Nothing is going to sink you faster than earning a reputation of being difficult to work with or missing deadlines.
Deadlines are the best and worst thing about being a freelancer. Without a deadline we wander aimlessly through clouds of creative endless tweaking, endless revising. The Mulligan is the enemy of the freelancer. Perfect stands in the way of the Good.
Deadlines are tricky because you have to do a sort of juggling act like a circus acrobat leaping from trapeze to trapeze all without a net.
Here are the things that work for me:
1. Set a realistic deadline. When the work comes in calculate how long its going to take and make sure it meets with the clients expectations. If it doesn't-- turn it down. Better to pass than be late.
2. Once you have that deadline get yourself a good calendar and write down the due date, then count backwards to see how many days you have. Now divide that number times the number of pages or illustrations in the project and you have your daily goal. Simply put if accept a job requiring 10 illustrations in 5 days you know with certainty that you must finish 2 pieces a day to meet that deadline.
Simple, but it gets more complex with bigger projects and longer deadlines. Because it's human nature to fall into the "oh I have plenty of time for that"-- but do you? Make sure you take into account days off, sickness, family and friends both good events and bad. Excuses don't earn you points in freelance, delivering quality work does.
If in school you were someone who waited until the last minute to do that project you have a learned behavior that needs to change if you're going to be a successful freelancer.
Let's expand the equation-- you accept a 50 illustration assignment and you have two months to get it done-- that's 50 illustrations in 60 days-- seems simple right?
It depends on if you're planning on working weekends, because if you don't work weekends then a month is 21 days long not 31 so that now means if you're a M-F worker that you have to accomplish 1.5 illustrations each and every workday to make your deadline. And that is the drop dead number. To be safe, I would shoot for 2-3 per day which will build in a little bit of a buffer for you.
Realistically working in this method you should re-evaluate your deadline about 20 days in-- so on your calendar write down a big ol' '30' which is the absolute number you need to make this particular deadline-- and again that's the no breathing room drop dead number. Were I to re-evaluate at this juncture and I found I had hit 30 rather than celebrate I would increase the output by working one of the two designated days off I have-- so now I am working six days a week to meet this deadline. If you exceed expectations at the end you can always take some time off to make up for missed days off-- better that than missing the deadline.
If on the other hand you check your number at day 20 and instead of the must have '30' it's 20 you need to jump start panic mode and now work seven days a week and increase your workflow by 50%.
Many freelancers have the misconception that time is their enemy-- it is not if used correctly. Time is on your side if you use it correctly and by doing the 1/3 of the way check-in you control time, because it's better to know sooner rather than later that you aren't going to make a certain date.
You can go back through the other parts for additional advice, but you have to make sure your circle of friends and family understand when you're on deadline. Nothing worse than that friend that keeps tempting you to go places when you know you should be working.
A healthy balance of work and play keeps down stress, but you need to be realistic in your work schedule and just because you're the boss doesn't mean you can slack off.
Next Up: COMMUNICATION IS KING or GHOSTING AN EDITOR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA.
Andy Fish is a freelance artist and writer who has been living the lifestyle longer than there has been an iPhone on this planet. The advice given has worked for him, it might work for you, he hopes it does. But like all advice, take it with your own situation in mind. If you want to contact him shoot him an email andy@andytfish.com