15 Misconceptions About Freelancing
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Welcome back to the blog! This week, we’re talking about freelancing. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding freelancing and the instability of working for oneself. Many people who aren’t freelancers or entrepreneurs have misconceptions about freelancing and I’m here to debunk them!
Many of the misconceptions surrounding freelancing are based in ignorance and I can understand how people looking from the outside in may have these ideas about freelance work. While some of these may be true for a portion of the freelancer population, they’re certainly not true for the majority. Every freelancing business is unique and comes with its own set of challenges. What makes some of these misconceptions truths and some of them myths is how freelancers handle those challenges.
This is not a complete list, but some of these misconceptions and myths about freelancing include:
You own your own business
You don’t have a boss
You can work whenever, wherever, (and however) you want
You only have to work on projects you like
Freelance work is always exciting
Freelancers make more money for less work
Freelancers make less money
There’s no job security
As a freelancer, you don’t have employee benefits
Freelancing is more stressful than a full-time job
Freelancers should work for free
Freelancing isn’t 100% legit
Freelancing hurts real businesses
All freelancers want to get a “regular job”
Freelancers are socially awkward
You own your own business/ You don’t have a boss
While this is true for many freelancers, it’s not necessarily true for all of them. Many freelancers are employed by other entrepreneurs and still have to report to a boss.Even if you’re a freelancer, running your own small business from home, you still have to answer to clients and colleagues whom you work with. As a freelancer, your boss is the client.
You can work whenever, wherever, (and however) you want / you only have to work on projects you like/ freelance work is always exciting
Freelance workstation in a coffee shop. Photo by Toa Heftiba.
Many successful freelancers have the freedom to pick and choose to some degree, the projects they agree to work on. However, when work gets low, and clients are sparse, the pressure to agree to whatever work comes your way is higher than ever. As someone working for themselves, freelancers typically have to work harder to deliver a quality product. However, it is true, to some degree, that freelancers can work where they please. As long as they’re working for themselves or if they have a lenient boss, they can work from home, a library, a coffee shop, or from the park; they just need a place where they can focus on their work and avoid distractions.
Likewise, freelance work is not always enjoyable or exciting. Freelance work can be tedious and grueling some days and often consists of administrative work and accounting. As mentioned in the next misconceptions below, many freelancers who are just starting out often have to take what they can get, and this means they can’t afford to be picky about jobs. As a result, a lot of novice freelancers end up taking hard or boring jobs to make ends meet and build out their portfolio for hopefully better-paying, more interesting jobs in the future.
Freelancers make more money for less work/freelancers make less money
Many freelancers charge less than the larger companies they compete with to give themselves an edge. Many other freelancers charge within industry standard and offer sample services to demonstrate their skills and quality of work. Many other freelancers charge above industry standard because their skills and services are worth the expense and they have the credentials and testimonials to back it up. Freelance pay depends on your field and how in-demand your skills/services are. Starting out, you may have to build a reputation and possibly accept lower paying jobs to build a strong work history. Testimonials, reviews, and referrals are excellent ways to boost client confidence in your abilities.
There’s no job security
While freelance jobs are known for instability or unpredictability, the idea that there is no job security in freelance work, is just false. It depends on what you consider job security and what level of security you’re looking for.
It can be argued that standard day jobs don’t have job security, because if you’re an employee working for just one company or organization, you could be fired, losing your only source of income. However, if you’re freelancing, and you’ve got a few different clients, losing one at a time, would not cost you your only income. Replacing a single client can be much easier than finding another full-time job. It seems finding clients is somewhat less competitive than applying for a job to which many other people are also applying.
As a freelancer, you don’t have employee benefits
The more savvy freelancers just might surprise you with this one. A freelancer might not have a traditional 401K but that doesn’t mean they don’t have great health care and long-term savings. Many freelancers also have the privilege to take longer vacations and more often. They often have just as many or more sick days at their disposal than typical employees and they can pick and choose their insurance benefits from a wide array of companies, rather than having to enroll in just what their employer provides.
Freelancers clutching her head in stress. Photo by Elisa Ventur.
Freelancing is more stressful than a full-time job
For some freelancers this is true. As mentioned above, freelancers who are just starting out may have to settle for challenging or boring/tedious jobs in order to cover their bases. And many seasoned freelancers still struggle with stress due to other factors such as family and lack of time management. However, many freelancers have figured out how to manage time, stress, focus, finances, and work-life balance which translates into lower-stress positions with more pros than cons. I think this one specifically is influenced by 1) the field and demand of services/skills and 2) the freelancer’s approach to work.
Freelancers should work for free/freelancing isn’t 100% legit
Yeah, right! Try telling that to the IRS! Freelancers are considered independent contractors and they are generally required complete a 1099-MISC or similar form for taxes. And freelancers often work long hours and produce thoughtful, quality work as a result and should certainly be paid for their services. Freelancers not delivering on their end of the bargain should be confronted and asked to rectify this. One way to avoid this is to provide sample work, testimonials, referrals, and reviews to demonstrate skills and services.
Freelancing hurts real businesses
You might be surprised to hear that the opposite is true, actually. Often, small companies that cannot afford to hire full time employees may rely on contracted work to keep their business running. They may sometimes collaborate with other freelancers to meet their needs on a budget too. Freelancing does not hurt businesses; it stimulates the economy and allows more consumers to participate in the free market. Freelancers also give the market alternative options to large corporations with a large price tag.
All freelancers want to get a “regular job”
While many people do freelance work to supplement their income, there are also many freelancers whose first picks would be freelancing because of the benefits and freedom it provides. Freelancing is especially appealing to the millennial generation, who are less productivity-focused and more meaningful-work -focused, non-traditional families, and entrepreneurs.
Freelancers meeting at a coffee shop. Photo by Brooke Cagle.
Freelancers are socially awkward
Another common misconception about freelancers is that they are socially awkward, are hermits, antisocial, or loners. While many freelancers prefer solitary work (for many different reasons including creative control, time management, and freedom,) many work alone simply due to the nature of freelance work. Some freelancers collaborate with other freelancers which helps them network and build connections with others in their field and related fields. Others don’t mind working alone and find they are able to focus better when not working as part of a team.
Freelancing isn’t for everyone and it's certainly not always easy or high paying. Learning the ropes, practicing and honing skills, building a portfolio and client base, networking, and working from the ground up is arguably more challenging, more daunting, and more physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing than just showing up to a 9-5. However, freelance work can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling and it gives entrepreneurs the ability to make an impact on the world, and to enjoy what they’re doing.
That’s it for my list of 15 Misconceptions About Freelancing! Have you heard these misconceptions? Do you think they’re true? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!
Bibliography:
Cagle, Brooke. “Freelancers meeting at a coffee shop.” Unsplash photo, November 26, 2018.
Harris, Mikey. “Working from home.” Unsplash photo, June 5, 2020. (Thumbnail photo).
Heftiba, Toa . “Working Space.” Unsplash photo, August 16, 2018.
Venture, Elisa. “A business woman who is stressed and frustrated,” Unsplash photo, May 17, 2021..
Related blog posts:
—Payton
For Content Creators and CEOs with ADHD: Strategies to Succeed Despite Overwhelm and Distractions
Hi readers and writerly friends!
someone with severe Adult ADHD I personally know how this neurotype can affect one’s personal and professional life. ADHD is a neurodivergence, not a disorder, and worth looking into whether or not you have been diagnosed with it. Readers and writers, I’ve created a list of tips and tricks (ADHD friendly) that can help you in your business whether neurotypical or neurodivergent, like myself. If you’re in a rush, check out the headers and sections in bold to get the most out of skimming this post.
Note: Some of the advice in this blog post is from my own personal experience, tips and tricks from other people I know who have ADHD, and the book, Mastering Your Adult ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Second Ed. Client Workbook by Steven A. Safren. Any quotes from the workbook are cited in-text and at the end of this post (Safren 2017)
Rearrangeable Corkboard Calendar. Photo by Monica Sauro.
Calendars, Planners, and Daily Task Lists
As per the workbook and my own experience, having a toolkit of simple, practical, sustainable, and daily organization and planning tools is key to combatting prioritization-confusion, time-blindness, and forgetfulness in general. This is true for people with and without ADHD. Having a 3-step planning system ensures consistency and employs repetition —a useful tactic for remembering important tasks day-to-day, week-by-week, and month-to-month. I’ve been using this system for three months now, and it has changed how much I can get accomplished in a single day. I’m not advising you go overboard with adding tasks to your plate and burn yourself out. But you’ll be amazed at the productivity and action you can achieve by employing a simple planning routine that can be scaled up or down and modified in many ways to fit many different lifestyles and stages of life.
How to execute this planning strategy:
Use a Calendar for a monthly view. This can be paper or dry-erase calendar, but make sure its simple and big enough to write 1-3 important tasks, appointments, or events in each day’s space.
Use a Planner or weekly agenda for keeping up with tasks throughout the week. Realistically plan your days so that you can get your professional and personal work done in a timely manner without overworking yourself. Unless you can consistently produce quality results, stick to no more than 3-5 tasks a day until this becomes a habit. Pick out a planner that you like and avoid choosing frills over functionality. The more space the better. I prefer just a plain planner with a calendar view for each month and a few lines for each day of the month in an agenda format. Ensure the planners size can accommodate your handwriting as well as portability, because this will be your middle-man between your home calendar and task list as well as your point of reference when away from home.
Use a Daily Task List for daily task planning and organization. Again, limit your responsibilities to reflect your true capability and slowly add more tasks onto your plate when you feel comfortable doing so.
Pro Tip: Use the same color-coding system in your planner and task list as you do on your monthly calendar. Get colored pens that match your expo markers so that you can peek at either tool and read it at-a-glance, ensuring ease of understanding and consistency. Only use a color-coding system if it will benefit you, though. If you’re worried it will become too complicated, take too much time to set up, or you’ll get hung up on perfectionism, opt for 3 colors max, or skip this step altogether.
For Digital Planners: I would love to be more eco-conscious and go paperless, but the repetition of writing plans down 1-3 times helps me remember when and what I’ll be doing each day. This process also helps me to catch any discrepancies between one of my planning tools and I can catch mistakes (such as an event written on the wrong day of the month) much easier and usually before the event. However, if you’re really not one for writing things down and would prefer to go the digital route, there’s a few tools you can use to achieve the same 3-step planning system mentioned above.
Tablet displaying a virtual weekly planner. Photo by Jess Bailey.
Pick a good virtual calendar such as Google Calendar. Color-code events as needed and try to keep colors consistent across all apps and devices.
Use a good digital planner as well —below, I mention Notion as a great resource for note-taking but it can also serve as a fully-customizable virtual planner/agenda as well. If you’re overwhelmed by the customization, there’s a ton of other free and paid virtual planning/productivity apps out there!
Use a simple virtual notes app or list app such as Google Keep Notes or Google Tasks. Notes has more formatting options but Tasks has a satisfying check-off function for when you’ve completed tasks.
If you’re going the virtual route, use digital alarms to help you stay on track! The Pomodoro Technique is a great strategy for getting both quality work and breaks done in a timely manner. If you’re not going digital, keep hand-held timers around your house or at your desk in the office to use to help with time management.
The workbook provides some rules for effective use of the calendar and task list:
Rules for the Calendar and Task List
The calendar and task list system replaces ALL pieces of paper
Pieces of paper just get lost.
Instead of keeping an appointment slip, a business card, or anything like this, copy the information onto the task list or enter it directly on your calendar.
Phone messages from voice mail or other places go on the task list.
Log every phone message (from voice mail and so forth) on the task list as a to-do item.
If you date when you have completed the task, you will then have a record of having done it in case anyone asks you about it in the future.
All appointments go on the calendar.
No appointment slips that can easily get lost!
All tasks must go on the task list.
Task list items should be looked at EVERY DAY, and revised accordingly.
Do not obsess about trying to get a perfect system.
Many individuals want to have the perfect calendar and task list systems. Do not fall into this trap! This will just result in not having any systems.
If you cannot decide on the “best” system, then just use a simple calendar and task list system.
Remember it’s important to give your system a fair shot! This means keeping one system for at least three months, long enough to get used to it.
Use a system that is within your comfort zone.
There are many options for calendar and task list systems—including paper systems, applications on smartphones or tablets, and multiple computerized applications. Many of our clients ask us which is the “best” system, and this is not really a question that we can easily answer. The question for you to ask yourself is this: “What’s the best system for me?”
— (Mastering Your Adult ADHD, 29-30)
Manageable chunks
Downsize overwhelming parts into manageable chunks. Make step-by-step processes for tasks that seem daunting and go one step at a time. This will help you manage overwhelm, anxiety, and, unnecessary busy work. Make a list of items and order them according to due date or priority, and try to get them done as soon as possible. Do not wait until the last minute, no matter how tempting that next episode of Orange Is The New Black may be. Make a reasonable, executable game plan for your goals or project, and proceed one step at at time. Don’t get hung up on the details or perfectionism, just start.
“A good plan executed right now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” —George S. Patton.
Woman looking through her weekly planner. Photo by Covene.
Prioritization with the A,B,C’s
Now that you know of an effective and sustainable planning strategy and you know to break overwhelming tasks up into more manageable steps, it’s time to prioritize. As mentioned earlier, without prioritizing tasks, its easy to get caught up in busy work. Getting a lot of tasks completed and crossed off your to-do list feels good, but is it really getting you closer to your goals? By being overly productive with mundane tasks, are you actually getting any important work done?
That’s where the A,B,C’s come in. I learned this strategy in the workbook as well:
List all of your tasks. Then assign an “A,” “B,” or “C” rating to each task:
“A” Tasks: These are the tasks of highest importance. They must be completed in the short term (like today or tomorrow).
“B” Tasks: These are lower-importance, longer-term tasks. Some portions should be completed in the short term, but other portions may take longer.
“C” Tasks: These are the tasks of lowest importance. They may be more attractive and easier to do, but they are not as important.
Be very careful not to rate too many items as “A”!
Practice doing all of the “A” tasks before the “B” tasks and all of the “B” tasks before the “C” tasks.
— (Mastering Your Adult ADHD, 34-36)
When first going over this concept, my therapist put it this way: “A” tasks must be done on the day they’ve been assigned to. “B” tasks can be moved to other days but not move more than a week away from their original date. “C” tasks can be infinitely moved and do not require a defined date/time. An “A” task might be going to a doctor’s appointment. A “B” task might be getting your car’s oil changed. A “C” task might be finishing a book you’re reading for pleasure. This prioritization strategy will look different for everyone, especially at different stages of life.
Just remember the priority: “A”= Highest importance, “B”=Medium importance, and “C”=Lowest importance. Avoid overwhelm and burnout by strategically spacing “A” tasks throughout the week if possible. Try to limit “A” tasks to no more than 1-3 things a day until you feel comfortable with this system.
Color-coding tasks instead: If you’d rather use a color-coding system for prioritization, traffic light colors Red, Yellow, and Green make a great color-combination for action! Red= Stop what you’re doing and do the most important tasks first. Yellow=Be cautious of time and complete the lesser-important tasks next. Green= Go! on tasks of lowest importance once you’ve completed Red and Yellow tasks first!
“Eat the Frog” or “Start”
Have you ever heard of someone eating the frog when it comes to content creation, their personal to-do list, or professional positions? This means to start with the hardest item or most difficult item on the to-do list. This item is typically something that requires research, planning, and time to execute. It is a task that requires more energy and time to complete. Often these tasks are called ”frogs” because they’re hard to swallow, or hard to get done and often include a lot of planning and/or procrastination. By getting them done early, one can look forward to the “downhill” slope throughout the day/list. Get the hardest task out of the way and it will be easier as the day goes on.
If you’re more of a “work your way up” to the hardest task from the easiest tasks, that’s okay too! Not everyone feels comfortable starting with the “frog".” Just make sure you’re not doing busywork or deluding yourself with a false sense of productivity. Ensure your actions and “warm-up” tasks are actually moving the needle, and getting you closer to your goals.
Make use of versatile apps and devices
I’m saving for an iPad and Apple Pencil so I can do digital artwork, digitize my existing physical artwork, and start creating unique animations for my YouTube channel. I’ve seen some pointillism artists doing dotwork with tattoo guns on paper, saving their hands the trouble and repetitive stress. Utilize the technology we have today to save time tomorrow.
Clickup’s Blog has tons of great resources for productivity and combatting ADHD. Greg Swan’s post “10 Best Mind Mapping Software (Pros, Cons, Pricing)” explains how mind-mapping can be a useful tool for productivity and breaking tasks down into actionable steps:
Mind map software lets you create a diagram or flowchart of your ideas. This helps you easily illustrate the relationships and hierarchy between concepts.
Most mind mapping tools come in different sizes to suit various needs, offering other functionality. Generally, your average mind map maker falls under one (or more) of these categories:
Diagramming: a technical diagram such as engineering flowcharts, architectural designs, network diagrams, etc.
Brainstorming: problem-solving sessions to organize and present an idea visually
Business intelligence: visualize data as charts by importing it from business applications
Software development: prepare site map diagrams, software wireframes, etc.
— (Swan, paragraphs 5-8)
Checkbox to-do list on paper. Photo by Thomas Bormans.
Take notes
When it comes to conventions, panels, educational videos, courses, classes and other avenues for creative information, remember to take notes —and not just cover vocabulary. Let’s get honest for a second, aesthetically pleasing notes make studying that much easier, for sure, but it’s not a necessary effort. As long as your notes are legible and cover important topics that will likely come up later (or for students, will be in the exam) then you are good to go. Feel free to digitize or edit your notes later. First, focus on jotting down as much information as possible.
Pro Tip: If you don’t feel confident in your ability to type as fast as the professor or speaker talks, then feel free to record the panel or discussion. Make sure you get permission/clearance before recording someone else. When you have time, type up and refine the notes into easily-digestible, succinct, effective, and at-a-glance notes. Put them on the wall, your vision board, or bathroom mirror to see them frequently until their concepts and advice is cemented solidly in your brain. Then, file your notes away in an organized fashion and make sure to refer back to them regularly.
Notion and other note-taking apps
I genuinely enjoy this app and the features it provides users. Notion has an almost overwhelming number of features and useful elements. I personally use the application to create lists, blog post rough drafts, flesh out poems, and to tack down other ideas, but this barely scratches the surface of Notion’s versatility. This post is not sponsored by Notion, nor am I affiliated with them.
Celebrate milestones, big and small
Don’t forget to celebrate hard work and milestones. Go out every once and a while to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work you’ve done. If the work is online, it can be especially hard to quantify successes or measure productivity, so go out every now and again and celebrate the small and big wins! Don’t. Skip. On. This. Even if you don’t drink, are veggie, or have a tight curfew, make sure you allow time for you to, celebrate both the small and big wins and really soak it in. When your supervisor gives you a compliment, treat yourself to a nice coffee, or when you meet a work or personal creative deadline early, grab that chocolate-chip muffin as treat (as long as your not on a diet, lol —look into other rewards systems if you’re alcohol-cruelty-gluten-free, etc.!”
FAQ pages
For entrepreneurs and creatives with websites, this page can save you a lot of time and trouble. Although it’s pretty self-explanatory, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) page serves as a buffer between you and your reader’s repetitive, previously answered/address queries. Link the FAQ page in the footer or contact section of your website and put 5-20 of the most frequently asked questions there, to help avoid repetition and wasted time re-addressing the same questions over and over again.
Lead magnets
Sometimes called freebies, lead magnets are the little juicy bits of content that readers subscribe to your content in order to access. For cooking blogs, it may be a 20-page mini cookbook. For writing blogs, it may be a short guide for combatting writer’s block or a writing checklist. Just about any website can have a lead magnet and it’s the easiest, most automatic way to obtain an email address from a visitor to your site. Lead magnets are powerful, effective, enticing marketing tools and they’re very easy to create. Design a unique, actionable, useful piece of downloadable/printable content with an editor such as Canva and upload it as a downloadable file into your newsletter block on your website. Once the reader enters his or her email into the box and hits the subscribe button, they’ll be prompted to download the content they signed up for. Now you’ve unlocked another potential customer who you can market to, straight to their inbox, and they just gave you that access!
Minibatch and time-batch tasks
Similar to prioritization and chunking tasks into more manageable steps, minibatching tasks can serve as a useful strategy for planning, organization, optimization, and execution. To do this, break your larger tasks down into smaller, doable steps, then put those smaller tasks onto your calendar or planner, according to the type of activity required to complete the task. For example, if your car needs several maintenance tasks done, schedule a time to look at and order car parts, make appointments to the alignment shop and oil-change shop, and plan a day to get all the car work done. Another example, if you need to record videos, take photos, or hop on webcam, schedule these tasks all on the same day if possible. You’ll save yourself the time and trouble of getting ready for each individual appointment and get the most wear out of your outfit/makeup/hair-styling too!
Have frequent co-working sessions
Schedule in regular co-working sessions with friends, partners, and colleagues. These sessions are for working collaboratively on projects and brainstorming and are an amazing resource for creatives and office-workers alike. Friends can help you pick paint samples and the interior design of your living room, while colleagues can help you come up with new strategies for success in the workplace. Who says you can’t have coffee in the morning with a client in the morning and meet up with your bestie for lunch in the afternoon?
Schedule “people days”
Much like the time-batching tasks, schedule all of your face-to-face appointments, coffee-shop meet-ups, conferences, phone calls, and co-working sessions in the same day, when possible. This will save you time getting read for each appointment and once you’ve made it through the first meeting, you’ll be ready to tackle the next meeting as your confidence and productivity high snowballs you throughout the day.
ADHD management and CBT therapy
Regardless of if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD or not, these tips can be useful for anyone who gives them an honest try because they’re practical, scalable, sustainable, effective, and simple. However, these tips may not be enough if your life is a hot mess like mine was in 2020-21. After having done my own ADHD management program and CBT program for PTSD, I can truly say it has changed my life for the better. I would recommend anyone struggling with ADHD symptoms to reach out to your primary healthcare provider and discuss options for treatment with them. Depending on the severity, you may require therapy, management, medication, or lifestyle changes in order to manage any debilitating or annoying symptoms you may have. I’m not a doctor —I just know this process helped me understand and embrace myself and gave me the patience and grace to work through my challenges without shame, fear, or judgement. Please do not diagnose yourself. If you feel you may be struggling with ADHD, contact your doctor or counsellor and have a formal assessment and diagnosis done.
Thank you so much for reading this blog post! If you liked this post, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, and please check out my other posts! If you have any other actionable tips for productivity as a creative with ADHD, drop a comment below!
Bibliography:
Bormans, Thomas. “Free Pen Image.” Unsplash photo, August 30, 2020.
Notion Labs Inc. “Notion - notes, docs, tasks.” Google Play Store, accessed 11, 2022.
Sauro, Monica. “Brown calendar photo.” Unsplash photo, May 16, 2019.
Swan, Greg. “10 Best Mind Mapping Software (Pros, Cons, Pricing)” ClickUp Blog. October 13, 2022.
Further Reading:
How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer
8 Ways To Level Up Your Workspace And Elevate Your Productivity
The 4 Most Useful FREE Apps for Writers in 2022 (Sync Across Multiple Devices, Not Only iOS)
Recent blog posts:
—Payton
Book Writing 101 - How To Achieve Good Story Pacing
In literature, pace, or pacing is the speed at which a story is told—not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. The pace is determined by the length of the scenes, how fast the action moves, and how quickly the reader is provided with information.
Pacing is an element of storytelling that seems to trip up many new writers. It can be hard to pin down. What is a good pacing for a story? Well, to get a better idea of good story pacing, we have to look at bad story pacing first.
Freytag’s Pyramid from Serious Daring by Lisa Roney. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Freelancing, we’re continuing the Book Writing 101 series with the 3rd part of the series, How to Achieve A Good Story Pacing. If you’re looking for the rest of the series, it will be linked at the end of the blog post!
What is story pacing?
In literature, pace, or pacing is the speed at which a story is told —not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. The pace is determined by the length of the scenes, how fast the action moves, and how quickly the reader is provided with information.
Story pacing is the momentum of the story and it’s what keeps readers turning pages
Pacing is an element of storytelling that seems to trip up many new writers. It can be hard to pin down. What is a good pacing for a story? Well, to get a better idea of good story pacing, we have to look at bad story pacing first.
Pacing is also tension. It’s how you build out the rising and falling action of your scenes. When I reference “action” in this blog post, rising and falling action is what I am talking about. This may be literal action scenes, conflict, events, plot points and pinch points, and other peaks and valleys of plot.
If you read my blog post about where to start your novel, then you might remember this next bit. That post (linked at the end of this blog post) is specifically for starting a book, but it serves as a great reminder for starting/ending you scenes and chapters as well.
Pacing is also how you enter and leave scenes and chapters. It’s how you open a scene and keep the momentum all the way through to the “turning point” of that scene or chapter. It’s how you close that scene/chapter and lead into the next one. Think about the “enter late, leave early” rule when trying to achieve goo pacing within your story, and how events in your story drive the plot forward.
Bad story pacing
This usually occurs when a story is told at a pace or speed that is either just too fast or too slow for the plot and the events that happen within the story. Story pacing that is just too fast almost gives the reader narrative whiplash in that, everything is being presented so quickly that the reader just can’t seem to keep up and is lost in confusion. Story pacing that is just to slow usually ends up boring the reader and making it hard for him or her to stay motivated to finish the book.
Story pacing really has more to do with the amount of information being presented and the intervals at which it is being presented. Books that have too-fast story pacing often just bombard the reader with information faster than they can process it. For example, a thriller writer may leave things out of the story in an attempt to build intrigue but as the plot progresses, the reader will be come increasingly more confused. In fantasy, too-fast pacing usually arises when the writer drops in a ton of names in rapid succession without really giving the readers time to orient themselves.
However, on the flip side, too-slow pacing can arise in fantasy in much the same way as well. Taking entirely way too long to establish backstory or info-dumping is a great way to slow the story down and bore the reader. And truthfully, this isn’t unique to fantasy; this issue can manifest itself this way in all genres.
Pacing that is too fast: Too much information is presented too often.
Pacing that is too slow: Not enough action is presented often enough.
I know, it looks like I said the same thing twice. But the truth is, story pacing is all about balance. There is a very delicate balance between action and information that even seasoned writers struggle to master.
Identifying pacing issues with word count
This might only be useful if for writers who have critique groups, agents, or editors but essentially, you can identify bad pacing by looking at the word count of a novel. If your editor says “the word count is too low for your genre” then they’re essentially saying, your pacing is too fast, and you’ve not spent enough time building out the story and included too much action. If your editor says “the word count is too high for your genre” then they’re saying your pacing is too slow, and you’ve spent too much time building out the story and not including enough action.
Sentence structure can make or break pacing
Long, drawn-out, convoluted sentences, word paragraphs, big, pretentions words, and overly descriptive purple pose will absolutely kill your pacing. Think about these things and keep in mind that if it doesn’t add to the writing style, voice, tone or drive the plot, then you don’t need it. Characterization should be dropped in here and there, and not done in page-long descriptions with wordy backstory. Big words and extensive vocabulary should only be used if it makes sense for the voice and tone of the story, and not just for the sake of making your writing “sound smart” or upping your letter count.
This doesn’t mean that shorter and more direct sentences are key either. Like I said, it’s all about balance. The secret to achieve this balance and good story pacing is varied sentence structure. Look at the sentences below.
Sarah wanted to read a book. She got up out of her chair and grabbed a book off of her shelf and sat back down. She opened the book and began reading.
Sarah yawned, sleepily remembering it was reading time and stretched as she rose out of her chair. She slowly ambled over to her expansive bookshelf, not sure what to read next, now that she’d finished her last novel the day before. She lifted a heavy blue book with an ornate cover and carried it back to her chair where she cuddled up and began reading.
The first series of sentences is very stale and boring, and it presents the action too quickly by simply telling the reader what is happening. However, the second series of sentences is entirely too colorful and takes too long to get the info across to the reader. Look at the series of sentences below.
Sarah yawned and looked out the window, realizing the sun was setting and it was reading time. She rose out of her chair and moved to the large, oak bookshelf, filled to the brim with hardcovers and paperback in every color. Thumbing through the first few pages of several books, she found one that had intricate illustrations for ever chapter and decided that would be her next read. Sarah settled back into her cozy reading chair and opened the hefty fantasy tome, eager to begin her next adventure.
In the third paragraph, you can clearly see how varied sentence structure makes the scene more interesting. This is the key to achieving balance between action and narrative and achieving good story pacing. Mastering this writing technique will help you keep this delicate balance no matter what genre you write in because sentence structure is part of every kind of writing. I even use it in my blog post writing.
In addition to this, consider what the purpose is of your chapter or scene and if it isn’t providing the reader with key information, moving the plot forward, or making space for characterization, then perhaps you don’t need it. Scenes that serve no real purpose for the story should be cut from the manuscript because they only drag out the story and slow the pacing. Typically, all scenes should be meeting these three criteria and it’s certainly all about balancing out the time each one takes to achieve their individual purpose.
Story structure can help you with pacing
Much like sentence structure, story structure can be a great way to determine the pacing of your story and where you might be doing really well in terms of tension and pacing and where your story might be sagging a little. The 3-Act Story Structure is just one (popular) example.
I think a lot of writers have a hard time with pacing because many of us grew up learning about the 5 elements of plot with a very set-in-stone triangular structure, but I like to think of plot as more of a bell curve. In the graphics below, you’ll see the 5 Elements of Plot versus the Plot Bell Curve (based on the 3 Act-Story Structure) and how pacing looks with each of these story structuring methods.
The issue with the Elements of Plot is that this structure allows entirely too much time to pass between major plot points. This is where many writers’ issues with the “sagging middle” originate from. Look at the bell curve, where tension is kept evenly from plot point to plot point. Instead of a terribly slow and steady incline, the rising action builds tension right from the inciting incident and falling action slows tension from the midpoint to the confrontation.
So, to recap:
Story pacing is the momentum of the story and it’s what keeps readers turning pages.
It’s how you build out the rising and falling action of your scenes.
Story pacing is all about balance. There is a very delicate balance between action and information
Varied sentence structure makes the story more interesting
Scenes that serve no real purpose for the story should be removed
Try using the plot bell curve instead of the elements of plot to see how it affects your story’s pacing
And that’s it for my blog post on how to achieve good story pacing. I hope this post helped you and if it did, make sure to comment below and check out the related topics for more Book Writing 101 posts!
Related topics:
Book Writing 101: Coming Up With Book Ideas And What To Do With Them
Book Writing 101 - How To Chose The Right POV For Your Novel
Book Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About Dialogue
Book Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent Characters
Story Binder Printables (Includes Character Sheets, Timelines, World-Building Worksheets and More!)
Payton’s Picks —40+ of my favorite helpful books on writing and editing.
25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel Ideas
See all posts in Freelancing. See all posts in Book Writing 101.
—Payton
5 MORE Ways to Stay Organized as a Writer or Freelancer
It’s hard enough keeping organized as a person in general, but add being a freelancer and/or business owner into the mix—of course we’re going to feel a little in over our heads sometimes. Not to worry, though—I’ve put together a list of five ways to stay organized as a freelancer! Not a freelancer just yet? You can still use all of these tips to your advantage and hopefully they will help you move closer to your goal of being your own boss!
If you haven’t read the first blog post I wrote on this topic, click here!
Get organized digitally
You may have heard the words “spring cleaning” at some point in your life, but as an online content creator and freelance editor, I am here to tell you that this phrase doesn’t just refer to de-cluttering objects in your real life—it also means keeping organized virtually. As a Virgo (I think Jenna Marbles can relate!) there is nothing worse than a chaotic, cluttered room when I sit down to work. This is no different in my digital spaces. I try to keep everything just as organized on my computer as I do in my home.
Folders are labeled and sometimes colored, projects are divided up into parts, and everything has a place. I even have a method for planning and preparing my blog posts that go out every Friday. Monday mornings, I will start brainstorming, outlining, and designing my blog posts. I typically get them completed way ahead of time, but it’s nice to know that if I get stumped, I have until Friday at 12 PM CST to finish everything up.
I like to color-code my folders according to the four following categories: not ready, some parts completed, time-sensitive, and ready to post. I typically schedule three blog posts to go out at a time, but this system allows me to write posts ahead of time (or when I am feeling particularly inspired) and save them for later. I do this by using the free windows app, Folder Colorizer. To further organize, I break each project down into three parts: photos, thumbnail image/cover image, and the blog post text. It takes time to complete each of these tasks so by breaking them down, I can effectively time-batch similar tasks. (Keep reading!)
Calendar blocking
Calendar block like there’s no tomorrow.
This may look different for each person—Amy Landino practically blocks out every waking (and sleeping) second on her calendar. I personally, prefer to only block out things that aren’t part of my current routine or items that have changed in the routine, and once they become part of my everyday life, they get taken off the calendar. No matter how intense you go with your own calendar blocking, make sure that it is sustainable for you. You don’t want to just start throwing events and appointments up on the calendar without rhyme or reason! You might consider only blocking a few things to start with so you don’t get overwhelmed.
I prefer to use Google calendar. I have never enjoyed physically writing events out on a paper calendar or planner—maybe that’s just my inner perfectionist talking, but I truly do live for flexibility a digital calendar offers me. In addition to that, I can pretty much connect anything to my Google calendar—yoga classes, dentist appointments, and even bills! Also, Google calendar works seamlessly among your other Google accounts and can be connected to Trello if you use that, but it’s definitely not the only calendar to go with! You can even try out a few different calendars to see which works best for you. Like I said before, Google calendar is my go-to and that’s what you’ll see in the pictures below!
As you can see above, this is what my calendar looks like on a month-by-month basis. Of course some events change, I end up with different editing clients, and the occasional dentist appointment will arise. I like to block out only the items that are not routine/temporary routines such as an event that may be a week or month long. However, it doesn’t hurt to get into the details. You can always include your morning routine, nightly pre-sleep rituals, and gym days as well.
Of course, the next two pictures show you what my weekly and daily views for my calendar look like. You can see the different calendars I am subscribed to on Google calendar (with exception to a few for my own privacy/editing client’s privacy.) I like to include Out of Office appointments, so when several of them pop up in the same day/week I can save time by time-batching similar tasks! (I promise, it’s the next item in this list!) I further filter my tasks into calendars such as bills, writing/prep for this blog, designing merchandise and preparing for my next two poetry books, and work for my freelance editing business, to name a few.
Pro tip: Ditch the to-do list! Yes, they can help you get an idea of what you need to do in a day, week, month, or even a year. However, to-do lists are more of a brain-dump instead of color-coded, sorted tasks. When you start looking at a calendar more like a timed to-do list, it helps you prioritized the events in your life. Instead of just looking at an arbitrary list of wants and needs, filter tasks out into events and appointments in your calendar. If you have a hard time separating tasks that you need to get done versus tasks you would like to get done, then consider using a prioritization matrix.
Time-batch similar tasks
Time-batching is the art of grouping similar activities together to save time. For instance, if you are a YouTuber and you need to film a talking-head video, use the opportunity to film several in one day! (Just make sure to change your clothes and accessories so your subscribers don’t catch on!) If you know you have an interview or business meeting, why not take this opportunity (when you have made yourself presentable) to schedule a coffee date with an old friend to catch up? This not only makes great use of your time (and finely styled hair and makeup) but it allows you to build connections with the people in your life—whether they’re your lifelong friends or just a newly made acquaintance.
In addition to time-batching out of office appointments, you can time-batch project tasks as well! Like I mentioned above, I like to break down my projects into three smaller parts: photos, thumbnails, and text. However, instead of trying to crank out all three parts of the project in one sitting, I know I can more effectively complete projects by time-batching their similar tasks. If I am editing photos for one project, and I know I will need to edit photos for another, it just makes sense that I get all of my editing out of the way in one session. When I get on a role with writing, it is much easier to start working out the details of the next blog post after I’ve been typing for a bit and already have my writer-brain warmed up. If you’re a creative, you know how hard it is to break away from what you’re doing and is much easier to simply push on until the project is complete. I pair this almost unhealthy ability to stubbornly get things done with time-batching so that I can both achieve the highest level of productivity whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Only check your email once a day
I’ll be honest, I don’t always follow this tip, but when I do, I notice that I am so much more productive and less distracted. Sometimes, it just makes sense to answer all your emails at a set time instead of compulsively checking your inboxes to ensure they’re at 0. Set an alarm just after lunch or whenever you feel is best for answering email and only respond at that set time. This way, you can be in touch without having others think you have nothing better to do with you time.
Turn off your notifications
On a very similar note to the one mentioned above, turning off your notifications can be a huge boost to your productivity. Even if you’re not looking to increase your productivity, perhaps you want to be more focused or more mindful in the moment—and turning off your notifications will help you do just that! I personally only have notifications on for text and Snapchat and even then, my phone is typically on do-not-disturb. There is nothing groundbreaking that I absolutely must see the moment a piece of content goes live. I don’t NEED to be notified every time this influencer tweets that or a YouTuber posts a new video. It’s just another distraction that I don’t need while I am working. Additionally, if someone really needs to get my attention—my loved ones specifically—can break through my do-not-disturb.
As you can see, I don’t have many notifications turned on. Also, don’t be worried for me—that’s the most screen time I’ve had all week and I was editing photos today. 😉
So what do you think about these tips for staying organized as a freelancer? Do you think they’ll help you stay organized? Did I forget any tips that you love? Sound off in the comments below!
Thumbnail photos by Karolina Grabowska.
—Payton
8 Questions Writers Should Ask Themselves In 2020
Setting goals and resolutions is an important part of getting ready for the start of a new year and new decade and asking yourself a few critical questions can get the creative ball rolling. Consider these eight questions when outlining your goals for 2020 and think about what achievements and improvements you made in 2019 compared to 2018 and how you’ll bring that momentum forward into the new year.
What is your single biggest priority as a writer in 2020?
Do you want to finally publish your novel? Are you still writing the story? Are you in the editing phase? Will you self-publish or traditionally publish the story? What part of the process are you currently in and what preparations need to be made to make this goal a possibility in 2020?
Photo by Vlada Karpovich.
As creative individuals, writers often juggle a million different passion projects at any given time, but to effectively execute any one task, we must focus out efforts on one project at a time. What project makes the most sense for you in 2020?
Take it from me —someone who has been officially diagnosed with adult ADHD—when I say I know how hard it is to focus your energy on one thing, but it’s equally as important as it is difficult. I don’t necessarily believe in the Jack of All Trades, Master of None sentiment, but I know if you have too many irons in the fire, you certainly will get burned one way or another.
The truth is that we just don’t have enough time and attention to do EVERYTHING. So, I challenge you to tackle the biggest, scariest project this year, and better yet, early in the year, to get yourself up over that dreaded hurdle and keep the killer momentum going.
How many books do I want to release in 2020?
This question isn’t just for traditionally published authors with book deals and advances. You know what they say about dressing the part? It’s the same with writing—if you want to be a published author with all those shiny book deals and advances, you must start acting like one now, and moreover, writing like one. If you can write an entire book, move it through several stages of revisions and edits and produce a polished, final copy that’s a feat of strength on its own, especially if you can do it in one year. Additionally, it’s even more incredible if you can do that a few times each year, but that’s what it takes to become a traditionally published and professional writer—consistency, dedication, patience, and perseverance. So, whether public or private, how many books will you release this year?
How much time will I devote to my writing each day, week, or month in 2020?
Part of being a dedicated and consistent writer is building time into your schedule for writing. This is the key to conquering writer’s block and harnessing your creativity and it’s crucial for any writer wanting to turn their passion into a full-time career. Consider when and for how long you will write every day. It might be a trial and error process but try a few different schedules and see what works for you. You might not be a “Wake up to write at 5 am” person like Amy Landino, but you might be able to squeeze in an hour every night before bed or something similar and less intense. Start with just 20 minutes a day and gradually increase the time so that you reach your desired time block for writing while building the daily writing habit without throwing your existing schedule into chaos.
How much money will I invest in my craft in 2020?
Consider what route you will take and start doing research. Maybe you are self-publishing—one avenue that isn’t cheap. You’ll have to pay for editing, layout and cover design, and marketing. Perhaps it’s time you got you’re a writing services listed on a proper website rather than you’re your LinkedIn profile? Hiring a developer, or at the very least, a designer who will put together your site using a hosting platform such as Squarespace or Weebly, will set you back a few hundred, depending on the complexity of the site. Maybe you want to learn more about writing by taking a few master classes. Add up all the different ways you can invest in your brand as an author and budget for these expenses so your creative growth in 2020 isn’t gated by money or lack thereof.
What are my weaknesses as a writer?
Photo by Vlada Karpovich.
We all have strengths and weaknesses and there are a few different methods of determining what your weaknesses as a writer are:
Have your manuscript professionally critiqued/reviewed.
Open up your manuscript to beta readers.
Participate in a critique group for feedback on your writing.
Have a friend who is well-versed in your genre read your manuscript
Post parts of your manuscript on free reading sites like Wattpad (I wouldn’t post the entire thing for free. Consider posting the first third of the story and adjust visibility as needed. Even though your writing is protected by US Copyright Law, it can be hard to know when someone breaks the law if they aren’t caught. This will better protect your writing against plagiarists.)
Once you’re aware of the trouble areas in your writing, you can work to improve them in 2020. Writers can have several strengths and weaknesses. Maybe narrative is your forte but dialogue…not so much. Maybe you need to learn how to employ the senses and imagery to create a more immersive and engaging reading experience. Maybe you need to improve your openings or endings. There are plenty of writing exercises to help you build your skill and strengthen these weaknesses.
What are my weaknesses as a marketer?
Many writers cringe at the thought of marketing their writing but it’s not really as scary as it initially seems. It just takes a little doing to get familiar with how marketing works but once you get it, it can be fun. To determine how familiar, you are with marketing what strengths and weaknesses you have, you can do the following:
Hire a marketing professional or schedule coaching call with one.
Join author groups online and in person and see how the other members market their work.
Read books and articles on marketing and follow tutorials on YouTube.
Research how other authors in your genre have successfully marketed their own novels.
How can I get involved in my writing community?
Photo by Canva.
While marketing is an important aspect of successful businesses in 2020, it’s also important to take care of yourself, both in an out of your craft. I’m not going to get all self-care-lecture-y on you, but you should, for your own sanity, get involved in the writing community both online and locally. I know it’s sort of become a mood to lock yourself away with your coffee and keyboard (or typewriter) and write all day long, but it’s important to have a constructive crew of like-minded creatives to surround yourself with. Other writers can act as sounding boards, sources of inspiration, and often, they have plenty of useful advice and information to freely give. Not only that, but by having critique partners, you strengthen each other’s writing because every manuscript can benefit from a second set of eyes.
Some ways to get involved in the local writing community:
Join a local writing group
Joining or forming a local book club
Attending local or regional writers’ conventions, conferences, retreats, or workshops
During NaNoWriMo, check for local Come Write-Ins in your area
Some ways to get involved in the online writing community:
Join Facebook writer groups
Join Betabooks.co to connect with beta readers and become a beta reader yourself
Engage with writers and readers in your genre on Twitter and Instagram by using relevant hashtags and commenting frequently on posts you truly love/connect with.
How can I grow my tribe in 2020?
This shouldn’t come as a surprise but like marketing, growing your community’s engagement is going to take some doing. Remember it isn’t and should never be just about the numbers. You want to make real connections with people and develop a group or true fans that will support you. This is your tribe and if cultivated carefully and correctly, they’ll stick around for a long time, through the thick and thin. They in turn will help grow the tribe and the wonderfully vicious cycle repeats.
So how do you grow the tribe? Some ways to inspire engagement on your platforms are:
Engage with other users on social media, especially in your genre and medium.
Provide quality, valuable content to readers via newsletter marketing Read my blog post on Newsletter Marketing That Doesn’t Suck here.
Pay for targeted adds through Facebook and Google (these are proven to be effective due to their highly skilled algorithms)
And that’s it for my 8 questions that writers should ask themselves in 2020. Of course these are just a few guidelines for narrowing down your goals for 2020 and it’s just a starting area. If you’d like to see more questions like these, and if you enjoyed this list, let me know! What are your goals and/resolutions for 2020?
Further Reading
—Payton
5 Actionable New Year's Resolutions For Writers in 2020
1.Share your writing with others more often.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It can be hard as a writer to be vulnerable and open to criticism, but it is crucial to our growth and improvement to feel comfortable putting our work out into the world, despite what others say. Always use your best judgment when dealing with criticism to determine if it was constructive or just negativity. But by opening up and letting the world into our stories, we grow and gradually become used to having other eyes on our work. Coming to terms with this is essential for aspiring writers desiring professional writing work.
2. Try a new writing style or medium for telling stories.
Do you usually write in a certain POV or tense? Do your stories typically take on a humorous or satirical tone? What voice do you normally write in? Is your target audience the same every time? Change it up by writing new stories in different ways.
Another way to freshen up the writing process is to work with different methods of storytelling. Of course, audio-visual mediums can be used for storytelling and often are, but I’m specifically referring to the written word—poems, plays, short stories, novelettes, novels, articles, blog posts, and reviews. Consider writing in a different medium to explore and learn new techniques, styles, and practices.
3. Watch, read, and write stories in genres you’re unfamiliar with.
This one likely requires some research but by branching out into a new genre, you learn all kinds of different storytelling techniques and styles that were gated by your own genre. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you open up your craft to new growth. Diving into new genres can seem unappealing at first, but you’ll find all kinds of hidden gems in other genres and the challenge will breed new creativity.
4. Make creativity part of your everyday routine.
I written extensively on consistency and building in time for writing but the gist is this: writing every day makes you a better writer because a) practice does make perfect and b) it acts like exposure therapy by bringing you face-to-face with the fear associated with the writing process (fears of inadequacy or imperfection) often enough that you get used to it and overcome this obstacle.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
As someone who was incredibly busy and believed in the idea that creativity strikes only at certain time, I used to think this was impossible, but I can assure you it is achievable. Consider one of the previous options such as writing in a new medium. By writing new blog posts for this blog, all the time, I am exposing myself to the writing process and therefore making it increasingly easier to write in my passion projects.
The blog takes off the looming pressure of trying to achieve constant perfection and allows me to just write freely. Then, when I sit down to write fantasy, it’s easier every day, and since I’m all warmed up from writing blog posts, I can produce better quality work.
5. Learn to enjoy the writing process and not just the end result.
How does that quote go? It’s all about the journey, not the destination? Writing is EXACTLY like that. Our novels and stories are for others to enjoy and the process itself is for us to enjoy. It’s the intimate, scared process of bleeding onto the page, of pouring out our souls, and manufacturing stardust into the written word, and therefore it should be enjoyed.
Writers should completely and fully feel the fear, pain, sadness, confusion, satisfaction, happiness, excitement, and fulfillment, as well as all the other emotions that come with writing. They should wholeheartedly appreciate and understand the process of taking a fleeting thought and sculpting it into a living, breathing idea that takes root in the mind of others. They should value and hold dear the writing process because it is as integral to their being as air to the human lungs.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It’s never about the destination, the end product—because it’s not meant for us—it’s meant for our readers. It is however, about the process, the journey, the steps we take to get there and everything we experience along the way—the learning, the reckoning, the weaving of words to form a story. Most writers have a love hate relationship with the writing process and this is as it should be. However, we should also recognize the value and the wild, seemingly untamable beauty in the process.
Alright, let’s liven things up a bit, shall we? Sorry to get all mushy about writing on you there for a second. It’s something I hold dear to my heart so any chance I get, I am going to take the time to discuss the writing process.
That’s it for my 5 Actionable Writing New Year’s Resolutions for 2020! I really love all of these goals because they’re practical, actionable, and sustainable. I know those seem like buzzwords people just toss around, but I do really think these writing resolutions are ones that we all can stick to year-round!
What do you think of my writing resolutions? Do they overlap with your own writing resolutions? What would you add to this list? Comment below and let me know what you think!
Further Reading
—Payton
Oversaturation In A World of Overconsumption (There's No Such Thing)
If you’re a creative you may have heard someone say this before, or perhaps you’ve even said it yourself; The market is over-saturated.
This statement has been discussed widely in many entrepreneur circles and how its a major roadblock in many people’s road to success. However, its just not true.
Laptop displaying site analytics. Photo by
Carlos Muza.
If you’re a creative you may have heard someone say this before, or even said it yourself; The market is over-saturated.
This statement has been discussed widely in many entrepreneur circles and how its a major roadblock in many people’s road to success. However, its just not true. Yes, the idea of over-saturation is a roadblock, but over-saturation doesn’t really exist, especially not in 2019, where over-consumption of media is a prominent part of society.
One great example of this is easily found in your own YouTube subscriptions. Most, if not, all of us have been in the scenario where we’re left waiting for our favorite YouTube creator to come out with a new video. If they stick to a regular posting schedule, then we know when to expect to see their videos out, but it doesn’t mean that in the meantime, we’re not eager for those notifications. This is also true for other social media platforms, primarily Twitter and Instagram.
Here’s the tea. There’s no such thing as over-saturation in a world where viewers and subscribers are consuming content faster than it is being created. Creators often describe the process for videos, podcasts and even blog posts such as this and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into crafting content that will only be viewed for a few short moments. It’s hard to think about pouring all of that time and energy into a project that might not even capture someone’s attention for more than a few seconds.
This isn’t entirely a bad thing, though. While it can be a challenge to create compelling content that will engage an audience in a world filled with hand-held distractions, it can also be an advantage. In this digital age, people are consuming content faster than ever. It only takes a few minutes to watch a YouTube video and even less time to read a new Twitter post, which means that consumers are devouring content so rapidly, that the demand for new content is at an all time high. If you’re going to start your YouTube channel or your motivational podcast, there’s no better time than now, to do it. Social media markets may seem over-saturated due to the vast amount of creators posting on platforms, but this industry is still in its infancy. Over-Saturation doesn’t exist.
Gary Vee even supported this argument on Matt D’Avella’s podcast, saying, “…fragmentation of attention across all of these mediums has created a scenario where you can't have overexposure." -Gary Vee on content over-exposure in Matt D’Avella’s Ground Up Show, episode 101. Click here to hear the full episode.
Let me know what you thought about this hot take on oversaturation! Do you think it exists? Why? Have you ever experienced the dread that comes with oversaturation? Let me know in the comments below!
—Payton
Freelancing Basics
Freelance editing can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as editing for a traditional publisher, but likewise, it can be just as difficult getting started. I’ve compiled a few lists to help you get started with your freelance editing business. (If you’re not into freelance editing, that’s okay! Many of these tips can be applied to other industries!)
Freelance editing can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as editing for a traditional publisher, but likewise, it can be just as difficult getting started. I’ve compiled a few lists to help you get started with your freelance editing business. (If you’re not into freelance editing, that’s okay! Many of these tips can be applied to other industries!)
Getting started as a freelance editor:
Apply to internships while still in school and even after, to build your real-world experience in the industry, as well as your experience working with industry-standard programs and editing techniques.
Take masterclasses specializing in the different degrees of manuscript editing, grammar, and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS.)
Aim for editing certifications to show your education and qualifications.
Join editorial associations to build connections with other editors in these networks and build your repertoire of resources in the editing industry.
Read all the books you can—on industry, writing, style and everything in between. Seriously. (And novels in your specific genre too, of course!) I have an ever-growing list of my favorite craft books. These are so helpful, not only for becoming more familiar with the editorial industry, but they will help you read and think more critically as an editor as well. Click here to view the list.
Notebook next to black eyeglasses and a cup of pens. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood
Finding work as a freelance editor:
Collaborate with other editors online and in-person to gain new perspectives, techniques and successful practices of others.
Connect with literary agents and other editors for their “reject” clients to build experience and make connections with artists who are just getting started. (reject clients may include clients the other editors and agents simply didn’t vibe with our didn’t have time to take on the projects of and does not necessarily;y refer to clients that are incompetent or lacking.)
Offer services both online and in your community to increase your experience.
Apply to any business or person with an online presence. Writing online copy is just as important as manuscript editing, especially in the digital age.
Specialize. Don’t try to do everything when you’re just starting out. Try a couple of different types of editing to see what you like and stick with that for a while. You’ll hone your skills and be more experienced in that niche.
Brown suede couch draped in leopard print throw blankets. Photo by Erik Mclean
Working from home as a freelance editor:
Time batch similar tasks. Freelance Editor, Mollie Turbeville, from Molliereads on YouTube, and bestselling author, award-winning speaker and entrepreneur, Amy Landino are both uber-successful boss ladies, living their best lives and managing their time with time-batching. The key to this is to schedule similar events and tasks on the same days, to eliminate wasted time. One way they use this practice is on days when they film for their channels, they will film several videos in one day while their “film-ready” or they’ll schedule several meetups in one day at the same coffee shop to cut down on time spent getting ready and travelling.
Keep looking for work. While your schedule may dance between being busy and slow work days, it’s important to keep multiple projects lined up. In this industry, its best to prepare for situations out of our control, such as when a writer backs out of a project.
Plan realistic hours for your work. It’s important to keep busy, but it is likewise important to create a meaningful and sustainable schedule for yourself. As an editor, burnout comes more often and destructive than for other occupations. Similarly, it is important to remember that when it is time to work, you must be responsible for yourself and your time. Editors cannot wait for motivation or creativity to strike because most projects are time-sensitive. Set realistic hours and stick to your schedule.
Create a workspace conducive to successful business practice. Environment is everything for freelance editors. For the same reason it is important that students don’t sleep where the study or study where they sleep, freelancers need a workspace that can be differentiated from their home environment. In the student example, it’s easy to see where the mental lines become blurred if one studies in their bed. This has been proven to decrease study effectiveness and degrade students ability to stay on task and alert in an area they associate with sleep. Similar to this example, freelances must be able to separate work life and home life to avoid burnout and to avoid blurring the lines between work and play. This may mean implementing a physical distinction, such as a divider or even setting up a home office separate from sources of entertainment. This distinction should make it so that when you’re in your workspace, you aren’t distracted or tempted to procrastinate and when you’re in your home, you don’t feel the pressure of work when it’s time to wind down.
Looking for more? Freelance editing workshops are projected to come out in 2020! Check out the classes planned for 2020, here!
Thumbnail photo by Kelly Sikkema