5 Time Management Tips for Freelance Writers

Freelancing isn’t as easy as most people think it is. It’s about staying productive, organized and
successful all while writing and meeting those pesky deadlines. Here are some tips to keep you
focused and ahead of the writing game:


Begin the day: Before you start your day, prepare for it. You want to organize and prioritize all
your tasks, allotting each one with the appropriate amount of time to complete it. Check your
emails and calendar for due dates that are the earliest and then that are the latest. Start your
tasking session that way.

Timing is everything: Once your list is made with your tasks to do, go over the timing you have
allowed for each to be completed. Don’t forget to add the necessary bathroom and coffee breaks.
Don’t forget about important meetings, calls and your lunch break. Overestimate each task by
10 to 15 minutes. It is always to better to overestimate than to be under and spend the rest of the
day ‘catching up’.

Avoid the distractions: As hard as it may seem, stay offline. Your Facebook, Twitter and
personal email can wait. If you must, allot some time on your to do list to play online for a bit. A
trick for those who work from home, don’t be afraid to place a “do not disturb” sign up, to keep
the kids questions at bay and your spouse’s request at minimum.

Now write: Taking notes during phone calls, meetings and other discussions will give you an
idea what was discussed during those times. Looking over your notes you may find a common
topic and three different delivery methods; from there you can possibly condense by having one
conference call rather than those three delivery methods. It’s a real time saver to take notes.

Say no: Before you take on more jobs, you need to make sure you can handle what is already on
your plate. It is okay to say no once in a while, or even ask them to hold that thought. Remember,
in freelancing it is always about quality of quantity.

Written by: Laura Backes

Laura enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects and also on topics related to internet providers in her area. You can reach her at: laurabackes8 @ gmail.com.