Hi there!
Do you feel the holidays coming up? I noticed a definite increase in promotional emails over the last days. And an increase in invitations for events and festivities.
A lot of people are in a rush right now and mildly to severely stressed about it. I hope you’re not among those people!
We all have deadlines and I am all for keeping those deadlines. But what about self-imposed ones?
You might need the pressure to get things done. I feel you. I always pack my bags the night before I leave for a trip. This newsletter gets written one or two days before it’s due. I intend to update my website, I try to put a deadline in for that but it doesn’t work.
The difference? I’m not that easy to be tricked into believing something. It has to be convincing - and “I should’ve updated my website by next month“ is not believable for my brain. It’s an arbitrary date and I know it. Never works.
And then there are deadlines I want to keep but I can’t influence the workflow because other people are involved.
An example: At my former job scientists who submitted a proposal always wanted to know when they could expect a decision. And they asked me. The first few times I gave them a specific date I thought I could make. I allowed for the time my superiors would need to read my report and come to a conclusion. I even checked the calendar for times they weren’t at work. And then something happened and I wouldn’t make it. I played dead and hoped against hope that the scientist would have forgotten what I said. Guess what? They never did. And so I had to apologise and tell them a new date.
I did that twice. Then I avoided giving them specific dates, all they got were estimates - generous estimates because I learn from my mistakes. And here is how I do it now as self-employed tech editor:
If you already worked with me, you know I let you know when to expect your edited pattern back.
I can do that because I know what is on my schedule and it’s only me and my willingness to work that deadline is depending on. Mostly the deadline is generous and I will send back your pattern earlier.
I organise my jobs (your patterns) like this: They get done in order of appearance in my inbox. First come, first served, easy as that. I have a schedule but it is not set in stone. I don’t need your pattern a week (or any specific period) in advance. That saves both of us a lot of frustration and stress.
If you have a bigger project (a collection, a book(let), in short more than one pattern at a time), it’s always better to ask about my schedule beforehand. Maybe there is a deadline with a printer or a publisher you’ll need to make. I can tell you when I can fit it in and I can reserve time for it as well. And I will do my best (and till now I always managed) to get it done in time.
If you have a single pattern with no deadline attached, the probability is high I can fit it right in. There are always small gaps in my schedule. Just send the pdf for an estimate or the pattern for the edit (depending on how we work together).
Please, don’t tell me you’ll send a pattern by a specific date if you don’t know if you can do it.
I will keep that pattern in mind when planning my weeks and to be honest, it makes my planning difficult and stressful. Your pattern will be here when it gets here. And I will edit it as soon as possible - which at the moment is probably within the next 5 business days.
Do me (and yourself) a favour: Stop mentioning exact dates when you don’t know if you can stick to them - it will make your life a lot easier.
Talk soon,
Frauke
P.S.: If you need a job done fast, there’s always the possibility to talk to me and for a 50% rush fee I will edit your pattern ahead of the queue.