After I’d alerted the parents to my impending visit, the work came piling in. I’m not saying one or two projects – try six. At once. All due – this week. Luckily a few of them took less time than I expected, though they were still required detailed work and some lengthy hours.
It’s a good thing, too – you who read every day know there was a slump going on here that was working my last nerve. But amen, the marketing worked and things are looking up. I’ll probably not hit my target this month either, but at this point I’m not expecting it.
I leave in a few short days. Today will be finishing up those projects and doing more marketing. I’d love to have work sitting here waiting when I get back. I’d take it with me, but there’s no Internet connection (or cell phone service) in these woods. Amen. I’m forced to relax.
Mind you, we here are also planning our Scotland trip for three weeks from now. That means today and tomorrow are going to be crazy busy, what with laundry, car prep, Scotland planning, marketing, and hey, even some of that pile of work left to do. Plus my sick devotion to posting here every weekday. It’s when I’m glad I was blessed with the organization gene, enhanced by training at the knee of the most organized list maker on the planet – my mother. It’ll all happen. The question is will it all happen without a migraine at the end? I’m even prepared for that. Better living through chemical means.
What concerns me isn’t getting out the door on time (I’m also cursed with obsessive punctuality). It’s coming home to idle days. In past experience, work dries up after a rush, especially in the summer. I can’t afford it to, so I’m hoping a few of those feelers and marketing pieces I put out today and tomorrow hit their mark. Not to mention two weeks in Scotland. Does anyone else notice each time there’s a vacation, the checks come in after you get back?
What happens if work arrives while I’m gone? Not much. I have an away message. I’ve alerted the regulars to my temporary retreat. If it comes in, they wait until I return or they press on without me. Nothing I can do beyond that.
Or can I? I have kids here at home who can check my email and call me should something critical come in. But in this case, I’m going to say nada to that. The place I’m going is pristine in its solitude (and fishing – my gawd, the fishing!). I’d rather not have work invade there. In Scotland, I probably won’t have time as we’re traveling with other kids. The option includes asking trusted writer friends to check my email and respond (or take on) anything that comes in. I keep a finder’s fee of 10 percent. The writer gets the added work and a nice check. It’s a good deal for both.
Do you have something similar in place for your extended vacations? Have you ever had a writer cover for you while you were gone?
No. When I'm here, I'm here and the clients get 1000 percent. When I'm gone, I'm gone. My deadlines are cleared off before I go. Everything else has to wait until I get back. I'm happy to take on extra work before I go so the clients have a stockpile, but vacation is VACATION. We are not performing brain surgery, we are not in life-or-death situations.
We're worth the wait the clients have to do while we're away. Their disorganization does not constitute my emergency. On regular workweeks, it becomes my problem when they pay extra; on vacation — no. I EARN my time off; I'm going to take it, uninterrupted.
Sounds familiar, Devon. I've often said their fires are not my emergencies. 🙂
I agree with you – what we do is not life-or-death work. But we live in a digital world where even failing to answer your phone by the second ring puts some people off. Mind you, I've had just one such person leave a scathing message about how she could never reach me, but did she leave a call-back number? (I still think she was part of that nasty women's association that harassed me endlessly.)
I've had these ADD types write one note to me, not get an instant response, and hire someone else before the day is out. Not that I want to work for flighty people necessarily, but if a regular client comes in, I'd like to accommodate where I can. One week is okay – two weeks and their deadlines could be thrown off.
I'm still mulling it over. Not sure how much coverage I'm willing to offer. I don't want to set an unattainable precedent.
I'm with Devon. When you're out, you're out. I have no backup coverage, and I simply let people know I'll be gone. As I've said before, if I wanted a 24/7 work pace, I'd have stayed in the law.
And don't worry about another slump when you get back. You'll ruin your time off. Just go and relax! You've earned it!
Holy coo, Lori, how long will you be in Scotland? We're going over for Fringe and bookfest, and having an Inked-In get-together on Aug 16 … will you still be in the country?
Joseph and Lori, Make sure you stop by The Last Drop on Grassmarket and tell James Rettie I sent you! The Last Drop is "my office" whenever I'm in Edinburgh.
Lori — tell Colin you're coming to Edinburgh — he's based there.
I'm not sure we're going to Edinburgh, Devon. Our plans have us north – in Inverness.
Sorry, Joseph. We'll be home then. 🙁
Devon, I know the Last Drop very well, we'll keep an eye out for James. I'll share a fabulous tidbit of knowledge … just down the road from Grassmarket, on Bread Street, is where the art director of Wizard of Oz grew up, and his view up to the Castle as a child became Dorothy's first view of Oz.
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