As Gretchen Roberts explained in yesterday’s guest post, whether you work part-time or full time, as a freelancer it pays to be organized, and I mean that literally.
Writers use various methods to stay on top of queries, stories in progress, rewrites, collections and the like. I’m a huge fan of Outlook for running my freelance business, and have previously explained how I use it to do everything from schedule phone interviews and track deadlines to chart my kids’ dentist appointments.
Other writers use workflow sheets to keep track of stories they’re working on, which are especially good if you’ve juggling multiple assignments with lots of moving parts.
Here’s one example of a 10-step workflow guide that charts every step in a story’s life, from getting the assignment to depositing the check. This guide could be set up as an Excel spreadsheet or Word document or as a Microsoft Outlook task; you could create the same template in Evernote or similar note-keeping or organizing apps:
1. Assignment – include:
- Slug, working title or document file name
- Assigned word count
- Sidebars or graphics requirements
- Deadline
- Fee
- Expenses
- Notes – These could include directions from the editor or reminders you want to leave yourself
2. Story budget note
- If the editor doesn’t send one, create one yourself and submit it for approval
- Include working title, short summary of what story’s about, what it will include, types of sources you’ll include
3. Contracts or assignment letters
- Get publication’s contract or writer agreement
- Read and go over anything that needs to be clarified or changed
- Sign and return
4. Research
- Map out research plan – what sources, interviews, clips, other material
- Collect reports, studies, additional information
5. Interviews
- Schedule interviews
- Do interviews
- Do email interviews as needed
- Do follow-up interviews as needed
- Share quotes with sources per agreed upon editorial policies or previously discussed ground rules with source
6. Graphics
- Send photo assignment to editor as needed
- Collect hand-out art, forward to editor
- Research stock photos as needed
- Create charts, graphs, “charticles” as needed
- Create raw audio or video
7. Production
- Write story – Review notes, highlight quotes, outline as needed
- Produce related multimedia elements as needed
- Submit story – Include links (URLs), source list, contact information for sources requesting copies of published story
8. Revisions
- Rewrite as needed – Hopefully no more than once
9. Payment
- Send invoice
- Follow up on invoice as needed
- Collect and deposit fee
10. Follow up
- Pitch publication on follow-up stories on related subjects or other topics uncovered during steps no. 4-7
- Pitch stories on related topics to other publications
How do you keep track of assignments?