Freelance Writing Routine
I get a lot of emails asking about my freelance writing routine. As always, I tell these people that the life of a freelancer is never the same two days in a row. In other words, I do not have to be in my office at a certain time or leave for lunch when my boss says so; after all, I am the boss. That being said, I try to keep a basic routine in order to ensure that all of my days move forward in a similar fashion. This helps to keep me productive while also ensuring that I do not burn out.
Time to Wake Up
Monday through Friday, I get out of bed around 7 am. I know many freelance writers who sleep until noon and then work through the night, but that would never work for me. I prefer to work “normal hours†when I can, and getting up this early in the morning allows me to do just that.
After I roll out of bed, I head for the computer and check all of my email accounts as well as traffic and income stats from the day before. I like to slowly move through this process so it usually takes me approximately 30 minutes or so. Of course, this can change based on how many emails I received throughout the night, etc.
Time to Start Writing
On most days, I begin tackling my projects sometime between 730-8 am. Since I write a to-do list at the end of each workday, I do not have to spend time trying to determine how to get started or which project to take on first. Instead, I simply check out my list and start at the beginning. Some days I have more projects than others, but in most cases I have approximately 10 items on my must-do list and several others that I hope to get to during the day.
Time for Lunch
Like many workers, freelance or not, I usually take a quick lunch break around noon. Of course, it is tough to stay away from the computer for too long so I usually eat lunch at my desk. This gives me time to once again catch up on email and other related tasks.
Time for more Writing
The afternoon is pretty much a mirror image of the morning. After lunch I usually have a better idea of how much progress I am making on my to-do list and what still needs to be done before I call it quits. On most days I am done with my freelance writing projects sometime between 3 and 4 pm. At this time I put together my to-do list for the next day, and usually move onto reading some blogs, researching new projects, or just relaxing as I browse the internet.
Miscellaneous Tasks
Throughout the day I tend to take care of many miscellaneous tasks that go along with being a successful freelance writer. This can include anything from paying bills to responding to emails to following up with clients on the phone. There are times when I complete these tasks between writing projects, and times when I save them all for the end of the day. It simply depends on how much work I have, as well as my progress for the day.
As you can see, my freelance writing routine is nothing special. This is a basic outline of what my workday looks like. But keep in mind that no two days are alike when you are a freelance writer. In my opinion this is one of the biggest benefits of being self-employed.
