Gabriella, you never lose at this game. 🙂

May:

Existing Clients – They all came through for me when I contacted them to let them know I had time for work. Problem was I'm incredibly unmotivated! So I got work. Just didn't complete it so I could honestly considered it billed this month.

New clients – One; editor emailed and said she was moving on but that the publication was looking for a remote consulting editor. I responded within 30 minutes, explained my background, and boom! I'm now the consulting managing editor on a publication that's paying my full hourly rate. Nice!

Earnings – Awful! Refer above to the lack of motivation. June will be totes fine. But seriously, girl, get your behind in gear!

April:

Queries – three sent; one assigned

LOIs – one sent

Social Media – got some great follows and interactions on Twitter

Jobs postings – zero

Existing Clients – Mega-listing for one client kept me really busy, did three things for another client, a quick turn-around story for another client (literally did the interviews and wrote it in two days and it was online the next), and picked up a quartet of short assignments from a local editor who was in a difficult situation, earning more brownie points than actual dollars. Was so busy I only wrote two columns.

New clients – none

Referrals – sent some pricing options to one of my sister's clients who was thinking of adding a blog to her new website. No bites.

Earnings – Actual money received was slightly less than my monthly goal, but the total amount of invoices sent was pretty much on target.

May:

Queries – none

LOIs – one, and one follow up

Social Media – one new LinkedIn contact that may be promising; more good Twitter interactions

Postings – replied to one

Existing clients – picked up two new assignments from one client (one is already done); wrote and turned in the four pieces I was assigned in late April; was assigned another piece from the quick-turn-around client; turned in a couple more columns. But the best part was what happened with an 800-word assignment. My editor asked if I could write 1,000 words plus a sidebar, and when I turned that in I mentioned I had a lot of great info left, and she said she had space for more sidebars. So that 800-word assignment wound up being nearly 2,000 words…and this client will probably round up and pay for 2,000 words. (Of course, it's a client with a slow payment process, but at least I'll have something to look forward to by the end of summer.)

New clients – none

Referrals – one. Someone had told the photographer from the photo shoot held in my front yard last week that I was a writer. After the shoot, he asked to exchange contact information because he'd just met with a publisher who is planning to do a book about our region. The publisher has done similar books in other cities, and apparently they're beautiful. (I want to see one, though!) At their meeting the publisher had mentioned needing to find some local writers. So the photographer has forwarded my info to the publisher. Turns out one of my neighbors (who owns a camera store) has known this photographer for year – the guy even worked at my neighbor's store when he was in school – and said he's trustworthy.

Earnings: My Actual income was only slightly more than half of my goal, but the amount I have invoiced out and am currently working on is roughly double my monthly goal, so I hope it will balance out.

Bottom line: Steady work is great, but does not always equal a steady flow of revenue.