It only makes sense that the more productive you are, the more you will get done. To go along with this, increased productivity usually leads to increased profits as well. With that being said, do you know how to increase productivity within your freelance writing career? As a new writer, you may not be concerned with this. After all, you will simply be trying to establish yourself. But as you become more comfortable with your career, you will surely be interested in increasing your productivity.
Here are five tips that I use to stay productive day in and day out:
1. Work during the time of the day when you are most productive. For most, this time is between the hours of 8am and 5pm. Of course, this all depends on your personal life, as well as the schedule that you are used to. Believe it or not, some freelance writers find that they are most productive when they work the graveyard shift; albeit a small percentage.
2. For each project, make sure you brainstorm before you start. I never begin a new freelance writing project until I put together an outline. This helps me to not only get started, but to also have something that I can fall back on during the project. Yes, it takes time to brainstorm, but in the long run it saves you much more.
3. I prefer to work when I can do so in an uninterrupted manner. Personally, there are not too many things more annoying than being interrupted in the midst of an important project. When this happens, I lose my concentration, etc. Of course, this is part of the business. If I am working on a project and another client calls, I do not have a choice but to answer the phone. The best way to combat this problem is to make sure that you set aside large blocks of time to work each day. Again, for most, this is eight or so hours between the time of 8am and 5pm. But remember, one of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer is that you can set your own schedule. If the only uninterrupted time that you can find is at night, so be it.
4. If you run into writer’s block, there is nothing wrong with stepping away from the computer or working on another project. Since you are trying to stay as productive as possible, it is not going to do you any good to stare at your monitor. Instead, do something that will help you move forward.
5. One of the best ways to kill your productivity is to forget to save your work. A couple weeks ago I was in the middle of a project when the power blew in my office. Even though my work automatically saves every so often, I lost about a page of copy. Was this a big deal? Not really, but it was bothersome. Not only did I have to redo the work that was deleted, but I also lost about 30 to 60 minutes of valuable time.
With these five tips, you will be able to increase your freelance writing productivity.
It is not too often that I ask my readers for anything, but I thought I would give it a try. As you may have noticed, you can now subscribe to my RSS feed via email. This feature has been enabled for a few weeks, and it has helped to push my count to an average of 135.
Of course, my goal is to reach as many aspiring freelance writers and entrepreneurs as possible. By subscribing by email you can ensure that you never miss a post. After all, each one will be delivered to your inbox like clockwork.
Within a couple of months I hope to reach 200 RSS readers. If you have yet to do so, subscribe now, and join the rest of us on our trip to freelance writing success! Â
This week has been a busy one for me as far as checking email is concerned. While I always receive a lot of email, it seems like this week was above and beyond. Of course, this is not a problem. In fact, I always give out my email address because I love hearing from other freelance writers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anybody else who will take the time to touch base.
Three questions continuously pop up in my email account. I’ll never stop answering them individually, but I would also like to make the answers available to every visitor.
1. How can I market my freelance writing services? This is a topic that I talk about on a regular basis, but a question that will never go away. When it comes down to it, the way that you market your freelance writing services is up to you. Personally, I think you should try the following: cold calling, sending query letters, a blog, a service based website, and cold emailing. Chances are that if you add these things to your marketing plan you will secure some projects.
2. I am having the hardest time getting started – any suggestions? I have one good answer to this question: go for it! The more time you waste, the easier it will be for you to leave your freelance writing dreams behind. To build a successful career, you must get started. Sure, it can be scary and intimidating, but procrastinating is not going to get you anywhere.
3. Is there enough room in the freelance writing industry for me? Of course there is! Not only is the internet expanding rapidly, but there is always room to freelance for magazines and newspapers if you offer solid writing skills. Remember, there is competition in every industry. If you let this hold you back, you will never reach your freelance writing goals.
These are three of the most common freelance writing questions that are asked of me. Are they the only ones? Of course not! If you have anything else on your mind, feel free to send me an email. Like always, I’ll try to get back to you right away.
