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Pitch Your Blog Post, Win $100: It’s Pitchfest Time!

Pitch Your Blog Post, Win $100: It’s Pitchfest Time!

Do you have a great idea for a blog post?

Would it appeal to an audience of freelance bloggers?

Then now’s your chance to pitch your blog post idea to us and win $100 if we choose it as our favourite to publish here on Be a Freelance Blogger. 🙂

Normally, I’d write a longer introduction before announcing a new Pitchfest contest. But to be honest, I’m heavily pregnant and exhausted, so I’m just gonna lay it out and let you start pitching.

Here’s how this works…

Enter the Pitchfest!

Pitchfest: Win a $100 Blogging Prize with Be a Freelance Blogger

In case you’re not familiar, Pitchfest is a blog post pitching contest we run here on Be a Freelance Blogger every 3 months. You tell us your blog post idea and we choose our favourites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners.

The contest starts today.

Your theme for this Pitchfest

It’s open season this time around! That means we’re not focusing on any one theme, category or topic.

As long as your idea will be interesting and entertaining for freelance bloggers to read, you can pitch it. Just be sure to explain why it’s a good fit for our audience.

The rules

  • Anybody can enter the contest by typing (or pasting) their pitch into the comments box at the bottom of this page.
  • Only ONE PITCH per person, please.
  • Follow the pitch format I’ll tell you in a moment.
  • After you submit your pitch, Lauren and/or Sophie will offer feedback to help you optimise your idea for this blog’s audience and improve your pitching skills. You may also get feedback from other entrants, BAFB team members, and innocent bystanders — pay attention, because they represent your readers here.
  • After you get our feedback, you can revise your pitch if you like and re-submit it by pasting it into a follow-up comment. And yes, that means you can offer us a completely different idea if we’ve told you your first idea definitely won’t work for this blog.
  • If you win, we’ll ask you to send us a draft of at least 1000 words, so bear that minimum word count in mind when you pitch.

The prizes

  • First prize: $100 for your guest post, paid on publication.
  • Second prize: $50 for your guest post, paid on publication.
  • Third prize: A 3-question mentoring package via email.

The deadline

  • Submit your pitch before the end of Saturday, March 12th, 2015.
  • We’ll announce the winners on March 19th.
  • If we choose your pitch, we expect you to deliver your first draft to Lauren by April 2nd. (But if you need a little longer, let us know and we’ll work around it.)

How to pitch

  1. Read our general guest blogging guidelines first, then come back here to submit your pitch.
  2. Suggest at least one headline designed to make freelance bloggers want to read your post.
  3. Follow the headline with the opening lines you’d use in the post. No less than 30 words, no more than 60. You DON’T need to write a whole post (or even a whole introduction) before you pitch — we’d like to give you feedback on your idea before you write a draft.
  4. After the opening lines, give us no more than 6 points you’ll make in your post, and provide a one or two sentence summary of each point. (If you plan to make more than 6 points in your post, only tell us the most important 6 in your pitch.)
  5. Then explain in no more than 3 sentences why this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger and why you’re the right person to write it.
  6. Put your pitch in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
  7. Check the little box that says “Notify me of follow-up comments” so you’ll know when we’ve given you feedback.
  8. Submit your comment and if you followed all the steps above, you’re entered into the contest.

Extra tips

  • Remember to tell us why you think your blog idea will interest the people who read Be a Freelance Blogger.
  • To get a better idea of what Lauren and I are looking for in your pitch, study the pitches and responses in previous Pitchfests.
  • Save a copy of your pitch somewhere before you post it here — if your comment gets lost in the internet, you don’t wanna have to re-write it from scratch.
  • Your comment may get held in a moderation queue, especially if it contains hyperlinks. Don’t worry if that happens; we’ll get to it and reply!

OK, it’s time.

Let the Pitchfest begin! This contest is closed.

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Comments

  1. Headline: Why I walked away from my dream

    Not the opening lines, but the gist of the story: Recounting how my “dream” life as an entrepreneur was becoming an albatross around my neck, and how instead of fighting against it, I pivoted into teaching others and blogging about my experiences in order to help others succeed.

    #1 My background that led to becoming an entrepreneur
    #2 How I felt in the beginning (being constantly “busy” and how that must be what I wanted)
    #3 Starting to see the cracks in my life appear
    #4 Realizing that I was at a crossroads, and I needed to change
    #5 Why I decided to help others rather than hoard my experiences and knowledge
    #6 Why I never felt that walking away was a failure in my business

    I feel like there’s a big push in the world now to become an entrepreneur and do your own thing, and so many people feel that the hard fight, the debt, and the sleepless nights are just part of the process and one day they’re going to turn a corner. My story says that it’s okay to say “actually, this isn’t enough for me” and to walk away. Leaving your dream behind could turn into the freedom you’ve been looking for all along.

      • Eep! The story is geared towards freelance bloggers who are looking for a reason to jump into this world, who are afraid that pivoting from a life that they feel isn’t enough (especially if they’ve created that life themselves) is deeming that life a failure. My story says just the opposite, and I feel like can help others make the change towards a more fulfilling life that is on their terms.

        • Hey, Megan!

          This sounds like a good story for your own blog (if you have one), but it might not be a good fit for BAFB. It feels like the focus is a little too much on you rather than our readers.

          That said, it seems like it’d make a good post and I hope you put it up on your personal blog (again, if you have one). 🙂

  2. Headline: Month by month guide to starting a successful freelance blogging business

    Opening lines: Are you thinking of starting your own freelancing blogging business? It’s hard to take the jump, especially if it means saying goodbye to a perfectly nice full-time job. Set yourself up for success by putting following this month-by-month guide, and preparing yourself for what’s to come.

    6 points (1-2 sentence summary):

    – 3 months before you quit
    I’ll give advice on courses to take to learn more about blogging for business, or blogging in general, and a call to action to start putting it into practice.

    – 2 months before you quit
    Familiarize yourself with different mediums for finding work, and creating a pitching process.

    – 1 month before you quit
    Start applying for jobs and create a portfolio, and take note of what’s working and what isn’t. Start thinking about how you’re branding yourself.

    – 1 month into freelancing
    Spend most of your time pitching, including guest posting to show authority and create samples.

    – 2 months into freelancing
    Work on refining your processes and finding ways to save time.

    – 3 months into freelancing
    Take a critical look back at how far you’ve come and change your focus if necessary. Create long-term plans for growth.

    Why? Because a lot of people write posts about getting started, but don’t show a timeline with different milestones and expectations. I write a lot on the subject of blogging at ContentAcademy.com and have been freelancing for years (the past 6 months full time). I want to help people learn from my experience, including the ups and downs along the way!

      • Thanks Alicia! Another headline idea I had (trying to keep it short) is something like “A Blueprint to Start a Successful Freelance Blogging Business.”

      • Category)
        Surviving social media

        (Headline)
        Social Media balls and the haters that take cheap digs
        (Opening lines)
        In the world of social media you will deal with a lot of negativity and adversity.When you are doing great things there will always be someone there to hate you for it. It is important to learn how to disregard these people and learn to let them drive you not destroy you.
        (5 main points)
        * Having more followers that dislike you than like you? They never interact with you but are persistent to be on your social media?
        * Ever been so excited about a life event or something good in your life that you post about it and for every post you see a few posts referring to yours in a negative way?
        * Ever delete or block someone you personally know because of this and they confront you for doing so ?
        * Ever get on your social media and have it affect your mood or feelings because you know the person who took digs at you and their personality,they will never tell you how they really feel but they will post negative quotes or memes to get under your skin out of envy and jealousy?
        * Have you ever deleted or deactivated any social media because of the negativity and digs ?
        Although this is my first pitch , I think this would be a great blog post for bafb. As it is a reminder of the adversity that you will face when blogging or dealing with social media. I have had to overcome a lot of Adversity on social media and in my blog post and that is why I think I would be the best person to write it.

    • This is great for someone who is in this process, who needs some idea of expectations and structure!

  3. Category: STAY SANE

    Headline: Three Reasons Why You Need To QUIT Blogging Today!

    Opening Lines: Before we move any further, let’s take a quick poll. How many of you have ever pulled an all-night writing escapade? For those of you who said yes, how many of you have considered quitting in those moments? If you’ve been there, I need you to know that you should have “quit” a long time ago.

    Three Main Points:
    1. Breaks are HEALTHY. As writers, it is easy for us to become consumed with all the brilliant ideas that dance across our minds. However, our bodies are not built to endure chronic stress, so the next time you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, it’s time to take a step away for a while.
    2. Breaks allow for CREATIVITY. Have you ever considered that your writer’s block and late night frustrations might be a result of an overstimulated mind that’s constipated with ideas? Find holistic methods, like yoga and deep-breathing, to help you clear your mind because that’s when the real magic happens.
    3. Breaks are not acts of SELF-INDULGENCE. As working entrepreneurs, we can often feel that taking just two seconds away to get ourselves together is overindulgent. However, it is important to understand that practicing self care is not a treat, but a necessity in order for us to be at optimal function and innovative capacity.

    Why is this post PERFECT for Be a Freelance Blogger and why I’m the PERFECT writer for this post: “Three Reasons Why You Need To QUIT Blogging Today” is the perfect post for Be a Freelance Blogger because as a community, we are all inundated with meeting project deadlines, searching for high-paying jobs and sharpening our skills as writers. However, if we do not learn the importance of maintaining our personal health and wellness, we may not be able to do the work we love much longer without a serious burnout. I am the perfect writer for this post because I am a full-time student who has learned that making just as much time for self-care as writing is lucrative not only for my business, but also for my mind, body and soul.

    • Najya, this is a strong idea, but can I offer some suggestions? My first thought is that the headline is catchy (it really makes me wonder what reasons you’d give for quitting), but I don’t feel like the points you mentioned follow through with the promise you gave in the headline. Really, it’s not about quitting. It’s about taking a break.

      I also like the angle of convincing bloggers they need a break, but personally, I’d like to see some tips on how to make your break worthwhile. What can you do to rejuvenate?

      Overall, a great pitch!

      • Thank you so much for your feedback, Alicia! I’ll try to get my revised pitch on here within a day or two. Good luck to everyone else!

    • *THIS IS MY FINAL, REVISED PITCH*

      Category: STAY SANE

      Headline: Three Reasons Why You Need To QUIT Blogging Today!

      Opening Lines: Before we move any further, let’s take a quick poll. How many of you have ever pulled an all-night writing escapade? For those of you who said yes, how many of you have considered quitting in those moments? If you’ve been there, I need you to know that you should have “quit” a long time ago.

      Three Main Points:
      1. Blogging is not a “get rich quick” scheme. It is extremely tempting to believe that once you begin blogging, you’ll start seeing six figures in the first day. The pressure of school, work, families, and/or other commitments can make you enter the blogging business for the wrong reasons. If you are not completely invested in putting in the work and making the necessary leaps to becoming the BEST that you can be, you may want to reconsider pursuing blogging as your full time career.

      2. Blogging is not a “lazy” career. Many of us romanticize this career field by daydreaming of days where we are lounging on the deck, sipping a cool drink and writing about anything we want. While some of our days DO mirror this fantasy, more of our days are spent carefully planning our schedule, finding gigs and being persistent so that we avoid lighting the candle at both ends and burning out during the afore-mentioned, all-night writing rendezvous. Freelance blogging does offer you a relatively flexible schedule because you create your own schedule, but it is not an excuse to be unproductive more often than you are not.

      3. Blogging is not a “uniform” career. When we enter school, we are told what we need to learn in order to enter various career fields. You need to take courses X, Y and Z in order to make amount X in X amount of years. However, blogging is a field that is constantly evolving, and there is no one route to finding success in this field. Accepting and becoming comfortable with change in an orthodox career is the name of the game here.

      Why is this post PERFECT for Be a Freelance Blogger and why I’m the PERFECT writer for this post: “Three Reasons Why You Need To QUIT Blogging Today” is the perfect post for Be a Freelance Blogger because as a community, we are all committed to the idea of blogging, but not many of us are invested in the reality of freelance blogging. This post is designed to encourage and engage BAFB readers to be honest with themselves about where their passion really lies. I am the perfect writer for this post because I am a full-time student blogger who found her passion for blogging and writing through self-discovery and honest reflection.

  4. 10 Tips to Ease Your Mental Stress

    For many of us, writing is our outlet—so we don’t mind so much that it is our “job”. Yet, sometimes, the constant worry of deadlines, word counts, and overbearing clients can take the shape of a metal fork that plunges right into our creative outlets. These tips can help soothe your mind and get back on track.

    Tip #1 – Draw/Color/Paint: There are tons of books and guides that will help stimulate your mind and help you focus. Adult coloring books do exist, and they are awesome. (Although, don’t assume you’ll be coloring a bunch of boobs and penises. Not that kind of “adult”.)

    Tip #2 – Watching Movies/Television/Documentaries: You need to give your brain a chance to power down—even if it’s just for 30 minutes. Besides, maybe that episode of “Making a Murderer” will inspire you to write that blog post about the pros and cons of the judicial system.

    Tip #3 – Go for a Run/Walk/Bike Ride/Drive: I don’t believe in running unless I’m being chased, but there are some out there who claim it’s “great for your mind and body”. Peachy. I’ll stick with walking my small dogs around our very small city park. Hey, at least I’m getting out…

    Tip #4 – Cook Something New: Cooking can be a lot like writing. Follow the step-by-step process, and you’ll eventually produce something great (maybe).

    Tip #5 – Play Single-Player Games: Digital games such as Minecraft, Tetris, and Candy Crush can be like a soft comforter for your brain when it’s stressed. Just don’t ask for lives on Facebook…ugh!

    Tip #6 – Read a Chapter from Your Favorite Book: I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us became writers because we were inspired by other writers. Read something that has helped you get through the troubling/stressful times in your life.

    The post that has had the most significant impact on me was Lauren’s “How to Keep Freelance Blogging When You’re Mentally Ill”. I’ve tried different medications, but none of them work. I have, however, tried all of these tips and I know other writers who have tried these to help them calm down or relieve some of the stress that comes with the demands of writing.

    • Love! As someone who had my love for helping people drained by 11 years in healthcare facilities, I’m always afraid of losing my love for my main outlet (writing/creating). Great pitch!

  5. Headline: Freelance Survival Guide: How to Bury Your Social Media Skeletons

    Introduction: We all have skeletons in our social media closet. You know what I’m talking about. The video where your dancing drunk on the table singing a very off-key version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. The post you wrote quickly and passionately, didn’t proof-read, and pressed publish. The off-color comments trolls made about your writing or business. Worried they’ll have your clients pushing the escape key? Don’t. Here are 6 easy ways to polish your online rep.

    Points:
    1. Hit the delete key.
    Do you own the offensive content and control the site it’s on? Wait, you do? What are you waiting for? Go take it down immediately! Don’t know how? I’ll show you a few quick-and-dirty tips for top-ranking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
    2. Request the owner take down the item.
    Depending on the particular circumstances regarding your negative results, if you are dealing with somebody who has it out for you, there is always the chance that this person will choose to make it worse for you by becoming even more active and retaliate against you online. But there’s also the chance they’ll be nice and just take it down.
    3. Ask Google to erase it from the cyber-sphere.
    If the item fits Google’s Right to Be Forgotten (United Kingdom) or any of Google’s legal causes for removal in the US, Google will toss the offending item from the cybersphere.
    4.Cover your social media black eye with makeup.
    In other words, create killer content, post thoughtful comments on high-ranking blogs, or run a paid social-media campaign.
    5. Fuhgeddaboudit
    If the item isn’t on the first three pages of any search engine. Forget about it. This is the virtual wasteland. Most clients rarely go past the first three pages.
    6. Pay for professional help.
    Companies like BrandYourself and Reputation can help you clean up your image. However, buyer beware. If an agency says they can fix your bad rep overnight, run for the hills. It’s using black-hat SEO techniques.

    About me: I’ve created copy for top-notch blogs such as Lumoid, Take Lessons, the Penny Hoarder, The Krazy Coupon Lady, and more.

    As a blogger, social media is key to marketing. But it can be Pandora’s box. I’ve had ugly comments about my writing–which at that point was really bad–pop on the first page of Google. I used the above techniques, and they’re now on the fourth page!

  6. Distraction is a Pitch!!

    Being a writer is a full time job as creativity can flourish from anywhere at any time. In this age of information, distraction is everywhere you wouldn’t want it to be, resulting in easy setbacks.

    Distractions come in many shapes in sizes, they are addictive in substance and wasteful in value. (What would you consider a productive distraction? At a time when you could learn a new trade or skill, you might stay up late doing…nothing really.)

    There is a difference between being busy versus being productive. (Just because you are multi-tasking doing a lot of small tasks at once or within a short span of time, in longevities view what have you done)

    Distractions can prohibit experience and growth (Instead of writing about an experience you may have had or truly enjoying/engaging in said experience you spend time within your own mind thinking about non-current events.)

    We have been conditioned to distract ourselves. (As a child your parents might give you a game to keep busy, place a TV in front of you or vice versa, given you candy to ease your tantrum, now as an adult you often distract yourself to not think about what is causing imbalance within.)

    Breaking free from distraction (have a vision, set up a plan, have stepping stones that will guide you along the way. A daily plan, a journal, anything that keeps you on track with yourself will help keep you from the “dis-tract zone”.

    Creative writing, blogging, and anything you are truly passionate about is the enemy of distraction. (Distraction would like to keep you in its clutches, it would rather you fantasize about creating a blogging website than actually doing one. Distraction doesn’t want you to experience failure or anxiety, it wants you to remain comfortably distracted).

    I am a victim of distraction, in December and January I was so set upon becoming a freelance writer and expressing my creative side. It is already March 6, 2016 a day when I was set to quit my job, and I am still no further than I was before in terms of my vision because I have given in to various distractions. These distractions are more so self-inflicted, as a writer on http://www.beafreelanceblogger.com one should be committed, of course you have setbacks and road-bumps but you want to keep pushing forward, this is small kick in the rear to keep pushing.

    • I agree that distractions can be a problem, especially when we’re researching our topics online. But based on the headline, I thought maybe you would advocate paying attention to the subjects we tend to distract ourselves with and turning them into an idea for an article! You know, like, if you find yourself constantly looking up tips on “minimalism”, maybe you should be pitching in that niche. =D

  7. Headline: Revinventing your career daily

    Opening lines:

    There is no security for a freelance writer. The sooner you can accept this basic tenet of freelancing, the easier you life will become. Much like life itself, change is a constant in your given career choice, whether you’ve been freelancing a month, a year, or ten. That’s not all bad news. Once you’ve accepted the underlying principle of the need to reinvent your career daily, things really do become manageable.

    Six salient points:

    1. Nothing in life stays the same.
    Life is all about change. So is work. The idea of the secure job is a fantasy that no longer exists. As a freelancer, that’s even more true. Forget the gold watch, and hang on for the ride.

    2. Technology has made things less secure, not more.
    As most freelancers will tell you, nothing on the Internet stays the same. Those writing for newspapers and magazines have had to reinvent their careers many times over in the not-so-distant past. Freelancers need to roll with the punches.

    3. Old school, new school: What’s your future employer looking for?
    Not all the jobs out there can be found on the Internet. Word of mouth and networking still have a role to play when finding freelance work.

    4. Location, location, location…or in the case of freelancers: marketing, marketing, marketing.
    Some things make it easier to adapt than others: living in a major metropolis is one of them. Some things are simply required. Marketing is an essential for any freelancer, but there’s differences in the hard and soft sell and when to apply them.

    5. Generalists have more opportunity, or do they?
    Focusing on a niche market is always suggested as a tool for freelancers, but is that really correct? Don’t generalists have a wider market of potential jobs to choose from? Well, yes and no.

    6. Change is good.
    Freelancing is about embracing change. After all, wasn’t following the excitement of your dream the whole reason you got into freelancing? Change allows freelancers to grow and move with the market.

    This article really came from a place that I’ve been wrestling with over the past few years, as old clients moved on and businesses shuttered. I think other freelancers relate to this dilemma, too. After all, we all enjoy our set routines. Being successful, however, is learning to love a blank page each day.

    • Hey, Christine!

      I like that this is heavy on the freelancing element (we’ve had mostly blog-heavy posts lately); however, the blogging element still needs to be there somewhere. If you could tailor this to be more specific to freelance bloggers then I think it could be great.

  8. How to brand yourself like Gucci?

    Thousands of people join the blogging world every other month and many of those got excellent writing skills and exceptional experiences to share, how do we, as a blogger-wannabe, stand out from the crowd through building the right personal brand and not to be seen as a laid-back bohemian who are just trying to live an easy life?

    Here are 6 action points to start building your personal brand:

    1. Rule of thumb: Brand yourself like a product
    If you are a brand, which one are you?
    What kind of values would best describe you?
    Find your value propositions and integrate them in your content, tone and manner of writing so people can recognize your writing without looking at the name of contributor, which is the same effect as thinking of Tiffany when you see the “Tiffany blue”.

    2. Which customer segments are you trying to speak to
    Define a clear customer segments (your readers are like your customers) that you would like to target at, then craft the types of content based on their expectations to you and most importantly, what connects them?

    3. Collaborate with the right affiliates to elevate your personal brand
    I have been to brand events where poets/calligraphers were hired to curate a poet based on customers’ names, as a gift with purchase to reward the high spenders. Bloggers can think out of the box and proactively look for opportunities like this to enrich your portfolio.

    4. Complement your personal brand with social media
    Photos on social media can be deceiving and that’s exactly why you should optimize it as your free advertising tool. Build albums around your lifestyle from showing how your get your bills paid as a freelance blogger, to pitching your articles at a magazine office. People want to know how your blogging journey actually looks like in real life

    5. Leverage your other personal interests as differentiation
    You can describe yourself as “Freelance blogger” or “Writer. Harley Davidson Lover”. The later one absolutely helps your reader to visualize the lifestyle you are living, also “Writer. Certified Calligrapher” “Writer. Asian Gourmet Chef”, these titles do put things into perspectives

    6. Run promotions
    Brands run promotion to attract foot traffic and bring incremental sales and we have all seen those tactics of buy 3 get 1 free or -10% off for buying 2 etc. You might want to try – a project of 20 paid articles will receive 2 pro-bono articles. I am not encouraging free work, from a branding point of view, “promotions” will help you to be more competitive especially during the early stage of being a blogger, and during the low season when there are not even many writing needs around, don’t forget, even Gucci would be on sale at the end of the season.

    Sometimes we forget how important it is to advocate yourself in order to activate your writings and branding isn’t something for marketing expert only, these are some starting points that will help you to achieve your dreams.

    About me: Writer. Marketer

  9. Headline: From Pennies To Dollars: How An Indian Writer Started Working With U.S. Clients

    Just a gist of the story: Indian writers usually shy away from working with U.S./non-Indian clients and are willing to be paid less for more work. But it doesn’t have to be the case. A spoonful of marketing, a generous dose of confidence and a sprinkle of smartness can help Indians work for dollars, not mere pennies.

    #1 Have confidence

    #2 Difference between pitching for Indian clients and U.S. clients

    #3 Extra marketing never hurt anyone

    #4 Find a niche (and it doesn’t have to be I.T. or finance – typical topics U.S. /U.K. clients expect Indians to be good at)

    #5 Stay away from content mills – no matter how lucrative they seem

    #6 Why working with clients abroad is a good idea

    Indian writers usually stave off from non-Indian clients for several reasons. I’ve been a freelance writer and blogger for close to 3 years and currently work as an Entertainment Writer with Design & Trend. I worked with Express Writers prior to that.

        • Hey, Nemisha!

          Like Alicia said: It would be great if you could broaden the range to include other countries. However, in my role as Associate Editor here at BAFB, I have to say that most of the pitches I get tend to be from India.

          The only other tip I would add would be to “brush up on your English.” Most of the Indian pitches I get are filled with confidence (definitely a good thing for a pitch), but are barely readable due to their iffy English skills.

          And the ones that are legible sometimes make it clear that they haven’t read the blog OR the guidelines. (Maybe because reading that much English is difficult…?)

          Sophie mentioned — and then deleted — a line in one of her posts a long time ago saying that most of the bad pitches we get come from India. And that’s a very unfortunate truth!

          I would LOVE for that to change. And if you can make that happen, Nemisha, then I will be a fan of yours forever. 🙂 I hate rejecting writers — no matter where they hail from.

  10. Headline:
    The Psychological advantages of being a Freelance writer.

    Opening lines:
    Looking deeper into the advantages of being a freelance blogger.
    Every day people are faced with challenges, whether it`s frustrations at the office or battling depression. People need a way to manage these stressors in a positive way and writing can be a positive attribute to every person in their day to day life.

    Body will include:
    Answering the following questions to existing and prospective blogger/writers:
    1. Why should I write?

    2. How do I decide on which topics to write about?

    3. How does writing affect me psychologically?

    4. Can writing enhance my psychological wellbeing?

    5. Does getting paid for writing affect the quality of my writing?

    6. How does writing positively influence the quality of my life?

    Motivation:
    People in general are drawn to positivity, most have the need to feel happy and fulfilled financially and emotionally. I will link these needs to being a freelance writer.

  11. Headline: “How NOT to suck at freelance blogging (like me)”

    About: As the saying goes, there’s a sucker born every minute – and I was one of them. Now, I’ve made it my mission to help reduce the incidence rate of facepalm-related injuries among fledgling freelance bloggers. So please, take a leaf out of my book and DON’T do these things (that I did) while launching your freelance blogging career.

    Points:
    1. Don’t rush it
    In short: don’t cannonball into the freelance blogging pool unless you’ve got oodles of savings and a (very) understanding family who would be willing to help you out until you start seeing some regular income.

    2. Avoid the cold shoulder when cold pitching
    No one returns your emails? Pitches are falling flat like a bad “knock-knock” joke? Some pointers for refreshing the way you self-market yourself and increase the likelihood of getting a reply (that’s actually not spam).

    3. Don’t skip practice
    Though you surely must have some talent (and not just passion) as a writer to desire to do it full-time, don’t forget to keep your skills in shape. Practice your craft wherever and whenever you can to hone it and tone it to make your prose snappier and catchier.

    4. Don’t be overdependent (on one client/source)
    Now this sounds confusing. Didn’t you start on this path because you wanted to be independent, right? Make sure to get yourself some regular clients so that you don’t lean too heavily on one source. Though they need you today, they might not tomorrow (or even for a month or two, if they’re inundated with material).

    5. Don’t get caught empty handed
    Make sure you have some sort of writing device and paper or surface on which to write when an idea strikes, which they always seem to do, such as in line for McDonald’s when your smartphone’s out of battery. When you go over them later you may be surprised at just how good they actually are!

    6. Prevent procrastination (it really costs you)
    Don’t think because you don’t have a gig doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write – and while away those precious hours on Netflix. Put aside a block of time on a daily basis – half an hour, an hour, whatever you can afford – to flesh out and develop those lighting-bolt ideas that popped into your head. For sure you’ll be able to use them to write a backlog of pieces to have on hand for when you’re in a writing rut or short on time.

    Why this post is perfect for BAFB? Because this blog is for freelance bloggers – both newbies and seasoned profs. And even if some of these tips may seem like they’er for beginners only, even the best out there can get stuck on a plateau and then come back here to find some inspiration and support (and hopefully, a laugh or two).

    Why me? Because I’m a freelance blogging mom of four under five (no twins…but that’s another story), with a quirky sense of humour and a desire to help others avoid stumbling as badly as I did while getting their blogging careers to take off.

  12. Headline: What is Influencer Marketing and How Does it Benefit Bloggers?

    Opening lines: Imagine being offered up to $5,000 to write a quick blog post. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it. But believe it or not, there are bloggers out there being paid wheelbarrows full of money to write a simple blog post mentioning a brand, company, or product. It’s called influencer marketing.

    Outline of article:

    1) What is influencer marketing? A description of what it is and how it relates to authorities / leaders in their fields, bloggers and social media.

    2) Why are brands including this in their marketing strategy? Influencer marketing is a highly targeted marketing strategy – brands are talking directly to people already interested in their type of product.

    3) What does this mean for bloggers? Bloggers with a large following can attract the attention of companies who consider them an influencer and want to work with them. It also means bloggers have the leverage in this instance and can negotiate high rates.

    4) How much do bloggers get paid to do influencer marketing? Top bloggers with a large and engaged community are paid top dollar. The amounts some bloggers are paid are quite staggering. Rates, however, vary widely depending on a host of factors.

    Gist of article and why it fits with BAFB:
    Influencer marketing is a trend that is growing as marketers discover what a good return on investment it can yield. No longer are celebrities the only influencers. Marketers are discovering the power of bloggers and those with large followings on social media. These are the new influencers.

    I have not seen this topic covered on BAFB (I could be wrong), and many bloggers may be unaware of it and how it relates to blogging.

    About me: I have been a freelance writer for three years and have contributed to Career Addict, Huffington Post, and Think Simple Now. I have a particular love for travel writing, news and journalism, and writing about freelance writing (content that helps other writers).

    • Deevra, I really like the concept of influencer marketing and how it relates to freelance bloggers, but your outline kind of threw me for a loop. We must be talking about how freelance bloggers can benefit by BEING the influencer. Going in, I thought you were going to talk about how you can grow your business by connecting with other influencers.

      Honestly, I’m not sure what you’re describing is influencer marketing. It sounds like you’re talking about how to make money writing sponsored posts.

      • Thanks Alicia for you feedback – which, in turn, threw me for a loop! This is about how bloggers can benefit from being an influencer.

        “Influencer Marketing is the name we give to the process of developing relationships with influential people that can lead to their assisting you in creating visibility for your product or service.” – as defined by MOZ.

        This is not necessarily sponsored posts, although that could be one way of doing it. Another way of approaching it is writing quality content that is useful, interesting and adds value to the reader, and that naturally and organically flows to include a mention or link to a company / brand, etc. This will always be my personal preference as I am not a fan of overtly promotional content.

        For e.g. a blogger with a blog that focuses on pets may be approached by a pet products company. The article may center on useful tips on pet care and advice to pet owners, and easily work in the company (and link to the website) by mentioning the various pet grooming products they have available.

        The blogger is always in control of the type of content they will publish and which brands they choose to work with, that is in line with the overall content of their blog. I’m sure most bloggers will not be keen on a string of obviously sponsored posts. They can choose to do a once-off, or choose to work on a longer term basis with certain companies. It’s up to the blogger.

        How does the blogger benefit? First – an additional income stream. We as bloggers love what we do, but we also like being able to pay the bills. If handled well and it works for writer, brand, and reader – everyone benefits. Secondly, it can help to further grow our authority in the niche we write about. Bloggers are considered influencers, especially those who have developed a strong voice and authority in their niche.

        I hope I’ve explained the concept better. If the heading and outline don’t match up, then I can think of reworking it. Feel free to give me your views.

        P.S. The idea of bloggers connecting with influencers would also make a good article. However, then I would have had a different heading (How Influencers Can Help Expand Your Freelancing Blogging Business, for example). This is not the direction I am taking on this idea though.

          • Thanks Lauren. I can see how it came across a bit iffy. Like it or hate it though, sponsored posts are actually legitimate in the blogging realm, it’s just a matter of how one goes about it.

            Perhaps the angle here could be on how to approach it ethically. So here is my revised pitch.

            HEADLINE IDEAS:

            The Ethics of Sponsored Posts: How to Approach this in the Right Way
            OR
            Working With Brands: How Bloggers can Leverage Their Influence Without Compromising Their Reputation

            OPENING LINES:
            Sponsored posts are a contentious issue in the blogosphere with some writers viewing it with disdain, and others embracing it. Like it or hate it, even Google agrees that there is a place for it in the economy of the web. There’s just a good way and a bad way of going about it. Follow these principles to find the right balance between adding this to your income stream while remaining on Google’s good side and keeping your reputation in tact.

            OUTLINE:

            1. Put a strategy and guidelines in place

            Thinking carefully about when to work with a brand, how it will fit with the blog, and how much value the post will provide readers. The aim should be to be ethical and honest. Including a “media kit” page which sets out clear guidelines and make it clear that no false reviews or endorsements will be made.

            2. Keep your reader in mind

            Putting the reader first and making it an interesting and useful article which maintains the blogger’s voice, and avoids coming off as purely promotional.

            3. Be transparent and add a disclaimer

            Disclosing that it is a paid post is very important step, and in some countries like the US, it is legally required. All that’s needed is one line mentioning that the post is sponsored by XYZ, or that links to XYZ are included in the post.

            4. Keep sponsored posts to a minimum

            The occassional paid post won’t do much damage, but a string of promotional posts will have a negative impact on a blog. Trusted followers will lose interest and may even lose their trust in the blogger’s content and unsubscribe from the blog.

            5. Tread carefully when posting on other blogs

            When receiving requests to post on other blogging platforms it becomes tricky. The ethical route here is to check with the blog owner. If they agree, great! Most big name and authority blogs, however, don’t allow this. Be aware of that and try not to sneak a post in.

            6. Offer to ghostwrite the content

            This is the best way to avoid anything dodgy. Ghostwrite the article for the company and the onus is then on them to try and get it posted on blogs of their choosing.

            I hope you find this a better angle. I thank you and Alicia for your feedback – it got me rethinking the idea and deciding to take the bull by the horns with sponsored content. I hear you when you say BAFB frowns upon sponsored posts, and perhaps you would not want the topic covered on here. However, I think many newbie bloggers may not be aware of the pitfalls and may end up venturing into murky waters unintentionally.

  13. Headline : When Life Takes You By Your Collar …

    We all do it … ignore our dreams. We come up with our own set of reasons. It’s not practical to chase dreams, right? Wrong!!! Says who … Says Life! Our very own hard-task master. You can run from your dreams …but what happens when life chases you down the very road you were trying to avoid?

    1. My background. How I got attracted to writing. The first time I realized I could actually write and even get paid for it.
    2. And then how I started to turn my back on my passion. It started slow … and with small things.
    3. The reasons that I came up with … I’m a busy homemaker. I have children. Laundry needs to be done. Kids have activities. I have to be practical. The house doesn’t need a pipe dreamer. It needs regular income.
    4. So, I turned to my real life. Started working in my son’s preschool. Loved it and got paid too. I was going to be an early childhood educator. I enrolled in college. Just one more reason why I didn’t have time to write. Freelance writer …. what was I thinking.
    5. And then life happened …. in fact, two things happened … English composition course …. college degree. Graphic organizer for an essay got returned. I re-wrote and returned again. Happened four times … and I told myself … see I told you …. you’re not a writer. The final straw that broke the camel’s back.
    6. What was the second thing … a blog post that I read in “be a freelance blogger”. It felt like life took me by my collar, shook me till I came to senses, and said …. “Get a grip lady!” If I didn’t believe in myself, who will?

    So here I am pitching at “be a freelance blogger”. There are many in this world like me, lacking confidence, quitting before we even started our journey. “You have to play to win.” That is the message of my story. Sometimes life won’t let us quit …no matter how hard we try. So, I won’t quit my dream of writing or my dream of becoming an early childhood educator. Who says we can’t have it all …just us. Now it’s time to start working on my argument essay for my English composition course …. signing off … Writer Sangeetha.

    • Hi Sangettha. I’m happy to see you’re here pitching after BAFB inspired you. But I’m not sure I understand the value of the blog post you’re pitching. You’ll be telling us your story, but how will that help other freelance bloggers? What takeaways will our readers get from your story?

      • Thanks for taking your time to read my pitch Alicia. I agree that it is a personal story. But I hope to inspire other “wannabe” freelancers like me. The take away from this is simple ….we can come with thousands of reasons to quit, but are we being true to ourself when we turn our back from some thing just because it is hard. This would also apply to the newbies who are struggling to stay in the field are this close to quitting. It has been fun just pitching and has given me a new purpose. I hope to inspire others like me. Thank You.

        • Hey, Sangeetha!

          This feels like it’s focusing way too much on you and not enough (or at all) on our readers. A brief personal story — or brief personal examples — is fine, but it shouldn’t take up the entire post.

          That said, you should try posting this on your own blog (if you have one)!

  14. Hi Sophie,

    I can’t tell you how many times your amazing articles saved me from making silly mistakes when it comes to freelance blogging. Your emails always come at the right time so thank you for that!

    I’m an avid reader of your blog and I would love to contribute to your amazing community.

    Are you interested in publishing a guest post: 4 Sure-fire Steps To Always Find The Time To Write No Matter How Busy You Are

    In this post, I provide four steps that lead to amazing results and help you create the time that you need in order to stick to a productive and effective writing schedule. These are:

    1. Writing your ideas as you go – Here I show you how and why to note down everything that comes to your mind.
    2. Scheduling your writing sessions – I explain how to stick to a writing schedule.
    3. Taking a break in the middle of a busy day – This is something we all forget to do but is necessary.
    4. Waking up early – One of the greatest habits that I’ve built over the years and how it helps me complete my tasks and stay successful.

    I relate the above to specific personal examples and I cite scientific research. I also link to several BAFB posts including this one: (http://beafreelanceblogger.com/prevent-blogging-burnout/#more-489)

    Who am I?

    I’m Tee, motivational blogger and freelance writer and I am on a mission to help women reestablish themselves as beautiful, smart and gracious women that they are through healthy living, self-motivation and habit change. I am a stay-at-home mom and blogging completely changed my life. Your readers will benefit from my post because I show exactly how I fit writing and working on my blog into my life while being a busy mom and wife.

    Thank you for considering my ideas.

    Stay brilliant,

    Tee

  15. Change Your Story to Grow Your Career

    What’s your personal narrative? You know—the inner monologue that tells you how wonderful, terrible, stupid or smart you are; your beliefs about your abilities and how life generally works out. Good or bad, your story can influence your behavior to confirm your beliefs about yourself. Thus, changing your story is a powerful way to increase your freelance writing success.

    • What is a personal narrative? Examples and psychological evidence (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-power-of-expectations-can-allow-you-to-bend-reality/, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-love-and-war/201508/3-ways-your-beliefs-can-shape-your-reality) for the power of both positive and negative thinking to shape behavior and outcomes.
    • My story: how working with a coach (full disclosure: I’m a current participant in Sophie’s Hard Core Coaching program) helped me change my negative perceptions of my freelance writing abilities and career prospects. In a few months I went from earning minimum wage at a content agency to finding better clients and setting my own rates.
    • Strategies adopted from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you change a negative self-narrative without outside help.
    • Already have healthy self-esteem and a great personal narrative but you’re still struggling to launch or grow your career? How to avoid the pitfalls/blind spots of an overly optimistic outlook.
    • The importance of continuing to check in with your personal narrative as your career grows and changes. Example: maintain a flexible professional identity so you don’t miss opportunities that aren’t already in your expertise.

    This would be a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because it’s a site that attracts writers of all experience levels from beginner to seasoned. My article will help beginner writers overcome the common obstacle of self-confidence, and more experienced writers will pick up tips to further refine their approaches to their freelance writing careers. I’m the perfect person to write it because I’m a real example of how lifelong under-confidence and self-doubt can be overcome to achieve the career of one’s dreams—if I can do it, anyone can.

  16. Honestly, I’d like to see at least a 2-week warning before each Pitchfest deadline–but maybe it just proves that I’m not leaving enough room in my schedule for new opportunities!

  17. Headline: How to Choose a Blog Topic That Your Clients Will Love

    Look in any freelance writing forum (including our local BAFB community) and you’ll read comments from freelance writers pleading for advice on “what should I write about on my blog?” Do we write about freelance writing? Or can we focus on our niche- whether that’s personal finance, parenting, or fitness? Should I offer content marketing tips for potential business clients? Do I need to keep my writer’s website separate from my blog about the music industry?

    1. How to choose your blog topic in five minutes. Remember that elevator pitch you developed from previous blog posts on BAFB? Use your blog to prove to your audience that you are a professional blogger in the personal finance/fitness/parenting world.

    2. Position yourself as an expert in your niche. Use your blog to cover personal finance from your unique perspective. Did you continue to brown bag it at lunch and ride your bike to work so you could pay off your student loan debt and retire by age 30? Did you help your child recover from behavioral issues after discovering his food allergies?

    3. How to write for your blog and cover the same topics for your clients. Think like a journalist to cover the same topic from multiple angles, an insider’s trick known as “reslanting” an article idea to win multiple sales and earn more money.

    I’m a freelance journalist whose articles on health, fitness, and nutrition have appeared in print and online magazines and business blogs. Now that I have part-time hours to devote to freelancing, I’ve searched high and low for advice on how to best leverage my freelancing blog to win more clients. I’d love to share what I’ve learned with the BAFB community.

    Thanks for letting me pitch to you!

  18. Headline: From Hamster to Hostess: The 5 Stages of Leaving Your Job to Become a Freelance Blogger

    Intro: You’ve done it. Youth karate-kicked your way out of your plastic prison, flipped corporate life the bird, and are ready to become a badass freelance blogger. You skip down the street, humming gaily, the winds of possibility blowing in your hair. You don’t even see the curb until you flail, squeak, crash, and are left massaging your ego wondering… “What now?”

    Main points outlines:

    Stage 1: EUREKA!!
    The epiphany – you finally found a profession that combines all of your collective interests into one flexible package. Your freelance dreams are possible, and you might not have to live on Ramen noodles and peanut butter to make them happen. Cue voracious BAFB reading, web-scouring, and thousands of domain names rattling through your brain.

    Stage 2: Oh, shit!
    We wannabes realize that the difference between a wannabe and a gonnabe is a boatload of work – determining why we want to write, examining potential niches, reading articles about writing techniques, making time every day to write and learn, practicing pitching and publishing content.

    Stage 3: Hamster Balls Aren’t So Bad… Right?
    You may still be working full time, you’re trying to keep it all together – do your work to get where you want to be, send out pitches, dealing with your first rejections, losing faith you’ll be able to do this, and researching ways to make sure your family never, ever, gets sick. You may not be cut out for this…

    Stage 4: Hear Me Roar
    No! Screw that! You can do this. You must do this. You are DESTINED for this. Get on it! Work harder, pitch more, refine your skills, publish content, make a plan, damn it!

    Stage 5: Rocket (Wo)Man!
    You are used to the grind, rejections suck but they don’t devastate you, you are working regularly and you are growing more confident daily. You are consistently publishing content, expanding your skill set, and a building professional relationships. Oh, and you’re making money! Nothing can stop you now!

    Why this post? BAFB is a great site, a wealth of resources, and a fantastic knowledge base for beginners an expert bloggers alike. I, on the other hand, have zero blogging experience – outside the long-abandoned bustygalbuys on Tumblr – am a complete noob, and have no real idea what I am doing other than knowing I am smart, fun, dedicated and more than ready for the challenge of going freelance. Readers like myself – the target audience – would enjoy reading about the process of getting started from the perspective of someone who is in the thick of it with them.

  19. Possible Headline: Write Faster with These 7 Tips

    Opening lines:

    When you’re a freelancer, time is money. The faster you are, the more jobs you can take on. More posts equal more money.

    Thankfully, shaving a little time off here and a little time off there pays off in the long run. Here are seven tips for speeding up your writing process, without sacrificing quality.

    1. Improve your typing speed
    How fast do you type? There’s a huge difference in content production speed for a freelancer clicking away at 40 WPM and one who’s fingers fly at 70+WPM.

    2. Implement think time
    When you can’t be at your computer, you can still be productively freelancing. Before heading to an appointment, doing dishes, or anything else, take a couple minutes to review your next assignments. Then think on it.

    3. Create an outline
    There’s a reason this is called a pre-write in school. Getting your main ideas organized before you begin writing will save you editing time in the end.

    4. Keep solid notes when researching
    I’ve wasted so much time trying to find a source I ran across earlier. Or trying to remember which quote went with which person. Do yourself a favor, and use these tips to keep solid notes when researching.

    5. Utilize templates
    How much time do you waste reinventing the same thing? By utilizing templates for pitching, follow-up, and posts, you’ll have a good chunk of your work done.

    6. Practice daily
    There’s not a magic pill you can swallow that’ll make you a faster typist, better writer, or anything like that. Improvement requires effort.

    Why it’s a good idea:
    Your readers are writers, speeding up the writing process means they can accomplish more in less time.

    Why Me?
    I’m a freelancing mama with seven kids—I have to be quick at what I do. I’ve found little tips for improving my own time, and am the perfect person to share my tricks with your readers.

      • Lauren, thanks for your feedback.

        I know that writing 1000 words on this topic without filler wouldn’t be a problem. When I outlined it, I was planning on having a three longer points (300 words or so) interspersed with the four shorter ones (100-200 words).

        This combination worked out to over 1000 words, especially when an intro and a conclusion is taking into account. I’d leave readers with actionable steps for each area, to help them find efficiency in writing.

        Thanks again for the opportunity!

  20. Headline: How to Drastically Improve Your Freelance Acceptance Rate

    Over the last few months there’s been a shift in my freelance blogging career. I’ve gone from having around 20% of my posts and pitches accepted, to around an 80% success rate, and I’m pitching more, so my income is looking much healthier. We all improve with experience, but I’ve also employed a few specific strategies that have really helped.

    I’ve picked blogs with very specific submissions guidelines

    Bloggers who have gone to the trouble of setting out specifics know exactly what they’re looking for. Give it to them, and you’re in (probably).

    I’ve pitched to blogs that are actively looking for submissions

    Policies change very quickly in the blogosphere. I’ve been making sure every blog I pitch has reasonably current guidelines available and recent posts by freelancers up on the blog.

    I’ve approached the blogs I love and read

    There are plenty of blogs offering freelance opportunities. So I’m pitching the ones I love, read, subscribe to and follow on social media: the ones I’m really familiar with.

    I’ve sent off finished posts

    Many blogs like to see a pitch first and work with you on an idea, but some state they’re happy to see a finished piece. I used to think this was a waste of time, but I’ve tried it, and most pieces I’ve submitted this way recently have been accepted (you can always rewrite rejected ones for a new market).

    I’ve only submitted to paying markets

    I used to do free guest posting, but my acceptance rate with paying blogs is much better. I thought I was putting my all into guest posting, but maybe the very fact I’m pitching paid markets has made me up my game and put me in a more professional mindset.

    I’ve taken some risks

    I recently had a post accepted by a parenting blogger, who later contacted me and said that while she was still willing to post it, she thought it was good enough to send to a much bigger market. She suggested The Washington Post parenting section, and gave me the direct email of the editor. I’m so naturally cautious I almost just stuck with the acceptance I already had, but decided to take her advice and quickly received an acceptance from The Post, offering three times more money.

    This post would be perfect for Be a Freelance Blogger as it will give specific strategies that readers can replicate to improve their own acceptance rate, whatever niche they write in and wherever they are in their freelance careers. I’m the right person to write it because I’ve tried it, tracked it and know it works.

  21. Pitching Your Blog without Pitching Your Blog
    Most companies think of content (and that includes your blog posts) as just the promotional frill on top of the product or service they are offering. Nobody buys a product without first buying into what it will do for them, and that’s where you come in. Stop selling your blog and start selling what it can do.
    Your Blog Post is Not Just a Blog Post
    Your blog post is what convinces a potential customer that using a particular product or service will turn them into a person who is better or more effective in some way. And we all want to be better.
    Your Blog Post Should Save the Reader from a Terrible Fate
    Your content should convey that the potential customer’s current behavior is wasting their time or money in some hitherto unknown way. They need to see the contrast between their present situation and the potential of a different outcome if they use this particular product or service.
    Your Blog Post Should Uncover New Value Propositions
    A value proposition is a fancy way of saying why a consumer should buy a particular product or service. Show how your blog post can discover and lay out new value propositions instead of just plugging ones everybody knows.
    Your Blog Post is the Most Cost-Effective Way to Turn Potential Customers into Advocates
    By providing information that makes the potential customer feel valued and more intelligent, your blog post not only turns them into customers, it also makes them likely evangelists for your brand. That is worth far more than however many cents per words you charge.

    This would make a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because, although we bloggers may think the value of words is beyond words, many prospective clients consider blog posts to be a luxury they cannot afford rather than an element of their marketing they should not be without.
    I am the ideal candidate to write this post because I have been a copywriter and freelance content writer for years and I’ve dealt with the full spectrum of prospective clients, including several who dismissed the value of blog posts. The way to approach such clients is not to pitch your blog but to convince them of the value of the end result.

  22. Headline:
    Are You a Hunter-Gatherer or a Farmer? The Secret to a Sustainable Income as a Freelance Blogger

    Intro:
    Does your income fluctuate wildly each month?

    Do you spend more time sifting through job boards than working?

    Are you stuck in a feast or famine cycle of freelance blogging?

    If so, then it’s time to take a lesson from human evolution.

    It’s time for your blogging business to evolve from its hunter-gatherer roots to become a successful farmer.

    Outline:
    Why Does Your Business Need to Evolve?

    1. The difference between hunting clients (takes up all your time, requires constant, repetitive effort, pitches never end) and cultivating them (creating authority and relationships that bring clients to you), and why this allows your business to grow and evolve.

    2. My own experience with a hugely varied income, how that affected my life, and the wake-up call that showed me my business model was unsustainable.

    How Can You Stop Being a Hunter-Gatherer?

    3. Be seen in the right places. Ever heard the phrase “go where your clients are?” That doesn’t mean spending all your time on job boards — it means you need to demonstrate authority in places your ideal clients trust. Ideas for being seen, including guest blogging, teaching workshops, using Slideshare, and even a good old-fashioned business card at the right moment.

    4. Cultivate long-term relationships. Most clients would rather continue working with someone they already know than spend the time it takes to find someone new — and that means every one-off job has the potential to be a long-term gig. Will dig into methods I use for keeping in touch with clients and how that has led to recurring work.

    5. Develop your own platform. Creating a strong website and online presence can bring clients directly to you, and tips for creating that platform. Would like to feature a success story from another blogger, such as Carrie Smith or Alaura Weber, who have used their own platforms to attract clients.

    6. Become part of a community. Freelance blogging can seem like a solo activity — after all, other writers are your competition, aren’t they? But evolution requires cooperation and community, and learning to network and interact with other bloggers can actually introduce you to a world of opportunity. Digging into the benefits of being part of a community, including publicity, referrals, advice, and motivation.

    About me:
    My name is Katharine Paljug, and I blog and write web content for small businesses. This is the sort of post that would have made a world of difference to me when I was first growing my business — not just how to make money blogging, but the different mindset you need to create a sustainable income. It’s a topic a lot of freelance bloggers struggle with, and I think it would really resonate with the BAFB community. Thanks so much!

    (Also, loving reading through all the interesting submissions!)

  23. Title: Increase the Effectiveness of Your Blog: Optimize Your Images
    Opening lines: Long blog posts have replaced the short ones that could be found on the majority of blogs just five to six years ago. Now even images are changing. The practice known as knolling, which allows a picture to divulge many different facts, has gained popularity.
    Listing and explaining points:
    1. What is knolling?
    Knolling refers to the organization of a group of objects, one that determines where the different items will be when a photographer aims his or her lens on the same grouping.
    2. Why should a blogger care about knolling?
    A picture taken of a group of objects reveals multiple facts. Moreover, if that same picture has been optimized, then it can be used to increase the rank of the website on which it has been posted.
    3. Here is one way to optimize an image:
    Pair it with text, ideally some textual material that contains a keyword.
    4. How the blogger benefits from adding an image:
    By adding the image of a group of objects, a blogger can increase a site’s rank on Google’s search engine.
    5. Do not make this mistake:
    Do not think that when a blogger has optimized an image, then that same blogger no longer needs to provide blog readers with quality content.

    Why these facts should be shared with bloggers:
    Whether a blogger intends to attract customers or to increase awareness of an issue, a blog’s rank reflects the extent to which that specific goal will be realized. Optimizing images represents one method for increasing a blog’s or a site’s rank.

    Why I feel that I am the right person for delivering this information:
    Over the past two months, I have become acutely aware of the interplay between images and content. I have been helping a man that has decided to create a website, in order to sell a unique spice, one that has been placed in specially-designed containers. Because that same man has a background in photography, he has focused on the nature of the images that get posted on his particular website.
    Soon after I heard that site owner express his desire for excellent images, I came across information about how to optimize images for Google’s search engine. Furthermore, this particular fellow had chosen to put blog on his website. Since I knew about this site-owner’s fixation on pictures, and since his new website has blog, I wanted to share with all bloggers the details about optimizing images.

    Source of information:
    http://www.tagseoblog.com/optimizing-images-for-google-imagesearch-image-seo-basics.

  24. How to Make Great Connections for Your Freelance Business (Not) Online

    Many writers would much prefer meeting people through a computer to meeting them in person. If this sounds like you, you could be missing out on valuable connections and business opportunities in your own community. Here are a few tips that helped me master the networking grind and land clients offline.

    1. If you hate your job and are looking for a change, avoid talking about your job. Come up with a topic that interests you and your new connection, be it a new business venture or the TV show that you’re both missing in order to be at the event.
    2. Ask meaningful questions. There’s nothing worse than listening to peoples’ elevator speeches over and over again. Give the people you meet a deeper conversation by asking questions.
    3. Dress like yourself. You’ll feel more confident and in your element, and people will notice.
    4. Follow up with the people you meet. If you had a quality interaction with someone, make sure that they know how to contact you and vice versa.
    5. Pay it forward. Connect the people that you meet with each other, pass along job opportunities and hire people in your network for projects that you need help with.
    6. Never mark someone off as an unimportant connection. Life is pretty unpredictable. Focus on learning peoples’ stories and getting to know them, rather than how that person could benefit you.

    At BAFB, the focus is often on the pitch, navigating job forums and online marketing (which are all key to freelancing as well) – but the topic of networking is rarely addressed. Connecting with people offline is a great way to become more than a name and a website within your community and in your travels. In fact, it has landed me two of my highest paying clients.

  25. Hey there! Hello everyone and good luck to you all. Thank you Sophie for yet another opportunity to express ourselves. Hang in there I can assure you that once the baby arrives you will forget all the discomfort you are feeling – such an amazing experience!

    Here’s my Pitch
    Headline: 5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TURN DOWN A BLOGGING ASSIGNMENT /CLIENT

    Introduction
    Every freelance blogger wants to be able to get new clients on a regular basis.
    It feels so good to know that you have just landed a new client.
    Sometimes though a new assignment or client might turn out to be more than you bargain for.
    Some clients can be a thorn in the neck with unrealistic demands.
    To avoid this it is important to have a clear definition of the project even before you start.
    Things to clarify include:
    • Length of the blog post
    • Who you would be reporting to
    • Number of revisions you will permit
    • Advance payment from the client
    • Cancellation fees
    These details should be captured in your contract with the client.
    So, despite wishing for more clients, where do you draw the line and turn down an assignment or client?
    1. Late payment
    This will discuss payment scenarios that should get you thinking of ditching a client
    2. More than 3 revisions
    This will cover revisions and the kind you should offer of be wary of.
    3. Gap in communication
    This will discuss how to effectively communicate with a client and what the warning signs of communication gaps are.
    4. Shady terms
    This will discuss unreasonable grey areas you could be faced with.
    5. Too demanding/Time consuming
    This will cover certain things you need to look out for to determine if a client is too demanding
    This post will encourage freelance bloggers to have the power to say NO to a clients or freelance blogging jobs. This I believe is a struggle for most and they might be torn between speaking up and keeping mute while trying to please the client.
    Why Me:
    I am a freelance writer and blogger for businesses and have come across difficult clients. T the beginning it was really hard for me to turn down a client but I found the courage to do so and would love to share my experience with BAFB community.

  26. Headline: What does health have to do with it? How taking care of yourself translates to better business.

    Intro:
    You spend all your time on your clients and your business.

    You eat at your desk. You sit for hours on end.

    Maybe you’ve even started to notice a bit of pudge forming around your midsection.

    But you can’t worry about that. Your clients are the most important part of your business, right?

    Wrong.

    _You_ are the most important part of your business. And when you aren’t doing well, your business doesn’t do well. Your health has a direct impact on the success of your business, though it may not always be obvious.

    Outline:
    Why your business depends on the state of your health:

    1. Insurance/medical costs: lower insurance premium , not going to the doctor, substantial cost of medical bills and how avoiding this leaves more for your business and personal life.

    2. Energy expenditure/compound interest idea/law of diminishing returns: the more you put in, the more you get out

    3. Confidence/self esteem: When you feel good, you can do more. People notice a difference in your demeanor and are drawn to that.

    4. Less likely to burnout/get stressed: taking care of your health is a good preventative measure and will reduce the amount that this happens.

    Case Study: My own health issues/medical journey and how not putting my health first cost me two years of business. Learn from my mistakes and avoid these business blows.

    Why BAFB: Freelancers have a tendency towards being workaholics, spending most of their time on their business and on their clients, and in the process they sacrifice self care time. Having this post on BAFB will help bloggers to see why they need to focus on themselves for their business. BAFB has the audience for this topic, and this post would work well in the Stay Sane or Blog Better category of the website.

    Why I’m the person to write this: I come from a family with a poor medical history. Going to the doctors has been a regular thing for me for as long as I can remember. Because of this personal experience, the health and wellness industry has become one of my areas of expertise. I have also experienced the negative effects of neglecting my health, and wish to help other freelancers avoid the pitfall I’m on the tail end of climbing out of.

    In addition, Bree Brouwer has been mentoring me and encouraged me to send in this pitch to help me kick start my career. I ran a few ideas by her before sending it in, and she encouraged me to go with this one.

      • Thanks for the feedback!

        I’m fully planning to site other case studies and research in my article. I will present my experience as only a part of the article, that way it won’t be so much about me.

      • Here is a new version with your comments in mind.

        Headline: What does health have to do with it? How taking care of yourself translates to better business.

        Intro:
        You spend all your time on your clients and your business.

        There’s always more work to be done, more words to write, more revisions to make, more marketing strategies to implement for your own business.

        You eat at your desk. You sit for hours on end. You check your emails as you tuck in for the night.

        Maybe you’ve even started to notice a bit of pudge forming around your midsection.

        But you can’t worry about that. Your clients are the most important part of your business, right?

        Wrong.

        _You_ are the most important part of your business. And when you aren’t doing well, your writing suffers. Your health has a great impact on your blogging success, though it may not always be obvious.

        Outline:
        Why your business depends on the state of your health:

        1. Working harder vs. working smarter: the case for working at peak energy levels and not pushing through when you don’t feel well. The quality of writing when you are feeling ill vs. when you are feeling well.

        2. Energy expenditure/compound interest idea/law of diminishing returns: the more you put in, the more you get out

        3. Confidence/self esteem: When you feel good, you can do more. People notice a difference in your demeanor and are drawn to that.

        4. Less likely to burnout/get stressed: taking care of your health is a good preventative measure and will reduce the amount that this happens.

        5. Insurance/medical costs: lower insurance premium , not going to the doctor, substantial cost of medical bills and how avoiding this leaves more for your business and personal life.

        Case Studies: Two examples. One from my own experience of having to put my business on hold because of my suffering health. And one other freelancer who has succeeded because they focused on their health, sometimes instead of their business. And what you as a freelance blogger can learn from both.

    • This hits home right now. For the last two months I’ve had quite a lot of work and I’ve been at the computer for hours, only getting up to make lunch, coffee, or for a bathroom break! I’ve been wanting to go for a walk in the evenings but then find myself finishing up when it’s already dark, or being too tired to bother at the end of the day. Not good!

      Lauren, had a quick read through that article you posted in your comment. Yikes, scary stuff!

  27. I’m here and I’ve been reading!!…

    …I’m just having trouble replying due to some Internet issues I’ve been having.

    However, this should be cleared up by late tomorrow night. At which point I’ll start going through and replying to all of you (and to future entrants as well!).

    There are still a few days left! KEEP THOSE PITCHES COMING!! <3

  28. Headline: How to Defeat Writer’s Block Once and For All

    Have you ever faced it? You’re in front of your computer, staring at a blank screen, kind of knowing what you need to write, but not being able to write anything that make sense. I faced it too. Today, I want to share with you the strategies I’m using on a daily basis that allow me to never face it again.

    # The Right Place at The Right Time
    Timing is important when it comes to writing, as your creativity goes up and down during your day. As important is the place you’re writing at.

    # Prepare For Your First Draft
    You can’t just pick a topic and directly start your first draft without putting yourself at risk with the writer’s block. What if you had someone to tell you “Write about this story now, and then give this example”? That’s the role of a very detailed outline.

    # Are You Using The Backspace Key?
    Creativity is separated into two opposite process: Creating and Destructing. When you write and edit at the same time, you use both at the same time, which creates a conflict in your head, which leads to the Writer’s Block.

    Writer’s Block is a common sin among bloggers. I faced it too when I got started with writing, but could overcome it by developing strategies to never face it again. I write in-depth actionable articles that provide stories, examples, step-by-step system, “show” and not only tell.

    Category: Blog Better.

    Thank you.

  29. How to be a Productive Freelance Blogger
    Productivity is simply getting the result you want. If you get the result you want, then you are productive. If you don’t get the result you want, then you’re not productive. When you define productivity this way, it keeps you from confusing being “busy” with productivity.

    As a Freelance blogger, Productivity is a must; Check it out here for some tips.
    i) You’re 10x as productive when you’re doing your very highest value activities, in
    focused, uninterrupted blocks of time. This means that if you just spend 20% of your time doing your highest value work, you can double your productivity.

    ii) Deep Rejuvenation: It’s better to completely unplug and relax into “Deep Rejuvenation”
    than it is to do most things with your spare or discretionary time.

    iii) Rejuvenation is the fuel or the basic building block of energetic focus – of the flow
    state itself.

    iv) No rejuvenation, no energy. No energy, no focus. No focus, no flow… and
    no productivity.

    v) If you spend 30 minutes taking a break, doing deep rejuvenation and relaxation, it give
    you back your energy and focus for the next couple of hours in your business. It doesn’t pay you back 10% or 20% more, it pays you back 100% or 1000% more.

    vi) Task-switching is inefficient; this is why distraction and interruption cost you so much. It
    takes about 20 minutes to get back to where you were before you were interrupted If you’re interrupted every 20 minutes, you’ll end the day having gotten nothing productive done.

    This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because, it will guide the reader on being productive so that they are able to be focused, meet deadlines and get more clients which means more earnings. I am the right person to write this post because I am doing exactly what I have written. I also love writing blog posts.

    Thank you for this opportunity you have given to many freelance blogger who may not know where to start.

  30. I submitted a pitch a couple of days ago that is still awaiting moderation. I can see it but am wondering if there is a reason why it’s not going live. Any ideas? Thanks.

  31. HEADLINE: Leaving Room for Opportunity: Why You Shouldn’t Fill Your Blogging Calendar to Bursting

    OPENING LINES: Do you plan your work weeks so that every available minute is scheduled with a specific post-writing, marketing, or brand-development task?

    Do you dream of having enough regular blogging clients to keep you that busy always?

    I hope NOT. And my reason for saying that isn’t what you’re probably thinking. …

    OUTLINE:

    POINT #1: A brief list of physical, emotional, and spiritual problems that an overloaded schedule can lead to. “But there’s another reason for not advance-filling every minute of your day–a reason often overlooked.”

    POINT #2: If your schedule is always full, you set up a mental and spiritual block against making room for anything new. Perhaps something you THINK you want very much; perhaps the freelance-blogging opportunity of a lifetime.

    POINT #3: None of us is omniscient or omnipotent. The world is NOT going to cooperate with your “perfect schedule”–nor should you want it to.

    POINT #4: If you’re convinced all your time is arranged “just right,” you can’t help being annoyed by interruptions–and you may be radiating negative energy that repels some ideal clients.

    POINT #5: Don’t be afraid of winding up with “nothing to do” when you leave extra margin in your schedule. Unexpected extra time (when it actually occurs) is something to be grateful for–keep a list of ideas for making the most of it.

    POINT #6: Implementing the “leave extra time” principle can be an uphill battle. Here are some hints for making the habit easier.

    WHY THIS POST? WHY THIS WRITER? My name is Katherine and I am a (sometimes) recovering overload-oholic. I’ve seen plenty of books and articles on time management and prioritization, but almost none that emphasize the principle “the best opportunities may be those you didn’t plan for–if you leave room to recognize them.” Freelancers, who have to plan most of their own time and regularly juggle multiple clients and prospects, perhaps need to learn this principle more than anybody.

  32. Headline: Going From 0 to Getting Paid Within 72 Hours

    How many times have you put off getting started because you think you don’t have the time to wait for the money to start coming in?

    I’m going to show you how to go from absolute 0 to earning money within 72 hours with no web site, no samples and no experience. I did it myself, just a few weeks ago…

    Point 1: Why this will work
    Short quick background on me, why I got into writing, and explaining that what I am about to say is exactly what I have done. It is fact, not theory. I started with nothing and am projecting just under $2000 for my second month in.

    Point 2: Where to find clients that will hire you
    You’ll be starting out at the bottom, but there are people who will hire you with absolutely no experience. I’ll show you how to pick them out and approach them.

    Point 3: Setting up a profile and creating samples
    Tips to set up an online profile that looks and sounds professional. How to decide what you should do to create a few quick samples you can use to get those first few clients.

    Point 4: Basic cover letter / pitch
    How to put together a cover letter or pitch that you can just copy and paste when you need it, making small adjustments for individual situations.

    Point 5: Negotiating rates, deadlines and topics
    What to look for and what to watch out for with those first few clients. Make sure you are both treated fairly, and not getting in over your head.

    Point 6: More work and raising rates
    How to “cycle” your work, letting go of (or renegotiating with) lower paying clients as you raise your rates and gain new clients.

    Why this article? Why me? Because…

    I read recently that at least 50% of readers on these types of blogs haven’t even gotten started with writing, they put it off for who knows how many reasons. It’s a great article for these people because it shows that you don’t need a journalism degree, a portfolio full of published work, a web site, or even any experience at all to find a paying job writing. I am the person to write this article, because everything I want to talk about is everything that I have just done myself, only a few weeks ago, as I went from absolute 0 on a Friday afternoon to earning money writing by Monday morning.

    Thanks for considering this idea, it’s my first ever direct pitch!

  33. It’s Not Me, It’s You.

    “It’s not you, it’s me” is the most infamous of all break-up lines. But bloggers need to think in reverse – it’s about the reader, not the writer. Just because you write it does not guarantee they’ll read it. To attract readers, your content needs to be relatable and reader-centric.

    So how do you write reader-focused content?

    1. Think like a host, not a bouncer. A host’s function is to welcome people into a venue while a bouncer’s job is to keep people out. When you write, write to invite the reader into the conversation.

    2. Strike a balance between personal anecdotes and personal writing. Anecdotes are a wonderful writing device. Everyone loves a good story and personal details will make you come alive for your reader. But there’s a difference between telling a personal story and personal writing.

    3. Offer your reader specific takeaways. Readers like to feel that the writer values their time. Demonstrate that you understand this by offering them specific actionable takeaways.

    This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because finding the right tone is a difficult skill to master, especially in How To posts. I’m the right person to write this piece because I’ve gotten this wrong for so long!

    • I really like this idea, Jessica. I would just suggest coming up with a few alternative headlines. “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” is pretty vague. If someone saw this headline on social media, they’d have no idea what the post was about. Is it a lifestyle post about breakups? How does it relate to freelance blogging? Try to incorporate some freelance blogging related keywords in there.

  34. Embrace What You Left

    I got into freelancing because I *hated* my day job, and couldn’t think of doing it for a minute longer. After leaving, I was determined to never work in that industry again. Of course, that didn’t happen. But I slowly started to realise that it wasn’t actually that bad.

    It’s Probably the Job, Not the Work
    Many people’s primary motivation for leaving their job for the world of freelancing is because they’ve grown to hate what they do. More often than not, it’s not the actual work they hate, it’s how they’re being asked to do it or the environment they’re doing it in.

    You Have the Knowledge
    Whatever industry you worked in, you probably know quite a lot about it, you might even be an expert! Instead of running away from that, embrace it, make it your strength.

    Rediscover What You Lost
    It’s very seldom that someone takes a job they hate and then sticks with it (there are, as always exceptions). Rediscover the reason you got into the industry in the first place, refocus your feelings towards it.

    Your Time, Your Rules
    You’re a freelancer now and that means YOU make the rules. That means you get to do things the way you’ve always wanted to and no one can tell you different.

    Like myself, I believe many people get into freelancing with great intentions but unrealistic expectations. We leave because we think we hate what we’re doing, but that’s not always the case. After working freelance for over a year I’ve learnt how to turn the tasks I hated into ones I love, and have embraced the industry I once shunned.

  35. Headline: 10 Remedies to Kill Procrastination and Become a Successful Freelance Blogger

    It’s amazing how often I find myself blank staring at my computer screen, scrolling further and further down my media page. Absent mindedly taking quizzes, stalking my friends, and commenting on cute kitten videos for hours at a time. Procrastination at it’s finest, if you ask me. But what if what if procrastination was actually, gasp, healthy!

    Points:
    1. There are many reasons that we find ourselves procrastinating and putting our “to do” list the back burner. By identifying these “reasons” we can tackle procrastinating and use it to benefit us instead of let it hinder us.

    2. List the reasons why we are procrastinating.

    3. Provide remedies in detail that will help turn procrastination into determination and keep the money coming in.

    4. You see procrastination isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just your body and your brain letting your know to take a break. We all have off days and that’s completely okay as long as we know it is important not to dwell on it.

    This will be a great post for this site because it will serve as a reminder to people that it is okay to take break and procrastination can actually help you in the long run. Not only will it identify and address the reasons why we are procrastinating but it will give creative ways to have a positive and productive experience instead of a negative one. I am a professional procrastinator and successful entrepreneur by changing the my mindset and attitudes, I have been able to change my pennies into quarters, and maintain a substantial income in the freelance world.

  36. POSSIBLE HEADLINES: BREAKING NEWS: BLOGGING BOBBIES CATCH AND KILL SERIAL MURDERERS. Or: Sentenced to life as a serial murderer.

    EVERYONE struggles at one time or another with a lack of confidence. Beginning Bloggers are no exception. Finding out which confidence killers are stalking you, learning how to team up, fight back and eventually overcome them is imperative in order to survive as a Writer.

    • Meet the BAU (Behavior Analysis Unit): Introduction to why reading other bloggers’ posts is important.

    • Profiling the confidence killers, a.k.a. serial murderers – an allusion to Criminal Minds.

    • The best offense is a good defense – before you become a victim, recognize the signs

    • Self Defense 101 – how to survive an attack – can also incorporate an internal link back to the Jedi Knight post or another similar post on BAFB.

    • Join forces by becoming a B.B.I.T. = Blogger Bobby in Training, or even Blogger in Training.

    • Celebrate and Share your success with your team. Meeting together for the victory dance, sharing stories, clinking glasses.

    The reason this would be a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger is because it provides help to those wanting to break into blogging, as well as those who are already blogging and perhaps are trying to learn, experiment with, or incorporate something new. It’s evergreen content, which is good for eventual re-purposing. Bloggers need encouragement and advice from other bloggers, good bloggers, GREAT bloggers, or even some not so good bloggers, in order to succeed. Be a Freelance Blogger has provided me with AWESOME information on how to be a better blogger, and honestly, the blog posts are fun, have a unique voice that is attention grabbing and concise, written from an EXPERT perspective, very encouraging, and have helped me in my trek to succeed as a Freelance Blogger. I’d like to share.

      • Alicia, thank you. I just visited your website and will be reading some of the posts on your blog now. You have very pretty blue eyes.

        “I’m not sure I’m grasping what you’re relating the crime angle to. Can you clarify for me?”– This is a very good question and one I will try to answer.

        I was trying to use the television show “Criminal Minds,” as an analogy. Other Writers and Bloggers would be the BAU team I referred to since they can profile (define) many of the things that kill your confidence. Before you can ward off things like this (the confidence killers) you need to know what they are – so that you know how you can push past them. Through their books, blogs, posts, articles, and more, other Writers encourage and mentor future Writers, or they help each other to grow personally and professionally. That would be the self-defense 101 bullet point. Once you have laid the confidence killers to rest by developing and implementing a strategy to arrest them, you can share that information with other Writers and Bloggers, (the mentored becoming the mentor) so they can do the same.

        Many times at the end of an episode, the team gathers around at a local bar to celebrate the capture or elimination of the bad person – the last bullet point is analogous to the clinking of glasses to celebrate the arrest or death of one or more of the things out there killing a blogger’s confidence.

        Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain and try to clarify. I appreciate what you do. It looks like the Pitchfest competition is fierce. Good wishes to you all who have been tasked with the judging. Back in my college days, I had to judge entries in a writing competition as a student editor. It’s a tough job. So again, thank you!

    • Good theme idea, but in the headline I’d emphasize the “blog” part a lot more. I wouldn’t have guessed from the suggested titles that this has anything to do with being a professional blogger.

  37. Possible Headline: Saving for Retirement when you’re a Freelance Blogger

    Opening Lines: Congratulations! You’re a full-fledged, income-earning freelance blogger. You pay your bills, feed yourself and even had some lovely business cards printed for your wallet. Think you have it all figured out? You’re wrong. Making ends meet from month to month is just a short-term plan – so what happens after you hit retirement age? Unless you want to work regularly for the rest of your life, it’s time to start saving for your future self.

    Point 1: Budgeting. Everything comes down to budgeting, whether it’s cat food or a tropical cruise 40 years down the road. This is where you’ll find the funds to allocate to retirement, and it will help you understand just how much money you will actually need when the time comes.

    Point 2: High-Yield Savings. Saving money isn’t just about leaving $50 in your wallet after all the bills are paid – it’s about finding the right financial services to turn that $50 into more money. High-yield savings accounts are the first step towards saving a lump sum that is truly worth something.

    Point 3: Investing. There are many ways to invest a few hundred or a few thousand dollars depending on where you live. You might choose savings bonds; perhaps you’re more inclined to micro-loans.

    Point 4: Roll it Over. Using the types of investments we talked about in the previous section, it’s time to take the earnings and roll them over into new investments. We’ll talk about how to choose these investments and how to keep your money as safe as possible.

    Point 5: Invest in Bigger Ways: Once you’ve turned over your investments and raised more than $10,000, it’s time to make some serious retirement plans. We’ll explain the essentials of 401Ks, the Canada Pension Plan and similar international retirement schemes.

    This is for BAFB and I’m the One to Write it: BAFB readers are constantly learning how to be better freelance bloggers and better businesspeople. They need financial knowledge to go along with these skills! As a freelance writer, I’ve come to this realization recently and have done some digging to find out how to take care of myself years down the road.

  38. HEADLINE: How to stand out from the other blogs in your niche?

    OPENING LINES: Today there are more than 100.000.000 blogs on the internet. But only 10-20% are successful, making money from blogging and attracting more than 100.000 readers all over the world. They have a huge impact on people because they know how to stand out from other blogs and how to get to potential subscribers.
    If you would like that for your blog, here are some ways that can make you be in those 20% of the best blogers on the Planet.

    1) MISSION – You have to be clear of what you want to do with your blog, what you want for your blog readers to learn and you to be their teacher who is helping them to become good in a stuff that you know a lot about.

    2) MARKETING – This one has many subtitles and there are a lot of posts, videos on this subject. You just need to learn how to represent your new wonderful blog to people, but not being intrusive. You have to make this: create an e-mail list, social media account, guest blogging, join some community, and put there your new blog address, talk about it.

    3) PRODUCTS – E-book, webinar, step-by-step guide, whatever is your product, beside your blog, it has to catch the eyes of people, but also to be your personal mark.

    4) YOUR DOMAIN NAME AND WEB HOST – Pay for the right one, don`t use free web host, because you want to make something more than just to write a content, you want to look like a professional, to be recognized and, perhaps, attract clients to your blog.

    5) QUALITY CONTENT AND UNIQUE DESIGN – that stays in your mind for a long time. If the content can help us and it`s easy to implement in real life, than it`s a score!

    6) TEAM – If you hire people to work for you on your blog, with their experience and your knowledge about niche of blog, together you can make the blog to sparkle in every way possible.

    These are all the things that can help you become a bloger with a mission and have a positive impact to others. I`ve learned this from webinars and by reading blog posts on popular blogs (including this BAFB blog). I don`t have my own blog yet, but I`ll use this steps when I create one. And I already know what it will be about, I found out my mission and I`m writing my first posts, the next step is buying a host and domain name for my blog.

    With this post I want to help BAFB readers and subscribers to stand out with their own blog from other blogs in a niche they choose. And the other reason to write this is, if I win on Pitchfest, the first thing that I`m gonna do is invest that money in my first blog.

  39. The DOTA II Guide to Freelance Blogging

    One of the biggest perks of being a freelance blogger is being your own boss. Turns out that can also be one of the biggest challenges. Want to play computer games until your eyes bleed, instead of working? No-one’s there to stop you. To ease those feelings of guilt, take comfort in all the lessons you’re learning along the way.

    Pick a character (but don’t get too attached)
    There are over 100 characters you can play as in DOTA and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. As a freelance blogger, there’s approximately a bazillion topics you could get paid to blog about. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, so here’s how to get moving.

    Practice makes perfect
    There’s a lot to learn in DOTA, and this can be intimidating, but this isn’t a sink/swim scenario. There’s practice missions for a reason. Whilst pitching prospective clients is a massive step for a beginning freelancer, I’ll break down some easy low risk ways you can build your skills.

    Everything’s better with friends
    Sure, you can technically play DOTA as a solo character, but it’s meant to be played as a team. The freelance blogging community can be a huge help, as well as a lot of fun. I’ll go over a few ways you can get the most out of it.

    Know which stage you’re in
    There’s three different phases in a DOTA match, early game, mid game and late game. You’ll have different priorities and strategies depending on what phase you’re in. Identify what phase of your freelance blogging career you’re in, whether it’s writing your first post to making a full time living, and use the right strategies to get the most benefits.

    This will be a light-hearted post, acknowledging the potential for freelancers to procrastinate, but with concrete actions to help freelance bloggers. As well as a fully fledged DOTA player, I’m a legend at procrastinating. I also know the challenges of pursuing a career in freelance blogging.

    • I LOVE a post with a heavy theme, especially when it’s tailored to our niche. And I adore video games. 😉

      However, I’d love to see the full six bullet points for this one. With only four points, I’m concerned that you won’t be able to reach the full blog post length (1,000+ words).

      And I know you wrote one of our more popular posts (Batman VS. Superman), so I “know” that you’ve probably got this. But since this is a pitching contest at heart, I’ll need to see a bit more a pitch before I can make a decision on this one.

  40. How Watching The Presidential Race Can Make You a Better Freelance Blogger

    I know. You’re asking how is that circus-act gonna make me a better blogger. Well, considering each campaign in the primaries is spending millions on research to see how best to communicate to an audience, you get to witness the results of it first-hand. You get to see what messages work and what doesn’t. In the end, isn’t that your goal as a blogger?

    1. Don’t focus on who’s winning but why they’re winning. As much as I hate to admit it, Trump is killing it. Why? A lot has to do with his messaging: It’s direct, it’s simple, it’s forceful. Are your blogs like that?

    2. Pay attention to exit polls. There is plenty to be learned from it, no matter what you write about. The people are speaking as loud as they can, and each primary’s exit polls are telling you a lot about your target audience. They’re telling you their fears, concerns, and what appeals to them. And trust me, some campaign, somewhere, has data on your target audience. You just have to know where to look.

    3. Study the losers as well as the winner. Understanding what didn’t work can be as important as knowing what does. As the candidates nose-dive and drop out, ask yourself why didn’t they catch fire with the electorate? Was it their message? Chances their message was the same as some of the other candidates, but why didn’t it work them?

    To write better blogs it’s crucial to understand your audience and speak to them as such. Today’s presidential race is a Petri dish of information on what works for your audience – you just have to look at it that way. I have a degree in political science, am a former public affairs officer, and recovering political junkie.

  41. Headline: 5 Reasons Why Writer’s Block is a Freelance Blogger’s New Best Friend

    Just hearing the words “writer’s block” makes even seasoned writers recoil in fear. You think, “What if I can never write anything again!?” But before your slam shut your laptop and toss your notebook out the window, just know that dear old writer’s block is not here to squander your dreams of writing renown; in fact, he is a friend, here as a helpful, (albeit, pesky,) companion on your ascent to success.

    Reason 1: Amongst the “Go! Go! Go!” that is freelance writing, it is rare that we take a moment to reevaluate our niche. When you have ideas about everything, you’ll write about everything, even if some of those aren’t your strongest topics. Taking the time to think about think about what we really want to write encourages writers to delve deeper, and thus become more skilled and knowledgeable, in one preferred niche.

    Reason 2: You’ll take notice if your routine isn’t working for you. For some, hopping out of bed at 3:30 AM and writing before the sun awakes the distractions of the day is the best way to go, for others, not so much. Think of writer’s block as that friend that bears the bad news that those pants are just not your thing.

    Reason 3: You’ll be forced to look for ideas in places you otherwise wouldn’t have. Do all of your ideas seem to coincidentally pop into your head when you are scrolling through Facebook? It’s great when you’ve found a place that seems to give you a constant stream of ideas, but when the flow dries up, it’s not because writer’s block has you in a chokehold; it’s that said source isn’t inspiring you.

    Reason 4: Continuing along those lines, you’ll learn how to research. Do you think seasoned writers simply give up when their brains refuse to hand them topics on silver platters? Nope. They go out and effectively research. (Descriptions of research tactics.)

    Reason 5: You’ll give your writing muscles a well-deserved vacation. Sometimes your brain just needs a break, and while writer’s block can be your friend, writer’s burnout is not.

    Conclusion- We’ve all heard the saying, where something will “light a fire under your butt.”
    Writers have been conditioned to think of writer’s block as a sign of failure, as if you go one minute without an idea, and you’re instantly a has-been. Sometimes all your need is a little push to get outside of your cozy writer’s box, and be brave.

    Why this is beneficial to BAFB readers- There are so many posts out there on how to beat writer’s block, which obviously treat the topic like a negative thing. Aside from providing helpful tips, this post twists a negative into a positive, which will inspire other freelance writers to do the same with other roadblocks in their careers.

      • Hi Alicia,

        Thank you for reading.

        This is actually the first time I’ve ever pitched a post, and I am wondering if there anything that you think I should improve on? I appreciate all feedback so much as this is all so new to me!

        Thanks again!

        -Kirsten

        • I personally don’t have any suggestions. You did a great job. One of the biggest things is to follow the guidelines, and you’ve done that here.

          Other than that, I encourage you to start pitching to other publications. Yes, you might see rejection, but you won’t land writing gigs until you try. You can always come to us for help in the BAFB forums, too. 🙂

    • Hmmm. Kinda want.

      I’d like it to be more tailored to freelance bloggers specifically, but, other than that, it looks really good — especially for a first pitch!

      Writer’s Block is a topic that comes up a lot (both in this contest and behind-the-scenes), but we have yet to find the “perfect” writer to tackle it. This is the closest I’ve come to a “yes” on this subject.

      • Hello Lauren!

        Thank you for your feedback! Reading it over, I agree that the pitch seems to be aimed at writers in general rather than freelance bloggers specifically. In order to tailor it into the freelance blogging realm, I’m thinking I could add specific freelance blogging related anecdotes as I expand on my points, so the overall tone is not so general.

        Besides that, I am very happy to know that I am on the right track in terms of my pitching skills!

        Thanks a bunch,
        Kirsten

  42. Don’t Let the Adventure Get In the Way of Your Dreams

    I always say, “Life Is An Adventure.” The best part of my adventure is living in my dream destination. The second best part is writing and photography. However, there are always obstacles and hindrances that seem to get in the way. With a little diligence, they can be overcome.

    1. Life is an adventure:
    The first step is to figure out what you love and DO IT.
    Living your adventure will bring a great sense of self-worth and immense joy.

    2. There are many obstacles in life:
    Personal apprehension and fear.
    Rejections or just simply no response from queries.
    People who try to smash your dreams or simply instill doubts.

    3. Ways that I have fought to live my adventure:
    Volunteered writing an online newspaper
    Write about what I love
    Never gave up while enduring abusive relationship where my dreams were
    belittled/crushed

    4. Don’t let anyone limit you
    While you don’t want to overwhelm yourself, never let anyone tell you that you “can’t
    have 2 or 3 dream branches.

    This post will help those starting out, or those who may be giving up, to realize it is worth the effort. It will help others to see they are not alone in their battle to succeed. It will also help readers to see that their adventure is worth living.

  43. Headline – How to Secretly Hire Yourself

    Opening Lines – Many people would love to hire themselves, but they don’t know how. Well, it’s not that easy, but it’s doable. You must first interview yourself by asking yourself interview questions like, “What makes me qualified to be a freelance blogger?” Wait for it……. did you answer? Can you answer? WHEW! Good answer. Oh! But there’s more, questions, that is.

    #1 – Did you know that information is the new currency? As a freelance blogger you must convert words to money. C’mon, your livelihood is at stake! Each keystroke costs, and if you hit the wrong key you might not get paid. What information do you have or can you share that will make you money? Each time you write a post you need to ask yourself, “Will this post help me to remain a freelancer?”

    #2 – Think of your readers as your clients or customers. You want your customers coming back to your blog don’t you? You must offer them something in order to keep them coming back. Your offerings can include stories, anecdotes, prayers, etc. As a freelance blogger you must hit the right cords with your readers; investigate them, poll them, ask for their opinions.

    #3 – Make a list of to dos to keep yourself employed as a freelance blogger. This list may include a list of future blog topics for specific readers, the creation of info-graphics or tip-o-graphics. You must think of ways that your readers will keep you secretly employed. Create visuals with your words along with podcasts. Make your content as portable as possible.

    #4 – To remain a freelance blogger you must reinvent the wheel. It’s not ok to shamelessly borrow; you have to make your own path. People like people who stray from the straight and narrow. This’s how you can stray – eavesdrop. Let me explain. Listen to people, get ideas, re-purpose, re-imagine, and re-tool words and phrases.

    #5 – As a freelance blogger you must blend out and not blend in, but don’t go solo. One of the best ways not to go solo is to attend blogging conferences. Talk about a great way to network and glean. Attending blogging conferences is like hanging out at a company picnic (other bloggers are your co-workers).

    #6 – As a freelance blogger you may not feel like it, but you must keep going. Do you feel like getting a paycheck? It’s important that you motivate yourself to create, and creating just doesn’t mean blogging. The word “free” in freelance means to Find Real Educational Experiences TM for your readers. Freelance bloggers are teachers in a sense. Make a list of teaching tools you’ll use to be a freelance blogger.

    Why me and why this article? Hi, my name is Kristine “Kris” Manley , and I have discovered how difficult it is to make a living as a freelance blogger so I haven’t quit my day job as yet. I have discovered that making lists, creating from scratch, creating the different has worked wonders for me, brought in some monies, gotten me on radio and TV, and gotten me some speaking engagements. So, freelancing can be done with persistence, and encouragement. I would like to share what has worked for me, and I know it can work for other freelance bloggers.

    • Hi Kristine,

      I like all the tips you pointed out here, but I’m not sure I’m seeing the “big picture.” I’m not clear on what you mean by “hiring yourself.” It almost sounds like you’re talking about using your blog as income, but then that eliminates the “freelancing” angle (i.e. blogging for clients).

  44. 3 Things I Wish I Would Have Done Differently as a New Writer

    Six months ago, I landed my dream job: I’m a full-time, in-house staff writer for a blog I love with a team I admire. Before that, I freelanced for four years. I feel lucky to have this job now, because I know I did almost everything wrong for those four years as I was learning to be a blogger.

    Here are three things I would have done differently:
    1. Keep my day job as long as possible. Instead, I quit as soon as I decided to pursue writing. It put undue pressure on my writing and, I think, stunted my progress.
    2. Ask for help more often. I wish I’d reached out for more direction in the beginning, and put more effort into collaborating as my network grew.
    3. Take baby steps, instead of one giant leap. I didn’t have the patience to build step by step. I dove into every new thing way too fast, and I didn’t give myself time to hone it.

    A lot of “work for yourself” advice encourages the Leap, and that’s great. But I think new writers also need a reality check and a few warnings before diving in. I ultimately found my place as a professional writer, but in hindsight, my path here could have been much smoother.

      • Thank you!

        I definitely made more mistakes 🙂 I can say I also should have…
        4. Better defined my personal vs. professional brand. I tried to make money too quickly, and it didn’t give me time to clearly define what I was selling vs. who I am as a writer.
        5. Published less. The longer I’ve been a writer, the more time I’ve spent writing things I don’t publish immediately (or at all). It’s important for practice, creativity and development to have permission to do that.
        6. Explored career options early. If I had known what kinds of writing jobs existed, I would have had a clearer idea of the steps I needed to take to get to the one I have and meandered a lot less.

        And I think # 2 can actually be split into a) Asked for help more, and b) Collaborated more often, so it’s a list of 7.

  45. Pitch Perfect: Add Some Whimsy to Your Freelance Blog. Be Inspired by Musical Terms.

    We are all so serious when it comes to defining ourselves as writers. As we navigate through the deluge of detritus burying the written word, it is necessary to feel the impetus that moves us forward. To be inspired, there must be a sense of whimsy, something magical or perhaps musical in our composition.

    Here are a few musical terms and definitions to help your words grace the page:

    Adagio: from the Italian meaning slow movement. Relax, take the time necessary to enjoy what you saying. Surely, a more inspired piece will be the result of the time spent letting the notes/words fill the page. Think slowly and let your creative juices flow.

    Badinerie: from the French indicating a piece of music, light-hearted in character. Chances are, your everyday aim is not to bring home a Pulitzer, so write for pleasure, your own, and the reader lucky enough to discover you. View your writing not as a deadline, but as a means of expression.

    Caprice: from the Italian or French affording a composition a relatively free play of fancy. Again, I am stressing, so as not to stress you out – the power of whimsy. Inspiration comes when you allow inspired thoughts. Pretend you are playing with words.

    Divertimento: again from the Italian, a piece of music/writing intended to entertain. Write to amuse people. You can be serious and informative and still present your body of work in an entertaining and provocative fashion. Droning on is not an option.

    Entr’acte: a Germanic term basically meaning the filler. You need one thought to segue to your next point so you toss in some background noise. Descriptive phrases are a tidy filler – especially if you have inked out a deal paying you a buck a word.

    Fantasy: an actual musical term allowing one to exercise one’s fancy in a freer form of writing. Who doesn’t love reading or writing a fantasy? We all dream great things for ourselves, why not write the same way? You can have a strong voice, a sharp wit, and still present your work in a fanciful manner.

    I try not to be too serious when I write, because like most others out there peddling my goods – to market, to market, to market we go – I suffer great fear of the critic. My inner critic is my most formidable foe, so I feel offering a little humour is a way to assuage the emotions surrounding, well, just about everything. Hopefully, this little whimsy helps.

  46. THE TRAGEDY OF OUR DAY :COMFORT GREATER THAN PASSION
    INTRODUCTION
    There is a tragedy in the world today. A tragedy which has rendered the old ones among us useless, the youth among us frustrated and now, it is eating deep into the future of our generation. This deadly and sadden situation is the tragedy of Comfort being preferred above passion.

    Here is a list that tells us we might be in tragedy of the comfort zone rather than paying the price for passion;
    1. When your past achievement appears more glorious to you than the present.
    2. When you no longer ask questions:
    result- oriented questions.
    3. When you start seeing yourself as
    though you have arrived at your final destination at every slight accomplishment.
    4. When what fires up the passion in you seems
    to have died out; things which use to
    motivate you no longer has meaning to you.
    5. When you keep believing that God will DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU, without you doing anything.
    6. When your attention is shifted from
    people oriented goals and impact, to Self materialization and self-
    gratification.

    MY PLACE IN WRITING IS TO INSPIRE MEN AND WOMEN IN EVERY FIELD, RACE OR TRIBE TO ACCOMPLISH BEYOND WHAT THEY THINK THEY MIGHT NOT ACHIEVE. I BELIEVE AM THE BEST BLOGGER FOR THIS

  47. Headlines : Why Rejection Is Good for the Soul
    5 Myths About Rejection and Why They’re Bogus

    Opening lines : Rejection is something we’ve all faced and will continue to face throughout our lives and freelance careers. I once was one of those who saw it as this awful, terrible thing. The truth is that rejection is actually a super sneaky blessing in disguise.

    5 points :

    1.) Rejection doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it helps illuminate a pathway to success. You only truly fail when you quit.

    2.) Rejection doesn’t close doors, it opens them. You just have to keep your chin up so that you can see those open doors for what they are.

    3.) Rejection doesn’t mean you suck, it means that client didn’t see how valuable you are. Don’t let others define your value, only you can do that.

    4.) Rejection doesn’t end when you go pro, it might just be in a different form. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can put it to work for you.

    5.) Rejection isn’t a bad thing, it’s there to help you grow. Put on those special glasses that let you see past the disguise and then let it!

    I think this would be a great post for BAFB because it’s something we all face when it comes to breaking into freelance blogging and it can sometimes be the thing we let stop us before we even begin. I’m the best person to write this because I’m in the thick of the rejection right now but I won’t let it stop me. It only adds more fuel to my fire and my hope is that it would fire up others as well.

  48. THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!!

    Thank you to everyone who entered this time! If you missed out: Fear not! We’ll be having another Pitchfest in June.

    If you haven’t received a reply yet, please don’t worry — we did read your pitch when it came in (if it’s showing up in the comments, that means we read/approved it), and will officially reply to it soon.

    Sophie will share the winners sometime next week! Keep an eye out!!

    Thank you all again for an especially great Pitchfest. We’re going to have our work cut out for us trying to choose the best out of this great lot. 🙂

    • Hi, Lauren,

      Just checking to make sure I didn’t miss the announcement regarding the competition winners? Wanted to make sure I was subscribed to updates appropriately. Thank you!! Hope all is well 🙂

      • Congratulations, Maddy, Dana, and Karen! ? I’m so happy to have won second place. And congrats to everyone else that entered. Just having the courage to pitch publicly makes y’all winners in my book.

    • Hey, Everyone!

      Sophie is SUPER pregnant right now and has been having trouble getting to her computer.

      However, we have the list of winners and runners-up “ready to go” more or less behind-the-scenes. She just needs to choose between two that are REALLY close for the winner… This was a tough one to judge! You all did really well and I’d say most of you would be welcome to send drafts to me. Your pitches were truly great. 🙂

      Sorry for the delay. Please continue to be patient! Sophie will post the winners ASAP!

      • LOL 🙂 and here I was thinking that she must’ve already given birth and was chilling with her awesome newborn. The last four weeks of pregnancy are the hardest!

        Sophie – hope you’re feeling okay! Xoxoxo

  49. Sorry for the delay, folks! Like Lauren said, I’ve been taking a “cripes I forgot how much it sucks to be heavily pregnant” week. But I’m back, and I’ve finally made up my mind who wins what. 🙂 So…

    THE WINNERS ARE:

    1st prize:
    Maddy Osman, with her month by month guide to starting a successful freelance blogging business – see her winning pitch here: http://beafreelanceblogger.com/open-pitchfest/#comment-165108

    2nd prize:
    Cherese Cobb, with her advice on scrubbing up your online reputation: http://beafreelanceblogger.com/open-pitchfest/#comment-165119

    JOINT 3rd prize:
    Dana Sitar [ http://beafreelanceblogger.com/open-pitchfest/#comment-165640 ]
    AND Karen Banes [ http://beafreelanceblogger.com/open-pitchfest/#comment-165210 ]
    3rd prize winners, claiming your prize is easy – just email me 3 questions when your draft’s accepted, and I’ll answer them. 🙂

    Other people whose pitches we feel are ready to draft:
    (If your name’s on this list, we encourage you to either pitch your idea to one of the sites in The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs, or write a full draft and submit it to lauren@beafreelanceblogger.com for publication as a traditional, unpaid guest post on Be a Freelance Blogger.)
    * Elizabeth Spencer
    * Eden B
    * Chelsea Jordan
    * Lisa (on writing faster)
    * Aoife O’Carroll
    * Katharine Paljug
    * Katherine Swarts
    * JTWrite
    * Kirsten (on writer’s block)
    * Chad Nikolic
    * Nemisha Sharma
    * Mandy Gardner
    * Daniel Rose

    Congratulations and well done to everyone who entered!

  52. Headline: Upping the Ante – Negotiating Your Way to Higher Pay

    First Lines: Your freelance career is gaining momentum. Perhaps you started with a low introductory rate. Maybe the demand for your services is becoming higher than your capacity for projects. Whatever the case, you’ve determined it’s time to up the ante with your current clientele but aren’t sure how to broach the subject.

    Outline:
    1) Meeting Format – What’s the best medium for this discussion? Email, phone call, or face-to-face?
    2) Make Yourself Indispensable – What have you done to help grow this business? Why do they need you? Why is this important?
    3) Prepare to justify the raise – Be ready to talk economics with your client. Outline the math to justify your raise if required.
    4) Allow room for fluctuation – Your client may come back with a counter offer. Here are some tips on how to prepare and subsequently deal with this event.
    5) Timeframes – Change approvals often move forward at a glacial pace in businesses. Here’s how to set up a mutually beneficial critical path, and avoid getting lost in the bureaucratic chaos.
    6) Rejection- Sometimes, no matter how well you negotiate a client will be unable or unwilling to budge. Here’s how to deal with this issue, and how to know when to walk away.

    “Upping the Ante” would be a perfect fit for Be a Freelance Blogger as it offers timeless career-building advice that can be used by both new and seasoned freelance writers. I am the perfect person to write this article as I have negotiated three successful pay raises in a career setting.

    Thanks in advance for your consideration and feedback!

Trackbacks

  1. […] Sophie also conducts a Pitchfest every three months—a blog post pitching contest. You write your blog post idea (in the comments section) and her team chooses our favorites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners. Not only do you stand a chance of winning $100, but you also get the opportunity of reading all the other pitches along with public feedback from Sophie, Laurie Tharp and fellow bloggers. Here’s the March 2016 Pitchfest. […]