Am I ever really going to make a go of this?
Why would I ever think I could be as successful as some of those other freelancers?
Should I just give up now?
Whether you’re just starting out as a freelance blogger or you’ve been doing it for a while and have reached a plateau, it’s easy to fall prey to fears and doubts like this — especially when you compare yourself against those bigger, better freelancers who seem to have already “made it.”
But here’s a little insider secret to success: There are no insider secrets to success.
Many of those bloggers you envy started out with nothing, just like you, and it’s only through a combination of skill, moxie and sheer dogged persistence they managed to get to where they are are today.
Know what that means for you?
You can get there too.
To prove it to you (and give you some super-helpful tips you can put to use today), we interviewed 15 freelance bloggers who built their own successful businesses from “nothing” and asked them how they did it, what they learned along the way and what they wish all aspiring freelancers knew about the journey.
1. Lauren Spear
What is the name of your blog?
My business blog is called LittleZotz Writing. I also run the HorrorFam blog
What other blogs do you contribute to?
That’s a hard question to answer since my contributions are fairly random. Also, since I’m primarily a ghost-blogger, I might be contributing to blogs you know about under someone else’s name! But, just so you’ll have an answer for this question, most recently I’ve contributed to Be A Freelance Blogger, The Write Life, The Penny Hoarder and A Writer’s Bucket List.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I write about pretty much whatever someone is willing to pay me to write about. That’s probably the best thing about ghost-blogging; I never really had to define my niche. I can write about nude beaches one week and office supplies the next — it’s great!
On my own blogs, however, I share a mix of freelance writing advice and tales from my personal life.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I had been writing for pay off and on since I was a teenager, but I made it my sole source of income in August of 2010. And by October of that same year, I had been hired to run the blog for a television miniseries and was pulling in a tidy profit.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I had been writing for pay off and on since I was 16 (I’m 30 now) but had always resisted the idea of freelancing. Both of my parents are freelance artists, so I knew exactly how hard the freelance life can be.
I took on several different retail and food services jobs in the name of a “steady paycheck.” However, in 2010, when my longtime boyfriend and I both found ourselves suddenly unemployed, I realized that steady paycheck jobs weren’t as “secure” as they once were. So I had a choice to make: go out and find yet another cruddy job I cared nothing about, or finally make writing my career. I chose the latter and opened LittleZotz Writing’s virtual doors for business on August 17, 2010.
I originally started out in the content mills but quickly figured out that pitching to clients and publications directly would get me paid more. And I’m all about the dosh.
My personal blog was also a big help in getting me jobs. Because although I write about the silly day-to-day of my life, I try to write it in a way that still has proper formatting and a strong writing voice. You never know what people are going to like — the main thing is getting yourself out there with something.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My freelance income has come primarily from blogging — both bylined and as a ghost — and editing. I was the Associate Editor for Be A Freelance Blogger and the Editorial Assistant for Copyblogger.
I’ve also mentored fellow writers about how to get into the wacky world of freelancing.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
To me, being successful means never having to worry about starving or being homeless — which were both major concerns of mine immediately before I gave into the siren call of freelance writing and started earning a living from it.
I’m currently the sole source of income for myself, my roommate, and our two cats. And none of us has had a hungry day in a very long time.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I was very naïve about recognizing the red flags that potentially bad clients show. I also gave a lot of discounts, thinking that working for less was better than not working at all. I was wrong.
Basically, I wish I’d known that confidence is the name of the game when it comes to freelancing. Whether or not you actually feel confident, you have to act like you do or you’re lost.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Well, I’m very honest and I try to have a sense of humor about what I do. And I’m a decent writer. That helps. But, to be honest, I think the main thing that’s helped me stand out from the crowd is the illustrations on my website. Ramiro Roman draws them for me and he’s absolutely brilliant.
I like to think that people come for the illustrations and stay for the writing tips.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
How badly do you want to succeed?
Do you want it a LOT or just a little?
If you only want to be a paid freelance blogger “a little,” then it’s fine — it doesn’t matter that much anyway. But if you want it a LOT, then you’re going to have to nut up and get the job done — you owe it to yourself!
For me, I have a lot of exterior motivations that drive me as well as my love of writing. I’m the sole breadwinner for myself, someone else and two cats. Whenever I feel like, “I feel weird about asking for paid work,” I look at them and realize that if I don’t go after paid work, they’ll starve.
I also like to remind myself that no other professional would be questioned for asking for money for services rendered. And this is a profession.
In other words: You’re going to have to dig deep within yourself and figure out what YOUR motivations for freelance blogging are. And then use those motivations to give you the courage to ask for the money you deserve to be paid.
Successful freelance blogging is also all about the four Ps: Perseverance, Patience, Personality and Pitching. And yes, I’ll be writing a blog post about that sometime soon. 😉
In conclusion: whether you’ve “got what it takes” starts and ends with your attitude and how badly you want to succeed. And whether or not you can actually write — that’s important too. But mostly the attitude thing.
2. Amandah Blackwell
What is the name of your blog?
The name of my blog is Savvy-Writer.com.
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I contribute to The Huffington Post in the Healthy Living, Money and Travel sections. I’ve written guest posts for Ragan.com, Orbit Media Studios and a few other companies.
What topic(s) do you write about?
The topics I write on include travel, personal development, personal finance, social media, content writing, copywriting, leadership, and marketing and PR.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been freelance blogging since 2008. I started making a profit right away, but it didn’t last because I was new and got in my own way. That was a tough lesson.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
In 2008, I took all the money and investments I had and moved to Chandler, AZ. I fell into freelance writing by answering a CareerBuilder ad that was posted by a local company. I tested for a blogging and marketing analyst position, but the owners decided I was better suited for blogging because they felt my passion for writing. Plus, I had a creative portfolio with writing samples from college, a travel article and graphic design samples.
During my time with the company, I learned about WordPress, how to create a website using templates, blogging and SEO. I also learned about choosing the best images to accompany blog posts — and, when in doubt, triple-check to make sure you have the right to use an image. Otherwise, it may cost you and/or a company!
Once I became comfortable with blogging, I created my website, Savvy-Writer.com. I stumbled along the way, but the president of the company I blogged for helped me out.
To educate myself, I listened to (and continue to listen to) teleseminars and webinars, read articles, blogs, books and magazines, and joined writers groups. It was nice to meet people who either were doing what I wanted to do or starting out.
I cold emailed (still do) potential clients and learned fast about the importance of knowing your ideal client. I can laugh about it now, but when you’re dealing with a client who is not ideal, it’s as if the world is falling around you. A word of advice: choose your clients with care. If you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, decline to work with a client. Have the guts to walk away from the money. The stress is not worth it!
In July 2010, I moved back to my home state of Ohio and joined the local chamber of commerce. I haven’t received business directly, more indirectly. Being a part of a chamber can add credibility to you and your business. This year, I joined a networking group that is not your typical group, and I’ve gained clients and received referrals. The one-time membership fee I paid was worth it.
When I’m not writing for clients, I’m writing children’s picture books, poems, short stories and screenplays. I have three self-published personal development books and would like to take one of them further by creating products and webinars around it. However, my huge goal is to leverage my freelance writing and become a bestselling children’s picture book author and screenwriter. It could happen!
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My freelance income consists of writing articles, blog posts, case studies, ebooks (ghostwritten) and web pages. I’m beginning to receive requests to write books and look forward to doing so. I would like to do more consulting but haven’t figured out what that looks like yet.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
Being “successful” to me means a few things:
- Hearing from clients how the content and copy I wrote for them converted into leads, sales, donations, profits, speaking engagements and increases in web traffic.
- Getting referrals from clients.
- Earning a healthy income.
- Receiving recognition.
I love to write and express through words. It’s nice to get paid for doing something that you love!
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
When I first started my website, I was writing blog posts for other freelance writers and businesses. However, my blog should have been set up to attract clients and convert leads. The blog was confusing; the target market wasn’t clear. I wish I would have hired a business coach and/or consultant to help me define my ideal client. Many freelance writers believe that everyone is their client. This is not true. You don’t want to work with clients who:
- Disrespect your time.
- Do not pay on time.
- Do not understand the value you bring to their business.
- Are difficult or diva-ish.
Life is too short! You get to choose the people you want in your life, and this includes clients.
Second, after I wrote for a variety of clients, I would have chosen 1-3 niches to write for. Think about doctors. The ones who earn the most are “specialists” compared to “generalists.” Plus, you get to know your niche inside and out and become the go-to freelance writer for it.
Third, I would not have told my family what I was doing. It’s a nice fairytale to believe your family will support your dream, but this is not always true. Most people live in fear because it’s how they were raised — they don’t know any better. If you’re surrounded by people who have a “woe is me” or “life is hard” attitude, do not share your freelance aspirations with them! Speak with people who will understand why you want to pursue your dream of freelance writing. Surround yourself with successful people, and their success could impact you in ways you could not have imagined.
Fourth, I would have outsourced my website. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad I learned SEO and web design because I can help clients discover their keywords and phrases and give them feedback on their websites. However, the amount of time I spent on my website could have been spent on marketing.
Fifth, I wish I would not have wasted time paying for and attending networking events. Let’s face it; most people are there to get more business. You spend time pitching yourself and your freelance writing business only to leave exhausted and without any new clients. I would have spent money on direct mail to targeted companies and on networking memberships that work.
Sixth, I wish I would have not listened to certain freelance writing experts because they sometimes shame freelance writers without even knowing it. For example, I had someone yell at me as if I were a child. It was demeaning. I couldn’t believe this person was yelling at me! Maybe they lacked emotional intelligence, or it could be their personality. Anyway, I stopped following this person and quit buying their products. It’s one thing to be strong in your advice or suggestions; it’s another to be rude.
Finally, I wish I had a full-time job and started freelancing on the side. Even though I had clients, I was still in “fight or flight” mode. Having a salary would have provided me with breathing room to grow my business at a slow and steady pace. Once I built up a healthy savings and clientele, I could have left my full-time job. Live and learn.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
My education, experience and background have helped me to stand out. Because I understand SEO, graphic design and social media in addition to content writing and copywriting, I can add more value to a client and their business. If they have a question about how to create a content and/or social media calendar, I can help. If they have a question about finding their keywords and phrases, I can help.
My attitude helps too. Many clients are starting to view freelance writers as part of their team. However, this makes some writers squirm because it’s been drilled into their heads that they are the boss and work for themselves. This is true to a point, but you have to realize that clients are paying for writing services. If writers can shift from a “you vs. me” to “you and me” mindset, they can build and develop great business relationships that will last for a long time.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
You can either approach freelance writing as a side business, a hobby or a small business. The choice is yours. If you’re serious about making a decent living, you may have to let go of people, places and things that will hold you back. You also have to be prepared to put in the hours necessary to grow your freelance writing. Can you do this? Take some time to think about it. Don’t rush.
Many bloggers and content writers earn a decent living through their blogs, even though they may not be strong writers. Why? Because they believe in themselves and are authentic. People can tell if you’re genuine or not. So it comes down to YOU! If you believe you can become a successful freelance writer, you will. If you believe you can’t, you won’t. If you can be who you are and accept yourself, warts and all, you’ll reach your ideal client and earn a good income.
Einstein is often quoted as saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If you hang around the same types of people who are not where you want to be, you won’t grow personally and professionally. You’ll stay stuck. Is that want you want? I don’t think so. Surround yourself with top-quality people. Keep in mind that you may want to add some variety (the spice of life), from graphic designs to web designers. But they should have the qualities you have or want to develop and earn the yearly salary you want to earn.
Outsource certain aspects of your freelance writing business, from website and logo design to bookkeeping. This will give you more time to focus on your freelance writing and marketing your business.
Don’t be afraid to give your writing away for free. This can be in the form of guest posting or freebies such as case studies, infographics, whitepapers, etc. The key is to know what to give away.
Finally, make sure you want a freelance writing business. If you want to remain a solopreneur, that’s okay. If you want to build and develop a writing business that grows into something larger, go for it! If you want to keep your full-time job and write on the side, that’s fine. Don’t be shamed into doing something you do not want to do. Only you know what will make you happy!
3. Mike Wood
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I contribute to numerous other blogs, including Business2Community, AllBusiness.com and Visibility Magazine. You can find my regular contributor profiles here and a list of one-off sites here.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I write mostly on business topics, primarily in the field of marketing.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I have been freelance writing since 2011 and began my blog the same year. I was not initially looking to turn a profit, but to build a profile for people to verify my freelance credentials. However, as I began earning business, more and more people were asking me the same or similar questions. It was at that time I began to really write on my blog in order to answer some of the most commonly asked questions (kind of like a Q&A but with more in-depth answers).
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I was actually in law school at the time and I decided to take on some freelance writing jobs on the recommendation of my wife, who told me I was a good writer and encouraged me to write a book. However, I had no professional writing experience, so writing a book was quite a large goal that I did feel like taking on. So I began looking at freelance sites like Elance and Freelancer to take on a few minor projects. The goal was to make some extra income for a vacation, but it exploded overnight. I saw many struggling freelancers out there, so I began reading everything I could about freelancing and how to win projects. Taking the advice that I read, I began growing quickly to the point where I began my own website and blog (Legalmorning).
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My freelance income comes from many sources. The first is obviously writing. People will pay me to write content for their websites, social media posts and even ghost-writing for professionals who need to generate content for their personal profiles but do not have the time. I make money from other services, mainly from Wikipedia writing, which is the bulk of my service offering. The blog is best used as a tool for those looking for advice in marketing, including with Wikipedia. The blog posts attract readers who can then learn about the services I have to offer, which in turn translates into leads.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
Being successful is about meeting goals. For me, I set a specific monetary goal and once I hit that mark on a monthly basis, I considered myself successful. Everything else I divide into smaller goals for the short-term. These are goals that help increase my business, but if I do not meet them, they do not affect my overall goal.
Freelancers must do the same. If you are starting off in freelancing, you should not have a goal of quitting your day job. You need to set a goal such as “earning five freelance projects per month.” Once you are able to meet that goal, you can increase the goal to something like “earning five freelance projects per month with an average income of X.”
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
Price points were something I wish I knew more about. Looking back on my work, there were price points all over the place. It was like finding gold but not knowing the value of it. It took me a while before I was able to figure out the supply and demand versus quality, project type, etc. I am now able to quote prices that are competitive while offering excellent quality, which makes my services attractive to many.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
This is a tough question to answer. I was lucky in that I was good at Wikipedia editing and there was a high demand for the work. In addition, Wikipedia had created so many rules over the years that it made it difficult for anyone else to do the work. I kind of fell into a niche which helped me get massive leads.
What has helped me over the years is quality. If you are a freelancer, your best customer is your current customer. Referrals make for the majority of my business, and I ask for them on a daily basis. If you provide quality work, your clients are more than happy to refer you to others. This helps as you don’t have to bid on projects through freelance sites or wait for people to use your contact form.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
I would tell all aspiring freelancers that every blogger started in the same position they are in. There is no “amateur blogging” school or pre-course you can take. Everything you learn about blogging you are going to read on… well, a blog. Even bloggers that make seven figures (yes, that’s millions) a year blogging started in the same position. The difference is that they were able to channel their writing for an audience of loyal followers.
You need to read EVERYTHING you can about blogging. For every article you write, read five until you learn more and more about what you are doing. There is also a great quote (I can’t remember by whom) that says, “The worst piece of content you write is still better than the piece of content you didn’t write.”
4. Williesha Morris
What is the name of your blog?
My professional blog is My Freelance Life.
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I have a personal blog, Nerdy Thirty-Something Life. I’ve also guest-posted for Make a Living Writing, Be a Freelance Blogger, Brazen Careerist, Huffington Post and xoJane, among others.
What topic(s) do you write about?
Freelancing, social media, writing and blogging, working from home, as well as various topics for my personal blog, including marriage and pop culture.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been at this for about three years. Because we have been living frugally, I’ve always turned a profit. I just didn’t break five figures until 2014.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I became interested in journalism early on. I ended up getting a print journalism degree, but since print journalism has dismantled over the past decade, I’ve had to transition to digital publications and magazines.
I started by working on a local level and started following other popular bloggers. Plus I’ve networked with other writers and other entrepreneurs and built a client base.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
Mostly writing for magazines and online publications, as well as being a virtual admin assistant, where I help organize calendar events, emails and create social media marketing and blog posts.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
“Successful” simply means being content to me. Sure, financially I’d like to make twice as much as I make now, but working for myself means getting up in the morning and not dreading my day.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
That quantity is sometimes better than quality. Being tenacious is great, but you can only get so far without talking to and pitching lots of people. That’s where the money is.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Well, I’m not a dick. I treat people like how I’d like to be treated. I develop legitimate relationships with people and expect nothing in return. I’m also crazy enthusiastic about what I do. That, plus delivering great work on time, makes me stand out.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
They already have what it takes. They just need the right combination of excitement, tenacity and skill. If they’re passionate about blogging, they won’t fail. You may not get instant success, but it’s coming. Trust in that.
5. Christina Garofolo
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
Lazy Man and Money, FredSays.org
What topic(s) do you write about?
Food, travel, style, career, relationships and saving money.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been freelance blogging for about two and a half years now. My first profitable blogging job was writing for a local business on the side of my full-time job, which I took on to gain experience and earn extra money for starting my freelance career.
I’ve started various personal blogs at different points in my career, but it wasn’t until I started co-writing Adventures in Frugal that my personal blogging really took off. The blog was originally started by my fiancé, Mario, in response to a trip I took. When I returned from my travels, I became the primary writer.
Having a blog about my life and having a partner to work on it with has helped me stay motivated to populate the blog consistently — especially in busy times. Maintaining a regular posting schedule helped me drive more traffic to the site, and that, in turn, enabled me to start getting advertisers in the last four to six months.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
When I graduated from college, I started applying for editorial jobs at magazines. Because I graduated in 2010, while the job market was at a low point, I worked at a health food store to earn money and started the blog Flat Champagne about life after college. There, I shared a lot about the job application process, the struggle to get interviews, and many of the fears and cold feet you experience while adjusting to life after college.
After I found a full-time job as an editorial assistant for a magazine in New York, I started to neglect my blog. However, it was a very important experience for my early writing career.
Flat Champagne gave me my first taste of what it meant to put my thoughts out into the world and it laid the groundwork for learning to write personal essays, which are now a major focus for me. Starting that first blog taught me how to engage with an audience and to connect with my peers — and my peers really took to it, which made me feel like it was something I was good at and encouraged me to stick with it.
From there, my new editorial job helped me learn basic professional web-writing skills and etiquette. I amassed clips, which helped me get that first paid side job as a blogger for the co-working space Serendipity Labs. And there, I controlled all the content as though it was my own blog, so I learned quickly what works and what doesn’t, e.g. how to write a clickable headline, how to choose powerful images, new ways to engage the audience. All this pieced together laid the groundwork for starting my own, profitable blog.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My blog has only recently started making money, and it is still not enough money to serve as my primary source of income. That said, my income is made up of many gigs: I contribute to other personal finance blogs like Lazy Man & Money, I handle the social media and blog for the nonprofit organization Fred Says, and I am a regular contributor to Paste magazine and other websites.
A few times a year, I also get booked to do long-term freelance copywriting. All together, they add up to a liveable, albeit meager, income. But I’d venture to say that’s the reality for most freelance bloggers, especially in the first couple of years (where I still am now).
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
Launching a freelance writing and blogging career isn’t easy, but I do feel I’ve been successful.
While I am by no means “rich,” I make enough money to support myself, and I have the privilege of saying that I work exclusively on projects that I enjoy and that I want to be working on.
I never wake up dreading to go to work anymore; I never get the Sunday Scaries, the Monday Blues or otherwise. I enjoy working.
While there is definitely still room for my career to grow and I strive for new growth and opportunities each day, being able to dictate my happiness 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — not just fit it in around my 9-to-5 — has been priceless.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
When I first started, I had this idea that in order to be successful, I had to be limited, and therefore defined, by a single genre. A large part of why I had trouble continuing Flat Champagne after getting hired was that the theme of the blog seemed to no longer fit my life.
I think this desire to categorize yourself within a specific “beat” is a result of a largely outdated concept in the professional writing world: that you need to specialize in order to have value and stay relevant.
I’ve always naturally resisted this. Yes, there are limits to what you should write professionally—I probably shouldn’t start writing about science or economic topics because I have no real knowledge base or authority there. But allowing yourself to write only about one topic really can be limiting when you’re first starting out. If you are trying to make a full-time income, you need to be adaptable and be able to pick up lots of kinds of writing gigs in the beginning before you get established.
The more you write, you’ll narrow your focus a bit. But I still maintain that it’s an asset to be a generalist at first. It’s more important to learn to come up with the right angle to talk about a large variety of subjects than to only talk about one subject.
Applying that to your personal blog, remember that the beauty of having your own platform is that you can write about whatever you want. Whether it’s personal finance or fashion, you can shape the content to fit your life and your story, not the other way around.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what made me stand out or if I do really stand out. And I suspect that the reasons I may have stood out in the business blogging space probably differ from those that made my personal blog stand out.
In the former, I think it was hard work, willingness to hustle and openness to feedback. Also the balance between treating another person’s blog as “my own” — taking it seriously, putting up the best quality work I could — but also realizing that at the end of the day, it isn’t my blog, so if my boss wanted something that I didn’t totally agree with, I had to do figure out how to make his vision happen in a way I still felt comfortable putting my name on.
For my personal blog, I started out by sheerly trying to entertain people with stories from a three-month backpacking adventure I took. But like Flat Champagne, only talking about that one, very limited topic wasn’t sustainable. If I wanted to keep this blog going for years, I had to use that flair for storytelling — finding compelling angles and being willing to share sometimes uncomfortable truths with a large audience — in other areas of my life as well. I had to apply my definition of travel and adventure to my daily life.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
I don’t think there’s such thing as “having what it takes.” Being a successful freelancer of any kind is a choice. You have to be willing to put in the work. There’s no one watching over you to make sure you get your work done. It’s on you to get up every day and make it a productive day, to take initiative and put yourself out there, accept a fluctuating income and use that to motivate you rather than paralyze you. (This is, admittedly, the hardest part.)
That said, there are three ways you can make the transition to freelancing easier for yourself:
- Build up a decent savings (at least six months’ worth, ideally more) before you start freelancing full-time. In the beginning, it’ll be tough to maintain consistent work. I started out with not nearly enough in savings, and not having anything to fall back on caused a lot of stress/anxiety, which in turn hindered my productivity. Having a savings built up allows you to focus exclusively on getting and producing work and not wasting energy on whether you’ll be able to pay rent.
- Start freelancing before you leave your full-time job. Whether you start your own blog or take on a side hustle writing for someone else, having a couple of reliable gigs out the door will help you build up clips for future work and it will take some of the weight off of getting gigs, so you can focus on more of your “reach” goals.
- Always be looking for work. I didn’t learn this one until recently. I previously thought there was something wrong with me for not being able to have sustainable income from pitching alone. Especially when you’re starting out, be open to other types of freelance work — editing, copywriting, fact checking. There tends to be more steady, longer-term need for these jobs, and they can be a huge help for earning a little extra income during slow periods while still allowing you to remain current.
6. Kristen Duever
What is the name of your blog?
While I do have my own blog at KristenDuever.com, I keep pretty busy writing blogs for my clients and don’t have time to update it as often as I should. I guess you could say that my blog is the proverbial “mechanic’s car.”
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I contribute to a wide range of business blogs in a wide range of industries, including digital marketing agencies, designer dress makers, home renovation companies, auto service and others. There are too many to name, but some sites that I write for are Nova Solutions, Speedy.com and The Reno Pros. I also republish some of my own blogs on LinkedIn.
What topic(s) do you write about?
So far in 2015, topics I’ve covered have included accounting, caskets, car maintenance, cloud data storage, cosmetic dentistry, cosmetic surgery, data centres, drug treatment centres, electrical services, environmental assessments, escort services, fermented foods, fire protection, franchising, gardening, juicing, limousine service, painting, paintless dent repair, physiotherapy, PPC, prom dresses, safety racks, self-storage, SEO, spiral stairs, swimming pools, telephone service, tutoring services, vehicle wraps, weather, web content, wedding dresses, wedding photography and windows.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I have been freelance blogging on and off for over six years but started to get really serious about it in 2013. I had been using sites like Elance to find work when I started to notice a lot of people who were looking for bloggers wanted SEO writing experience. At the time, I wasn’t sure what that was, so I started to do some research on the topic and learned how to do it. In addition to Elance, I was also using free classified sites to advertise my services as an “SEO-friendly content writer.”
The tipping point for me was when digital marketing companies started taking notice of my ad. Since they were outsourcing writing to me, it became a source of regular, reliable income. I was turning a profit right away. By the end of 2014, there would be some months where I made more freelancing than I would make at my full-time job. Today, my freelance income consistently exceeds my full-time employment income.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I’ve always loved writing, even as a kid. I remember that before I could even read, I would sit on the kitchen floor while my mom was washing dishes. I’d get a paper and crayon and write “stories” (asking my mom how to spell every word I wrote). Fast-forward 30 years or so: my husband had just changed careers and was working on commission only. To bring in some extra money, I decided to put my writing skills to work. I used sites like Elance, which got me some jobs — even some long-term clients — but the bulk of my work came through free classified sites.
I quickly discovered it was better to have a few long-term regular clients than a whole lot of one-time clients, so that’s where I focused my efforts. While I did seek out some of my clients, the majority of my freelance income is from clients who sought me out. I think one thing that really helped me to be successful is that I was never intimidated by a topic (or if I was, I never let on!). I was willing to put in the time to research and write about whatever the client needed.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
I am mostly paid to write blogs, articles and web content, although I also provide social media services as well.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
To me it means having a viable business with steady, repeat customers. When my customers have high praise for my work and provide referrals on LinkedIn, etc., it lets me know I am doing something right. I no longer have to go out looking for clients — and that’s a pretty good feeling.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I wish I had known how high the demand was for good writers — I would have started earlier!
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Learning to write for SEO — there is so much demand for that right now.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
Just start — if you like what you’re doing, that will show in your writing.
7. Sarah Greesonbach
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
Life Comma Etc. and Life After Teaching
What topic(s) do you write about?
On Five Figure Writer, I pull together the ultimate ideas and sentiments about refining a writing business. I was both impressed and horrified by other writing blogs out there; they’re either unbelievably insightful or completely repetitive. I wanted a way to recognize the good ones and push the bad ones off of our radar.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been full-time freelancing since October 2013 (yay anniversary!). I made money immediately because I was in emergency mode. If I found work, I took it, and so I filled my day with the work I could find. I think my first month I made about $1,300 or so.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I toyed with freelance writing for about two years as a for-fun blogger on Life Comma Etc. I was so inspired by bloggers who posted income reports and took freelance writing assignments. I might have made $50 here or there over the course of my blogging, until I researched and pitched a $2,000 mattress sponsorship because of my interest in healthy living. That made me think, “Wow, this could really happen!”
In 2013, I was laid off and these ideas were still kicking around in my head. I decided I had the skills and the passion and so I could make it work. I found my first independent clients and refined the way I ran my business over the years.
When I first started, my only goal was to surpass my $52K full-time salary, which I did (and hence the name Five Figure Writer). Now, my goal is to break six figures. I definitely have over the life of my business, but I think I’m going to fall a little short this year.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
I make almost all of my money writing for others. About five percent of my income comes from original writing and ebooks, but I’d like to get that number up to 50 percent.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
To the business person inside of me, success is my viability on the market. If I have people paying my invoices and full-time writing job offers in the wing, I have met my minimum requirement for not being shamed into getting a corporate job.
As a craftsperson, success is when someone buys one of my ebooks and writes me to let me know that some part of it really resonated with them. Being able to reach someone who feels the same way I do or wants the same things I want makes me feel like I’m not so alone with my experiences and that I can help someone because of what I’ve gone through. That’s usually the feeling I’m chasing with my original work.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
My motto has always been, “Work hard and it will happen”; however, I haven’t always felt the peace that should come with truly knowing that.
If I could go back, I would sit myself down with a cup of tea and say, “No, really. This business is not up to you. It’s not in your hands. It’s in God’s hands. If you do your side of the bargain by working as hard as you can, taking care of yourself and showing up every day, He will either do the rest or send you where you’re supposed to be.”
I still need to hear this message every day, especially when my workaholic self just wants to bust through and DO ALL THE WORK, but sometimes I grasp it and it makes me feel more at peace.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
I think that presentation helps legitimize me and encourages people to hire me. When I first started blogging, I DIYed all of my website and graphic design. It wasn’t always pretty, but I was fascinated and energetic about doing it. Over time, that’s evolved into a real sensibility for positioning myself with words, images and website design. I design, develop and maintain all of my own website properties, which saves money (if you have a knack for it) and lets me update whenever I want to shift my positioning.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
If you’re struggling, sit back and do some role-playing based on more established writers you have a sense of. How would Kelly handle this? How would Sarah handle this? What limitations do I assume I have that — for some reason — other people don’t have?
Way too often, new writers price themselves low because they think, “I’m too new to charge more” or “I don’t know why anyone would pay more.” Or they take low-paying clients because there’s no one else biting at their bait.
Instead, do whatever it takes to build up a cash cushion so you can be more picky. Then pour your energy into marketing yourself in a way that works for writers (NOT inbound marketing) and approach new clients by roleplaying the self-esteem of a more established writer.
Personally, I do this in my head with Ash Ambirge and Joel Kloettke. When I have to write an uncomfortable email, say no or set boundaries, I think to myself, how would Ash write this? What would Joel say to this guy who thinks I charge too much? All of a sudden I don’t feel the pressure to drop my prices.
8. Erin M.
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
Magnify Money, Young Adult Money, Frugal Rules, GenFKD
What topic(s) do you write about?
Personal finance.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I started making money from my writing in May 2014. However, work wasn’t steady until late July 2014, and it took me until November 2014 to start seeing $1,000 per month consistently.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I started blogging in May 2013 to document my personal finance journey as I had been inspired by other bloggers. I never knew people actually made a living from blogging or writing before I started. After I saw fellow bloggers become self-employed, I knew I could succeed if I tried. My fiancé had to relocate for his job, and I figured trying to make my own way would be better than getting another low-paying office job in a new city.
Most of my clients came from connections I had made while blogging and referrals from my first client. It wasn’t an easy road at all, but having been a blogger for a year, I had a decent portfolio built up. I took courses and then hired a freelance blogging coach (Cat Alford), which made the biggest difference for me. She gave me the confidence I needed to go full-force and recommended I go to FinCon, a conference for financial bloggers. I made valuable connections there, and my business grew over the next year. Being part of a great community has been a huge part of my success.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My income is split 50/50 between writing posts and virtual assistant services.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
I felt like I had “made it” once I consistently started earning more than I did at my day job. I still have student loan debt to pay off, so when I could afford to pay extra toward that, it felt great.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
That you need to learn from experience and believe in yourself. I was so nervous to pitch blogs and get paid for my writing. I suffered from imposter syndrome big-time. I kept reading various resources, but the best learning experience is doing. Once I started getting clients and positive testimonials, I realized I was fully capable of being a freelance blogger.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
All of my clients say they appreciate my attention to detail. I’m very thorough in my writing and I always try to make my editors’ lives easier. I create images, do SEO and do internal linking for all my posts. This has helped me become a valuable asset to my clients, and I’ve gone on to do virtual assistant work for a few of them.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
Get a coach or a mentor. Having someone to go to who has been there can help in ways you never imagined. Even just hearing someone I look up to tell me I’m a fantastic writer made a huge difference. Investing in yourself and your business may seem daunting, but for me it’s paid for itself many times over!
9. Michelle Schroeder
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I’m also a writer for GoRVing, Winnebago and a few others. However, I mainly focus on Making Sense of Cents.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I write about topics such as personal finance, travel, lifestyle, RVing and small business.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I started blogging in August of 2011. I made it my full-time job in October of 2013. It took around six months for me to make my first $100, but it quickly grew from there.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I got into blogging just on a random whim one day. I read about a women’s finance website in a magazine and decided to head on over to that website. It all spiraled from there. I never thought I would ever blog (I never even gave it one thought), but once I started, I was hooked.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My freelance income is mainly through affiliate income right now. I also earn freelance income through writing for other websites, displaying ads on my website, partnership with brands, blog coaching and more.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
To me, being successful means that I am making enough money to pay for my expenses, save a good amount for retirement, be happy and help others. Blogging is something that I receive a lot of joy from and I believe due to that I am already successful.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I wish I would have known not to start on any free blogging platform, such as free WordPress or free Blogger. I think it held me back a bit because companies and readers didn’t really take me as seriously. I am now self-hosted, and it’s something I will never regret.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
I’ve always been told that my writing is very conversational. Readers can relate to what I’m saying, and I try to make personal finance as interesting as it can be. I think that has helped readers stay loyal to my blog.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
My top advice is to just get out there and try! It’s incredibly cheap to start a blog. If you find that you don’t like it, you can just stop and it most likely won’t cost you much. You won’t know until you try!
10. Kate Dore
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I’m a regular contributor to MagnifyMoney‘s blog. I’ve contributed individual articles to a variety of other personal finance websites. I also write for Raven Tools‘ blog.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I write about personal finance, career, entrepreneurship, real estate and social media.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I started Cashville Skyline at the end of 2013. My business turned a profit earlier this year.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
For most of my 20s, I worked as a concert promoter. And it was a fun gig! But I knew the long hours, high levels of stress and time on the road weren’t sustainable long-term.
Like many young professionals, I knew I needed to change careers. But first, I had to get control of my money. So I enrolled in a free personal finance Coursera class, and I discovered the world of personal finance blogging through their forums. I was completely blown away! Inspired by what I was reading, I knew I wanted to start a blog to hold myself accountable, too. So Cashville Skyline was born at the end of 2013.
I began by buying the domain, designing a logo, creating social media accounts and working with a free WordPress account. Cashville Skyline was also a way to further develop my digital marketing skills.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
I earn the majority of my income through freelance writing and social media consulting. I also earn a small amount of revenue through Google AdSense and affiliate links.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
That’s a tough one. By nature, many bloggers are their own harshest critics. And I’m no different. To me, being successful means blogging to create the life you want. Maybe that’s being self-employed, or achieving location independence. My primary goal? To help and inspire people on my journey to financial freedom.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
So many things! But most importantly, I wish I had known how easy it is to get burnt out. Blogging is a ton of work, and it can be really discouraging when you’re not making any money.
A few other things I wish I’d known?
- The importance of longer, more in-depth and authoritative posts.
- Best practices for attracting email subscribers — and why it’s important.
- A basic understanding of technical SEO. I really wish I had used the Yoast SEO Plugin from the beginning.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Like most creative professionals, I’ve never been a high earner. And I think people really like reading my monthly budget reviews and net worth updates. I hope people realize it’s possible to obtain financial stability without a six-figure income.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
Stick with it. Hustle before work, during your lunch breaks, in the evenings and on the weekends. If you’re relentless, you’ll start seeing small wins. And those wins will help you stay motivated.
Also, building relationships with other bloggers in your niche should be a priority! Give without expecting anything in return — comment on their posts and share their stuff on social media. People notice and appreciate the support.
11. Steph Simpson
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I’m the main contributor and content coordinator for ketoship.com, which is a blog and e-commerce store for low-carb dieters. I contribute to the company blog for Mimi Deluxe (a luxury adult toy retailer) and have also provided content for freelancerfaqs.com and kinkly.com, as well as plenty of ongoing ghost-blogging work.
What topic(s) do you write about?
Health and fitness, lifestyle, sex and sexuality, freelancing and entrepreneurship.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been freelance blogging full-time since October 2014, and it took me about 3-4 months until I could comfortably support myself financially.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
The choice was pretty much thrust upon me. I was made redundant from my full-time job last October and started freelancing to support myself while looking for another job. While I did have previous freelance writing experience, all my work had come from bidding sites at a low rate.
I’d never sent a real pitch, never approached anyone for work and never really “put myself out there” as a freelance blogger before, so this was a huge step for me! I built a website, took some online courses and built up my portfolio by offering to do free work and also using some of my past samples from working on bidding sites like Elance. Once I realized I could support myself doing what I love, I stopped looking for another job and committed myself to freelancing full-time.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
I’m a freelance social media consultant too, so I earn a portion of my income from creating and executing marketing plans and managing the online presences of a few different brands. Also, I do a lot of commercial copywriting work — writing press releases, mailshots, newsletters and other marketing collateral for small to medium-sized businesses.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
For me, being a successful freelance blogger has less to do with views and shares than you might think. The biggest reward freelancing has given me is the sense of purpose and how it has built my confidence, not only as a writer but as a person. I find it quite interesting that, while this business can be stressful and you face a lot of rejection, it has actually helped me to overcome some huge personal obstacles.
I had suffered with anxiety for about two years prior to becoming a full-time freelance blogger, but building a business from scratch is actually the thing that has turned my life around, in more ways than one! I would never have had the confidence to call up a complete stranger and offer them my services, but there’s something about working for yourself that changes your entire perspective on such things (in my view at least). This, to me, is what success is all about.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I wish I’d have known how supportive the blogging community can be. This isn’t the type of profession where your competitors (i.e. other freelance bloggers) are out to screw you over. I’ve found that other freelance bloggers are more than happy to connect, support and cheer you on. If I’d have known this from the start, I would have begun making more connections right away.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
I think it’s my tenacity and willingness to go above and beyond client expectations. I’ve secured repeat clients because of this, because when I first started out failure was not an option for me. Literally — failure would have meant me moving back in with my mum at 27 years old, so I wasn’t in a hurry to let that happen.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
Pitch, pitch, pitch! Send out pitches every week, and if you get rejected, take some time to learn from those rejections. Take note of the feedback, hone your craft and keep on going. This is the sort of business where being proactive is key.
Don’t worry if you think you “aren’t good enough” — the only way to get better is to keep at it and not take no for an answer. You might surprise yourself as you learn what you’re actually capable of. I know I did.
12. Jessica Wray
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
In the past I’ve contributed to the Hostel World, Hostel Bookers and City Wonders. I also work for the travel blog YoungAdventuress.com.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I typically write about life as a 20-something who can’t stay put. I’ve taught English in Korea and Spain, backpacked through Asia and Brazil, and now work as a seasonal adventure tour guide around the U.S. I’ve covered all of these topics on my blog, along with my ultimate quest to figure out how to create a good work/travel balance.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been freelance blogging for about two years, but I currently only do so when I’m not working as a tour guide. First I just had my own blog, and that took about a year to make any money from. After about two years, I started engaging in other freelance work, whether it was writing or social media.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I had been teaching English abroad for a few years as a means to travel, but I had never really loved it. It was time for me to explore new avenues which would allow me the freedom to keep traveling. I had already been blogging for a couple years, and more and more monetary opportunities had been coming my way. I had money saved in case I couldn’t cover all my bills from freelancing, then quit teaching English completely. I applied to work over Odesk, heard about things through word of mouth and in blogging groups, and went to a travel blogging conference. I also kept up with my own blog as much as I could and went on a few press trips. Sometimes I would receive free travel in exchange for blog coverage, so that helped further my travels (and keep expenses down) as well.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My freelance income is divided over a few different streams. Although inconsistent, I’ll do paid/sponsored posts on my own blog to make up a good portion. These aren’t great to rely on, though. The contacts come and go and don’t provide a steady working relationship. I also make money from freelance contracts either for other blogs (like Hostel World) or from finding work on sites like Odesk [now Upwork]. My final and probably most consistent form of freelance work is through being a virtual assistant for other bloggers. I currently work for Liz of YoungAdventuress.com, a popular full-time blogger and Instagrammer. I work on new projects, write some blog posts and help with her social media.
The virtual assistant work is my favorite since it is the most consistent. I have the freedom to work as much as I want and Liz is always open for me to be creative and find new ways to help her out.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
In the beginning, I was just happy to be making any money at all. Over time, “successful” became the fact that I was helping fund my travels. Anything that was keeping me out of the 9-to-5 cubicle life, to me, was achieving my goals. Although I wasn’t making enough to save, and I still lived quite frugally, I got to see a lot of new countries and make my own schedule.
Eventually, I realized I’m really an extrovert and I craved having coworkers around. I went for the seasonal tour guide path so I could balance the online life with one where I could be outside and around other people more often.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I felt pretty prepared for what I was getting into, but I had to really experience working online for myself to figure most of it out. These days I know how hard it can be to self-motivate myself every day. It also can be really difficult to get things done when you’re working from home. Not only can the distractions be endless, but the lack of typical working-day hours can make productivity an occasional battle.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Having a successful personal blog has definitely helped. This acts as my portfolio when I want to apply for a job and has also helped me make a lot of connections in the blogging world. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to grab my current virtual assistant job or get others as easily.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
I would advise someone to start out freelancing and blogging with some money saved in the bank. Creating your own blog can be very time-consuming, and you often won’t make any money for the first 6+ months. Also, there will be times that you won’t be paid on time or will have trouble finding the next project. Having some backup cash for slow months or before getting your feet off the ground is crucial.
13. Robert Farrington
What is the name of your blog?
My primary blog is The College Investor, where I help Millennials get out of student loan debt and start investing.
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I also own Cult of Money and Kids Ain’t Cheap, and I maintain a contributor column at Forbes about education and money. I’ve contributed to and written for countless individual blogs over the years.
What topic(s) do you write about?
I mainly write about personal finance, investing and student loan debt.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been blogging for over 6 years. I started The College Investor in 2009, and honestly I didn’t really make any money in the first 2 years. It wasn’t until about 2011 when I started networking with other bloggers via the Yakezie Network that I started to understand more about marketing and building an audience. Since then, the income has steadily grown from just $100 per month to several thousand every month.
It definitely wasn’t an overnight thing, and it has taken years for it to become a steady income stream.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I started The College Investor when I was wrapping up college and, honestly, I was bored. I remember sitting at the back of my economic class, browsing the internet and watching the craziness of the Great Recession unfold. I was also hearing a lot of bad financial advice and really wanted to share solid fundamentals while everyone was freaking out.
So one night, I sat online and figured out how to start a blog. I created a WordPress site and started writing. It sucked. Looking back on it, the site design was super-ugly, and my content was TERRIBLE. Seriously terrible. I would write really crappy 300-word articles about my thoughts on money of the day, and nobody read it. I don’t know how I kept at it for 1-2 years before gaining traction, but I did.
Over time, my content got stronger. I started networking and meeting other bloggers, and that gave me motivation to do even better. I started reading and learning about how to create great content, how to write better, and just stuck with it.
Through my connections, I started getting asked to write for other sites. The sites kept getting larger and there was more volume. Soon I had to be selective in taking jobs, and now all my freelance writing jobs have to be mutually beneficial and fit into my brand.
To simplify:
- Just start — Start anything and practice. Just get it out there.
- Learn and iterate — Try something new; see if it works, change if it doesn’t.
- Network — Connect with other bloggers in your space; you already have stuff in common!
- Work hard — If you put in the work consistently over time, you’ll see something come from it.
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My income is very diverse, and I like to keep it that way. First, I earn income across all my sites, which is great. I also earn an income from my freelance writing and from consulting for brands and bloggers. I specialize in consulting and helping highly regulated brands (like investing, banking and insurance companies) develop social media marketing and blogger outreach campaigns.
If you look at my total income for the year, here’s how it breaks down:
- 39 percent from direct advertising (this includes sponsored posts and stories, sponsored social media and direct purchases of CPM ads)
- 5 percent from course sales and product sales
- 21 percent from affiliate advertising
- 13 percent from CPM remnant ads (like AdSense)
- 12 percent from freelance writing (such as for Forbes, Investopedia, private clients and other blogs)
- 10 percent from consulting
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
That’s tough. For me, it means being able to create an income that allows my family to live the life we want to live. Today, that means that my wife stays home with our son, we go out to dinner whenever we want, and instead of looking at our budget and finding areas to cut back, I look at things I want to buy and ask myself how I can grow my income to get there.
Remember, this is still my side hustle. I work a full-time day job and blog and freelance on the side.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
The biggest thing I wish I had known when I first started out was the power of networking. Connecting with other bloggers — not even “influencers,” but just other people in the niche — has been the single biggest thing I wish I had known earlier. It took me two years before I figured this out, and my site went nowhere in that time.
Since connecting with others, everything has been “easier.” Need a post shared? Done. Have an idea you want to bounce off someone? Simple: call or email. Need a connection? Reach out to your network. Launching a product? Here’s 10 people who’ll help. A network is so hugely important, I can’t stress enough the need to connect early and often.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
Two things: 1) consistency and 2) figuring out my voice and my niche.
First, one of the biggest influences on me was Sam from Financial Samurai’s Yakezie Challenge. His premise was simple: if you can write 3 times per week for 6 months, you can successfully run a blog. What’s shocking is 50 – 70 percent of aspiring bloggers can’t do that. They fall out. Those that do make it have run successful blogs. Consistency is just so important.
Second, figuring out what I want to talk about, something that actually resonates with my audience, and how I want to say it has been huge. When I started, I blogged about all types of random stuff in personal finance — and if you did follow me, you’d never really know what you were going to get. Today, I talk about getting out of student loan debt, earning more money and using both of those tactics to start investing. Ninety-five percent of what I write about falls into those categories. It’s what you’re going to get, over and over again — and it works. People start to see you as an expert about these topics since it’s just what you write about. And then the circle continues and grows.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
Simple: be consistent and network with others. If you can write an 800-word blog post and publish it 3 times per week for 6 months, you’ll be 80 percent of the way to success. If you can connect with 10 bloggers in your niche and communicate with them via email, you’re at a 90 percent chance of success. If you can then take 3 of those blogging relationships in-person (or at least on Skype video chat), you’re going to be successful. Why? Because now you’re consistent in your work, and the real relationships will help hold you accountable to your goals.
14. Jessie Kwak
What is the name of your blog?
This is my personal hub website, and although it’s focused more on my fiction business, it links to my B2B copywriting/blogging business. It’s also my only (current) personal blog, although my presence there is pretty sporadic! I keep pretty busy with client work, so I haven’t taken the time I’d like to really be regular there.
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I’ve blogged for a handful of company blogs since I started out, but these are the ones I’m contributing to currently:
- GovLoop (a social networking site for government employees)
- GovPilot (a B2B site for a government software platform)
- Paintzen (a B2C site for an interior painting company)
What topic(s) do you write about?
On my personal blog, I like to share what I’m learning about productivity, time management and stress reduction.
For client work, I’d say my favorite topics are ones that support products which are expensive and complicated to sell. Since my main focus is B2B content marketing, I get to learn a lot of really random things, like how to use geographic information systems to increase civic engagement or why your students should start learning keyboarding in elementary school. I haven’t yet found a truly dull topic.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I started freelancing two and a half years ago while I was still working a desk job. “Turn a profit” is a hard question to answer — I mean, since I my startup expenses were really minimal, I was making a profit by the second or third paid post I wrote. I will say that I was paying my half of the bills in my first full year of freelancing, and in my second full year, I’ve made as much as I did working a desk job.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I was working as a catalog copywriter, and while I loved the work I was doing, I really hated sitting in an office all day. Plus, my most creative fiction writing time was during the mornings when I had to be at work. I decided I wanted to work according to my own schedule, not just punch a clock for someone else.
I started reading blogs like Make A Living Writing and Be A Freelance Blogger, and I joined the Freelance Writer’s Den. I answered job ads a lot at first and picked up my first regular gig writing copy for an apartment rental company off of Craigslist. I know that’s not exactly a goldmine of great jobs, but I’m still working for that first client, and last year they contributed about 60 percent of my total income. I got lucky there.
Once I’d picked up a few regular clients, I knew I was too busy to keep working full-time, but not busy enough to pay the bills. I quit the day job and went back to waiting tables while trying to grow my client list. (Side note: knowing that I could always go back to waiting tables has allowed me to take all sorts of career risks. I can just shrug and think, “What’s the worst that could happen? I go back to waiting tables.”)
Eventually my husband and I moved from Seattle to Portland, and I took that leap to go full-time in my freelancing. I figured if things got tough, I could look for a part-time job, but things have only gone up!
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
My income is a mix of paid blog posts and other writing projects like website copy and case studies. For most of this year, regular blogging clients made up about 60 percent of my monthly income.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
Paying my own bills, and having the creative flexibility to work on both client projects and my own fiction. I’ve learned what that means is working my way up to higher-paying gigs so I’m able to earn enough to make a living while not exhausting my creative muscles on client work.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I wish I’d had a better sense of which clients not to waste time on. Now I can scent out clients who are likely to be a pain — but I’m also at a place financially where I don’t need to deal with annoying clients.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
The support and advice from other writers. I read freelancing advice voraciously, asked questions in the Freelance Writer’s Den and quickly formed a support group with a couple of other amazing women who freelance. I think finding a community to inspire you when you’re down and bounce ideas off of when you’re not sure what to do is one of the best things a new writer can do.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
My advice to aspiring freelance bloggers is to learn as much as you can, but don’t let learning stop you from just diving in. You’ll figure things out as you go, and there’s no such thing as a fatal mistake.
Most importantly, my advice is to figure out what you want to do and do it. I’ve had lots of people wistfully say to me, “I wish I could quit my job and freelance,” and with those words — “I wish” — I know they’re never going to do it. My philosophy is that if you actually want to do something, you’ll be doing it. If you’re just wishing it, maybe in your heart you’d actually rather have the stability of a full-time job.
Either way is fine, but it’s so important to really own who you are and what you want! And once you know that, stop wishing things were different and just figure out how to make the life you’ll love.
15. Nikki Novo
What is the name of your blog?
What other blogs do you contribute to?
I’m currently contributing to DailyWorth and Tasting Table. In the past, I have contributed to Huffington Post, MSN, Refinery29, Allure, NBC and Zagat.
What topic(s) do you write about?
On my site, I write about personal development, creativity and writing for bloggers.
How long have you been freelance blogging? How long did it take you to turn a profit?
I’ve been blogging since 2008. I started freelance writing for publications in 2008 and started making money six months in. But I didn’t start making money off my own blog until 2012.
What’s your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to get into freelance blogging, and what steps did you take make it happen?
I started blogging and writing in 2008 after leaving the film industry because I felt unfulfilled. I worked in the publicity departments of Lionsgate and Fox Searchlight after college. I discovered I loved writing, so I started to pitch story ideas to different editors. I started off with the local publications in my city and then moved my way to national publications. I started freelancing for publications like NBC, Allure, DailyCandy, Huffington Post and Zagat. I eventually became an editor at MSN, DailyCandy and Refinery29.
While freelance writing, I continued to blog on the side about personal development topics because I was currently “finding myself,” and through that practice I found “my people.” They’re a group of people who want to be more creative and do something fulfilling with their lives. I call them closet creatives. And they usually start dabbling in this lifestyle through blogging.
Once I fell in love with this group of people, I decided to leave all the media work and focus on my blogging to encourage these people to come out the creative closet. That’s all I do now. I’m able to sustain myself through brand partnerships, speaking engagements, online products and a book. I actually have a free six-class course on how to blog for purpose, which is sponsored by Squarespace (one of the ways I make money, and happy to share how that happened with your audience).
How do you make your freelance income (is it largely paid posts, or do you mix in other services like coaching, ebooks, etc.)?
I actually don’t do any paid posts. I’m not opposed to them; I just only like to endorse products that I really believe in, so the sponsor post idea has always been a little complicated for me.
I make my money through sponsorships, online products and speaking engagements. For example, I partnered with Squarespace (because I really believe in their product) and created an online blogging workshop. As for products, I have an online course on my site that helps bloggers become freelance writers and a dating book (I used to write about dating and relationships). And I do regular speaking gigs for companies like Macy’s.
What does being “successful” as a freelance blogger mean to you?
I think being a successful freelance bloggers means accomplishing the personal goals you set for yourself having to do with your blog or writing career. I believe we should start with small goals.
Maybe at first, your goal is just to get paid to write — anywhere. After you conquer that, maybe your next goal is to get paid to write for some of your favorite blogs. And then maybe you want to make money blogging about a specific topic on your personal blog rather than writing for others.
I think what throws people off is when they set huge goals that will take 5-10 years to accomplish. When we try to accomplish the big goals, there are always small steps that need to happen in order to get there. A lot of the time, we don’t acknowledge the steps and we don’t applaud them when they’re made. So the whole process of reaching that big goal gets frustrating really fast.
Even just starting a blog is a success. Writing the first post is another success. As long as you’re constantly moving and accomplishing the small goals continuously, I believe you’re a success.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I wish I knew that what I was doing could actually be a business. I spent a lot of time just writing and not really believing that blogging could be a fulfilling business. As cheesy as it sounds, I really think it was just a matter of not believing in myself. I spent a lot of time doubting myself. And now, I realized that anyone can do this. Anyone who is willing to do the work can make blogging their job.
When you first start, you have a bunch of ideas, and you wonder which is the right path to take. What I’ve learned is that any path is the right path as long as you commit to it. Wish I would have known that!
Also, I didn’t take myself seriously for a long time. The people who took themselves seriously, even the ones who were less prepared than I was, blew me out of the water really fast.
What do you think has made you stand out and helped lead to your success?
One thing that has helped me is my inside knowledge of the media industry. Obviously, I learned to write and edit well, but I also learned little tricks like writing good headlines, writing for SEO, how to interview, how to get influential people to say yes to an interview, how to pitch myself to the media, etc. That’s all been helpful.
Additionally, I believe my commitment to sharing honestly has helped. I didn’t try to be authentic in my writing; it just happened because I really care about the people who find guidance through my work. Once I started understanding that people wanted my advice, I started to teach live classes. During those classes, I was able to meet my readers, and seeing their faces just made me fall in love with my work even more.
You really have to care for the people you’re writing for. You have to want to give them your best, and that will show in your dedication to educating yourself on the craft of writing, blogging, design and social media. When you start to understand that the work you do matters, you’ll do your best to get your message out.
What advice would you give aspiring or struggling freelance bloggers who aren’t sure they’ve “got what it takes”?
I would say, ask yourself if you’re willing to commit and do the work. Once you say yes to that question, ask yourself why. Get really intimate with why you want to do this. That why will drive you through the hard times. Put your “why” up somewhere visible so you can remember why you’re doing this hard thing in the first place.
Next, remember that you’ve heard the calling to create. Some sort of inspiration has come your way. That stuff isn’t a mistake. It’s not a coincidence. It wants to be made. And it wants you to make it.
That desire or inspiration wouldn’t come your way if you weren’t capable of following through. You are. You just have to make the choice to commit to the work.
Lastly, educate yourself as much as you can. Learn something that will help you with your business choice, and then put it into practice. Once you’ve put the first lesson into play, learn the next one. A lot of people over-educate themselves and don’t take action (been there!). I’ve found the best thing to do is learn one thing, put it into action, and then move to the next thing you want to learn.
See?
While “success” means different things to different freelance bloggers — and may mean a myriad of things to you — the underlying thread to all these stories is that none of these writers had a leg up, a magic formula or a lucky moment that set them apart from the competition. They worked hard, believed in themselves, made plenty of mistakes and learned from them, and — most importantly — kept on keepin’ on.
If you’re willing to do the same, you too could be a success story.
Are you willing to accept that challenge?
Image: Owen W Brown
Thanks for including me, Kelly! There’s so much great stuff in these interviews – it’ll take me some time to read and digest them all. 🙂
I agree – going to take a while to go through all these, but awesome to be in such great company !
Thanks so much for including me, Kelly! The piece looks awesome.
Wow, Kelly! I clicked the link expecting a quick read and ran into so much more. Very in depth and great advice. Thanks again for including me. I would recommend anyone getting into freelancing bookmark this post. Thanks again!!
Ditto Jessie’s sentiment. 🙂 It was an honor to be included. Thank you, Kelly!
It was an epic read but well worth it, some great nuggets of gold in there – thanks for sharing your stories. 🙂
One thing that stood out to me is how flexible and diverse freelance bloggers are – I guess creative people tend to be that way anyway – keeps life interesting.
This is awesome and really inspiring. I launched my own freelance writing business last year and have thankfully had a steady stream of clients. I hope I can keep it going like these folks!
This definitelyconvinces me to get my blog on a better schedule.
Wow, how inspiring! It’s comforting to know that most everyone has had the same exact feelings I currently do as a new freelance writer. It’s so interesting to read about other people’s stories and how they launched their own freelance writing careers. A very motivating piece, thanks!
Hi there Kate , I am starting a brand with my daughters and I am looking for a freelance writer . It will be a life style brand . We will need three blogs per week or so . I look forward to hearing from you . 😊 best Andy andrea@evizone.com
Thanks for this Kelly. It’s always good to read about the experiences of others.
It’s interesting that of the 15 bloggers featured, only two are male. Is writing and blogging not macho enough for the guys?
Well, I am a guy, and I blog. So there!
I don’t see a blog as an end in itself; purely a means to an end. It’s simply an entry point into my funnel, nothing more
Thanks again
Thank you for such an inspiring list of people Kelly!
This is awesome! I love hearing about other bloggers and how they started out. Makes me feel like I’m not too alone in this writer’s world. Thank you!!!
Wonderful post!! Thank you. I look forward to reading and absorbing all of the wisdom.
Very encouraging for freelance writers like me who are just starting out
For someone in the communications field, I thought you might realize the typeface you have chosen us so light that it is difficult to read, at best. Choosing type wisely can enhance your reader’s chances of choosing to even bother with your piece.
Your headers are legible but the body copy is not.
I am on a mobile device, FYI.
Sorry to hear that, Branson! I don’t suppose you could tell me the name of the font you see? My theme’s body text uses a default font family that I find easy to read, so it’d be immensely helpful to know what fonts other readers struggle with. 🙂
This list is great!!! Hats off to you Kelly for taking time out to compile so much information.
Agreat resource and morale booster I will keep coming back to. I have bookmarked this!!
These are all great! Thank you so much for putting this together. It’s a great source of inspiration and it’s especially nice to read that there is no one sure-fire formula for success which I already knew but it’s nice reinforcement. I think my favorite part is this “You may not get instant success, but it’s coming. Trust in that.” that Williesha wrote. And others touched on that as well but these two sentences are what I needed to read today as I continue to send pieces in and wait to hear. I have a ways to go but at least I’ve started 🙂
Glad to hear my words encouraged you! Thanks for including me Kelly!
Wow, what a great list! thank you for your tips and information. These tips help me to be a freelance writer. Thanks for your tips.
It was certainly an epic read, but, well worth it. Thanks for putting it all together, and thanks to everyone for their thoughts and their insight.
It was also great to see the persons contributing to the post following up in the comments. Maybe that was a simple courtesy, but, I think it demonstrates the dedication and thoroughness of these people. Perhaps that is part of the reason why they are successful.
Thank you for including me and for putting me on a list of so many amazing writers!
So nice to stumble across this very inspirational and informative post just when I needed it most. A lovely shot of courage to dream the dream and take the leap. Thanks!
Hey, Thanks for this such a huge list, i am reading it 2019 and feeling inspirational after reading this .
I really like your blog post about freelancers who prove you can create a successful business from nothing. I like that you’re sharing personal experiences and success stories as well as tips and resources to help others get started. It’s also great that you’re giving advice on how to overcome the hurdles of starting a blog to make a career out of it.
Your post about 15 freelancers who prove you can create a business from nothing was very helpful. It was great to see how the other bloggers were able to work for themselves and make money on the side. I appreciate that you included some encouraging words as well!