Write on Target

When people ask you what you do, and you reply that you are a freelance writer, that look sometimes comes over their faces that says, “Oh, you’re unemployed” and they immediately change the subject like they’re afraid you’re going to ask them for money.

But the secret life you enjoy is beyond their comprehension.  To them, the only people who are “respectably” employed are those who have an employer and a regular salary.

Well, I have an employer, and I have a regular salary. 

The difference is my employer is spread among the clients I work for.  I have as many clients as I bid for and win, and many are repeaters.  They have one employer who can say “goodbye” at any time.  Their employer number is either one or zero.

I also have a regular salary.  I will admit I have two sources of permanent income from investments over the years, which makes my life easier than some, but my “regular” salary comes from banking the checks from client jobs and paying myself on a schedule the same as a job.

What are the other differences?  My commute is 20 seconds to my home office.

But I have a taskmaster of a boss.  I don’t get fired, but I’m made to feel guilty every time I don’t put in a full day.  And I do put in a full day, by following some rules and having some discipline.

Dress for the Job

Because of the small commute, my tendency is to put off shaving and work in shorts or pajamas.  After all, who is going to see me (well maybe the FedEx guy).

But writing is my job, and I found that getting dressed as if I was going to work puts me into a work mood.  I may wear jeans, but I don’t skip shaving or brushing my hair.  Plus, during the time I’m preparing for work, my mind goes over the things I want to cover today. 

Get to work on time.

My commute, when I worked in New York City, was more than an hour.  Now I live in a smaller town, the average commute is less, but I pretend it’s still there, so I really get two hours extra per day without the risk of being in a road accident.

Now I could sit down and just enjoy my coffee for that hour, but instead, I take out a pad and write myself a list of notes, expanding and prioritizing the items I thought of when I was getting dressed.

The one thing I emphasize is that I sit down at the same time each weekday morning for exactly one hour before I log on my computer.

By keeping to a schedule, I make it easier on my family, and myself, for I don’t feel guilty logging off at night.  I sometimes work overtime when I have a crash project, or need to keep my ideas flowing, but my brain tells me when I’ve had enough.

Separate Work from Home.

There are many ways to separate work from home.  Ideally, an extra bedroom or private space that has a door you can close is great.  It should be a space that can be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer.  Freezing and sweating are roadblocks to productivity.

If a closed-off space is not available, screen off a room corner or sit at a table facing a wall.  Facing the wall minimizes distractions.  Under no circumstances, allow the TV or the remote to be within your range of sight.  Distractions like that lead to cheating on your schedule, and before you know it, you’ll be watching a movie or two while you do your laundry.

The kitchen is a tough distraction.  It’s hard not to go and make coffee and have a snack every hour.  I know.  Before long, you’ll be rolling instead of walking there.  I take a 20-minute break after two hours during the workday,one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  And to keep from the calories, I’ll do some exercise that doesn’t kill me, but gets my blood going. 

If you have no workspace you feel comfortable in at home, go to the library every day – either the public library or a college library.  Hopefully, you will have a laptop, and many of these facilities have a wi-fi network broadcasting.

Set Goals

The first thing I do each morning is to set and update my goals; some for the day, some for the week, and some for the month.  I have to estimate how long a job will take to make this work, but after finishing less than half your goals for a while you’ll get a feel for it. 

At the end of the day, I evaluate how I did on my daily goals.  I’m over-optimistic and never complete my list, but I get a lot more done than if I had no list.

If you were to write four pages a day, at around 500 words per page, in one 30-day month you can complete a 60,000-word book.

You will know if you are getting lazy when you estimate two hours for a report that you know should be done in a half hour.  These are all your choices. 

Goals are the pillars of a career plan.  Stretch out your goals far enough and you will know where you should be in ten years.

Go out to lunch.

The freelance writing life is lonely.  No one understands what you are trying to accomplish.  Even the client has a somewhat different idea to what the finished product should be.

The isolation can drive you crazy – and I mean that seriously.  We all need human contact.  Two or three days per week, schedule lunch with a client or another independent.  Join a business networking group or business community service group with weekly lunch meetings.  You will be amazed how much extra work will drift your way.

Refresh

This is a debatable item in this society where working 24/7 is admirable, but I take a power nap after lunch.  The power nap is a documented refresher that many people don’t or aren’t able to take.

The power nap is 20 minutes, no more, no less.  In that time, your body will rest and refresh for the afternoon.  More than that and you will be groggy the rest of the day.

Market

I spend two hours a day scanning for new work, calling existing clients and new leads.  I break it up one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon.  If I don’t do this diligently, my backlog of work starts to get light.

Make up a writer’s resume and keep it updated with new accomplishments.  Be careful about naming clients unless you have their express permission to do so in writing.

Bank the fees

This is where my salary comes in.  I bank the fees and work out a schedule of payments to myself, and so I know when I need a pay increase.

But overall, if you approach things smartly, you can make a lot more money freelance than working for someone else.  That is, if you put down that remote.