There are some writing websites that I used to be a huge fan of when I began my writing career that while helpful, always made me feel guilty. If you’re a REAL writer, they seemed to say, you MUST have a business plan. If you’re a REAL writer, you MUST have a writing schedule.
Well, blah. I don’t have a fixed writing schedule, until last year I didn’t have a space of my own, and I’ve never for the life of me made a business plan. And I seem to be doing all right, if I may say so myself.
So here are my confessions. (Recognize any?)
1. I have never made a business plan. I have a list of life goals, a list of yearly goals, and a huge three-page to-do list. I don’t know what a business plan looks like.
2. I often forget to invoice my editors. Too often they have to remind me.
3. I set goals that are way too ambitious and almost always fall short each year. It motivates me. (What? I’m weird.)
4. I e-mail editors, I also call them and hang out with them. I just asked an editor if he’d like to get together next week to discuss a story. If past experience is any measure, we’ll have a lot of fun, but we won’t be discussing the story.
5. I wear pajamas/skirts/shorts/comfy wear when I work. None of that get-dressed-in-business-attire-every-morning for me, thanks.
6. I don’t always respond to e-mails right away. I like to take my time (and procrastinate, of course).
7. Sometimes, I’ll take a weekday off. And sometimes, I’ll work over the weekend. I have a schedule, but I’m not tied to it.
8. I never read writer’s guidelines.
All right, so those were mine. Now, out with it. What would you like to confess?
My confession is that I have never made a query to a publication. When I sitting around my writer friends and they are talking about pitching ideas, talking to editors, or clips, I’m always super impressed because most of my writing is adcopy or webcopy. I sometimes feel like that means I’m not a “real” writer. (Even though I know that’s not true.)
Definitely not true. The whole “real” writer thing is a myth, anyway. You write = You real writer. You don’t write = You not writer.
I’m impressed that you haven’t had to send out any queries so far. I oscillate between loving and hating them, but have to admit, they can be quite fun. Sometimes I send out dozens of queries and then lament the fact that I actually have to write the articles in the end. Today might be one of those days.
I feel the same way when I’m prospecting (which I guess is a lot like querying.) I get all these gigs and clients and then think “Oh crap! Now I have to do the work!”