comes your way there comes a time when you have to look at the big picture. If you’re working too many hours and are stressed out it’s important to take the time to evaluate:
-the type of work you are doing
-the rates your work efforts are paying you
-the type of clients you have
Better to drop a few clients or turn down a few gigs rather than struggle with an unmanageable workload.
When you schedule your writing workload you need to:
-Allow extra time for editing and rewrites. Always plan to deliver at least a day or two before deadline so you have a bit of extra time
-Look at not only the word count of a project but also look at research time and additional requirements such as special coding or formatting
-Carefully read the project brief as soon as you get it so you can accurately estimate it. If you plan your schedule based on word count or comfort level with a subject matter alone you could find yourself scrambling at the last minute and jeopardizing your writing reputation and career.
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