How's Your Fall Calendar Shaping Up?

It’s August, but here in Pennsylvania, we’ve had temperatures in the low 70’s all week. After a few heat waves that overstayed their welcomes, I’ll take the cooler temps.

Of course, the cooler temps (and the leaves that I’ve noticed have started to change color already) is making me think back to school, fall, and a much busier schedule. My “busier schedule” will look considerably different than it did even 3 months ago, when I was squeezing grad school, freelancing, and teaching gigs around my full-time job. Despite my best efforts and a fair number of interviews, the job hunt continues, as well as sending out LOI’s and queries to editors. My calendar is lightening up considerably after next week, but I’m hoping to fill it with more deadlines before too long.

Let’s see. I’ve had more luck with sending LOI’s lately than I ever have before. Last week I contacted editors at 2 respective “niche” career trade publications, and I received encouraging responses. It sounded as though one of the editors was definitely interested in what I have to offer—the other one left the response a bit more “open”, so I sent a nice follow-up with the standard “Please keep me in mind for any future assignments” line. So, here’s hoping he will. I also made contact with 2 local colleges about their alumni magazines, so I’m hoping to land some work from them, too.

I’m doing a bit more querying and idea pitching, but nothing’s come through on those yet. Earlier this summer I got an email from an editor I’d contacted last year. She apologized for never getting back to me and asked if I had any other ideas for their publication. I was going through my rough patch and not in much condition to form a coherent thought, but I did send her a few ideas. This was at the beginning of July. Since then—nothing. No responses to my “friendly” (but increasingly persistent) follow-ups, either. Thinking I should cut bait on this one, but I hate doing that.

Anyway, at the moment my freelancing schedule has a lot of feelers out there, but the assignment calendar still has a lot of openings. In between writing projects, I’m teaching again, taking my LAST grad class and tackling my grad capstone project, and teaching 2 short-term writing workshops, so I’m thinking I’ll be busier than I anticipate!

What about you? How’s your fall schedule coming together?