February Just Hit Send

My February JHS goal is to find a publication(s) to submit my January query to and submit it by this weekend and to start working on the query for my February and submit it before the end of the month.

My writing goals are to make enough to pay the bills.

SS

new month, new goals.

- send out five queries
- edit chapters 4-6 of Elementals
- send out Blood Sisters to 5 agents
- blog
- get my article in to the paper
- find four recipes for the month to submit to the paper

simple and easy for me this month

for me: get all 26 videos for book writing class to video editor (I've done 3)
for clients: four chapters for Lauren drafted, find out what's happening with the interview book, get Hillary's comments, draft syndicate package, one more book ghostwriting project.

Incidentally, this is a great idea... this thread... accountability has become one of my "secrets"

This month I have two birthdays and a trip out of state, so I am lowering my goals. Nevertheless I will try to submit at least 5 queries, get at least one acceptance, and write an article if anyone hires me to do so.

I realized that to make my yearly goal of $2000, I need to earn around $200 most months, so I'm putting that in every month from here on.

Hi people! No goals for me. I'll be checking in on a regular basis with my "accomplishments list." It's very motivating to have tons to share. I've been doing it for a couple of months now and I'm producing much more. So far, I posted at The Freshman Writer, edited my essay for Devotions for Mothers from Chicken Soup and worked the part-time gig (Momslikeme). So far so good. And considering I have a superbusy dayjob, I'd say that's pretty good. lol Later.

My goal is simply to have a better month financially than I did in January, which was my best month since early 2008.

I have lots of work on the table, and the honus is on me to complete it and invoice it in time to get the checks by Feb. 28, which according to my calculations, should do it. (Why does spellchecker not like the word honus? Am I misspelling or using it wrong? Hmph.)

Additionally, I will send out 2 queries to print magazines this month, a goal I fell short of last month.

And another goal, semi-writing related...to sell 2 Secret Abundance Files courses, for which I get commission. I say semi-writing related because I'm posting affiliate links in relevant blogs where I write, and will ramp up my promotional efforts on my social networks. If anyone wants to help me achieve that goal, feel free to PM me and I can explain how the Law of Attraction can help writers. (I sincerely hope this is not crossing the line into unforgivable spamminess... it is a goal of mine and, in that sense, no worse than posting a link to a blog where I write or something...right?)

I don't think I'm going to post my monthly to-do list here this month... too much ghostwriting and I've decided to keep it all my calendar, instead, where it's working well.

Dawn

Didn't quite make my goal last month of earning $100, since I had two rewrites at the end of the month, and didn't get paid for them until Feb 1st. Since things are tight with money right now, money has to be my main goal this month. I would like to do at least $150. I also need to look into other avenues to earn some extra cash. So my WIP, though I still plan on working on it, will have to take a back burner.

My goal is to just write and submit more. Last month was just okay. So far this month I'm off to a good start. I've written 2 articles.
As far as how many articles to write, at *least* 3 a week, but more would obviously be better! And I am focusing on submitting to magazines this month and less on the web content.

Good luck, everyone !

Two days is a long time for JHS to lie dormant. How is everyone doing toward their goals?

I've been writing like a maniac and am still a bit behind in my blogging. I really do seem to do better when I post my goals.

By the end of this weekend, I really want to have a review project done so I can invoice for it and make my February monetary goals. Without that project, it's going to be close.

I'm "ahead" on one of my blogs, and one of my new posts went live today. Have you ever "broken up" with a client? http://budurl.com/WRAFeb5 Two others, I'm sorely behind on, but am working now (well, as soon as I check in here.)

Great job everyone!

I'm stuck under a few feet of snow and questionable internet access so I'm concentrating on the book proposal (still) and the new WIP.

Keep that *Send* button busy, y'all!

I’m still working on the query, I’ve been dealing with a lot of things though and trying to take care of other businesses. I’ve pretty much decided which magazine I’m going to submit the query to, I just have to focus the query to them. I’m trying to get some articles in for immediate pay. Not sure if I’ll have the query finished and submitted this weekend or not but I’m working on it.

SS

DS has been giving me fits this week with rewrites, so I was re-thinking my writing strategy. Maybe I should focus more on regular freelancing instead of trying to just make it through week to week. This morning, I received an email from an editor I've worked with a lot offering me an assignment, and including editorial cals from all 4 of their pubs so I can make my article request list. I took that as a sign, LOL. Getting back on track with regular freelancing but still doing some DS in between.

Plaid,
I just want to applaud your decision. I feel that too many writers (myself included) can sometimes get sucked into content writing... the hours we put in, combined with how it can drain us emotionally, is pretty much the same as the working-for-someone-else grind -- the big difference being we can work from home.

It keeps us from looking at the big picture, aiming high, and achieving our real goals as freelancers. Yet, it's quite justifiable when we look at the paychecks for "such easy work."

Now, I'm not a fan of DS, since they rejected me over a technicality and then refused to even communicate with me or give me a second chance. But, regardless of who it is you were doing content for, I'd say the same. Perhaps the rewrite requests are a sign you're getting burnt out on it?

I did NOT get the Buyer's Guide completed that I wanted to, mostly because I got another assignment with a stricter deadline. Also, Ashley's teething badly and had 2 days where she barely let me get any work done.

I did finish 1 of 7 articles for the buyer's guide and aim to get at least one more done before bed tonight. I KNOW I'll finish before the end of THIS week coming.

I have one article for Experian Mint due this week, plus some (ahem) content writing. The cool thing about this content gig is it's kind of sporadic, so it's not like the work is "always there," tempting me away from more lucrative projects. Even so, I have to take my own advice and not accept more than I can handle from them.

Okay, back to work!

Dawn

Well I've been checking in regularly with the part time gig (momslikeme) and blogging three times a week (As of last week). I posted today's editorial at The Freshman Writer (please check it out) about making time to write. I jotted down ten article ideas for parenting articles on my crackberry and have been reading up on essay writing. I'm reading "A Writer's Presence" and am learning a lot about it. Maybe reading on my own and taking notes is what I need rather than a formal class. I'm also very motivated by my daily accomplishment list - I write down the hits on my portfolio and The Freshman Writer as well as any other writing-related tasks such as editing, reading, idea-drafting, article/blog writing. So far so good for me.

annew said:

for me: get all 26 videos for book writing class to video editor (I've done 3)
for clients: four chapters for Lauren drafted, find out what's happening with the interview book, get Hillary's comments, draft syndicate package, one more book ghostwriting project.

Incidentally, this is a great idea... this thread... accountability has become one of my "secrets"

Click to expand...

Have made some progress... got help with videos... am still working on them.
Waiting for pay before doing more on Lauren's book
May have the new ghostwriting client...we're talking.
Got to read for the syndicated package first.

I’m still working on the query rewrite to focus it on the magazine(s) I’m going to submit to. I’m behind on my regular writing but I did manage to dig up an old ad, revamp it and post it.

I’ve been out of the loop for a while and some things have changed, maybe a good portion of that is me and my confidence is now lacking. How do you find the gigs now? What other sites are out there and how do you get clients? I used to play with the Chamber of Commerce, I went to all of the free events they had and networked and passed out business cards. I’d follow up with all the business cards I’d collected. I can’t play with the chamber right now so what is another way to acquire business clients?

For those of you who write for paying blogs, how do you do that? Where do you find the gigs? I’ve seen some but the pay was so low I don’t see how it could pay off.

I’ve been wondering if a thread for how to get gigs, not really for newbies but for more seasoned writers who want to try new venues and for when old ones dry up could find more work might be something beneficial here? A how I get gigs or how I get clients? Any thoughts?

SS

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting in this thread.

My goal this month is to find at least one more permanent blogging client. I work for two blogs now, I'd like three.

Everyone's been working up a storm. I am afraid I've been spending too much time on taxes to do much writing, but managed to get a first draft done of a story for an anthology. I have two this month that I am looking to submit to. (Can't remember if I put them in my goals or not) One is done and sitting. I will go over it again in a day or two. The other needs a lot of work. Other than that I am sitting and wondering if today is the day my dog will have her puppies. She's due the 15th, but she's huge! Could be any day now.