Cal, I use iCal separately from my e-mail. I’m probably using only a fraction of the functionality of iCal…I use it to schedule interviews and deadlines. I don’t use the alert function. I put interviews in red and deadlines in blue. That’s it!

iOrganize sounds pretty interesting…I’ll check it out.

My system is much simpler, though after looking at yours if you are so productive because you’ve got a such a system in place or vice versa.

A few observations:
Do you use iCal as a separate application from your email? I use the calendar for Entourage for most of what you’re doing, I like the reminder function, use it to send “invites” for appointments (remind my wife we’re having dinner with friends) and recurring events (birthdays etc.) I have never used iCal, just opened it after reading your article and wonder what plusses it has…

I work mostly pay-for-word, so the excel system wouldn’t make much sense for me. I never know exactly how much it’ll come to until it’s finished — I also take pictures so until I know how many will be used so I don’t know what the final fee will be, either.

I use a database program called iOrganize — it cuts out most of what you use Word and folders for. You can create a category for the article and throw all of that stuff into separate notes, plus other articles or links for stuff you come across and might find useful.

When the piece is filed, I usually follow up with the ed, that last email is what prompts me to bill.

For the “finding sources” part of the article, I map out what voices I’m looking for on a notebook (an 8×10) that I flag with a post it at the top for each story that I jot down phone numbers etc.
So to fill out a piece that starts with rising obesity statistics, I need a serial dieter, a nutritionist, a researcher, an author or whatever.

I set up a folder on my email and put the name of the story and then put an any emails pertaining to it in that file.

So far, that’s all I’ve got going..lol