Freelance Writing Tips for Filing Away the Clutter
By Moira K. Wiley
Keywords: filing cabinet, cabinet drawer, filing system
Many writers choose to spend their time writing. Okay, that's a no-brainer. The problem is some of them tend to pile things wherever it's handy, lose important notes in the chaos, or waste precious time searching for said notes because they need them to finish a project. It's imperative you find some kind of organization to keep all the clutter (err.writing material) stored in an easy-to-find system.
First and foremost, get a filing cabinet and use it. And when you fill up one or one isn't enough, buy a second one. If you don't file it away, you're guaranteed to have a hard time finding it later.
Use file folders to organize items within the filing cabinet. Some writers prefer a certain type of folder such as one that includes multiple pockets within the folder. This allows a writer to separate different aspects of each assignment, including the research material, interview notes, and the article itself once it's complete.
A majority of your filing space is for actual writing material. Keep completed projects separate from works in progress, preferably in separate filing cabinets if space allows and separate drawers if it does not. Archive already-published assignments for which you've received payment in a different drawer than pending-payment assignments, and keep these in a different drawer than those you've completed but haven't placed yet.
Keep one cabinet drawer exclusively for your invoices. You can make an individual folder for each company for which you write, or make a folder for each month of the year or each week if you deal in that kind of volume. You'll want to also keep this information on your computer using a billing program or spreadsheet.
Use another cabinet drawer to house queries or article pitches. These will rotate out to the works-in-progress drawer if they're accepted. You'll also want to track your submissions on your computer similar to the way you organize your invoices, using tracking software or a spreadsheet.
You should also use a filing system on your computer. You'll not only keep separate folders for invoices and queries or pitches, but also for each assignment you've completed or are currently working on.
Besides your paper and electronic filing system, keep a Rolodex or similar device up-to- date with important names, phone numbers, and billing or submission addresses.
Stay organized from the inside out by marking the front of each cabinet drawer with what's inside so you won't mix up your data. If you file each item as it comes in, you'll save yourself a lot of filing time later or a lot of frustration when you can't find that little sticky note on which you wrote a new editor's phone number.
Moira K. Wiley has been a freelance writer and editor since 1999. She has 400-plus published articles to her credit appearing in various magazines, trade journals, newspapers and online publications. Mostly writing nonfiction, she also enjoys writing poetry and short stories and had both included in the cozy crime anthology, Almostly Murder.with pets published by Padlock Mystery Press. She's a former president of Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. and currently resides in Stillwater with her big, lovable pit bull, Achilles.
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