Freelance writing in January

I keep an Excel spreadsheet that tallies my freelance writing income throughout the month, so at the end of every month I can see what I made. Unfortunately, January was somewhat dismal.

January is usually a slow month for me, I guess because it takes most companies a few weeks to rebound from the holiday vacation mindset. Initially I thought this year would be different, as I was pretty busy the first full week of January. Unfortunately the work dropped off around mid-month, so in January I essentially made just over half my usual monthly income.

It seems that I am not the only one who generally expects January to be slow — Lori Widmer blogged about her January goals on her blog, too. What about the rest of you? How did January go for you, and was it in keeping with previous years?

My best month EVER!

July was officially a great month: I topped my previous record for the most income in one month.

I've mentioned a few times that I'm working on a big project right now -- a never-ending project, unfortunately. Well, yesterday I received a check for completing the first major chunk of the project. Thanks to that little slip of paper, my income for July shot right over the record that I set last July.

Clearly July is my busiest month, because in almost two years of freelancing full-time July has been a record-setting month both times. This year, however, it seems August might be even higher, as I am anticipating finishing the big project this month.

Last year I experienced a period of major burnout when my "summer rush" ended. In order to prevent the same thing from happening this year, I intend to take several days off as soon as I can manage it, after which I will start dedicating an hour or two every day to writing fiction. My goal is to cut back my freelance work a little bit so that I have more time for several projects of my own.

An absence that means good news

I know I have not blogged very much lately. I've been extremely busy for several weeks now, trying desperately to stay afloat of the work load. Soon my "summer rush" will be over, for which I will be very glad: I've had almost no personal time, and not much more sleep, for so long that sleeping seven hours last night felt like a vacation - and spending a brief amount of time on personal pastimes this weekend felt like a sin.

However, I am happy to say that all my hard work has not been wasted. Even though last month I'd set an astonishing new record with the month's income, I set a new record again this month! I've come a long way since I first started freelancing full time. Whereas back then I desperately needed the babysitting and other work I did on the "side" to supplement my measely freelance income, I now earn the vast majority of my income via freelancing. Almost without realizing it (because I have been too busy to reflect upon it), I have achieved what I wished for back then: to have enough freelance work that I could spend my time writing, instead of babysitting, running errands, and doing "projects" for the families I work for.

Unfortunately, my "summer rush" is not over yet. I have at least several more days of little sleep or socializing. However, once I am fully caught up, I intend to take several days off - to make up for the fact that I've worked through the past three weekends. I also intend to get 10 hours of sleep each night, ride my bike again, and spend some time reading a good book (that I don't have to review).

I've already noticed that freelance work tends to come in waves: sometimes you have lots of it, and other times you spend most of your time looking for it. This is my first summer as a freelancer, but it appears that what I've heard is true: freelance work is most abundant during the summer. Although I am grateful for the work - and the income - that I've had this summer, I will be very glad when the rush is over and I can go back to a somewhat normal living pace.

Another record, another sign of success

I have good news to report! Tallying up my income for the month, I realized that I set a new monthly record. I beat my last record by 50%!

After a phenomenal month of March, my income had dipped slightly in April and May. April's lack of income I attributed to the time that I put into getting the new house ready and moving in. I think May's income - which was less, but not as bad as April - I think was partly recovery, and partly just a slow month.

June, however, has been downright busy, and my income reflects that. It's not likely to end anytime soon, either - I have acquired several regular jobs that will keep the cash flowing in. It's certainly a good feeling, to know that I'm making it as a writer!