Project Management for Freelance Writers

Working with overlapping deadlines, juggling research and interviews for multiple assignments, and trying to stay on top of querying are all key in the world of freelancing.

The problem: the more projects you have on your plate, the easier it is for something to get lost in the shuffle. And nobody wants to drop the ball on a project. That's why staying on top of all of your freelance work is so important.

Here's the two-part method I use to stay organized. It certainly isn't a one-size-fits-all strategy, but perhaps it will provide a starting point for creating a method that works for you.

Part One: A Calendar/To-Do List
Go ahead, roll your eyes, all you tech-savvy freelancers.

I use a plain old Moleskine calendar to keep track of my life. I take it with me wherever I go, and when I'm working I open it on my desk to the current week. On the left page, I have the day's to-do list laid out, with key details such as appointments and deadlines highlighted so they're easy to spot.

The moment I get an assignment, I write down the big due date. Then I work backward, breaking down the tasks required to complete the job and assigning them to certain days on the calendar. As I'm doing this, I keep an eye on what else I have going on. So if I have a copy editing project scheduled for Wednesday, I'm not going to add "interview three major sources for story X" that day as well. I'll spread out those interviews throughout the week, or I'll try to tackle them all on Tuesday instead, so my Wednesday isn't overloaded.

On the right page, I have a spot for taking notes on anything and everything that strikes my fancy, from blog post and story ideas to a quick record of phone numbers I need for the week.

And in the front of the notebook, there's a quick-glance yearly calendar where I can keep track of important events. So if someone proposes a deadline, I can flip to that page, see I'll be out of town the week before, and work on negotiating a different due date.

Others choose to use online calendars, such as Google Calendar, which allow them to set up reminders for appointments and deadlines. PDAs, iPhones, and such all offer great organization tools.

Regardless of your method, the key is to stick with it so all the vital information you need is in one place.

Part Two: A Master Project Tracking Document
Once I started freelancing full-time, I began using a master freelance project-tracking document. It's a basic Excel file that allows me to track where I'm at with projects for the entire year. There is a column for each month.

The top half of the spreadsheet is for keeping tracking of any queries or LOIs I send out. I write a brief description of the query, who it went to, and when it was sent. That way, I can open the document on any given day and see which queries I should be following up on and which I should consider sending out to a different publication.

Then, the bottom half of the spreadsheet is where I keep track of booked opportunities. So anytime I agree to take a project, the details (project name, publication or client name, major deadlines) are listed in this portion of the spreadsheet for the month. There's also a column where I input the rate for each project, so I have a running total of my income for each month going at the bottom of the screen.

With these two methods, plus my time-tracking software, I feel like I have a good handle on what I'm doing now and what's on the horizon at any given moment.

What about you? What methods do you use to manage your workload? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Learn More:
Project Management and Editorial Calendars for Freelance Writers (PoeWar.com)
A Guide to Simple Project Management (Freelance Switch)

Photo: seanmcgrath via flickr

Organization Procrastination

Sometimes when I feel the need to procrastinate, I flip through a magazine. Other times I stare blankly at my computer—at RSS feeds, at the cursor blinking on a blank page, at whatever random website I type in. But often when I really want to delay the inevitable or my brain is fried, I organize.

A bit anal retentive, yes. But it allows me to be productive without actually having to think.

The evening after I gave my notice for my job, I thought I’d have this intense motivation. I thought I’d dive right in with making a game plan, with sending out queries, with something. But I didn’t want to do any of that. Instead I began purging my office of the mess of files I’d let get out of control, of piles upon piles of paper that didn’t really mean anything anymore because they were random notes and page maps from publications I hadn’t worked on in ages.

It was productive in its own way. And it felt good, cathartic even. When spring rolls around, the urge to clean, to start anew, strikes. I suppose it makes sense that the same thing would happen when it finally comes time to make a major, life-changing decision like quitting your job.

I would’ve tackled additional piles—would’ve pulled out and sorted through the assortment of magazines that have overtaken my bookshelves, might’ve even tackled some of the files on my computer—except that by that point I was thoroughly exhausted and needed to go to bed.

And that’s the trick with organizing: You have to learn when to quit. Particularly when you’re using it as an excuse to put off other to-dos that need addressed.

Organization in small doses can be a worthwhile procrastination technique. For starters, according to Dawn Martin, the average person spends roughly 150 hours per year searching for documents, electronic files, and other information—that’s equivalent to nearly a month of work. So if you take the time to organize your desk, your computer, whatever it is, it may be worth it in the long run because you’ll be able to easily find what you’re looking for so you can get back to the task at hand.

Another benefit of spending some time organizing: it can help you clear your head. As a writer, it’s easy to get stuck, to fall victim to writer’s block. Sometimes the best way to find clarity and get your head on straight is to step away from the computer for a while and engage a different part of your brain. Filing papers may seem mundane, but often it’s exactly the break creative types need to return to the task at hand focused and thinking clearly.

Writers and other freelancers, just like any office workers, are human. We’re prone to procrastination at some point in our days, no matter how busy they may be. At least when you decide to alphabetize your books or shred papers you’re able to check something else off your to-do list, even if it means you’re not getting that article done. So don’t beat yourself up over the time you spent organizing. It’s productive in its own way, even if it doesn’t directly lead to a paycheck.

The trick with organizing, however, is to know when to quit. Or, the next thing you know, you’re down on your knees scrubbing dirt out of the corners of the room five hours after you started and you haven’t written a single word.

The next time you get the urge to organize (or are looking for something to do besides writing), try this trick: Set a timer. Give yourself five minutes, ten, fifteen max. That’s plenty of time to get through a pile or two or even more, depending on how much of a packrat you’ve been. And when the timer dings? Stop what you’re doing. Set those documents down. And get to work.

Learn More
If you want to organize ...
The Messy Guide to Staying Organized (Freelance Folder)
Freelance Writers Need to Stay Organized (Beyond the Rhetoric)

If you want to stop procrastinating ...
How to Avoid Procrastination as a Freelancer (Freelance Folder)
6 Causes of Procrastination (Freelance Writing)