Many freelancers struggle with consistency, especially with pitching and idea generation. We all know we should keep a pitch tracker so we’ll know when we’ve sent something out and when we can expect a response. But if that’s all we’re doing, it’s easy to lose focus.
Most of us are goal-oriented or reward-oriented. We like knowing there’s something waiting for us at the end of our hard work. We don’t always get responses fast enough to fill that need.
What can help is a seven-step system that will keep the ideas flowing and make a writer look forward to writing.
1. Start by creating a weekly goal tracker to keep ideas and outreach on track. It can look something like this:
Task / Minimum Goal / Stretch Goal
New article ideas 5 / 10
Pitches sent 2 / 5
Follow-ups on previous pitches 2 / 3
Articles drafted or revised 1 / 2
2. At the end of every week, have a creative check-in. I usually do this every Friday evening. See how many new ideas you came up with, how many pitches you sent, if any follow-ups are due in the coming week, and if there are any ideas you could refine or match to a different editor, especially any that have been rejected.
3. Pair up with another freelance writer for accountability. If you prefer, you can form an accountability group. You can meet however you wish, although video chatting is best. You can share your wins (accepted pieces, etc.), goals for the next week or two weeks (depending on how often you choose to meet), and share some ideas to get feedback. It helps if the writers you’re sharing with don’t write in the same arena you do so there’s no feeling of competition.
4. Every month, perform a metrics review. I usually do this on the first of the month. I tally the total number of pitches sent, acceptance rate, average time to response, and most responsive publications/topics. This data will help you know what’s working.
5. Choose a creative refuel day each month. Read a magazine or website you never have. Browse Reddit threads, Quora, and Google Trends. Review some headlines to see if they spark some ideas. How could you write a similar or even totally opposite story? Visit a place you’ve never been in your town or spend time browsing a bookstore. All of these can jumpstart the creative center of your brain.
6. Along with a pitch tracker, use an idea bank. Though I use Excel, you can certainly use Trello, Airtable, or even Google Sheets. Take some time each week to brainstorm freely about topics you want to tackle (bonus points if you’ve never written about it before), review potential publications, and create some seasonal ideas at least six months ahead of the season.
7. Have a reward system. It can be something as simple as treating yourself to a fancy coffee every ten pitches. Or use a planner and give yourself a gold star if you meet your goals at the end of every week. Plan something you want to do once you accumulated so many gold stars. You can also include a “wins” system where you reward yourself after so many acceptances and/or positive feedback. Just like we look forward to the weekend if we work a 9-5 job, it’s important that we have something we’re excited about once we reach a goal.
Keeping ourselves motivated is a big part of being freelancers because talent itself can’t keep the forward momentum. Having a system will ensure that we stay focused.
BIO: As well as being a published author of fiction, Rachel Carrington is also an entertainment journalist and nonfiction writer and has written for the New York Times, Funds for Writers, Startrek.com, The Writer, and many others. She can be found on the internet at www.rachelcarrington.com and on Instagram and Twitter @rcarrington2004.
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