Content marketing is hot. Freelance writers spend enormous amounts of time scrambling to complete blogs, tweets, and press releases in record time. Getting enough gigs to continue paying bills is crucial for most writers. Work may not always be steady, and writers discover they must spend a great deal of time working on gigs with rapidly approaching deadlines in order to get work done. Sometimes writers feel as if they’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when this happens. The work is desired, but freelance writers don’t appreciate feeling rushed to meet deadlines.
Most writers learn to schedule writing tasks better once they experience a writing marathon or two. There are 5 helpful strategies freelance writers can use to avoid missing deadlines:
Avoid Being a Perfectionist
Freelance writers have a tendency towards being perfectionists. This is understandable, but attempting to improve an article that cannot be improved is a waste of time. It’s best for writers to stick to a plan when writing, and edit after completing a first draft. Continuous editing efforts while attempting to complete a project can cause writers to miss deadlines.
Plan Projects Appropriately
Develop a content strategy Never attempt to work nonstop. Mistakes may be made when writers attempt to complete projects without allowing for breaks and meal times. It is always best to assign a timeline for completion to projects, scheduling breaks approximately every two hours.
Break Tasks into Smaller Pieces
Writers who work on larger projects might find it helpful to break these types of tasks into smaller pieces. Larger tasks can be worked on for a limited amount of time, allowing writers to break and work on smaller projects with impending deadlines. Alternating between projects may allow writers to avoid feeling overwhelmed while staying on schedule.
Set Goals and Rewards
Freelance writing can seem tedious at times. Multiple projects can be overwhelming for freelance writers. In order to avoid a crash and burn scenario, set up rewards for meeting goals. Additionally, if a goal is achieved ahead of schedule, a bigger reward should occur. Successful companies reward employees regularly. Freelance writers should offer the same incentives for themselves.
Stay Organized
Freelance writers and other professionals must practice organization techniques regularly in order to be successful. Creating and maintaining a calendar for assignments and deadlines can assist freelance writers in achieving productivity goals.
Freelance writing isn’t a nine-to-five job, writers are afforded a greater degree of freedom than most workers experience, but deadlines remain a constant in the daily life of a freelance writer. Meeting deadlines is a necessary part of life for freelance writers. Following these 5 strategies should enable writers to meet strict deadlines without experiencing huge headaches.