Meeting deadlines easily

Turning in assignment (public domain photo)

Some of you may be saying, "Meeting deadlines easily? She must not have my schedule!" Actually, I do have a very busy writing schedule. I'm just really good at managing my time, or what little there is left of it. I have adopted some techniques for meeting deadlines easily or writing more quickly that I feel may be beneficial to other online writers. These work at home strategies will have your clients and editors smiling and offering you more assignments.

Give yourself a break.

When meeting deadlines, the last thing on your mind is taking a break. Still, typing until your fingers bleed is no way to earn a living. Most online article writers find they work better with a clear head. So, if you find yourself banging that head on the keyboard, go ahead and take a break, however short. Meeting deadlines will come more easily for those who treat themselves with respect.

Jump start outlining

When you first accept an online article writing assignment, make the outline immediately. Find your sources. List them at the end of the outline. Write out your subheadings. Under them, write your main points. Put the due date and who you are writing it for at the top of the outline. This way, you don't have to shuffle through paperwork to find it later. Save it all to your word program. Then when you are ready to write the article, it will be finished in a matter of minutes.

Refuse dead-lined assignments you can't meet

If you know you don't have time to properly write and research a subject, don't accept it. Why stress yourself out and turn in late or badly done material? It's just not worth it. It can ruin your reputation as an online article writer.

Write ahead

Remember to write your assignments two days ahead of their due date whenever possible. You can even trick yourself into meeting deadlines easily. Put an earlier due date on your outline. Chances are, you won't have time to look up the actual date due. Your editor will be impressed with your promptness.

Load it up but spread it out.

It's OK to accept a ton of assignments. That's how you make money as on online article writer. Load up on assignments but do yourself one small favor. In order to make deadlines easier, spread your assignments out. Try not to accept assignments that are all due on the same day. When that's unavoidable, write some of them in advance to make it easier on yourself. Scrambling to meet a deadline should no longer be an issue if you follow these work at home strategies.

This article was previously published by this author on Yahoo!