Whether you have published one book, sold a few pieces of art, run a blog, teach others, offer creative crafts, or write articles… whatever you do as a self-employed person it is vital to run this as a real business. You have to learn how to schedule activities and stick to the schedule, while being somewhat flexible too.
It is vital to have a love of learning and to relish multi-tasking. When first starting out it is important to read every book one can find on the many aspects of the career. Listen to talk radio shows, study author interviews and take courses.
Querying and marketing, record keeping, managing the blog, bookkeeping and tax prep, shopping for supplies and cleaning will all need to be added to the schedule. Communications too can eat a surprising amount of time. Writers, especially free-lance writers, learn to send multiple queries for different topics out at a time so they can have a steady stream of income. As such there is a lot of behind-the-scenes activity in running a business.
Self-employed people learn the value of having a contingency plan. They learn to place signs at the entrance when doing interviews to keep people from ringing the bell. They learn to back up their computer files regularly and they learn the best ways to manage taxes.
Self-employed people also get to learn patience. Sometimes, an event will come up adding stress or making one feel as though their efforts are being undermined. It can be super frustrating to have priorities come up making it necessary to set a project aside - sometimes for years. Perhaps we need to increase our skill level or gain more personal experience – and then we come back to that project with a fresh look and renewed enthusiasm.
I’ve learned that all of this is okay. It is normal. It is to be expected. The trick is to relax, accept it, make the necessary plans to deal with it and move forward. It is important to have patience with the situation and be okay with choosing to prioritize something on the list and let something else go.
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