Brief Musings On My Continued Use Of An Editorial Calendar
Posted 12th October 2016
Category: Chit-Chat Genres: N/A
7 Comments
I’ve been using my calendar for five months now, at the time of writing this, and I’ve experienced another learning curve.
It’s very easy when you’re working months in advance to loose track of your writing self, your tasks. Back in May, I had planned posts until mid August, which was pretty amazing to me. So when a writing block hit and I was out of ideas, it was easy and understandable to say, ‘well, I’m planned until August, I don’t actually have to write for a while’. The problem is, if you stop writing and looking for ideas you find yourself still saying you’ve lots of time in late July.
I was still writing reviews; after six years I’ve got a loose plan in place for those – what I like to concentrate on – and it’s much easier to write up something when the ideas are right there, but I was low on all other types of posts. I remembered the importance of a writing schedule – or, in my case, the set block of time for writing a few posts every few days. And the importance of making time to find ideas – if you can schedule that in, as much as it sounds like scheduling day-dreaming time it’s a good thing.
So a break is good but you can’t let a calendar have you thinking you’ve loads of time.
Do you prefer working ahead or are deadlines your thing?
October 12, 2016, 9:38 am
Oh how I wish I Could be this disciplined. I did start punching blog posts into my calendar bit as the time got closer I realised I wasn’t in the mood for that topic . So it got abandoned. Youve encouraged me to give it a a fresh go though
October 12, 2016, 9:38 am
I always used to think that I’d be better if I wrote in advance, but I’ve talked myself into believing that it’s the deadline that brings the magic. It’s Wednesday and I don’t have a clue what I’ll be posting about on Sunday. I have great lists of things I could write about, but none of them really appeals.
October 12, 2016, 6:26 pm
Normally so well organised, like you I tend towards a schedule, I don’t know what it is but of late, despite my paper diary and on-line scheduler, any real planning seems to have gone right out of the window as my nana would say.
October 14, 2016, 1:37 am
Oh God, planning ahead is my thing! I hate flying by the seat of my pants! This whole year I’ve been working without an editorial calendar and it’s been awful, and I swear to God when 2017 starts I am going to get back to my beautiful editorial calendar and I am going to plan posts ahead by a month LIKE I ALWAYS WANTED TO.
October 14, 2016, 9:12 pm
I really appreciate these types of posts, Charlie. I still feel like such a newbie though, so I can’t contribute much, but the info from you and your readers is valuable.
One of the things I have learned this first year of book blogging, is just when I have organized my reading and writing, another book challenge comes along I want to participate in and my plans are ruined! How do you deal with something like that? An unplanned book interest or literary event you haven’t planned for?
October 15, 2016, 1:25 pm
Lory: Moving posts around is one of the best things! I know you can anyway, but it’s easier if it’s all there in front of you. Yes, me too. It’s weird – I’d get nervous anyway, and I think when you blog that’s part and parcel, but having experienced how great it is to have a buffer if I notice I’ve not got one…!
Bookertalk: I attempted it once before this time and didn’t like it – it pays to do it exactly how you want to (even on paper if that’s best). I know what you mean about mood; it gets easier.
April: I’m often good when nearing a deadline, to, so I know what you mean there. (In this case, calendar, I create a sort of phony deadline.)
Tracy: A phase, perhaps? An editorial calendar slump? It’s possible. I’d say get back on track when you can, when you’re ready.
Jenny: Making it a New Year resolution sounds like a good plan :)
Laurie: It’s one of those things I wish I’d learned about earlier (even earlier than the initial time when I considered using one). I think even just having a consideration of it is valuable because it gets you thinking of future posts and timelines whether you end up using one or not.
I’m in one those of situations right now! If you can it’s good to make space for any ‘sudden’ books you want to read. Of course the only thing there is you can make space, then get a sudden book, and then another comes along, too! I also find filling some days (working ahead here) with books you don’t mind talking about later, if it comes to it, can help. So, for example, a few weeks ago I filled my November schedule with a number of reviews of non-review-copy books – both because I’d already had to push them back and because I wanted to give myself a breather. As of this past week however, I’ve had some great books offered to me so I’m able to slot them in and move a couple of my non-review-copy reviews to December as well as keep a few for November. (I don’t like to push non-review-copy book reviews back too much so the schedule helps me see the bigger picture.)
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October 12, 2016, 2:59 am
I LOVE my editorial calendar. (I use the WordPress plugin.) I try to schedule posts a couple of weeks ahead so I have some room to maneuver. I frequently start drafts as placeholders and then fill them in later, move them around to different dates, etc. I get nervous if I don’t have that buffer zone for content now.