Crushing Your Editorial Business with a Clear Work Schedule
When asked what advice I would give other freelance editors, I answer with this every time: Take the time to get clear systems and processes in place.
This is the best thing you can do for your business. And the good news is, you do not have to reinvent the wheel.
You can borrow from others’ systems and processes, then customize them to make your own.
This blog’s system and process topic: work schedule.
Setting Up Plan
A clear time management plan and goals will help keep you on track. Sure, life happens, and you’ll deviate from the plan as needed, but having a plan gives you a solid framework to work in.
Your plan should include
- How many billable hours you can work on a given day (alternatives discussed later if your schedule doesn’t allow for set hours)
- How many projects you want to work on at a time: one at a time or multiple simultaneously
- Your admin (nonbillable) categories and how much time you want to/can afford to/need to spend on them
- The time can be listed in actual hours per week or year, or as percentages
As your business evolves, revisit your plan. For example, once you’re more established, you may spend less time marketing. Or if you’re in a learning-intensive year you might increase that category.
Schedule Nonbillable Tasks
When it comes to nonbillable tasks, you can either schedule a set amount of admin time each workday and tackle whatever tasks come up, or assign specific tasks to specific days. Or use a combination, like I do. I allot a certain number of admin hours per day, and on some days, I assign specific admin tasks.
Alternatively, you can just skip scheduling your nonbillable tasks and fit them in as time allows, then create your to-do list accordingly. I am just a big planner. But you have to do what works for you!
Scheduling Billable Projects
One of the biggest challenges for freelance editors is managing project timelines effectively. Without a clear schedule, it’s easy to overbook yourself or underestimate how long a project will take.
This simple approach to scheduling editorial projects ensures you meet deadlines while maintaining a manageable workload.
1. Schedule each project as you book it
As soon as you take on a project, map out when you’ll work on it. If you have a set number of billable hours available every Monday and every Tuesday, etc., break the project into daily or weekly time blocks based on total estimated hours and deadline you’ve given for that project.
Example:
Monday – 2 hours, Edit 16 pages
Tuesday – 1 hour, Edit 8 pages
Wednesday – 3 hours, 2nd pass 40 pages
If you don’t have fixed work hours, you can instead track progress by words or pages per day. For example, if you have from February 2 to February 20 to edit a 50,000-word manuscript, you’d need to average around 2,632 words per day.
At the end of each day, log how many words you edited and adjust your average accordingly.
2. Track your available editing hours
If you have set billable hours per day, once you’ve scheduled your current projects, check how many editing hours remain in your day, week, or month. This helps you determine whether you can take on additional work and when your next available slot is.
A simple way to do this is by using a spreadsheet, planner, or dedicated project management tool. By tracking your available hours, you’ll always know how much work you can accept without overloading yourself.
Scheduler example
This shows that I have 19.5 hours left in June, my next available opening to start a new project is June 12, and I have 2.5 hours left in the 2nd week of June, 5.5 hours left in the 3rd week, etc.
3. Build in buffer time
No schedule is perfect, so it’s wise to add an extra day or two to account for unexpected delays.
So, if you estimate a project will take 20 hours and you promised delivery by June 20, schedule 20 hours by June 18. That way you can schedule buffer hours on June 19 and 20.
This gives you breathing room if something unexpected comes up, keeping you form scrambling.
And if everything goes smoothly, you can use that time for non-billable tasks—or even some well-earned rest!
See the image in the last section. The “Karen AD” and “Suzi AD” were buffer days built in.
4. Choose a scheduling method that works for you
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to scheduling.
Some editors use digital tools like Excel or project trackers, while others prefer pen and paper.
The key is consistency—whatever system you use, make sure it gives you a clear picture of your workload and availability at a glance.
5. Create your daily to-do list
Now that you scheduled your editing projects and have a plan for nonbillable tasks, you can create a daily to-do list to stay on track.
Look at your project scheduler and list all the billable tasks you need to do that day. Split it into chunks if you need to. So if you planned on two hours on project A, you could list project A, then put two checkboxes to split this into two different chunks. I can’t edit the same project for two hours straight, so this helps me.
For your nonbillable tasks, check your emails and write down emails you need to respond to and tasks you need to do based on email content. Add in any scheduled nonbillable tasks (if you assigned a specific day for a specific category) and then assess how much time you have remaining in your day to fill in with other nonbillable tasks.
Watch this video showing how I do that.
Conclusion
Managing your schedule as a freelance editor doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a clear plan for your billable projects and nonbillable tasks, you’ll be able to stay focused, reduce burnout, and make smart decisions about what to take on next.
Remember, your system doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s—it just has to work for you. Start simple, stay flexible, and refine your approach as your business grows.
