There is no average number of projects and no typical work day for me. I need to be flexible because my workload varies tremendously. Sometimes I might be juggling five different projects and working 14 hours a day. Other times, I may have no set projects to work on. That's when I go to my idea file and work on new proposals. I also call editors I've worked with and ask if they have any assignments for me. They usually say no, but the call puts me in the front of their minds. When they do have an assignment, they may think of me first.
To stay organized, I use Excel spreadsheets-one for business expenses, one for payments, one to track proposals I've sent out. I have a calendar in my office where I note all my deadlines. I also keep a daily log of my activities. This is especially important for projects where I charge an hourly rate. I have a large vertical filing cabinet with a file for each project and each publisher. I also have a current idea file, more extensive files for topics that interest me, and a contact file.
I'm definitely a morning person, so I always write then. I can accomplish more between 6 and 9 a.m. than between 9 and 5. I maximize my productivity by doing my most intellectually demanding work when my body is most alert. This allows me to really focus on what I'm doing. Also, there are fewer distractions in the early morning.
In the afternoons, I may write some more if I'm close to a deadline. But most of the time, this is when I do research or marketing or background reading. I read as many kids science books as I can, and I read many of the major science magazines. I need to stay up to date on the publishing industry as well as scientific discoveries.
