NS November 8th, 2007

I promised I would update you on the progress made on my list of lofty ambitions for the first part of November (aka GreNoWriEx — kidding! I’m really over the acronym thing), so here’s the report:

• Check if library has good periodical section. If not, find out if any others nearby do  – DONE. They don’t. Damn it
• Email two fellow freelancers to ask two specific questions – DONE
• Find more online magazines and their submission policies — DONE (For now anyway. I’m sure there are more but a few is enough right now)
• Find local/London/free mags and their submission policies – DONE. See explanation above
• Go through the giant stack of national women’s glossies sitting on my living room floor – NOT DONE. But only because I know I’ll sit down and read the articles and get distracted by shiny things. But it shall be done on Saturday
• Join NUJ (National Union of Journalists) and Women Writers Network – NOT DONE. Not really bothered about this though as I think it will only be beneficial once I’m well and truly established. Besides, I don’t meet NUJ’s criteria to be a member. So NAH!
• Order more resource books from Amazon – DONE. And what good books they have turned out to be (thanks to SJ for the rec)
• Organise filing cabinet, computer files and work area – PARTIALLY DONE. Just need to sort the filing cabinet out
• Create spreadsheets to keep track of submissions – NOT DONE. I hate Excel. But it shall be done tonight
• Find sites where I can locate experts to interview on various subjects – DONE. Even secured two interviews already. Woo hoo!
• Research British media and copyright laws – DONE. It was more like a quick skim but it’ll do, pig
• Buy printer – DONE. It’s still sitting in the box but hey, I have it
• Set myself up as self-employed for tax purposes – DONE (sort of). I looked into it and apparently I don’t have to do this until I actually start making sales. But I’ve got all the pages bookmarked for when that most glorious day comes
• Arrange visits to check out local daycares for Noble Child (considering putting her in for two half-days a week) – DONE. Computer says “You are too poor because it costs a bucketload to send her for just two measly afternoons a week so quit yer dreaming and get used to the idea that you will be working from home with a kid biting your ankles for ETERNITY.” Sigh
• Match existing ideas with 2-3 publications each and write queries – NOT DONE. This one I recant. There is no fucking way I will get queries written for each of my ideas in the next few days. I must’ve been drunk when I wrote this. My new goal is one. Just one well-written, well-executed, killer query that Magazine X will find simply irresistible and offer to pay me obscene amounts of money for, sent lovingly from my email inbox to theirs by no later than Sunday evening
• Blog every day – DONE. I’m finding it relatively easy to post every day, though the weekends are a little tougher. There may be an entry about belly button crud forthcoming, just so ya know

That is all.

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