Guest Posts | Page 2 | Be a Freelance Blogger

By Sef Cruz 3 Comments — Last updated October 15, 2016

How to Write a Blog Post in 8 Steps: Back to Basics

We all know that Be a Freelance Blogger is the place to go when you want to learn how to become a better freelance blogger. There are articles on how to get hired, how to “stay sane” while working, and how to get paid what you deserve.

Most importantly perhaps, BAFB is great about sharing how to write pitches that “sell” your blog posts. The quarterly Pitchfest contests are great for that – showing freelance bloggers exactly what needs to be said in order to get an idea accepted by an editor or potential client.

However, writing the best pitch in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t deliver on the final product.

As strange as it may sound, a lot of “freelance bloggers” out there simply don’t know how to write a great blog post!

We’ve gotten so caught up in what comes next – getting a raise, or what have you – that we’ve ignored the most basic element of our jobs: Writing blog posts that captivate our audiences and please our clients.

So, whether you’re a complete newbie or an established blogger, let’s go over the basics. Here are eight elements each of your blog posts needs in order to succeed: [Read more…]

By Andrew Howe 6 Comments — Last updated October 8, 2016

How to Not Burn Out While Working Freelance

You have been scrolling different websites for several hours to find something to boost inspiration. And it’s not the first time you realize that time goes by soooooo slowly.

Neither articles nor motivational quotes help you roll up your sleeves to start writing a good blog post.

Hold on a minute. Are you about to burn out?

Let’s check it:

You procrastinate at work (Oops! It seems, you do!)
Irritating mood
You don’t have motivation
Decreased working performance (how many articles have you written today?)
You get negative feedback from your clients
A lack of creative ideas (you’ve run out of good ideas)

If you are nodding right now, I have bad news for you then: you might be emotionally and physically exhausted.

Being a freelance blogger, you spend much time reading, writing, editing, seeking out new clients, communicating with customers, being in contact with your readers, and managing your time.

Obviously, being responsible for your work from A to Z is not an easy thing to do, and it can lead to a burnout. [Read more…]

By Jorden Roper 23 Comments — Last updated October 1, 2016

Exactly How I Doubled My Freelance Blogging Rates in Less Than One Year

About a year and a half ago, I was where you probably are today.

Underpaid, overworked, and wondering how the hell I was going to find clients who’d pay hundreds of dollars for a blog post.

I get it – when you’re starting out, booking yourself with tons of high-paying freelance blogging clients seems about as achievable as chugging an entire 30-pack of beer without barfing your guts up the next day.

But I’m here to tell you that it is possible to boost your freelance blogging pay fast.

When I started freelancing full-time, I charged about 10 cents per word. Now, I typically charge a flat rate that is twice that (or more!).

You may be thinking:

That sounds too good to be true. I don’t have a degree or any connections to help me make it happen.

I didn’t have those things either. But what I did have was a crazy work ethic and marketing/sales knowledge – that’s what helped me scale my business so fast.

So today, I want to share that knowledge with you. Keep reading, and you’ll learn 4 strategies you can use to double your freelance blogging rates. [Read more…]

By Emma-Louise Hudson 3 Comments — Last updated September 17, 2016

6 Simple Steps for Optimized Blog Posts That’ll Wow Your Clients

The hours of diligent studying have paid off; you’ve got your first gig as a freelance blogger! You know you should be excited, and you have a great idea for a post.

But your head is full of doubts. Is it enough to just write a post? Will my client’s audience be able to find it? What happens if no one reads it?

You’re scared your client will think you’re an amateur. But there is good news! Improving the visibility of web content in search results is no secret, nor will it take you weeks to learn how to do it.

In fact, you can optimize your blog posts and make them search engine friendly in six steps using some simple SEO techniques. [Read more…]

By Ashley Gainer 9 Comments — Last updated September 10, 2016

How to Come Up with Blogging Ideas Forever and Ever

As a regular contributor here at BAFB, my job is to come up with an idea that you lovely readers will find helpful and relevant, and then write it up. I’ve been a reader here for years, and a freelance writer even longer, so usually it’s a lot of fun to come up with a few quick ideas to pitch.

Usually… but not always.

I use calendar reminders religiously to keep track of deadlines (you have a system to help you track deadlines, too, right?). So when I got the reminder that it was time to submit an idea for my next BAFB post, I opened up a new email, tapped out a quick introduction, and waited for the ideas to come.

But to my horror, all I had was… a whole lotta nothing.

Nothing!

I’m kind of an “idea person” — I have pages of ideas for various topics. My favorite part of pitching new gigs is the “send us some ideas” part. I even have an idea generation module in one of the courses I offer, for crying out loud.

But my idea well was completely dry.

What to do when you have no ideas

Whether you’re pitching a new client, trying to land a hot guest post, or coming up with content for your own blog, there will be a time when you don’t have any ideas. [Read more…]

By Karen Banes 7 Comments — Last updated September 3, 2016

How to Drastically Improve Your Freelance Acceptance Rate

If there’s one constant we all deal with as freelance bloggers, it’s rejection.

It happens to all of us. In different ways. Sometimes it’s a polite no thank you, sometimes it’s silence, and sometimes it’s a scathing commentary of why our idea sucks on every level.

Whether you’ve sent a quick query letter, spent hours on the perfect pitch, or written a whole piece from scratch, there’s only one thing you want, and that’s an acceptance. There are no guarantees in the world of freelance blogging, but there are some steps you can take to improve your chances. [Read more…]

By Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor 3 Comments — Last updated August 27, 2016

Your Freelance Blogger Tarot Reading

Hey there, fellow freelance blogger!

My name is Lauren Tharp.

I’m a freelance blogger for hire, but I also do tarot readings as a hobby.

My most recent reading was unusual though.

I had done it on myself; however, I realized that it could easily apply to you as well. Yes, you, fellow freelance blogger. No, really! Humor me.

Let me take you through your freelance blogger’s tarot reading… [Read more…]

By Kristy Rice Leave a Comment — Last updated August 20, 2016

The Ultimate Pre-Pitch Checklist

You know the feeling: you’ve just hit the send button on a pitch to a super-amazing blog and it’s like you have a lottery ticket in your pocket…and the jackpot is astronomical! Your whole body is charged with electric possibility. And then (at a varying percentage rate) comes the let down: rejection. And it hurts. Hell, it downright sucks.

So you buy books full of sample queries of what works and what doesn’t and you sign up for webinars that promise to show you how to fix your shitty pitches and if you’ve done your research before crafting your proposal, great! Obviously something else is wrong.

But what if you didn’t? The number one complaint of editors listed in Writer’s Market is that submissions are not suited to their publication. That means there’s a serious lack of research not going on. But that’s not going to happen to you because you’re going to follow a checklist for researching each and every blog before you pitch them your article and here’s what you’re going to look for: [Read more…]

By Alicia Rades, BAFB Moderator 7 Comments — Last updated August 17, 2016

Be the Bait: 4 Tactics to Reel Blogging Clients In

Raise your hand if you like fishing.

Me? Not so much. Maybe it was because my husband took me fishing too often when we were dating, but it’s just not my thing.

Is it ironic then that when I started my freelance blogging career, I wanted to take on the role of the fisherman?

Here’s the thing. You can either be a fish in a sea of other fishes (read: freelance bloggers) and seek out the same clients everyone else is, or you can be be the bait and attract the myriad of fish in another pond. Those other fish? They’re your clients.

When I started freelance blogging seriously, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to spend all my time pitching to clients. I wanted them to come to me. And now they do.

Here’s how I reel in blogging clients and how you can, too. [Read more…]