The Silly Season

It's the silly season again - not only the school holidays but holidays for many others too. Now I've returned back to my roots in the Midlands I've been reminded that many industries shut down for the whole month of August for 'Work's holiday'. With most of my work being in the academic area of publishing the same can be said for my clients too - they have no deliveries, or the ones that are promised are delayed until September and if you are lucky enough to obtain work then you can't get hold of the author to answer queries as they are in some remote corner of the South of France for the entire month. This is the first year I've had to cope with a child 'off school' (though only nursery school in this case I'm acutely aware that I need to have some arrangement in place next summer when he's in full time school).

However with our fairly unplanned and unscheduled visit to my sister-in-law in Australia (who was only going to be there for a year and we'd never get the opportunity again etc., etc.) in February, and the rise in cost of absolutely everything, I can't afford to take the month off and was pretty pleased with myself in that I'd managed to secure some work for the whole of August - guess what, the author hasn't delivered yet as he's decided to extend his stay in the South of France. grrr

Motivation's what I need

I've definitely left the holiday feeling behind with an urgent and taxing job during my first week back at my desk.

Since then though, well lets say I need a good swift kick up the proverbial. It may be that there was three weeks worth of Sky+ to watch (and that the box kept breaking down as it doesn't seem to be able to cope with being more than 40% full) or just the first signs of Spring but I just keep finding that the day has passed and I've done virtually nothing on the work front). I can't even say I've been doing much on the home front either - the dust that we left at the end of January is still evident (though if the in-laws decide that they are coming for Easter after all I'll have to get myself into gear on that too).



My usual motivation is money or lack of it and that should be the case here - bills to pay at the end of the month and insufficient funds to clear them. So what could it be? - wanting to be back on holiday? no. More pressing social and family matters? no. Boredom? hmm, maybe.



As much as I moaned about my client from another planet their project was the last one I worked on before I went away and another from them was the first one when I came back. It was all high pressure and confusion, frustration and talking at cross purposes - in short a bit like my old in-house job.



But the time has come to give myself a serious talking to. If work was always like that I'd have a serious burn out (been there, done that and got the t-shirt) or I'd blow my client relations by actually saying the things I'm thinking and blogging about. The 'boring' stuff is my bread and butter and something interesting is always waiting in the wings :-) Obviously my timing is as wrong as ever - as the preschooler is now out of nursery for the Easter holidays!



I'd be interested to know how everyone else pulls themselves out of a work rut.

Late payments, a worrying trend

I am supposed to be on holiday - but it seems I can still get frustrated by what is happening at home from the other side of the World.

It seems that every single client I've had over the last 6 months has messed me about over payment. EVERY SINGLE ONE. My reserves have been eaten up in overdraft fees and I often wonder if stacking shelves in a supermarket would be a better option - I've done it before and it was mind numbing but at least I had a regular pay check.

A couple of days ago I found out that a new client I'd worked for on a massive project over Christmas - getting in extra childcare and working right over the Christmas break - has not only failed to pay me on time but, on querying when the payment would arrive, I was told that it wouldn't be until the beginning of March. In what other profession than those who are freelance would this delay be acceptable? Because I can only work part-time at the moment this amounted to a months work - so my mortgage and other payments are all affected. Am I just unlucky with clients or is this a general trend that us freelancers should be aware of?

The client I've been ranting about for several posts is still emailing me over 'where I am' with the project that I finished 3 weeks ago. As I've actually spoken to the person I know he has been getting my emails so I am now regarding them as humorous rather than irritating - but really if they can't be professional with their freelancers how are they with their clients?

Now to workout a months interest for my late payer ....

Extended break and Carbon footprints

I haven't had much to say recently with the extended break I've been having due to being honest about my holiday.

My recent client - yes that one - did send some proofs on Friday but unfortunately wasn't prepared to wait until the end of February for their return. I am still expecting them to try to send the rest and email queries to me whilst I am away - despite my having kept all 5 people involved informed and being very clear when I took the project on.



I came across this from a Canadian freelance writer courtesy of Fyrefly - which makes me feel a little less guilty about my carbon footprint. Unfortunately my OH has an hours drive to work and back in a gas guzzling car so perhaps he cancels my efforts out!



Well no work for the next 3 weeks but lots and lots of reading (I hope).

Exit Strategy Planning

As a freelancer you aren't supposed to take holidays or be off sick - you should be there day and night at the clients beck and call (and of course only work for them even if they only call on you once in a blue moon for an urgent project) - right?

In my first year of freelancing I didn't understand these rules ...

I booked a holiday.

(Well actually it was booked before I even thought about going freelance but the fact remains that I didn't think it would be a problem.) On top of the holiday we moved house 3 days before we were supposed to fly (obviously this wasn't the plan but that's how it ended up happening). As this was a move of 190 miles, with my OH at one end and myself and the three year old (then 1 year old) at the other, my work was somewhat disrupted but I made sure I got everything done and sent back before my 'break'. The result was that I ended up not working for about 6 weeks because I took a week to move and another 2 for a holiday and therefore wasn't available when needed.

In March last year I ended up in hospital with an infection. I was only in hospital for a week and then out of action for another week because the cocktail of drugs I was prescribed wasn't conducive to sitting in front of a screen. During that week I continued with the projects that had been due whilst I was in hospital and returned them only a few days late (obviously telling the client via my OH that I was in hospital as soon as we realised I would be staying in). I wasn't expecting flowers and both clients involved were sympathetic at the time but the upshot was that I didn't have any work from them for several months. In fact it took until October to get back into a regular level of work - so, on the plus side, it did make me market myself more.

Late last year my sister in law moved to the other side of the world and I was persuaded to book a trip to see her (which I'm taking in about 10 days time). I informed all of my clients and told them that I would have my laptop with me so could do on-screen work and could probably find room in my luggage to take one manuscript.

But I sent my last project back to a client on Wednesday and nothing else is in the pipeline either before I go or lined up for when I get back. I have been asked to collate some proofs but I think the postage cost to Australia put them off :-) I'm starting to worry that being 'unavailable' may lead to another work drought.

Would I have been better NOT to tell everyone my plans and just set up an 'out of office' reply to my email for the period (though as it is web-based that wouldn't be needed as I can access them there, though the time difference could prove a problem)?

If I had been still working in-house I'd currently be doing unpaid overtime to get everything done before I left and would be expecting to do the same once I got back. I would have still been expected to churn out the same number of books as I had in previous months - despite not actually being there and would be 'stressed to the eyeballs'.

Instead I am sitting here wondering how I can get out of doing the mountain of housework that needs doing before we leave. My excuse (probably since October when work picked up) has been too much work to do. The result is similar to the one Kate Muir describes in today's Dark Ages (Times Magazine) except probably worse as reading between the lines she 'normally' does the chores she mentions wheras I avoid them at all cost.

I suppose there is still time to send round a begging email to clients on Monday - but then again there is the packing to be done.

I'd be interested to hear how others manage it - or even if they do.