Freelance Work From Home - Regular Work-Week

I often get asked what's a 'normal' work-week like for someone who works from home?

I admit, I work full time from home but I don't work 9 to 5. I work 10 to 4 most days and sometimes I'll throw in a few extra hours some evenings if I feel like it. I have a 4 year old daughter, so her needs come first. When she sleeps I'll sometimes do a bit more.

There is no typical work week when you work from home - but I do have some tasks that I make sure I do each week in amongst writing or blogging.

Monday

- this is the longest, hardest day of my week - 'business' day. No writing. This is the day I make my money. I spend huge chunks of time researching and hunting for new writing markets to aim at, I check out the tried-and-true old markets that I love submitting to - magazines, periodicals, specialist publications, newspapers, ezines etc. I send out and submit articles and story manuscripts I wrote the week prior to publishers.

I enter each submission into a spreadsheet so I know what's gone where, when and for how much. I send out invoices to publishers/editors who have bought my work. I chase up publishers who haven't sent out my checks yet. I do the bookwork and make sure the accounts are up to date. I pay the bills.

This is all about the business. No writing. Firm rule.


Tuesday

- this is pure writing day. I check out what assignments have been sent to me from editors I already work with. If I've done my research well the day before, I should have a fair idea of which publications want what type of articles or stories. This will usually give me plenty of new ideas, fresh topics and ideas to write about as well.

No distractions. No excuses. Create two or three feature articles. Create smaller articles, research more information, write, write, write.


Wednesday

- same as Tuesday


Thursday

- The entire morning is spent writing articles.

After lunch I switch to 'different-writing-income' mode. This means I spend the afternoon bringing in any income at all that ISN'T about writing articles.

I do this so that my home-business always has some cash rolling in from somewhere at all times. In business terms, this is called "broadening your debtor base". In regular terms it's "don't put all your chickens in one basket".

I promote affiliate programs, I sell ebooks, I read emails, I click stuff, I blog, I post in forums, I send out fillers to magazines, I learn about new writing markets, I research other markets to try and break into, I look up topics that interest me and keep them aside in case I find new markets to write for later. I network on several networking sites, I chat to other writer friends about what they're doing and where they're selling stuff. I learn. I get my name out there.

And I find out what's working for other writers - and what's not!

Friday

- Morning spent writing articles again.

Afternoon is pure fun time. I write short fiction stories. I lose myself in those worlds I created and those characters I invented. Sometimes romance, sometimes humor, sometimes fantasy - whatever I feel like. As long as I'm writing I'm in heaven. These will all be sold or sent out on Monday after research day when I find the right markets for them. These don't sell for as much money as an article will, but it's still money coming into my business and that counts!

Saturday

- after housework and chores, I'll sit down and edit everything I wrote throughout the week. None of my feature articles get submitted anywhere without a thorough edit - although the simple website content creation stuff goes out the moment it's finished.

Check for spelling, punctuation, grammar. Check for passive voice. Edit everything out. Re-write bad sentences, re-structure awkward paragraphs. Double check what the editor wanted.


Sunday

- I hang out with my daughter. I visit family. This is my day off.

I created this schedule around what I love to do and what I need to do. These are two different things. In order to keep my business running, I have to make sure the cash flow is always constant and consistent. Bookwork day is not my favorite day, but it is my most profitable day. It's necessary, because if the business isn't running well, I won't get to stay home and keep writing.


Hope this helps!

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