Why "just one more thing" hurts your freelance efficiency
How to stop self-inflicted scope creep and protect your time
Self-inflicted scope creep often results from perfectionism gone awry. Sometimes, it’s the urge to convert all of our hard-earned research and interviews into usable content. Whenever I start trying to add “just one more thing,” I remind myself:
Readers and freelance clients only see the final product. I’m the only one who knows what lands on the cutting-room floor.
In principle, it’s similar to what I discussed last week, about the hazards of endlessly tweaking freelance estimates. Let’s work through an example. You’re assigned a 1,000-word article that requires interviewing three people. On paper, that seems fine. When you run the numbers, you can see the issue:
Average interview: 15 minutes (conservatively; some people take that long just to clear their throat)
Average speaking pace: ~180 words a minute (~2,700 words per interviewee)
Three interview total: 8,100 words of raw material (before accounting for background research)
It’s a simple illustration of why it’s often easier to write long stories than short ones. Writing tight demands merciless cutting.
How to Cut Ruthlessly Without Feeling Guilty
After transcribing everything with otter.ai, here’s my thought process:
Not all content is created equal. Cut anything that’s definitely not usable, even if it’s interesting. Prioritize the strongest material and paste it up top under possible topic headings/outline points.
Not every source is equally important. You may feel obligated to quote everyone at least once (especially if an editor suggested them), but some interviewees are more insightful than others.
Not every source can tell their whole story. I always mention the word count upfront to manage interviewees’ expectations, and will inform them if I’m talking to multiple sources.
Don’t make your editor or client do the cutting. Unless you’re Hunter S. Thompson, it’s unprofessional (and annoying) to exceed your word count by any significant amount. If I have extra content that I’d like the editor to see, I’ll put it in a sidebar clearly marked “optional”—making it easy to keep or cut.
It’s understandable to want to squeeze every drop out of your source material. But taken too far, it hurts your efficiency without necessarily improving the final product.
Next time you start feeling guilty about leaving something out, repeat after me:
“Nobody but me knows what’s on the cutting-room floor.”
In the comments:
What’s your biggest source of self-inflicted scope creep?
Do you have a process that helps you cut more ruthlessly?