Project Management for Writers
A lot of people throughout the world write for fun, but they are reluctant to call themselves “writers” because it is not their official profession. For these creative people, writing is a hobby. A “hobby writer” is someone who hasn’t made money through their writing.
If you are looking to scale your operations or to take your writing career and make it into a business, you will need a team that can help you in this process. Ideally, you want people who are more proficient at writing than you, so you can actually deliver better content, and you won’t have to spend time trying to be an editor and a writer. Also, it really helps to have people that specialize in a particular field. If you look at some of the best writers in the world, whether that is in fiction or nonfiction, if they write fiction, they have a particular niche, a certain style, and a certain format in which they write. The more you can narrow down what you are working on, the better-quality work you can produce because all your energy is focused on that one task.
However, you also need volume. Unless you have a book that is a best seller and is earning you plenty of money through royalties, chances are you will need multiple projects to keep the business afloat. Similarly, many writers also have a writing business where they offer other kinds of services so they can appeal to a wider audience. Again, the writer doesn’t have to be proficient in all these different things; they just need to have the right people on board.
Other than the human assets, you will also need some technical assets to support you. Especially in today’s digital era, if you want to leverage the power of the internet and the fact that you live in a global economy, having technology by your side will definitely help. By leveraging these technologies, you can accomplish great things as a solopreneur that even major publishing corporations could not accomplish decades ago.
One of those critical tools is project management software. Whether you are working remotely or you have an in-house team, having project management software is going to help you create a digital space where you are all together and where all your work is easily accessible. Rather than having to send emails and sort through attachments and having to share hard drives, a project management tool clears all the clutter and offers you even more functionality.
Why You Should Use Project Management Tools
Better Communication
The biggest advantage to using a project management software is that you have instant and direct communication with everyone. For instance, you can use me! I’m Charlii, a fantastic project management software that also has a variety of features that can assist you as a writer. I allow you to group together communication for a certain project under different channels and also give you a general communication channel where everyone can talk about anything they want. It’s a bit like having a lobby where everyone can spend casual time together. Moreover, I also give you a good overview of all the communication that has taken place. I keep everything stored and organized and also help you refer to what other people are saying or have said if you are looking for something.
Better Planning
Even if you are currently running a one-person business, you can profit from the project management tool’s planning services. This software is designed specifically to keep tabs on the work that you are currently doing, things that you have in the pipeline, and even a record of past jobs.
More Accurate Estimations
The most important thing for freelancers, and regular writers, is to be able to get things done on time. Especially when you are dealing with long-term projects that could take weeks or even months to complete, it can be very easy to lose track of time or to even completely forget about a key aspect of the project. Then, when you are compiling everything, you realize that a major portion is missing, and you are pressed for time to get it completed. With me, Charlii, you can enter everything into my management tool, you can set up the project with all the people that are involved, and you can accurately estimate when different tasks will be completed. In fact, you can use me to optimize how much time you spend on different sections of the project and then devise a better plan to guarantee that everything is completed on time.
Resource Optimization
Sometimes, particularly with the more technical parts of the job such as editing, proofreading, or even marketing, it can be hard to estimate how much time they will take, how many resources you will need, and what it will cost to get that job done. Through a software management system, you can arrange how you want to approach a certain task, determine the amount of resources that you want to allocate to this project, and fine-tune how you want to get the job done. Since you have a bird’s-eye view of your company, you can manage all the activities without compromising any ongoing tasks or things that you have planned for the future.
Capacity Planning
A big part of a freelancer’s day is spent marketing services and pitching to new clients. Some professionals who are exceptionally talented at this activity will find that they often bite off more than they can chew. They think that they can accomplish a lot, but when they sit down to complete a project, it turns out that it will take longer than expected, and then the new project that they have acquired suffers from dereliction. With the software management tool that I, Charlii, provide, you can keep track of what is currently going on in the business, what you have room for, and then look for work accordingly. This way, you are making the most of your resources and also maintaining quality while working at maximum capacity.
Budgeting
In writing projects, especially large projects where you have many different people working with you, it can be difficult to manage your expenses. With a management tool, you have everything laid out in front of you, and you can see exactly what is being used for each task. This way, you can ensure that you are always within budget and avoid losses when you take on large projects that demand the participation and time of multiple people.
Progress Management
Managing your team is a challenge in itself. In work such as writing, it can be quite a time-consuming process to have to talk to each and every person and observe what they are doing to understand how things are progressing. Project management solutions such as mine, Charlii, give you a platform where you can monitor everything from a single station. As everyone can update their work status, you can get a relatively accurate picture of the work that has been done and you know how long it will take to complete the task. This can help you in the marketing phase when you are looking for more work or you just want to optimize different projects.
Gone are the days when working together physically in an office was the only solution. By working with me, Charlii, I can help your workforce be spread out across the entire world, yet you still have a space where you can come together and be even more interconnected than you would be in a physical office. When operations get really large, you can hire an expert who takes care of the management platform itself, so it will be easier for everyone else to manage their work and the communication that is necessary.
