How to Structure Your Day to Get the Most Out of Your Freelance Writing

There seems to be a common misconception that freelance writing doesn't require time management, prioritization, and long hours. Scheduling, prioritization, and hard work are even more important for a freelance writer than a 9 to 5-er because a freelance writer doesn't punch a clock, report to an office or supervisor, and is essentially, master of his or her own destiny. As they say, you get out of it what you put into it.

If you're a full-time freelance writer, how you schedule your day can make or break your monthly budget. And if you have a full-time job and freelance writing is a side-job, structuring your day in an effective manner enables you to balance both without hindrance.

I fall into the latter category so I am continually thinking of how I can speed up the process and get the most bang for the buck out of my freelance writing. Here are some tricks that I use to effectively use my day to maximize my results and my income:

Keep a Running List of Article Ideas

Every night I jot down new article ideas on a little notepad I keep handy. It's important to come up with actual article titles when doing this (i.e. Top Ten Best Flower Shops in Eugene, Oregon), rather than a general concept, like "shopping article" or "movie article." If you keep your ideas clear and specific you'll find that the article will write itself and it will follow a clear linear path. It's good to make note of new article ideas at night because that is generally a time when other commitments are not pressing and is typically a creative time for the brain. Besides, it's much easier to scribble down a few ideas just before bed than it is to wake up with writer's block.

I typically jump on the Internet every night after work to peruse, publish, and get inspired, then when I'm done I get out my notepad and write down some article ideas for the next night's work.

Write

I'll spend anywhere from a half hour to 2 or 3 hours a day actually writing, depending on the day and the article at hand. Obviously if you're a full-time freelancer the writing time will be much different. But really, the overall portion of my time isn't spent writing, even on days when I submit 3 to 5 articles. I find that the articles are being written in my head as I go about my day, and once I actually sit down to the computer, the process is pretty quick and painless. Once I finish actually typing my articles up, I then proceed to the business side of freelance writing.

Social Media and Marketing

Once a few new articles have been published and I'm awaiting acceptance or payment on another I begin doing my social media work: Twitter, Digg, Facebook, etc. These social media sites aren't meant to be used solely to post your work, they are also meant to provide business and social connections. I first post all my new published work and then I set about adding more people to my network. I do this by searching Twitter bios and profiles for keywords like "freelance writer," "entrepreneur," "publishing," "marketing," etc., then I find new prolific and accomplished Associated Content writers to read, favorite, and follow. Remember to get to all your standardly used social media sites (forums and message boards too) each day if you can. Once I find some new connections I begin doing my daily research.

Research

My daily research consists of all kinds of things: topics I have become interested in; articles from other Associated Content or Demand Studios writers; marketing, writing and public relations tips and tricks articles; and more. Reading and learning new things is essential for a writer in order to keep writing, you don't want the curiosity or creative spark to die out.

Get Out and Live

After I've done a good bit of work I stop and get away from it so I can do and experience new things to write about. It's great to work hard, but if that's all you do you'll burn out and the motivation to keep writing will quickly dry up.
After I've gotten away from my work for a while, I return refreshed and full of new ideas.

Check Your Leads

The next bit of my day is spent checking leads: emails, acceptances, etc. I tend to have a lot of this to do because I'm of the mindset that you treat yourself as a brand, and as such, I spend a lot of time interfacing with professionals in my field to gain know-how, pitch ideas, request product samples for review, and more.

Maintenance

There's a certain amount of maintenance that every freelance writer has to do on a daily basis. Bios need to be changed, profiles and blog software updated, applications submitted, bids placed, and more. Thankfully, this portion of the work isn't too time consuming.

There you have it, that is the basic outline of a freelance writer's day, in no particular chronological order. Sometimes it just isn't possible to get all the facets of a freelance writer's work to fit into a 24 hour period, but if you shoot for it, you'll see results.

Just don't forget to take note of your accomplishments and congratulate yourself once the day's work is done.