Tool Tip: Using ClickUp to Manage Writing Projects (and Anything Else on Your Plate)

Last December, I decided to invest in a project management app to help me track my work and identify openings on my calendar for new clients and opportunities. Most project management applications offer a similar suite of options, and many offer a free version. I used the free version of Asana for years, but I wanted the ability to have start and end dates on tasks (you only get start dates with a paid account). Adding custom fields and using templates was also limited on the free version. Finally, I liked the visual interface with Asana; it allowed me to assign a different color to each project. All tasks associated with that project were then tagged with that color in lists and calendars, allowing me to see at a glance what projects were on deck during particular periods. However, the price tag for Asana is pretty steep, especially for a single user. So, I opted to buy an Unlimited Plan from ClickUp, which costs $60 per year compared to more than $250 for a similar set of features with Asana.

So, a year in, I am reflecting on my ClickUp experience and how academic writers might use this or a similar app to manage multiple writing projects alongside teaching, service, and other commitments.

ClickUp has three primary levels of organization: spaces, folders, and lists. I use spaces to organize my projects by client or type of work. Someone writing an academic book might create a space for that project, and they might have other spaces devoted to journal manuscripts in progress, committee work, teaching, etc. Essentially, anything that requires planning, organization, and coordination might warrant a space.

Folders live within projects and provide opportunities for further organization. A book project might have a folder for every chapter that includes task lists, detailed outlines, or notes. Similarly, a journals space might have a folder for each manuscript in progress. The teaching space might have a folder for each course and so on.

The task is the basic building block of ClickUp. With a paid account, you can add custom fields to each task. The fields I use frequently include start date, end date, time estimate, time tracking, and page count. The latter is a custom field that helps me calculate editing speed by recording the manuscript length before I begin work. Writers might use this type of field to note word or page limits set by the publisher or to record their own productivity. The task has space for notes and comments and allows you to attach files.

I find the notes space useful for my writing tasks, especially my blog. I typically add a new blog post idea as a task in the dedicated blog task list. When I add the task, I might jot down a quick outline or embed bookmarks to websites I want to be sure to highlight as resources in the posts. Academic writers might have a space in ClickUp dedicated to future projects where they organize notes, a list of things to read, contact information for potential collaborators, etc.

Finally, you can add a checklist or subtasks to break a larger task into smaller steps. Because my editing projects tend to involve similar tasks, I create a single task for each manuscript and then add a checklist of specific editing steps, which don’t vary all that much across projects. If the project has multiple collaborators (e.g., a co-authored chapter), subtasks might be more useful because they can be assigned to specific individuals.

Tasks are organized in lists, and you can keep track of where you are with specific tasks by using a built-in set of statuses (e.g., open, in progress, complete) or creating your own. The Kanban (or board) view allows you to see how many tasks are in each status. I tend to use the list and calendar views the most often. The list view provides me with a project-level overview, while the calendar view helps me see where my workload is the heaviest and where possible bottlenecks may be. When I see a potential problem, I can drag the task to another spot on the calendar. I also played around with the mind map view while writing a literature review last year. But this view would also be useful for mapping out the workflow for a project (e.g., managing an edited collection, designing a research study). Because each node represents a task or subtasks, you can add start and end dates, assign them to collaborators, and view them as a list or on a calendar once the project gets underway.

(1) Nested structure of my organization in lefthand column (spaces, folders, and lists) and list view associated with current editing project. (2) Calendar view includes synced appointments and tasks at a glance (including the book I am currently reading for pleasure). (3) List view of upcoming tasks across all projects.

ClickUp offers a two-way sync with the Google Calendar, and I have mine set up to show my calendar events in ClickUp so I can work around those events. This feature helps me know when I have time available to schedule tasks. You can also sync ClickUp tasks to your primary calendar (Google, Outlook, and iCal are supported).

One other feature that I use quite a lot is time tracking. ClickUp has a built-in time-tracking feature. When developing a project, I usually estimate how much time a task will take, which helps me find windows on my calendar for scheduling it. I also track the actual time spent to gain better insight into planning and organizing future projects. Elsewhere I have written about keeping a writing log as a source of motivation and accountability. Time tracking in ClickUp allows you to incorporate the writing log into your project management.

A year in, I am still finetuning my approach to using ClickUp as a planning and organizational tool. That said, I think it has been worth the investment financially and in terms of time spent learning the application and building out projects.

I'd love to hear whether you are using a project management tool to manage your writing projects and other obligations. Which tool(s) are you using, and how is it working for you?

Pricing as of January 2023

ClickUp $9 per user per month or $60 per user per year

Asana $13.49 per user per month or $131.88 per user per year (minimum of 2 users)