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Maker Time vs. Manager Time For Freelance Writers
… and why balancing them matters way more than you expect
Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content , with 750K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.
Posted 12.9.25
I wondered why my early freelancing days felt uncontrollably busy, yet strangely unproductive. I wasn’t writing nearly enough. Guilt reigned.
I learned the hard way about maker time vs manager time.
- In my head, I pictured hours at my keyboard. Words overflowed into articles, onto my websites, and into valuable content for clients.
- In reality, I was bouncing between client calls, admin tasks, and the half-written article that was begging for my attention. My fingers itched to write content, but routine tasks ate into my creative time. I needed to make time to manage.
No one warned me that I’d accidentally signed up for two jobs.
Spoiler: I learned this conflict is normal for freelancers. And it’s fixable — once you understand how these two types of time actually work.
Maker time vs manager time: 2 different jobs
Maker time is when you write. It’s those long, uninterrupted stretches where your brain can sink deeply into a creative task.
But running a successful freelance writing business requires an additional work mode. You’re not just a writer. You’re a business owner, too.
Manager time is devoted to strategic planning, decision-making, and administrative tasks that keep your biz alive.
What does "maker time" look like for a freelance writer?
Maker time is the space where actual writing happens. It’s when you…
- Brainstorm ideas, angles, outlines, and messaging strategies.
- Write articles, blogs, emails, landing pages, books — whatever kinds of content are in your wheelhouse.
- Edit drafts.
- Learn new writing skills.
Maker time requires blocks. Creativity doesn’t thrive in quick bursts or constant context switching. It’s the zone where you move projects forward, making it a valuable (and often fragile) part of your freelance schedule.
You need to protect your maker time, or it will get gobbled up by the nitty-gritty that a business demands. Try these tips for setting a guard over your maker time.
- Block 2 to 3-hour chunks of uninterrupted time. Creative flow dies in 15-minute increments.
- Silence or snooze notifications. Slack, email, texts — off.
- Batch similar tasks. Write in the morning and edit in the afternoon, for example.
- Communicate boundaries. Let family, friends, and clients know when you’re unavailable so they don’t expect instant replies.
Use this worksheet to create a personalized content strategy you can stick with.
What does "manager time" look like for a freelance writer?
Manager time is the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the business running. It’s all the tasks that help you find clients, deliver work smoothly, and stay profitable, including …
- Prospecting
- Answering emails
- Scheduling calls, interviews, and meetings
- Creating proposals
- Managing projects
- Following up with clients
- Planning your workload
- Updating your website and portfolio
- Invoicing
- Tracking finances
Manager time is the secret side of freelancing that no one mentions, but everyone feels. It’s not as creatively energizing as writing, it’s not glamorous, it’s not “writing” — but without it, there is no writing business. Yet if you use your manager time well, you’ll build a steady, sustainable freelance writing career. Here are some tips for taming your manager time.
- Set a daily or weekly “CEO hour.” This keeps admin tasks from leaking into your creative time.
- Use templates for everything. Proposals, onboarding emails, invoices, follow-up messages — repeatable processes save your sanity.
- Find simple systems that work for you. Trello, Notion, Asana, or even a Google Sheet — just pick one and stick to it.
- Automate what you can — calendar booking links, invoice reminders, contract signatures.
Maker time vs manager time: the big surprise for new freelance writers
As I coach new freelance writers, most are shocked to discover …
- How much time business tasks consume.
You may dream of spending 80% of your day writing. For me, the real split is closer to 50/50. - How many skills are required to run a freelance writing business.
You’re not just a content creator. You’re a marketer, bookkeeper, project manager, salesperson, customer service rep, and operations department. - How mentally exhausting the switching can be.
Writing mode and admin mode use different parts of your brain. Research shows that when you switch tasks repeatedly, your mental capacity fades.
Managerial skills did not come naturally to me. I had to learn them one at a time. (My two college degrees are in music!) If you’re administratively gifted or have a business background, adapting will take less time.
The mindset shift that helps the most
Like me, you may need to get past the guilt and confusion about “not writing enough.” You’re not failing. You’ve taken on two jobs.
Don’t fight it. Instead, make time to manage.
- Plan for it. Learn one new biz skill at a time.
- Give it space. Block out time on your calendar.
- Treat it as essential, not a distraction.
Do that, and you’ll give your writer brain the chance to breathe — and create. And you’ll find you’re able to juggle two jobs at once.
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