Deadlines! What does one really know about them? We know they’re a set point in time when a specific piece, or a project must be completed by. There are deadlines all through life. When a child is conceived there’s an estimated deadline. When you have to be at work by 8 am Monday morning, you’re on a deadline. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. We’re controlled by deadlines, trapping us in measurable moments of time in which our lives are scaled. We get to count the grains of sand as they pass by, wondering when those final bits will settle into the hourglass of life. I’m not going to get too philosophical here, but I believe there is an importance to understanding the connection between these things.
As a writer, I’m sure you’ve experienced moments of self-doubt. You ask yourself how you’re going to get all of these stories out of your head and onto paper (or screen with modern technology). There never seems to be enough time in the day, especially when you’re up against a deadline. But I assure you, fighting a deadline isn’t just restricted to our craft. I’d go into a bit more detail on that, but I fear I’d end up repeating myself as I so often do. Some of us need deadlines. They force us to get off our ass and do something. If you know your project has to be done by a certain date, it lingers in the back of your mind that the time is counting down. You don’t want to face the consequences for missing it. Sometimes a missed deadline can be as minor as a slap on the wrist, or a week’s delay on publishing. Others can be a bit more severe and result in the end of your career. With the spectrum of severity, it’s safe to say that deadlines are the source of a great amount of stress. But again, they should motivate you. We’re unique in the fact that rarely do we have anyone ride our ass and tell us to get back to work. That responsibility falls on our shoulders. We have to motivate ourselves. And deadlines are a great way to do that. Especially if we understand the consequences for missing one.
Some people don’t use deadlines. They don’t like the stress of them. And to a degree, I understand. But often times, these people that have been working on the same project for many years and still don’t have anything to show for it. Most of the time, these are not professionals. They’re the ones that want to claim the status of author, but they can’t direct you to any of their work because they haven’t finished anything. This goes back to my motto I said a while back. “It doesn’t have to be a perfect piece. But it does have to be finished.” If you don’t set deadlines for yourself, if you don’t take your career seriously, how do you expect a publisher to?
Missed deadlines are a serious business when it comes to publishers. I’ve worked with many that will never work with you again if you miss just one. There are no second chances. As harsh as that may seem, I agree with them. Deadlines are set for a reason. If I hire someone to do a job, especially if I’m paying them for it, I expect the job to be complete by the agreed upon time. I shouldn’t have to call you the day of and ask where we’re sitting. I shouldn’t have to listen to a number of excuses as to why the project isn’t on time. I understand that life happens, but we’re professionals. If you can’t handle the job, then don’t agree to it. As simple as that its, let me put it in perspective. Let’s say you’re a week late on your deadline. That means you’re forcing the next guy to start a week late. Sometimes this lost time can be made up and the project can launch on time, but many times it can’t. That lost week puts him behind on his other jobs, which puts everything he has to do behind, not just on this project, but every one he’s working on. The guy after that finally gets it, which puts him behind. Eventually, by the time the project is done, it’s not only late, but every project associated with anyone involved is now late. And it all happened because one person didn’t do their job initially. Customers are pissed because you lied to them. That means lost revenue, lost customers, and possibly a lost career. On the day of the deadline, I should be able to open my inbox and see the finished project resting there, ready for the next step. When that happens, everybody’s happy, and everybody’s making money.