by Leslie A. Sartor

Created on: April 16, 2008   Last Updated: April 17, 2008

Just How Important Is It To Meet Your Deadlines?

You may think this is a no-brainer question, and I can you hear you right now saying, "Silly woman, of course it's important." Read on and see why I even bother to bring up the question.

Recently, during a BIAY (Book in a Year) progress check-in, a pre-published writer made the comment; "When I'm on the clock, I wouldn't dream of missing a deadline, but I get sloppy when I'm off the clock."

Her comment instantly reminded me of countless other times I've heard or seen variations of deadline sloppiness. So I started questioning why a writing deadline is less important than any other deadline? Isn't this a career?

Again, I'm hearing you say, "But I don't make any money at this...yet, so it's not really a career." Let's see if the definition of career changes your mind. From the Oxford Dictionary: Career >noun 1. An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life, usually with opportunities for progress.

Now are you convinced you're endeavoring in a writing career? I hope the answer is a resounding yes.

It is my strong belief that if you have a page count deadline, a contest to enter or a proposal to send off, your deadline is no less important to meet than a NY Times best-selling author's deadline.

But it isn't only the pre-published writers who can be sloppy with a deadline. You'd imagine a published writer would be crazy to miss any deadline, be it a personal deadline to finish a book so it can boost a career, or a publisher's deadline because the book is under contract. Yet it happens. Careers have stalled or ended because of missed deadlines.

I know life intrudes and even with the best intentions, a deadline can slip away. And that's okay, as long as you meet the next one. WHY am I so emphatic about this? Because if you can't keep to your deadlines now, you'll have a much harder time meeting contractual, career boosting deadlines. By putting word after word on the page so your deadline is met is what gets a book, a proposal, or magazine article DONE. Then you have your next deadline to set, getting your work to a publisher, an agent or critique group. You make progress.

And that's what it's all about.

So if you're having trouble meeting the deadlines you've set or have been set for you, reassess why, and if you can, set new deadlines that make you stretch, but still be met. It's good practice for the rest of your career.

Now, off my soapbox and onto my next deadline.

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