How Long Have I Got, Doc?

A brief utility post.

I’m gradually realising that, as a freelance editor, I still need some of the geeky tech skills I used in my former life as a scientist. I thought life outside the NHS would be all wafting about being creative, with lots of scarves and mindfulness and dangly earrings, but it turns out I still need to know my way around a spreadsheet.

Which leads me to this.

One of the things I’ve found myself needing to do, particularly as a relative newcomer, is to estimate the amount of time I’ll need to complete an ongoing project. This helps me to keep authors updated with when they can expect to hear back from me, and helps me to know when (or if) I can squeeze in that oh-so-tempting offer from the freelancing website (you know the one).

And I’d hazard a guess that some other editors need to do this, too. So, because editors are a friendly and helpful bunch, I’ve decided to share the spreadsheet I made for just this kind of calculation. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but give me a yell from the Comments form if you need any help.

Enjoy!

Project time calculator blank