What I’m reading: Mosquitoes by William Faulkner
What’s on the iPod: Hypocritical Kiss by Jack White
Wow. Back one day and I’m overwhelmed with work. Yes, a ton of it. When I left, I had three projects on hold. Now I’m back, I have five articles and two of those projects left to finish. And I now have another ongoing gig that requires two projects/week. Time to caffeine up! It was getting to the point I didn’t want to answer any more email yesterday for fear more work come in!
The good news is a lot of the work is from conference contacts. I’m thrilled to see all that planning come to fruition. It was definitely worth it!
It makes this monthly assessment easier to write. I was gone for two weeks. Hence, I wasn’t earning for two weeks. So it’s lower than usual, but not lower than expected. Better, actually. Let’s get to it:
Queries:
I sent some. I’m thinking so. Three maybe? Of those, three assignments appeared this week.
LOIs:
I sent 10 this month — two following up on conference contacts and eight more from that same conference list. No work from those. Yet. I’m not writing anyone off the way things are going!
Existing clients:
Don’t you love having existing clients? I’m beginning to have quite a few, so it took a few minutes to A) kick the brain out of vacation/little sleep mode and B) figure out who asked for projects. I had five existing clients come back for more. Felt great that one of them was a newly acquired client and she had praise for the initial project. So I scored six assignments while I was gone, but still in May, so that counts for May.
New clients:
Four new clients thanks to the conference. The one mentioned above is working out a retainer for me. Another already has me set up to deliver projects weekly. One client has an article in his possession and is processing the invoice, and the other client is reviewing the content. I think that’s it. I’m not quite back with both feet into the work.
Referrals:
I’ve had one referral that didn’t work. They were looking for a full-time, on-site writer and since I’m two states away, that’s not happening without an expensive commute. It’s odd because they initially told my contact they wanted someone part time, telecommuting fine.
Earnings:
I worked two, almost three weeks out of the five we had last month. I billed exactly half what I normally bill in a full month. I’m fine with that given the workload staring me in the face at the moment.
Bottom line:
It is paying off big time to have planned out those meetings at the trade show. Four new clients, six inquiries, and a ton of magazine work from editors with whom I bonded — all a super payoff for the work I put into the pre-conference planning. Also, my decision to answer emails during the first week of our vacation was a good one. I was able to accept work that would have been reassigned had they not reached me, and I got an invoice out.
How did you do in May? What worked? What didn’t?
May, in terms of income, was great. But, then it needed to be since two clients were long in paying during the taxing month of April. 🙂
The income exceeded target. I had a referral to a prospect I'd really like to land, but have been receiving the almighty silence (despite follow-up). I am playing the email tag game with an international prospect, but I'm not sure if I want the gig. She emails. I respond. We wait. She emails again. I respond again. And now I wait again. Not a good sign for working together.
My existing clients continue to crank out the projects (yay!), but I'd really like to land at least another new client or two.
My guest posts are on track, but I am lagging in other planned marketing (ebook/white paper). I need those to crank up other goals, including a site upgrade.
All in all, a good month and June is loaded with projects. 🙂
I did okay in May. I'd have been golden if I hadn't needed to pay for new brakes and take 3 cats to the vet.
Trying to be philosophical about a deteriorating situation, finish up the commitment and extract myself. That's the best I can do. Spinning in anger doesn't serve anything.
HEX BREAKER came out early, with no warning, so I'm behind in the PR machine for that.
http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com
and I'm marketing the June workshops and gearing up for the July. I hope the live workshops I'm doing with the local art center work.
I need to buckle down and get more business writing clients. Not sure if I should keep networking in person at Commerce events, etc.
Plus, I have two novels due this summer and about 8 short stories.
I'm glad your late payers finally paid up, too, Cathy. Mine did – but like the old Sonny & Cher song said, "…before it's earned our money's all been spent." (But change "earned" to "received.")
Here's my May:
Only one query and one LOI to the new editor of a mag I wrote for a couple years ago. She told me to contact her in mid-June if she doesn't assign me something first.
Hate to admit it, but I replied to five job listings. All were for respectable places and aligned with my expertise – so of course I haven't heard back from any of them.
Existing clients kept me really busy. Yay! It's the busy pre-awards season for one of my regular markets, and two editors there loaded me up with nine assignments. Favorite editor assigned me a story about a new kid show that made me Cool Auntie to my niece and nephew. Another client kept me hopping with lots of little projects. Am currently wrapping up the long-delayed article for Late Payer and starting a new piece for a long-time fast-paying client. Only did one column because the real work kept me so busy.
Finished my first article for a new client. Let's hope this is the first of many things I do for them.
No referrals, but one colleague has promised a referral to one of her clients.
Earnings were on target if you ignore the fact that 1/3 of the total should have been paid more than a month earlier.
Bottom line: With about a dozen assignments completed in May, by late June the money should be rolling in…Too bad it's all already earmarked for bills, taxes and repairs.
May was a pretty good month for me, too. I landed a new client and had a couple of existing clients come back for new work, some of which will make June a good month too. 🙂
Yeah, I resigned and existing client for double the pay… love that and have an almost new client.
Lori, glad May was a good month for you too.
Cathy, I'm finding the same thing — the projects are piling up at a time when they'd normally be waning. Glad to see it!
Devon, even when you say you're doing "okay" you're achieving some hefty goals. Congrats on Hex Breaker! Let me know how I can help spread the word.
Paula, isn't that always where the extra cash goes? I've been able to save, but each April the tax bill is bigger than I expected.
Sounds like a pretty sweet June, Sharon!