Writing guide
Track your writing income like a business
What to log, why the pending column matters, and the client-concentration warning.
Writers who track every payment spot the patterns that change businesses.
What gets measured gets negotiated. A writer who knows last quarter’s average per piece negotiates from data; one who does not negotiates from hope.
Log four things. Client, amount, date, status - paid, invoiced or pending. Nothing else is needed to see the year clearly.
Respect the pending column. Invoiced money is earned money you cannot touch. Watching that number is how you notice a client quietly going slow before it becomes a crisis.
Watch client concentration. When one client passes half your paid income, you do not have a client - you have an employer with no obligations. Diversify deliberately.
Back it up. Export your ledger somewhere safe now and then; a cleared browser cache should never cost you a year of records.
This is the short version. The full guide: track your writing income goes further: rates, where to look, and what to do after the first yes.