tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post7587491212481735877..comments2024-03-29T04:56:56.407-07:00Comments on Dollars and Deadlines: Why I've Never Missed a Deadline--and How You Can do the SameAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12518158232642872324noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-22242567565863025002011-05-16T16:24:42.978-07:002011-05-16T16:24:42.978-07:00Glad to hear it, Karen. Thanks and hope the new pr...Glad to hear it, Karen. Thanks and hope the new process works for you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12518158232642872324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-90712680215120277152011-05-16T13:36:09.032-07:002011-05-16T13:36:09.032-07:00Appreciate this advice. I try to allow breathing r...Appreciate this advice. I try to allow breathing room when I estimate but I think I need to rethink my process a bit. This will help, thanks!Karen Langehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177923284595298347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-30664904484419927702011-05-09T17:46:10.913-07:002011-05-09T17:46:10.913-07:00Thanks for commenting, Carol,and for showing why i...Thanks for commenting, Carol,and for showing why it's so smart to work far ahead of deadline. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12518158232642872324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-90785526904722639402011-05-09T12:28:22.209-07:002011-05-09T12:28:22.209-07:00I concur with starting the background research imm...I concur with starting the background research immediately--even if your deadline is months away. On a recent story, I had trouble finding an expert, had an expert get the flu and not get back with me when promised, and all sorts of issues. The story still got in on time, but it was tight.Carol J. Alexanderhttp://caroljalexander.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-21635624175198973042011-05-09T09:37:57.794-07:002011-05-09T09:37:57.794-07:00Thanks for your post, Susan! (And BTW, I'm sti...Thanks for your post, Susan! (And BTW, I'm still digesting all the good stuff from your ebook panel at ASJA. Extremely helpful.) I've been in the same position with a "real person" who wouldn't work out, because she wasn't attractive enough (in the eyes of my editor, anyway), and that just adds one more layer to the, um, challenge of finding anecdotal sources. <br /><br />I love real people, really...I just don't like having to find and interview them. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12518158232642872324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956176634474051220.post-82191202268297924992011-05-09T09:33:21.118-07:002011-05-09T09:33:21.118-07:00Kelly: your philosophy is so simple, yet many free...Kelly: your philosophy is so simple, yet many freelancers find themselves over-committing because they don't take the time to think through the deadline first. I feel your pain on the "real people" sources. Recently a nonprofit referred me to a woman with a fascinating story for a woman's magazine article. They told me she was in her early forties, which was on the upper end of the magazine's readership, but I figured her story was so interesting that readers would enjoy it. Then when I interviewed her, I asked to verify her age and discovered that she's a bit further outside of the magazine's demographic so I had to find a new "real woman." I hated to do that but I also knew that my editor would insist on it. The struggle with "real people" sources (esp. for women's magazines) is that not only must they have a compelling story but they must also fit a certain demographic and be photogenic enough for the art directory's standards. Often you also have to find an ethnically diverse group of sources to satisfy the magazine's need for diversity, which adds another layer of difficulty. I don't blame you at all for focusing on expert sources!Susan Johnston Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09225671002159447902noreply@blogger.com