The Productivity of Working At Your Favorite Coffee Shop Without Your Phone

I spent a day without my phone: It was fun and productive as hell.

Disclaimer: I love my MacBook Air and do my best work on the weekend, so I always had Internet connection. I didn’t spend a day in the woods with a notebook, which has been known to work for some authors.

Of course, I should mention that while I’m not attached to my phone; I’m rather attached to my Mac. So my phone doesn’t distract me much. Still, its absence proved me even more productive. And if my “did” list doesn’t impress you much, remember it was Sunday. And I started late.

Here’s what I got done:

• I went over the guidelines of a publication I wanted to pitch. I learned that whether I was applying to be a one-time contributor or a regular one, I needed to use their submissions form and pitch three ideas in details. Didn’t know that. I had one great idea. I’ll keep brainstorming.

• I made a list of my previously pitched ideas that haven’t found a home yet. I’ve pitched once or twice and then have forgotten about them. Shame on me for not keeping a better ideas log. (In my defense, I have too many ideas.)

• I learned that I can only use HARO for myself if my publication, or the publication I worked for, had an Alexa ranking of 1 million or less. I’ll find experts other ways which of course include reaching out to Facebook groups run by and for industry experts.

• I checked what article rights I had sold (for how long) to a publication. Turns out, there’s still a lot of time before I can resell. But most importantly, I can resell.

• I went over the articles on the same site and realized my idea will fit.

• I reread quite a few posts on Writers in Charge. Summer is fast approaching, and I want to raise my rates as well as find new clients. When you read as many books and articles on freelancing and freelance writing as I do, you don’t often run into ideas you’ve never heard of before. So it was incredibly refreshing, especially Sarah’s article 9 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Clients Who Will Actually Pay You. Also, Bamidele’s 10 Ways I’d Get Freelance Writing Clients if I Were to Start Again is a detailed must-read. Even if you’re not new to freelancing, it serves as a great checklist of what steps you should be using regardless of your strategies.

• I downloaded several podcasts interviews with publications’ editors from Susan Maccarelli’s Beyond Your Blog. 

• I read several articles from Washington Post’s Solo-ish blog – a blog I love and am trying to break into. (Incidentally, as far as I know, it’s The Washington Post’s only section open to international writers.)

• I reached out to the writers of the Solo-ish posts that I loved. I followed them on Twitter.

• I proofread several pages of my TV pilot, A Change Would Do You Good, a 2014 Creative World Awards semi-finalist.

• I bookmarked a ton of articles and markets to be read and studied later.

• I read (and bookmarked) Tor Refsland’s post on how to write an epic roundup post. I also checked the links he featured on the same post.

• Added to my to-do list for the week.

• I emptied space for my start-up disk using iBoostUp app (free) as I’ve been neglecting transferring files to an external hard drive. Yes, I love my light and stylish computer, but a gigantic memory isn’t one of its assets. Also, I have too much stuff.

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This was my Sunday. I worked with a gorgeous sea view (complements of my favorite coffee shop) and performed my magic as lovely swing and soft rock songs filled the place.

How was your day?

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are sometimes affiliate links in my post.)