How one author wrote a book in 7 months without skipping other freelance work

In this guest post, freelancer and author Erin Flynn Jay shares secrets she used to write her new book, Mastering the Mommy Track: Juggling Career and Kids in Uncertain Times, in seven months without skipping out on her regular freelance gigs.

When I thought about writing a self-help book for working moms early last year, the economy kept jumping out at me. Both my spouse and I, along with friends and family members, were hurt by the recession. That made me curious  to find out how other working moms were faring across the United States — what had changed for them, and where were we going from here?

I knew a book on how women were tackling work and family in a shaky economy would appeal to a large segment of moms who were unemployed or underemployed, or whose spouses were unemployed. But given the timeliness of the topic, I had to write it quickly.

Using the philosophies that I share below, I managed to write the first draft over a period of seven months, or roughly one chapter every few weeks.

If I can do it, so can you.

Here’s my advice for writing a book in under a year:

1. Don’t cut back on your workload.

Do not drop scheduled assignments to write a book — you will regret it later. Keep plugging away at your regular work because it keeps money coming in while you’re working on the book. Instead, find time to write during what would normally be non-work hours if you have to. That includes early mornings, evenings or weekends. I found my peak writing time to be in the early morning before the kids woke up. I hit the computer with coffee in hand between 5 and 6:30 a.m. most days, even on weekends. Find a writing time that works for you and run with it.

2. Write about a subject you’re passionate about.

If the subject of your book is unfamiliar, you may hit a wall. Instead, write about a topic you’re entrenched in. When I started writing my book, my kids were 3 and 1. I was in the thick of diaper changes, toddler tantrums, picky toddler eating habits –  and I still am. It was easy to write about the challenges facing moms who juggle work and raising kids because I was experiencing them.

3. Set a schedule and stick to it.

Write a chapter every few weeks. Don’t miss deadlines. As a professional writer, you understand that if you miss deadlines you could get pegged as unreliable and editors could end up giving assignments to other writers. Treat your book deadlines the same way. Even though you might not have an editor breathing down your back for every chapter, pretend they are.

4. Expand the type of work you do.

If you offer a few different services, it will help you bring in more income, income that you’ll need as you’re working on a book. When I started a consulting business in 2001, a business coach suggested that I offer a few  different types of services. I opted to offer writing, editing and public relations. If you’re setting time aside to write a book, think about what else you could sell besides writing, social media, event planning perhaps? Last year, a U.K. author hired me for a five-month project to promote his book and arrange book signings and events in three cities as part of a book tour. If I had turned down the event work, I would have lost out on this business.

Finally, follow your vision. Remind yourself that you’ll glean the fruits of your labor in due time. If you need motivation, imagine the end goal — you at a reading of your completed and published book, signing copies and interacting with fans.

If you’ve written a book in a short time period while continuing other freelance work, how did you do it? Please share by leaving a comment.

Writer, publicity expert and working mom Erin Flynn Jay has been published in CareerBuilder.com, MSN Careers, Brandweek, Costco Connection, Opportunity World, and Sales and Marketing Excellence, among other publications. Find her on Twitter at @ErinFJay, Facebook at Mastering The Mommy Track and Pinterest at erinflynnjay.