Learn to make REAL money blogging for hire
You’re going DOWN, Sophie Lizard!*
In 2014, Sophie collaborated with Gary Korisko on a post and video called “Why Freelance Blogging is NOT a Numbers Game” that contains this tidbit:
Dashing off sloppy pitches to every blog in the universe is not the most profitable use of your time.”
Since my pet saying is “Freelance writing is a numbers game,” I’m taking this very, very personally. What, Gary and Sophie, you lookin’ at me?
Wanna see me get mad? Just watch this video: [Read more…]
“I should be grateful, but…”
Has this ever happened to you?
For months your blogging income was stuck at near-poverty level, and you would have done anything for more work. Then, almost without warning, more work started flooding in — and suddenly, you’d do anything to get back the time it’s taking to keep up.
Three months after this first happened to me, the “feast” of work continues and so does the periodic “indigestion.”
Sure, it’s nice to be rid of the financial worries from the time when my regular income was a third of what it is now; but I hadn’t anticipated the recurring fears of inadequacy, the surges of irritability, the lows of emotional depression following the highs of frantic work.
It can be stressful being in a profession where your income rises and falls with busyness — “busyness” defined as keeping up with a LOT of small individual projects at once.
I’m learning to cope. This is, after all, the earning level I hope to stay at or above for the rest of my working days.
My top nuggets of wisdom for other freelance bloggers who’ve been served their first “feast”:
Freelance bloggers are constantly looking for ways to spread their talent to outlets all over the internet. Let’s be honest, having your own blog is nice — but, when you get published on a website with hundreds of thousands of unique visitors a month, it feels great!
Getting content published to big name websites isn’t easy, but it IS worth it. The satisfaction of getting your creativity out to scores of people while making money is perhaps one of the most rewarding feelings on planet Earth.
The biggest hurdle that you’ll have to champion when sending out a guest post pitch involves getting past the editor of the website. Editors, in particular head editors, act as gatekeepers for the publication. Their primary responsibility is making sure that high quality, amazing content gets published to the site that they operate.
If you can get the editor’s attention in a POSITIVE way you stand a good chance at getting published. We are going to dissect the steps involved in getting the pitching editor to take a look at your pitch — and respond favorably!
The editor’s code is complex, there is no doubt about it. But if you have the proper resources and know-how, you too can get a piece published just about anywhere. [Read more…]
Your freelance blogging dream was a trap.
And you never saw it coming.
“Get as many clients as you can,” they said. “You’ll always have steady work!”
And you did! Now your calendar is full, and you churn out blog posts like nobody’s business.
So… how is that bad?
I’m glad you asked!
For your freelance blogging business to thrive, getting steady work at a steady rate isn’t enough. I mean, if “steady” were all you wanted, you might as well have stayed at your day job!
You need room for growth. For raising your rates to reflect the growing value of your work. For landing new high-paying clients. You can’t afford to be stuck on a hamster wheel of writing blog posts, day in and day out.
For most freelance bloggers, solving this problem boils down to three options: [Read more…]
There are lots of challenges you never realize you’ll need to deal with when you first dream of becoming a freelance blogger.
Some of them you can brace yourself for if you read blogs like this one — things like how to ask for the rate you want, how to avoid problem clients, or how to occasionally shower before dinnertime so your partner doesn’t come home and wonder, for the 40th day in a row, if you are or are not in the exact same position you were when they left for work that morning.
Other challenges don’t get as much airplay on blogging blogs, but when you find yourself commiserating with fellow freelancers, you realize they’re just as prevalent — and just as much a cause of EOFHL (Early Onset Freelancer Hair Loss).
Which is why I think it’s time we talk about something that has nothing to do with productivity or process or profit. That thing?
The incredibly dumb, ridiculous, silly and annoying questions you will find yourself fielding from friends, loved ones and random strangers when they find out what you do for a living.
See if any of these sound familiar to you… [Read more…]
Landing a client can be a big deal. Like your first kiss big deal. (Judgment aside, this hopefully isn’t how you got the client.)
You’re geeked. You love this client for giving you the chance to prove your mad blogging skills and you’re certain you’ve found a slice of freelance blogging nirvana.
Then, some weird stuff starts going down with client. Still, your sheer appreciation for the opportunity keeps the eternal flame of love aglow. It is in this ardor that you may not recognize that the client could actually be an asshole bad news. After all, love is blind.
So to help you see more clearly, here’s a rundown of six types of clients around whom you’ll want to steer a wide berth. [Read more…]
Want to blog for a living but don’t know where to go?
Are you unsure if you could even make enough money through blogging to pay the bills?
Do you want to blog but you aren’t sure if you have what it takes?
I’m sure you’re answering “yes” to at least one of those questions…if not more of them. In fact, those are questions I’ve asked myself six months ago.
As a newbie, I wasn’t sure if I could make a living as a blogger or if I would be successful. I’m sure you are thinking about the same thing.
I’m here now after several months to tell you that you need to put those misconceptions to rest and put yourself out there.
I know you’re thinking that saying that is much easier than actually doing it. Trust me…I know all about that frame of mind.
This post is here to show you that you can beat these misconceptions; they do not need to break you. I have made a list of the top six misconceptions I’ve seen and have dealt with myself.
I wanted to share this information with you so you can be successful (like the people at BAFB). I want you to keep reading so you can learn how to beat these misconceptions where they stand. [Read more…]
What makes us, freelance bloggers, different from writers?
We don’t believe that same old megillah about inspiration necessary for creating lip-smacking content. (Clients would kill us twice or thrice if we sat and waited for inspiration instead of met deadlines.)
And we’ll never agree with those claiming that everyone can master a writing craft once and forever.
Because all that’s bulls**t!
To master a writing craft, freelance bloggers dive into unknown niches, research, play with words, and polish drafts statedly.
We don’t write texts.
We build them.
But, to build well, we have to overcome fears. Some prevent us from writing, some turn into loathing; but none of us denies them. BAFB readers confirm: [Read more…]
If you’ve been blogging for any amount of time, you’ve probably run up against the experience of negotiating. If it went well, congrats! No, seriously, kudos. Because negotiating can be damn tricky. And if it left you stressed to post traumatic proportions, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in good company. We’ve all been there.
Relationships are hard. And negotiating is just another relationship. It takes practice.
Whether negotiating with your client for more money, your best friend/partner/spouse to make dinner, or your neighbors to remove the avocado colored refrigerator from their front porch, there’s a lot of psychology tied up in it. And you can’t seek out the comfy couch of a negotiations counselor when things get rough.
You don’t have to. Next time you’re suiting up for negotiations, consider the following questions and the psychology behind them. Then use this knowledge to your advantage. [Read more…]