Jen's Writing Journey

It is easy for writers–especially new freelance writers–to agree to too many projects. The result is either missed deadlines, shoddy work, or a really crabby and tired writer whose family can’t stand to be anywhere near him or her.

But what is it that leads to over-committing and under-delivering? There are usually a few reasons.

1. Lack of a plan
    
   A lot of us begin our writing businesses without a sense of what it will take on the business end. As a result, we take projects as they come in, with little planning. That leads to an erratic stream of work. When we don’t know when the next job is coming, we are less likely to want to turn projects down because of lack of time.
    
2. An Inaccurate Estimate
    
   Sometimes, we don’t have a good idea of how long a particular job will take us or what effect our other obligations will have on our ability to complete our work.
    
3. Fear of the Word “No”
    
   I hate being told no. So, when I have to tell someone else no, I start to think about how they will feel when they hear it. I can go through a whole range of emotional responses in my head in mere seconds. All of this emotional backflipping makes me feel very bad about declining.

A little business planning can address all of these issues.

First, create a simple business plan and a desired work schedule. Break your work day into the component tasks, allocating at least half of your time to marketing, billing, and other office tasks–the rest is your billable time. Ensure that your rates match the amount of billable time you have allotted. If not, adjust your rates so that your billable hours won’t need to bleed into your non-billable time, which would then need to bleed into your family or leisure time.

Then, make sure you are keeping an accurate count of the hours you spend on each project. Use those counts to determine how much time similar projects will take you in the future. This will allow to provide appropriate estimates and schedule your work time appropriately.

After completing these business tasks, you may notice the shift in attitude that will help you address the last issue: You should be viewing your writing business with less emotion. And that will help you realize that saying no is a business decision, not a personal affront to your current and potential clients. You are not doing your clients any favors by taking on more projects than you can do well or on time. In fact, telling the truth about your availability and suggesting a different time line or even a fellow writer who could help is the biggest favor you can offer.

What do you do when you are overwhelmed? Do you just say no? Do you have a network of writers to whom you can refer overflow business? Do you subcontract rather than turning down jobs? Or do you just work extra hours to get things done?

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