Knowing When to Say No (And When Not To)
I have a problem. I’m a blogaholic. I regularly update over a dozen blogs and contribute to several others. Thankfully, I’m at the point where I’m not actively looking for work. Somehow though, work always finds me. This isn’t always a good thing. You see, by not saying no I put myself in a predicament. I have to keep up my end of the bargain and not fall behind. How can I continue to take the same time to create the same quality posts for my clients when I’m taking on new work. Fortunately, I’ve developed a system for saying no. Check out my check list.
Is this job something I can really see myself doing day in and day out for my client?
Choose your niche wisely. I know there are some writers and bloggers who feel it’s ok to wing it and write about topics they don’t know much about. That’s the best way to invite blogging burnout. If you don’t love a topic, pass on the offer. Now, if it’s something for which you know you’re perfect, rock on.
Is the pay worth the extra time taken from my schedule?
When you "don’t need" new clients, pay has to be really good for you to take on another bit of work. Don’t cause stress over a few dollars. Make it worth your while.
How much time can I devote to this project each day?
If you barely have enough time to devote to your present workload, how are you going to find time for another client?
Will I be happy?
Isn’t that what it’s all about? Will you be happy working for this client? Will you be happy with more on your plate? Will you be happy blogging about the same topic day in and day out?
One of the most enjoyable parts of being able to pick and choose is having the ability to turn down projects because they’re not worth the money or they’re not something you’d enjoy. By the same token, you’re also in a position where you can hold out for the really good gigs - the ones you’ll say yes to.
Image: stock.xchnge
The Longest Blogging Day of the Month - the Last Day
I hate last days of the month. Actually, I should have put, “Last days of the month” on my cons of blogging for other’s list. Here is what’s on my last day of the month to do list for today:
Make sure all my blogs have met their quotas: This is presenting a problem this month, because there were two days that my son was with me when he should have been with his dad. I will meet my quotas, but my schedule is off, which bites, because it means I’ll have to double check everything.
Invoice: Every client has a different invoice. I’m actually lucky because a couple of networks I blog for don’t require invoicing. Money just magically appears in my Pal Pal account (bliss). Still, invoicing is a pain. Especially since two places I blog for change their invoice form all the time. I’ll have to hunt down the current ones.
Figure out earnings: I have clients who don’t always pay me what I actually earned. Some clients seemingly slack, and no matter how reputable a client, mistakes are made at times. If you blog for others, you need to make sure you’re getting paid what you’re supposed to. This task can take a while.
Image purge day: With as many blogs as I have, and considering that four are photo heavy, I build up quite the collection of photos each month. Last day of the month, I go through and purge unnecessary pictures. It keeps things less confusing when I’m looking for a particular photo later on.
Yes there’s more.
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What Happens When You Don’t Meet Your Quota?
I have a confession to make. For March I’m behind in posting for some of my network blogs. This wasn’t intentional. It’s a snowball effect from an occurrence at the beginning of the month. I won’t go into too many details, but because I spent extra time on one thing, I couldn’t catch up to the others. By the end of the month it’s clear I’m not meeting my monthly expectations for a couple of my blogs. While I’m making a conscious effort to work harder and meet my goals from April., the damage is done for March.
Sometimes a snowball effect is hard to prevent. Still, if there’s no way you can catch up, there are a few things you can do to make it easier on yourself and your network:
- If you can, let your editor know in advance you’re going to be behind for the month. Usually this isn’t such a crises. Your editors should know when you won’t be able to post, however. This way they can bring in help for the month if needed.
- Look for guest posters. Ask fellow bloggers to help you out with a guest post if it’s getting down to the wire. Most are happy to help out as it means additional exposure for their own blogs.
- Do a few quick posts. A video how-to from YouTube, a link to another blog with a couple of lines of analysis, a fun image, anything to keep the traffic flowing but isn’t fluffy.
- Put up a poll, polls are quick to produce and let you know a little about your audience.
- Throw out a quick discussion question and let your community have at it.
- Prepare for the eventually you won’t receive a full paycheck.
Now, if you’re going to be a slacker like me consider this: many networks do penalize you if you don’t meet your monthly expectations. You might only be paid for days worked or lose your base pay and only receive your traffic bonuses. The reality is, you signed an agreement for a certain amount of posts each month. If you don’t meet your agreement, your network is under no obligation to meet theirs. Ask yourself if it’s worth it to you and your wallet to not meet your monthly quota and take your lead from there.
Image: stock.xchnge
5 Tips for Dealing with Weekly or Monthly Quotas
If you blog for a network you probably have to meet a minimum number of posts each week or month. I’ve worked for some networks where at least one post every day for six days a week is cool. I worked for other places where they expected three to five posts a day, minimum. If you’re blogging for more than one network or person, this can be a little tricky. Fortunately there are ways to make it work.
- Post Ahead - If there’s a specific day or time where you can work for long blocks of times undisturbed, do what you can to post ahead. For some of my blogs, I’ll do a week’s worth of posts at one time and time stamp them to appear on the appropriate days during the week. If I have time during the week, I can add extra posts if there’s news to share, but at least I have my quotas covered.
- Work with an Editorial Calendar - I have a large wall calendar in my office and I use it to write in topics for each day. I also note upcoming holidays and news making events. This way I don’t have to waste precious time brainstorming or dealing with blogger’s block. I look up, note the day’s topic and get busy. I’ll generally write out the week’s calendar on the weekend.
- Find Time to Work Undisturbed - For me, the most important tip I can offer is to find time to work when no one will bother you. I get up before dawn to work before my family wakes, plus I have three hours in the morning while kindergarten is in session and a few hours in the evening. My family and friends are aware of my working hours and know I can’t be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.
- Use an Offline Blog Editor - If you read my other blogs you know I’m always singing the praises of Windows Live Writer. It’s such a time saver. An offline blog editor allows me to blog offline and post later, post ahead of time, and switch blogs without having to log onto the various platforms and dashboards.
- Turn Off Distractions - My biggest distractions come from social networking, especially Skype and Twitter. If I’m really serious about getting work done I have to stay away from forums, other blogs, and my favorite social networking sites and tools. Once the work is done, you can socialize to your heart’s content.
Many network bloggers accept a gig with the best of intentions only to find they can’t keep up with the quotas. Before accepting any job make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of planning.
Image via stock.xchnge
