Episode 8: How to Find Your Most Productive Hours, Master Batch Working, and Protect Your Time as an Author or Illustrator

About This Episode

How to Find Your Most Productive Hours, Master Batch Working, and Protect Your Time as an Author or Illustrator

Do you feel like there’s never enough time to work on your creative goals?

You’re not alone. In Episode 8 of the Publishing Cousins podcast, Melissa and Nikki dig deep into one of the most common struggles for aspiring authors and illustrators — finding time and using it wisely.

Here’s everything they covered, plus actionable tips you can start using today.

Why Knowing Your Peak Productivity Hours Is a Game-Changer for Writers and Illustrators

Not everyone works best at the same time of day. That’s the first thing Melissa and Nikki want you to understand.

Nikki discovered her sweet spot is between 10 a.m. and noon, and again from 1 to 2 p.m. She saves her most demanding illustration work — like finalizing color art — for those hours.

Melissa, on the other hand, does her best thinking in the morning. After lunch, her energy dips. So she schedules lighter tasks like research and photo sourcing for the afternoon.

The takeaway? Pay attention to when your brain feels sharp. Then schedule your hardest work for those windows.

It may take trial and error. But once you find your pattern, protect it fiercely.

What Is Batch Working — and Why Every Author and Illustrator Should Try It

Batch working means grouping similar tasks together and completing them in one focused block of time.

For example, instead of writing one blog post on Monday, one on Wednesday, and one on Friday, you sit down and write all three at once.

Why does this work so well? Because your brain doesn’t have to switch gears constantly. You stay in the flow. You build momentum. You finish faster.

Melissa says she often spends six to eight hours on a single type of task when she’s in the groove. Nikki structures her day so that her most focus-heavy work — like finishing final artwork — lands squarely in her peak hours.

If long stretches feel overwhelming, start with two-hour cycles. Even that is enough to make a real dent in your to-do list.

How to Use Time Blocking to Make Progress on Your Creative Goals Every Single Day

Time blocking means putting your work on the calendar — and treating it like an appointment you can’t cancel.

Nikki starts every morning by reviewing her calendar. She maps out her day based on priority. The tasks that require the most focus go into her peak hours. The lighter tasks fill the rest.

Melissa keeps three separate calendars — one for work, one for writing, and one personal. Syncing them prevents double-booking and helps her say yes to the right things.

Nikki’s system is paper-based. Melissa’s is digital. The tool doesn’t matter as much as the habit.

The goal is simple: block out the time, show up, and do the work.

Finding Small Pockets of Time to Move Your Publishing Goals Forward

You don’t always need hours. Sometimes five minutes is enough.

In Episode 8, Melissa and Nikki brainstorm what you can accomplish in just a few minutes:

• Send a quick email to an editor, critique partner, or collaborator
• Jot down notes or ideas before they disappear
• Research two to five publishers to add to your submissions list
• Do a 30-second warm-up doodle to keep your illustration skills sharp

Nikki shares how she researched and whittled down her publisher list entirely by squeezing in five to ten minutes here and there. It took longer, but it got done.

Progress is progress. Even tiny steps move you forward.

The Importance of Protecting Your Time — and Learning to Say No

This is the piece most people skip. And it’s the one that makes everything else fall apart.

If you don’t protect your creative work time, it will disappear. Something — or someone — will fill it.

Nikki is upfront with family and friends: when she’s working, she’s working. No guilt. No negotiation. Her art is her livelihood, and she treats it that way.

Melissa admits she used to say yes to everything. Now she blocks personal time on her calendar too — time for her husband, her family, and herself — alongside her work blocks.

If people in your life push back, be kind but firm. You don’t have to explain yourself. You just have to show up for your goals consistently.

As Nikki puts it: just because you love what you do doesn’t make it less important.

Keeping Your Goals Visible: Vision Boards, Inspiration, and Creative Environments

One simple trick that keeps Nikki motivated? Keeping her goals in front of her — literally.

She talks about vision boards, putting favorite books face-out on shelves, and surrounding yourself with visual inspiration. She even took a job at a library so she’d be immersed in books every day.

One of her friends turned her vision board into a desktop wallpaper — so it’s the first thing she sees every time she opens her computer.

You don’t need a fancy setup. You just need regular reminders of why you’re doing this.

Listen to Episode 8 of the Publishing Cousins Podcast

Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress on your writing or illustration career?

Tune in to Episode 8 of the Publishing Cousins podcast for the full conversation.