How to "KonMari" Your Writer’s Life
As you may know, the KonMari Method is the organizational philosophy popularized by celebrity decluttering expert and bestselling author Marie Kondo. One of her most famous quotes is “Life truly begins only after you have put your house in order.”
I have a similar opinion in regard to setting up and streamlining the admin side of one's professional writing life. Thus, here is a list of ideas for tracking your progress on WIPs (works in progress), as well as submissions and other opportunities–like fellowships or residencies–you have applied to or are interested in pursuing.
Use my "entrepreneurial spin" on Kondo's 6 basic principles to tidy up your writing life:
- Commit Yourself To Tidying Up. Being organized is an ongoing process. Make time daily (or weekly) to update note files and spreadsheets so you stay on top of approaching deadlines and replies you may (or may not) have received from recent query letters or submissions. Author Matt Bell created this FREE submission tracker on Google Docs for other writers to use. I think this template is quite user-friendly, but you can adapt his basic framework to suit your specific purposes.
- Imagine Your Ideal Writer's Life. Envision the writing career you REALLY want to have — and how you want it to FEEL. How much extra income would you like to make on a monthly or annual basis? Or is your end goal more creatively inspired? (Example: You have an entire sci-fi fantasy book series mapped out.) Or is it a fusion of artistic and financial aspirations? (Example: The ability to earn money writing about your vacations or recipes you regularly make.) Journals like "Reflect and Reset" and "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" have prompts to assist with breaking down macro-level objectives into smaller, concrete steps.
- Finish Discarding First. Full disclosure: this is the principle I personally struggle with most. But purging electronic files and images you no longer need can save an immense amount of time by preventing you from habitually spending countless minutes searching through dozens of folders and shared drives. It also frees up precious storage space on devices. This is why, over the last year, I've been trying to be more consistent about erasing from my computer—and phone—article research, craft notes, and food photography/videography for freelance clients once content has been published in print or online. The other factor I am still trying to troubleshoot is stockpiling promotional images or graphics until I have posted them on social media. However, apps like Planoly or Preview can be used to plan out and pre-schedule posts for platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
- Tidy by Category, Not by Location. Piggybacking off Rule #3, if the idea of deleting documents and brainstorm memos makes you extremely anxious, try "condensing" then "housing" your projects—plus associated "to do lists" based on theme(s); genre(s); publications or clients; or individual projects—in an app like Evernote, Ulysses, Final Draft (developed for screenwriters) and Scrivener.
- Follow the Right Order. Set up your "order of operations" in a way that maximizes your productivity. For example, if you provide copywriting or editing services to multiple clients, determine a standard length of time and time of day for virtual and in-person meetings. Same goes if you have multiple books out on submission—or that have already sold to publishers, which may necessitate regular check-ins with your agent and/or acquisition editor(s). If your availability shifts a lot from week to week, you can use a site like Calendly, which will generate a link to an appointment calendar that can be shared with professional contacts—allowing meetings to be scheduled sans long email chains trying to coordinate everyone’s availability.
- Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy. As more and more paid gigs and publishing opportunities start to flow your way, reflect on which endeavors are nourishing your creative soul as much as your bank account. Using your passion to make a profit has many perks. Yet don't get stuck funneling all your time and energy into work that is merely “paying the bills.” And when it is unclear how much progress you are actually making on a manuscript or a contracted writing assignment, sites like Pacemaker can be used to track target word counts. It can also automatically reset goals to account for "off-days." Plus it can be shared with additional people if you're co-authoring a book or contributing to an anthology.
I hope you already have an organizational method for applications, files, images, or submissions that is working well. But if you are searching for more tools and tips that could help increase your publishing success rate—as well as boost your earning potential—consider joining me for How to Earn a Living as a Writer this winter.