The Organized Freelancer

One of my students, who is doing a lot of freelance writing these days, wrote, “I need good advice on organizing myself. I’ve already noticed in the few [queries and articles] I've sent out that I’m not sure who’s on first!” She raised some good questions, included below along with my answers. When writing for periodicals, you can organize yourself a thousand ways. Here’s what works for me:

How do I keep track of what I sent, when I sent it, and what to do next if they refuse it?
To keep up with what went to whom and when, use a 3X5 card for each article you've written and a list of a) if you queried; b) where you sent it; and c) where you'll send it next if publication b. does not buy it. I realize many consider paper passé, but it still works for me.

How do I keep track of deadlines?
To keep up with deadlines, on your Outlook calendar or wherever you configure "bring ups" (I use my AOL calendar), set up a message to flag you at the end of six weeks. Once you receive that message, proceed if you've heard nothing from your query/submission. To proceed, find the related 3X5 card, note the latest development (or lack thereof), and follow whatever suggestion you wrote yourself for where to send it next. Seek to turn articles around quickly (the same day) from rejection pile to “next option.”

How do you organize writers’ guidelines?
I recommend a hard copy file in a notebook for guidelines. Again, I know going with a paper version is "old school," but paper’s so much easier to thumb through than e-files and URLs.

Do you set dates for yourself as to when you desire to be done and keep a schedule of on-going articles?
When I wrote a lot for periodicals, I set deadlines--whether imposed by the publication or by me when I committed to a date in my query. Then I'd put that date on my calendar as the due date. (When I have book deadlines, I put the final date on the calendar, as well as self-imposed deadlines for each chapter.)

How do you organize your “ideas” file?
I keep one, big electronic file that’s instantly searchable. I just need one keyword to find a topic or statistic. If you keep multiple files, you have to remember what file you stored stuff in. And if you keep a hard copy, you can’t search easily.

What do I do about an editor to check out my work (a second set of eyes)? Do I pay someone? Over-use a friendship? Trust myself because there’s nothing else I can do?
Never, ever trust only yourself. The best editors in the world have editors. Find a writer friend who will swap editing services—you read her stuff, she reads yours. When writing for your ministry, ask your board or a portion of it to be your “eyes” on everything that goes out. (Send them your final draft and give them twenty-four hours to get back to you with typos and comments.) If you can't find free folks, pay someone to edit for you.

If the publication I’m submitting to doesn’t require a query letter, how will they know my credentials as a writer?
At the end of every piece you write, include a one-sentence bio:

Jody Willis, MA[BS], is founder and president of Going in Grace Ministries. She holds a master's degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Use whatever of your credentials you want to emphasize for the publication/submission.

So, to summarize, I use…

3X5 cards for keeping track of submissions.An electronic calendar A notebook full of guidelinesAn electronic ideas file Happy organizing!