Friday Wrap-Up (on Saturday)

BlossomsClearly it’s been one of those weeks. I seemed to have been playing catch up every day. I’m hoping that the weekend is just what I need to get organized for the projects ahead with some time, too, for family and a little work on one of my ongoing fiction projects.

One of the toughest things this week was negotiating a price for a large project with a local editor. It worked out well, but it was stressful, nonetheless. I said ‘no’ to the first price and the second, and then he called and a third price was chosen that I was happy with. I never expected the phone call after the second ‘no thanks,’ but it was a real morale boost when it happened. My work was valued, and he was willing to pay a price I was happy with to keep my skills in his writers’ stable.

That’s the mystery of freelancing. You never really know whether what you have done has made an impression on the person who has commissioned your work, or whether it’s just another project they can tick off on their list and move on. Have you been contacted because you’re at the bottom of their writers’ list (and everyone ahead of you can’t take the job,) or are you the first person contacted because the editor thinks you are the best match s/he knows for the project? Um, did I mention that a bit of insecurity comes with being a freelancer?

I also believe that work attracts work. As soon as I committed to this large project, I got a call about another job for someone I worked with last year. It was a much shorter project, but still, it’s a cheque, and it was a fun creative piece that I enjoyed working on. I’ll find out how his client liked it next week.

So the weekend will be spent with my calendar, blocking out work times for the several things I’m juggling over the next few weeks, including freelancing, wrestling with the new intranet program at the college to set up my fall courses, prepping said courses, and, I hope, carving out time for the fun, creative writing that’s just for me. I love calendars, and coloured markers, and getting organized. I know I’ll feel a lot better going into Monday, once I get it done.

How do you organize your writing, work time, and family time to make sure that there is room for all in your life? Love to hear some tips on the balancing act.

 

8 thoughts on “Friday Wrap-Up (on Saturday)”

  1. Good for you. I love reading this type of thing. As for balance, I never figured out a balance but I realized that maybe we put too much emphasis on this. I don’t have a balance per se, but it works for me.

    Reply
    • I try to think of balance over a longer period of time–say, a week. If I worried about it every day, I’d get nowhere, but if I can look back at the end of the week and think that I managed time for a bit of everything and can see that my to-do list has had some essential items crossed off, it’s okay. Needless to say, there are times when that doesn’t work either. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Great story. Very inspirational. In the world of Freelancing (writing for sure) we often sell ourselves short. I’ve heard several stories where people were really to busy to take on a job so they quoted much higher than normal and got the job. Congrats. Your hard work and savvy negotiating tactics are obviously working.

    Reply
    • After my second ‘no,’ I actually figured negotiations were over. I was very surprised to get a call back from the editor. I’m not sure about savvy negotiation tactics, Suzanne, but I was sure what my price was, and in this case, sticking to it worked. Still, it feels more like Professor McGonagall’s “pure dumb luck” that I’m ending up with a paycheque instead of nothing.

      Reply
    • That appreciation was a very nice takeaway from the experience. It’s easy for me to underestimate the value of what I do, so it was a real boost to get such great feedback from the editor. And boy will I work hard not to let him down. Win. Win.

      Reply
    • Thanks for adding me to your list, Jo. I’ve been looking for sources for paraphrasing for my students. I checked your page and you suggested the same links I had. 🙂 Isn’t OWL at Purdue a great resource!

      Reply

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