Last week, a fellow freelancer emailed asking how to juggle brainstorming, querying, researching, writing, and invoicing without losing your sanity. Admittedly, it’s a constant balancing act of assignments and ideas for me, and Mr. Muse would tell you I have my share of hair-pulling, tooth-grinding moments.
That said, there are some strategies that can help you stay organized and avoid getting overwhelmed. Here’s what I’ve found that works for me:
- Focus on long-term relationships. It’s a lot easier to land a repeat assignment from the same editor or client than to catch the eye of a new one. Plus, over time, you’ll learn the kinds of questions the editor asks during revisions or the quirks that drive the client crazy so you can adjust. So, as I’m thinking about which publications to pitch, I try to choose the one where I can see myself writing long-term. Admittedly, it doesn’t always work that way and I sometimes find myself chasing lots of different publications at once, but it’s a good concept to remember.
- Reslant, repurpose, and recycle your research. This is where having a niche can come in handy. But even if you consider yourself more of a generalist, you can still get more mileage out of your ideas by covering a topic for different non-competing publications. Here are some additional ways to reslant an idea. Maybe that source you interviewed for a trade magazine would make a great alumni magazine profile. Or perhaps you can write about an issue facing teens for a teen website and a parenting pub. It’s a whole lot easier than learning a brand new topic each time!
- Insist on earning what you’re worth. One area where new (and more experienced) writers unknowingly drive themselves crazy is by accepting low-paying assignments and trying to earn a decent living through volume. Even if they require more research, writing two articles at $300 each is usually less work than six pieces at $50 a pop! So, seeking out high-paying projects and negotiating a raise with the companies you’re already working with can help you streamline your process and stay focused. That’s not to say you can’t occasionally accept a lower-paying assignment for a client or a project you love, but know that you’ll usually need to balance that with more lucrative work.
- Learn when to just say no. If you want to maintain some semblance of sanity, there will be times when the best response to a project is a “no thanks.” I’ve written about deal-breakers before, but sometimes it’s simply an issue of timing. In those cases, you can try to negotiate a more realistic time line that still fits the client’s needs or refer them to another freelancer you trust. Experience has shown me that if my gut is telling me I have too much on my plate already or the project doesn’t seem like a good fit for me, it’s best to walk away instead of cramming another thing into my schedule or struggling to finish something when my heart isn’t in it.
Your turn! How do you stay sane and balance the need to market with the need to actually do the work?
Flickr photo courtesy andres.thor
The reslanting tip really worked for me. I finally gave up freelancing and went into innkeeping. Some of the same skills mentioned here also work for the busy innkeeper who must juggle on a regular basis.
Thanks for these, Susan! They are great reminders to strategically plan out the course of your freelance career. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming and I find myself juggling too many balls and getting nowhere. Focus brings it all back into the proper perspective. I definitely agree about the long-term relationship idea. I'd rather foster that type of relationship than feel like I am constantly having to prove myself as a "newbie" to someone I have never worked with.
Great advice. I think focusing on the editors you've worked with is key. Sometimes, though, I've found when I have finally built up a good relationship with an editor, then the editor moves on to a new publication–which sometimes works in my favor, but not always.
I think it's important to be strategic in what "new" markets you pursue. Too many people get caught up with breaking into big-name magazines, just for the sake of doing so, even if it makes NO sense in their overall business plan.
I agree it's really important to earn what you're worth. It has to come down to a reasonable hourly rate. If it doesn't that project is not worth your time
Excellent advice and tips I try to follow. It is hard for me to pick which is the most important out of your list, because they are all important.
Very useful tips. I particularly like the idea that you should search for clients you could see building a long-term relationship with. This could not only translate to steady work (a dreamy situation for most freelancers), but also prunes down potential clients to only those who you feel are compatible with your work style.
This is excellent excellent advice. Now I just need to follow it in my own business practices.
This came at just the right time for me. I'm thinking that I need to stick with a few old faithfuls rather than try to spread things around too much. Thanks as always for your great advice!
This is really good advice and I need to work on the reslanting of material already researched for submission elsewhere. One other thing I'd add to this list is that when I finally get an assignment with a new publication I've wanted to write for, I watch closely to see how quickly they pay. For me, a long term relationship includes me getting assignments in on time and them paying me in accordance with our agreement.
This is all excellent advice. I've really been working to reslant more. I have ongoing relationships with a few magazines; unfortunately, the editors keep shifting around so maintaining contact with one editor is hard!
Excellent advice and good reminders.
For me, so much stuff lands in my inbox every day, and it's important to be laser-focused on my mission: provide good info for parents on movies and TV shows. When I get lost or overwhelmed, I go back to that mission statement.
I have such a hard time repurposing content and interviews. I don't know why, but I just can't get my brain to cooperate. I'd love to be able to reuse my knowledge, research, etc, but once I write that first article, it seems to fly right out of my head. Is this something you had to learn to do gradually, or were you always able to do this?
@Stephanie: I used to think in terms of 1 idea = 1 article for 1 magazine, but I've since tried to think more in terms of repurposing ideas. Can I switch the gender/geography/age group and come up with a related idea for another publication? Since you write a lot about food, that area of specialization probably helps you to some extent, because you've built up some knowledge in that area and you're not starting from a blank slate each time.