Now that the confetti is cleaned up and the champagne fully consumed, it’s time to think about ways to improve your business (and possibly yourself) in 2009.
But before we do that, let’s take a moment to reflect on 2008. Michelle Rafter has a great post about analyzing your freelance income. I originally told Michelle that I’d post my own percentages for 2008, but my graph didn’t turn out as nicely as hers did, so I’ll just summarize instead. A little less than half my income came from copywriting, a quarter from writing for websites, and the rest from magazines, newspapers, anthologies, reprints, and other miscellaneous projects.
This is good information to know as I’m targeting new markets and clients in 2009. But frankly, I think money goals are overrated. I’d love to significantly increase my income this year (wouldn’t we all?), but given the current climate, it’s probably better to focus on other goals. If I can maintain last year’s income and work a little less (by boosting my productivity and landing higher paid projects), I’ll be quite content.
Here are my other goals:
- Spend at least two days per month on creative projects. Towards the end of 2008, I started devoting Thursdays to writing essays (too much happens on Fridays). Giving myself time to work on long-neglected projects felt great (and it paid off, too), but then I landed some bigger projects that demanded more urgent attention and the essays fell by the wayside. I’d like to reestablish this pattern in 2009 and publish more essays, maybe even start writing a book…
- Listen to my instincts more. I got burned by clients several times this year and each time I had reservations before starting the project. Another time I turned down a project and the publication failed soon after, leaving its writers in the lurch. Had I paid attention to my gut more often, I would have been able to spend less time ranting and more time writing.
- Cultivate long-term relationships. Editorial relationships, that is. I have several regulars (some more regular than others), but this year I also wrote one-offs for close to two dozen clients and publications! It’s great to diversify, but keeping track of all those invoices, contact emails, and style guides takes a LOT of time. I’d love to land another ongoing blogging gig or a montly newsletter client to even out my income and my schedule. I also need to be better about querying editors right after I finish that first assignment while I’m fresh in their minds.
Find inner peace.Yeah, right! I think I’ll save that one for 2010.
Several other writer/bloggers posted their resolution tips here, here, here, and here. What about you? What are your goals or tips for success?
Flickr photo courtesy of Sarah DeForche
It’s January 1st again?
Here I go:
* Keep on working with our direct translation clients
* Provide outstanding quality, but perhaps five revisions instead of ten would do it (=get a bit faster)
* Do not accept work from translation agencies unless they pay our rate (they usually don’t)
* Don’t negotiate on price
* Learn to relax during slow periods and use to time to recharge the batteries
* Pay it forward: refer other translators, mentor translation students, etc.
* Keep on giving back to the community: get a lot done on the board of directors of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association (NITA)
* Present at the annual American Translators Association (ATA) conference in November in NYC
* Cultivate friendships
* Take care of the environment
* Don’t spend too much time on Web 2.0 — there is such a thing as too much social media
* Run my seventh half marathon
* Spend a month in Vienna working with my twin sister on our business: after all, she is a large part of the reason I went freelance.
I’ve picked up some great tips from a few of my favorite bloggers and I really like how you set specific days for creative projects. Lack of structure is really my problem which I desperately need since I have a full time job. I have at least a dozen essays halfway written that I would love to finish and submit. Thanks for the great tip!
@Judy and Dagmar: That is a long list, but I think you’ll be able to stick to many of these.
@Jennifer: Thanks for stopping by! This time last year, I was still working full time. Originally my goal was to be full time freelance by the end of 2009. But things moved more quickly than expected, and here I am. It’s definitely challenging to find time for creative projects when you have a full time job, but it’s still doable if you’re good about time management.
Thanks for the shout out Susan. I'm still formulating my work goals for 2009 but here are a few:
* Work smarter not harder.
* Use time tracking software, at least for a while, to see how I'm really using my time.
* Pre-write blog posts all the time, not just when I feel like it.
* Teach a class.
* Buy my domain name and transfer my blog to it.
* Monetize my blog.
* Reading more books for work & fun.
* Figure out a way to make a work/fun trip to Denmark to see a sister who moved there with her family last summer for a two-year stint (might not happen til 2010).
Michelle Rafter
@Michelle: Great goals! Were it not for the 3,000-mile commute, I would definitely take your class. And Denmark sounds like a great trip. Definitely some travel article potential there!
Just found your blog via Freelance Switch and it fits right in with my resolutions which are:
* Turn every perceived disadvantage into an advantage. Trying to work from home around kids/husband? Write about which time management tips really work!
* Get out of my “browsing rut” and become a resource for what’s new and useful out on the web.
* Diversify from purely doing freelance web design and find other ways to make money and find creative ways to save money. (penny saved is a penny earned right?)
Also,
* Knit more.
@Jenn M.: Welcome! I’m also trying to get creative and save more money. In fact, I’ve declared January my “spending sabbatical.” Trying to limit my spending to the absolute essentials and find ways to cut costs on the rest. For instance, I need a haircut, so on Monday, I’m getting a free haircut from a stylist-in-training. And I neeed a birthday gift for my boyfriend, so I used an Amazon gift card I had lying aronud to choose a nice coffee table book he’ll love.
Instincts are underrated! Follow them at all costs!
Hi,
Thank you for featuring my image and for the link.
It’s not the best quality though, quick iPhone pic
If you need any specific picture for your blog: just ask. I’m always glad to help out (if I have the time).
Greetings,
Sarah
(PS: Sorry for the late post, had lots of stuff going on)