Last week I guest blogged for WordCount/by Michelle Vranizan Rafter. This week, Michelle is returning the favor. Michelle writes for publications including Workforce Management, Oregon Business, and Inc.Technology.com. Since she has experience juggling a family and freelance writing, I asked her to share her insights. Who knows? This information might come in handy someday...
I didn’t set out to be a freelance writer. It’s the compromise I made in order to do it all, be a writer and a mom. It’s made for a good life, and a good career. There are days – especially during the spring newspaper awards season – when I envy friends who’re still on staff at daily papers, especially a few who’ve won those big awards. But with newspapers in their current state, I wouldn’t trade places with them anymore. Besides, freelancing has allowed me to make my own hours, be there when my kids get home from school, volunteer as classroom helper, room parent, school auction chair, Girl Scout leader and field trip chaperone. And it’s portable, as I found out when my husband took a job in a different state and my business didn’t miss a beat.
So no, I don’t regret it. But I’ve had to work hard to do both. How? Here are my 8 secrets for making life work as a writer and a mom:
Get organized. If there’s a golden rule of being a writer mom, it is this. Use whatever works for you. I’ve always been a list maker. I recently switched from paper lists to putting everything in Microsoft Outlook: Tasks manager is my friend. I mix work, family and personal to-dos, but I’ve mixed my work life and personal life for so long it doesn’t faze me.
To be a writer and a mom you don’t have to write about being a mom. They say write what you know. But a lot of other mom writers write about mom issues. Set yourself apart and write about something different – have a specialty, a beat. It could mean the difference between earning an OK income and earning a really good one. I write about technology, small business and workplace issues. I know mom writers who cover consumer electronics, RFID technology, online marketing and the legal profession.
Use your “on” time wisely. My most productive time of day is early morning, so if I have deadlines or just a pile of work to do, I get up early and plow through a couple hours before anyone else is awake. When I’m at work, I work. I never go out to lunch, watch “Oprah” or “Ellen” or even listen to music. I’ve been doing this 13 years and it took me until last year to feel OK with putting a load of laundry in the dryer during the work day.
Be OK with OK. If you’ve got kids, a house, pets, a yard, friends and family, you’re busy. You can’t afford to be a perfectionist. If you are, you’ll constantly be stressed that everything’s not just so. And just as you’ve got one part of your life sorted out another part crumbles. That’s how life is. Messy.
Be a model employee. When it comes to work, however, strive to be the best – it’s in your economic best interest. You’re not anybody’s employee, but act like one. Turn stories in on time, or notify editors in advance if you run into problems. Make sure your copy is pristine. Be the go-to freelancer that editors call with assignments. Do it and you’ll get steady work, which means you can spend less time marketing and more time with your family.
Your boss doesn’t need to know about your life. Here’s where I draw the line between life and work. Your editor doesn’t need to know you need that extra day on your story because your child’s come down with the flu. Just ask for the extension – if you’re that model freelancer your editors won’t mind if you miss a deadline here and there. Likewise, your child’s teacher doesn’t need to know you have to reschedule the parent/teacher conference because you’re running late on an assignment. Just ask to reschedule. In other words, don’t offer excuses, negotiate.
If you have to volunteer, do something you’re good at. I have three kids who’ve gone to Catholic schools that required 30 to 40 volunteer hours a year. If I can, I sign up for activities that use my skills. It’s easier for me: I do the work at home and fit it into my schedule. And the school profits by having someone with professional experience in the job. Over the years, I’ve written auction catalogs, monthly newsletter, weekly email blasts and served as the PTA secretary. One year I was communications chair for a non-profit mother-daughter service organization. I oversaw four people and was responsible for PR, a member directory, monthly newsletter, weekly newsletter and submitting article to the group’s national newsletter. The organization got my writing talent and I got to learn how to manage projects and people, good practice if I ever want a freelance editing gig.
Sometimes you can’t do it all. I retired when our third child was born, though it didn’t last long. An offer to teach news writing to graduate students brought me back. I realized how much I loved what I did and started writing again part time. A couple years later my son was diagnosed with a learning disability and I quit a second time. When it happened, I needed to be with my family more than we needed my income. I was lucky my husband had a job that could support us all. I knew I would freelance again eventually, and now I am. So get your priorities in order. The jobs will still be spinning around out there if you jump off the carousel for a while.
© 2008 Michelle V. Rafter