By Morgan Chilson (www.exactlywrite.net)
I’ve been a freelance writer for 12 years now. Before that, I was a business reporter and then business editor, not quite punching a time clock but definitely accountable for my time. As a freelancer, my customers set my daily schedule because they have deadlines I need to meet. With three kids, 8 animals, lots of volunteer work and my business, marketing and planning for my business is almost always the thing that gets shoved aside for “when I have time.” Ha. That would be never.
But the kids are all in school now. Their crooked teeth mean orthodontic bills; their activities mean lots of little bills for things like mouth pieces (flag football), math and science events, etc. I need more money and the natural place to look is my freelance business.
So I’m doing a business plan this week. Looking at a sample business plan on the Small Business Administration’s website, I realized (obviously) I should have done this a long time ago. And although many people are only writing a book as a sideline to their regular work, they all can benefit from a short-form business plan for their writing careers. The problem is that many of us don’t take our writing seriously because the general public doesn’t take it seriously until there’s a contract in hand.
But you need to take the time to write down your goals, then figure out what you’re doing to make those goals happen. I got a phone call from a KWI member this week that just gave me goosebumps. She attended a writing conference where she made phenomenal — I stress PHENOMENAL — business contacts and pushed her career ahead. She has been one of the most determined, forge ahead people I’ve ever met. She makes plans, and then makes things happen. Maybe you think a conference is out of your price range. But if you make a business plan, figure “start-up” costs for your writing career, maybe you can figure out how to start saving even $10 a week.
The point is that you need to treat your writing career like a business. Set goals. Set expectations for your performance. Hold yourself accountable. One of my favorite life concepts has always been the old standby, “You hit what you aim at.” I’ve been aiming all over the place — first here, then there, then back behind me. Amorphous, vaguely described goals sit in the back of my chaotic brain. Doing a business plan is forcing me to make them solid, organized and, most importantly, achieveable. Good luck!
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