More Time = More Money

dollarby Catherine L. Tully

Cash. Moohla. Money. Dollars. Bucks.

If you want to make more, you aren’t alone.

As a freelance writer, it’s up to you how much money you make. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to work harder. Being smart about what you are doing, who your clients are and how you manage your time are all part of the deal.

Let’s concentrate on the time part here. I’d like to share some of my top tips for maximizing your income without spending every moment working:

+ Separate out your paying gigs from things you do that don’t directly make you money (such as blog posts, tweeting, posting on Facebook, networking, etc.). Then, dedicate one or two blocks of time per week to the non-paying tasks. If you want to do more on these, do some double-duty and dip into your TV time or your surfing for pleasure.

+ Schedule your paying gigs out for the week. Leave one large chunk of time open and use it to look for and research other paying gigs.

+ Get those receipts organized. Make sure you are taking all the deductions you are entitled to. Again, schedule in time to do this each week.

Here’s a sample schedule:

Monday morning – receipts, social media and answering e-mails.

Monday afternoon – work on paying gigs.

Tuesday morning – look for and research new paying gigs.

Tuesday afternoon – work on paying gigs.

Wednesday morning – write and schedule blog posts.

Wednesday afternoon – work on paying gigs.

Thursday – work on paying gigs.

Friday morning – open for whatever you need.

Friday afternoon – work on paying gigs.

It doesn’t really matter how you schedule things–do what is comfortable for you. The key is to make sure you have a plan. Managing time is crucial to being a successful freelance writer, and thinking through your week ahead of time can really help you make more money in the long run. Give it a try!