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All writers have made rookies mistakes when writing magazine queries and magazine articles. In fact, I still make my fair share of mistakes from missing an error in my query after reading it over 30 times or misunderstanding the niche of a magazine I queried.

It can be embarrassing to make mistakes when writing for magazines and deflating to see your hard won idea tossed into the rubbish bin. I confess I still am on a bit of a learning curve when it comes to writing for certain magazines.

However, after a few years in the world of writing and querying magazines, I’ll share a few lessons next week that should help anyone improve his/her chances of being published in a magazine. Some may seem obvious but hard to put into practice, and others may open up a world of possibilities for you.

Stay tuned for the start of this series on Monday, March 22nd.

If you have your priorities straight and have identified the things you need to avoid in order to stay on track, your next step is to identify your best times for writing. This means that you have your priority list with you during your optimal writing times and avoid distractions if possible.

First thing in the morning: Most writers prefer to jump into their projects first thing in the morning. This means that even before you check e-mail, you’re aiming to start a project. Perhaps checking e-mail or taking a shower could provide a nice break in between projects.

Late morning or lunch break: The late morning is another great time for writing if you have the luxury of not working a day job. However, if you can’t swing that, take a notebook or lap top with you for your lunch break to brain storm ideas and to write up a few drafts.

Afternoon: I don’t know anyone who likes to write in the afternoon. Most academics save grading for the afternoon, and therefore as a writer, your afternoon could be used to catch up on e-mail, social media, business loose ends, and projects that don’t require your best creativity or concentration.

Late at night: Though writing late at night can be difficult to balance with other responsibilities or a day job, there are many writers who swear by late night writing times. There are minimal distractions, no one is online, and all is generally quiet. Don’t rule out this possibility, but don’t forget that sleep deprivation can hinder your creativity.

Weekends: I aim for one day completely free from writing, and that’s usually Sunday. However, on Saturdays I try to work on brainstorming blog post series for the week, touching up web sites, and following up on busy-work that won’t require too much concentration. I also write fiction on Saturdays since I see that as a fun exercise that may one day pay off.

When you know what you need to do and you have your priorities straight, your next step is to identify distractions. Take note of what keeps your from writing, and in particular if there are lower priorities on your list that obstruct you from the higher priorities and more time-sensitive tasks.

Distractions are not necessary bad things and a distraction in one context may become your highest priority in another. So these aren’t black and white matters. However, when you’ve staked out a time to write, take note of how the following impact your ability to stay in the zone:

Reading blogs and articles: Stay current with your field, but avoid irrelevant articles. Also choose your worst writing time to read and comments on blogs and articles such as the afternoon.

E-mail: Checking e-mail can be gratifying and addicting. Don’t check your e-mail more than four times a day unless there is something potentially life-changing you’re waiting for. Most experts on technology say that two checks in a day is the absolute maximum we need. I’m still working on that one!

Social Media: use your afternoons and possibly evenings to keep in touch on social media and to post updates. Limit your time on social media to no more than three or four 10-15-minute checks per day. If you can’t keep it to a 45 minute chunk of your day, then you may have a problem. Allow more time for special promotions or important comment threads.

Chores: We all have responsibilities in our homes and with our family. Take care of chores in the afternoon, evening, or during the weekend rather than during your best writing times.

People: If you know that people at certain writing locations will interrupt you, then plan your best writing times around locations that will give you the maximum privacy. This may be a home office or a crowded café. I personally enjoy running into people at the local cafe, but I know that some writers crave solitude and freedom from interruptions.

Once you have your projects categorized, end each day by making a list of your priorities for the next day. Don’t go to bed without your list. Make sure you know which projects you’ll do first, where you’ll work on them, and when.

Your list of priorities should have a mix of your various task categories so that you’re building community, publishing widely, and sending queries to magazines that will pay what you need to make. As you list each item by sure to note which need immediate attention and which can wait if necessary.

I typically prioritize my list of tasks according to the following categories:

• Time-Sensitive: These are projects that have a set deadline and require immediate attention in order to organize, write, and edit them. Depending on where I’m at in the process, I may have time-sensitive articles, blog posts for others, and book proposals.
• Important, but No Rush: These are projects that may be very important for a variety of reasons (from pay to building community), but can be delayed if necessary. If I’m planning on future articles, posts for others, or proposals, they should not throw time-sensitive projects off schedule. In addition, posts for my personal blogs and my own e-mail newsletter can afford to be a day or two late.
• Good and Helpful, but Not Critical: I don’t want to say that social media, e-mail, or reading books, blogs, and articles isn’t important, because each has an important place for writers. However, they are generally not critical in the daily grind of writing and submitting work. They can be put off until the evening, weekend, or a slow afternoon rather than times of peak productivity.

After receiving a lot of positive feedback about my last series of posts on five great things that don’t sell a lot of books and two things that do, I’ll be posting a new series next week on writing and time management.

Since I began writing full time this past August I’ve been learning a lot about managing my time and projects. When the whole day is set before me I can do anything I like. Will I dive into important projects? Or will I fritter my time away on social media or projects that won’t help pay the bills?

It’s easy to sound like a mercenary in these posts, but the truth is that writers need to figure out a way to earn a living wage. If we can pay the bills with some projects, then we’ll be free to pursue the work we enjoy that may not pay.

Words like balance and priorities come up a lot in these posts.

After six months of living the freelance life, I’ve discovered some ways that I can make the most of my writing time. I think they’ll help you stay on track with your writing as well. Be sure to drop by next week.