Comments on: How Panic Can Ruin Your Writing Career

By: sue jeffels

sue jeffels — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:40:43 +0000

I have done exactly the same things Sharon, and then when other things go wrong it is all too easy to get yourself caught in a backlog.

By: Suzanne James

Suzanne James — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:10:32 +0000

This takes me back. I was at this ‘panic’ stage of my career for almost four years. I’ve been at all stages of the writer’s journey in the last 7 years.

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:46:07 +0000

How right you are, Sharon!

In one sense, at least, I think the phrase “work smarter, not harder” isn’t used enough: We don’t practice it nearly as often as we should.

Jeanne

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:39:46 +0000

@Amy: You’re not the only one to have done that more than once. It’s still a temptation sometimes, but I fight it because I know it’s not the best option.
@Bob: You are so right. Whether you’re talking client base or income sources, it pays to diversify.
@Jeanne: Jeanne, that much overused phrase ‘work smarter, not harder’ applies to this situation, I think.

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:41:32 +0000

Great advice, Sharon!

I think we all have to learn where to draw the line, because not only are there just so many hours in the day but our energy level is finite!

Thanks for reminding us!
Jeanne

By: What a Writer is Reading on the Web, 3/9/08 | Real Words

What a Writer is Reading on the Web, 3/9/08 | Real Words — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:04:21 +0000

[...] How Panic Can Ruin a Writing Career @ Get Paid to Write Online [...]

By: Bob Younce

Bob Younce — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:20:31 +0000

You hit it right on, Sharon. I once wound up in a long-term project that was waaaay below my pay grade, just because I was worried about getting food on the table for my kids!

Two weeks into the project, my best client called me up and needed a rush job. I did it, of course, but it took me two 60+ hour weeks to get a handle on things.

I think that the panic you talk about is completely par for the course when it comes to any small business, not just freelance writing. I have a good friend who does appraisals. Last month was a slow month for him, so he pounded the pavement pretty heavily. To make the long story short, he wound up having to turn down business just this past week because he can’t keep up with the new work he generated combined with what his old standby clients needed.

I think, to some degree, the holy grail of Internet freelancing has to be recursive income. Whether it is ongoing income from a content-based web site, or whether it is recursive affiliate income or recursive performance payments from article directories, having a steady flow of cash beyond our latest projects helps to keep us steady. If you can get to the point where half of your income is recursive, it makes life a little easier.

You can’t put all of your eggs in one basket, and recursive income declines over time, but it is nice having that safety net in place. When I find my planner is only half full now, I do a little marketing or sales and take a third of the day off.

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:28:04 +0000

Ah, panic mode. I was like that pretty much all the time when I first started out. Seems like long ago, but really it wasn’t.

I did the overbooking for not enough pay thing a few times before I learned. Guess I’m slow.

Now my panic mode is a bit different. I’m so used to being so busy with really well-paying gigs that when I lose one I panic for no reason. I did this around December. I lost one guy and thought “I’ve got to replace him.” I started looking at the job boards again, asking around for work. Then it hit me, I have enough money now that I don’t have to find anything else. It wasn’t long before someone new came along, making my panic mode completely useless even if I had needed the money. Hopefully I’ve learned this panic lesson for next time!!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:13:18 +0000

@lornadoone: Yes, and there’s always the temptation to have projects in the bank, but there are only so many hours in the day for writing.
@Matt: thanks, Matt. Whenever I’ve succumbed to the temptation, I suddenly get a lot of better paid jobs that I don’t have enough time for. If you can afford to wait a while, it usually pays to do that.

By: Matt Keegan

Matt Keegan — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:11:59 +0000

This is a good article, Sharon, as I’m presently going through a minor drop in my business and have been tempted to pick up a couple of lower paying positions to see me through. Instead, I’ve decided to wait it out as I believe sunnier days are just ahead of me.

I discovered/stumbled this page too.