For most freelancers, not having *enough* work is often the greatest fear. But having too much work? Psshh, there’s no such thing, right?! Well, as wild as it sounds, there will probably come a point where you are overloaded with copywriting projects. Yes, this might sound like a bit of a “first-world” freelance issue when you’re yet to land your first client. But trust us—it doesn’t take much to suddenly become overwhelmed if you don’t have the right boundaries and systems in place.
If you do find yourself drowning in copywriting work, Nicki and Kate are on hand in this episode, sharing the best tactics to deal with a swamped schedule. But that’s not all—they’re also digging into the proactive steps that will prevent future overwhelm. Listen in now to steer clear of the dreaded “feast or famine” trap and set yourself up for sustainable success.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:39] There absolutely *is* such a thing as too much work, especially when you are a freelancer and it’s all too easy to say “yes” to every project that comes your way. Even one project can be too much if the timeline is tight.
[4:37] To tackle overwhelm effectively, start by understanding your reaction to it. Are you someone who rises to the challenge or buries your head in the sand? Recognize your cues early on, so that you can take proactive steps to address it and prevent burnout.
[7:35] If you’re looking at your schedule and thinking, “Oh my gosh, I can’t get all of this done”, you have to put the brakes on anything else coming in. But when it comes to pitching, you don’t want to completely stop, otherwise you’ll end up stuck in a “feast or famine” cycle.
[9:55] When you’re busy, it’s a good time to practice saying “no” or propose a suitable start date (include some buffer time). There’s no need to worry about saying “no” as long as you communicate clearly—plus, being booked up shows clients that you’re in-demand!
[12:50] If you’re in doubt about meeting current client deadlines, consider bringing in another copywriter to help you, even if it means you just break even. You *never* want to miss a deadline!
[14:58] Your deadlines should drive your actions, so prioritize by the actual deadline, not by what seems more fun or doable. Breaking your priority list down into smaller steps can make it more manageable.
[18:00] Sometimes we have to deal with the consequences of our choices, like working weekends or canceling plans. But it may teach you a lesson about how you manage your schedule so you make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.
[21:20] If you’ve built a strong rapport with a long-term client and know the deadline isn’t strict, you could politely request a one-time extension, but only if you’re confident there’s flexibility. Use this sparingly though, as it could impact your credibility.
[23:45] When you’re faced with a Friday deadline, it’s worth proposing a Monday delivery instead. Most clients don’t work weekends, so those extra days could offer valuable breathing space.
[25:24] Make sure to build in buffer time for each project and aim to deliver projects earlier than the agreed deadline. That way, you have some wiggle room in case life gets in the way.
[27:50] Even if the deadline seems far off, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on it (we’re not in high school any more!). Starting early ensures you have enough time for all aspects of the project, including editing and polishing your work.
[29:19] Having a reliable network allows you to handle unexpected situations professionally. If you are faced with an emergency situation, introduce your client to a trusted colleague who could take over. This ensures your client’s needs are met while you focus on what’s important.
[31:40] Blocking out time on your calendar for different projects can help you have a better visual representation of where your time is going and how much time you actually have available.
[32:54] Working on your money mindset is also an important piece of this. Saying “yes” to every project out of fear of missing out on income, simply isn’t sustainable. Remember, you have the skills and resources to generate income, so trust in your abilities and follow the steps to success!
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“If you’re hearing this and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, then I should probably also stop pitching. No, scale down your pitching. Don’t be sending out five pitches, but don’t stop. Because as you know, when you stop pitching is when you experience that dry spell. And when you pitch, you’re kind of seeding projects for the next couple of weeks to couple of months. So don’t stop. Dial it back, certainly, but you don’t want to completely stop.” – Nicki
“This is how the feast and famine happens. If you have too much work and then dry spell and then ‘oh my gosh, too much work’, that’s unsustainable to continue working like this, completely stressed out, overworked, too much work to zero. To keep going 0-60 back and forth, you don’t need that and so this process will help hopefully smooth out that process a little bit but to Nicki’s point, continue pitching so you don’t hit the ‘oh no now I have no work!’” – Kate
“We think of saying ‘no’ as being so tough, being so mean. No, all you’re doing is communicating. And it can be very, very simple and very pleasant and nice. And just say, ‘Oh, unfortunately I’m booked up for the next however long, the next couple of weeks, but I could get started with it on X, Y, D, Z date.’ Clear communication is key. By the way, it’s a good thing for a client to see that you are booked up. It always kind of makes me do a little bit of an eyebrow raise whenever anyone’s like, ‘Yeah, my schedule is completely open.” – Nicki
“Sometimes we have to deal with the consequences of our choices. And you may be dealing with the short-term consequences and that does sometimes involve working weekends or giving up some plans or that kind of thing. Is it fun? No. But it may be painful enough that it will teach you a lesson moving forward to make sure that you keep an eye on your schedule and you set up the boundaries that you need to set up to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future.” – Nicki
Related Links
- What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?
- Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity With Ultra Scheduling
- When the [ahem] Stuff Hits the Fan
- How Can You Know if a Copywriting Deadline is Doable?
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
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Last Updated on June 10, 2024
