A day in a life of a freelance blogger
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A Day in the Life of a Freelance Blogger/University Assignment Marker
It’s difficult for me to define my “typical” day, because what a typical day is changes depending on the time of the year. So I’m going to separate this post into two typical days: writing days and marking days.
What I do: I wear a lot of hats. My first and most important one is that of marker for an online professional writing course at the University of Calgary. I mark anywhere between 50 and 110 papers (depending on whether the assignment is individual or in groups) for each of the 5 assignments of the semester. Phew!
My second hat is that of blogger (and sometimes copywriter) for a bunch of companies and publications. I mostly ghostwrite blog posts for a digital marketing company, but I also publish under my own byline on a corporate home décor blog. I also pick up the odd client here and there for short-term projects.
My typical marking day
| 7:00-8:30AM: | I get up, feed my cat, check emails, put together my partner’s lunch and read the news. I shower and have breakfast. |
| 8:30-9:00AM: | I go up to my office and drink my tea while checking my other email accounts and social media. |
| 9:00AM to 1:00PM: | I mark papers. I work on a 2-hour Pomodoro rotation, with a 5-minute break every 25 minutes and a 15-minute break after 2 hours. During the breaks, I play mindless iPad games; my latest is Disco Zoo. |
| 1:00-2:00PM: | Lunchtime! |
| 2:00-6:00PM: | Another 4-hour marking session. |
I usually have dinner by this time, and maybe mark a few more (an hour or two at most) if I still have it in me and if the deadline is looming. Marking is exhausting mentally, so I can only keep that schedule for, at most, 3 days before needing a day off.
My typical writing day
| 7:00-8:30AM: | I get up, feed my cat, check emails, put together my partner’s lunch and read the news. I shower and have breakfast. |
| 8:30-9:00AM: | I go up to my office and drink my tea while checking my other email accounts and social media. |
| 9:00AM to 1:00PM: | I tend to work on whatever’s most urgent (i.e. due the soonest). I do my most complicated or demanding writing in the morning. |
| 1:00-2:00PM: | Lunchtime! |
| 2:00-4:30PM: | I write more if required, publish posts that were approved by my clients and do lighter stuff in general. |
This schedule can shift depending on appointments, meetups or just being hungry earlier than 1:00PM, but I do try to put in at least 4-5 good hours of work every day. When the weather is nice, I’ll take a 2-hour lunch and walk from noon to 1:00PM.
I love how my life as a freelancer lets me take care of things during the weekday, when most appointments are easily available. I also like the freedom of taking a long lunch or a day off if my physical or mental state requires it. Nobody minds, as long as things are done on time… and they always are with me!
Anabelle is a professional blogger and writing teacher living in Victoria, BC, Canada, where she loves to not wear snow boots in the winter. You can learn more about her on her website.
About the author: Jason Finnerty
I’m a Canadian writer providing kick-ass copy for local and international clients. When I’m not writing for business, I’m probably writing something sick and twisted – check out Fotogone or YuckFou on the Amazon.
Plenty of nieces and nephews, a family that puts the fun in dysfunction, and a loving wife are the main reasons as to why I’m always smiling.
Join me on brandscaping.ca/blog/
