(Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay)
Part of my getting back to a structured routine includes writing up my writing diary as I go along. So I’m back to reporting on what I did ‘yesterday’ or how ‘yesterday’ went.
Monday 11 October 2021
Monday started off quite well with the new regime, although I was running about 15 minutes late right up to the morning coffee break.
‘My’ work
I walked to work and spent the first hour checking emails and social media. I also rang the hospital to make sure I could still attend a routine appointment this afternoon after having Covid for the past 2 weeks. (They said yes.)
The first of ‘my’ jobs was to update the diary for the week, especially now I knew my hospital appointment was still on. Diary work will usually be on a Friday morning in future.
Next up, I went onto the jobs board and updated my profile to reflect my new minimum rates. I also added a request that potential clients please check these minimum rates before inviting me to pitch for their work.
I’m turning down far too many jobs now because they’re simply not coming anywhere near my starting rates. And when I say ‘starting’, I mean that’s what they START at and then they go UP, not DOWN.
Honestly, the hours wasted turning down job invitations from people who can’t be bothered to read my profile are really starting to clock up. In future, if they can’t heed this basic information before contacting me, I think I’ll just delete the invitation without replying.
So… the next job on the list was to respond to a (probably unlikely) potential client and decline their invitation to pitch for a job because it’s way below my minimum rate.
The next job of the day was writing yesterday’s blog post and starting today’s.
By the time my ‘coffee time’ break arrived, 15 minutes late (so I shortened it a little), I’d done quite a lot of my own admin work without feeling guilty about it. And I was on my second glass of water.
After my coffee time break, I was actually twiddling my thumbs! So I called the poet, did some banking, and let the dog out. I also did some band admin for the poet’s band as well as some admin work for the gig list. Then I finally started to proofread Twee Tales Twee.
‘Client’ work
With three hours and three clients, I gave each of them an hour.
First of all I tried to print off a quick editing job but found out that the file I’d been sent was a pdf instead of a Word file, when the original file was Word. I did ask the client if this mattered, but when it was clear that she might not be in, I converted the pdf to a Word file.
Once I printed off the new file, I realised that the client’s author had added a further 1,000 words or so! (Cheeky!) I started the hard copy edit, but as I have half a day today, I’ll be finishing this job on Wednesday.
I went in and organised all of the contract deadlines for Ghostwriting (2) client, I had a look at a lot of the research material she’s sent me, so I get the ‘flavour’ right, and I wrote to her with an update.
Then I went in and organised all of the contract deadlines for Ghostwriting (1) client, Book 7, Part 2. I’m waiting for the revisions to come through for this. I hope to be able to read through the file and do any revisions on Wednesday, as well as start the next chapter.
Monday was a fair day. Today needs to be better, but I am on half a day’s holiday this afternoon.
The poet was working at home in the afternoon, so he walked back home with me and the dog at 5pm. And yes, we were on time there.
