Full-Time Writing is More Than Writing

For the past few months, I’ve been freelance writing full-time and let me be the first to tell you that freelance writing full-time is more than just typing articles on a computer. A freelance writer is, in essence, a business owner. As a business owner, you’ll be doing things that business owners must do if they want to be successful.

Marketing. I’m not working in a Field of Dreams and putting it out there that I’m a freelance writer doesn’t mean that clients will come flocking to me. In fact, if I didn’t market myself, I’d get just about as many jobs as I would if I was not a freelance writer…none. So, I challenge myself to do one thing to market myself daily.

Bookkeeping. Sounds boring, but it’s a necessary part of being a business owner. You have to know what’s coming in and what’s going out. If you have enough money to make ends meet or not. By the way, here’s an article I wrote on variable income budgeting - something that freelance writers should know given the fluctuating budgeting.

Communications. I get questions and comments from clients and prospects that must be answered. I don’t spend the entire day on email, but I do take 10-15 minutes at the beginning, middle, and sometimes end of my day to respond to clients.

Planning. You know what they say, “failing to plan, is planning to fail.” I have a to-do list everyday that includes things I need to accomplish and things I want to accomplish. I use my Outlook calendar to schedule out my time. I don’t always stick to it because schedules are sometimes restricting to me, but I make sure to complete everything that should be completed. It’s a good idea to plan by day, week, and month. That way you always know what’s on the horizon.

Idea Generation. When I’m not doing work for clients, I’m working on some of my own projects. It requires some thought. I spend time coming up with ideas for blog topics and information products to offer. It’s a “how can I generate more income streams” type of thinking.

Writing. Then, after I plan, schedule, and get the work, it’s time to actually do the work. This is actually my favorite part. There’s nothing more refreshing to me than sitting down at the computer screen and typing away.

Are you freelancing full-time or moving in that direction? What’s the work you find yourself doing outside the actual writing?