How To Keep Track of the Business of Writing

Tax Day is almost here, at least in the U.S., but it has me thinking. The year is not too far gone to keep better track of my business for next year. It doesn't matter that I haven't made much in earnings, deductions count, too. So I decided to uncover the information I need to do it well.

First of all, over at Seekerville, they have a quick ten-question quiz on how you rate at treating your writing like a business. They follow it up with a gathering of links that will help you with tax questions.

Agent Rachelle Gardner wrote a post on Keeping Track of Things. She writes mainly to unpublished authors, and encourages writers to get in the record-keeping habit early on--even when you're not earning anything. Check her comments section for more ideas. Rachelle also shared some good information in The Tax Man Cometh and Writers and Taxes.

Does the thought of creating some kind of filing system have you breaking out in a sweat? Check out my post here, where I share a link to Julie Hood's website. You can download her free 30-page Writer's Planner, with all the printable forms you need.

For a personal financial binder to keep everything in, here's a great article on How To Create a Financial Binder.

Here's Chuch Sambuchino's post on Tax Tips for Writers.

If you're freelancing, or doing research or other tasks by the clock, it may be helpful for you to be able to document the time you've spent. Or maybe you novelists just want to know how long your manuscript is taking you to write. Download the free Klok Program--a personal time-tracking program.

How do you keep track of expenses and income for your writing?