Top Posts 5 - Be a Freelance Blogger

How to Keep Freelance Blogging When You’re Mentally Ill

“I’ve really got to get on with writing this post. And pitch an idea to that interesting blog I found, too.

But… I don’t know… maybe I’m not good enough for them. Maybe I should go back to bed and leave the writing until I feel more inspired. Meh.

Wait, did I put a fork in the spoon compartment this morning? I better go check… OK, no fork. Back to work!

Muhahaha, this post is brilliant! I’m a genius. No, I’m an idiot. This is the worst thing I ever wrote. Delete, delete, delete. There isn’t enough delete to undo my stupidity. I suck. My clients will hate me and I’ll lose this gig.

If I can’t pull this off then I’ll never make it as a freelance blogger, and then I won’t be able to pay the rent and I’ll wind up homeless and oh god I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe and I think I might die right here face down on my keyboard and my cat will eat my corpse and nobody will notice because everybody hates me anyway and… wait, did I check the spoon compartment carefully enough?”

Does this sound familiar to you?

Sure, these could be the thoughts of almost any freelance blogger under pressure. But if your thoughts run like this a lot of the time, then it’s also possible you’re a freelance blogger with a mental health problem.

Freelance blogging isn’t easy. Having a mental illness isn’t easy. And trying to be a freelance blogger with a mental illness really isn’t easy. Take it from someone who knows.

Actually, take it from three someones who know:

Sophie Lizard, owner of Be A Freelance Blogger; Kelly Gurnett of Cordelia Calls it Quits; and Lauren Tharp (that’s me!) of LittleZotz Writing.

That’s right, all three of us are mentally ill. And all three of us are successful freelance bloggers.

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By Mandy Gardner

9 Places to Find Blogging Job Ads That Don’t Suck

The happy rush you feel upon deciding to be a freelance blogger can quickly be consumed by the difficulty of finding decent work.

$5 per post is not what you had in mind. You’re keen to find gigs that pay fair, but where do you start looking?

One of the biggest elements that sets freelance blogging apart from “normal” jobs is that you’ve got to actually go out there and find your own projects. You can’t just decide to be a writer one day and then sit back and watch assignments roll in — but oh, do we ever wish it were really like that!

Fortunately, there are a few great places online that post genuine ads for blogging gigs that pay more than just “exposure”. These are my go-to websites to find blogging job ads that don’t suck:

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By Sarah Vitale

Behold! Proof That Freelance Blogging is a Valid [And Lucrative] Career Choice

You know that cringe-worthy moment when someone asks you what you do for a living, and then they say…

“You’re a freelance blogger? That must be fun, but it’s not exactly a job, is it?”

Take heart — next time that happens you’ll have all the evidence you need to show them blogging isn’t only a hobby. In fact, you can prove it’s a bona fide, lucrative career choice.

If you’re a freelance blogger ready to join the big time, you need to treat blogging like a business and get your knowledge and tactics ready. Studying the business case for freelance blogging won’t only build your confidence in dinner party conversations; it’ll make you better at understanding and negotiating with clients, too.

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By Sophie Lizard

How to Cheat and Steal Your Way to Endless Blog Post Ideas

You know, there’s no copyright on a blog post idea.

And although you want to create original blog posts, you don’t want to waste hours wrestling the “what to write about” fairy to the ground.

So when you’re filling up your idea bucket, cheating and stealing both work fine. Because when you do it right, nobody will ever know where you got your ideas from — by the time you write a post or a pitch, it’ll be your own.

To get you started on the path to your own endless reservoir of blog post ideas, I’m going to show you one of my favourite tricks for generating new ideas fast.

I’m doing this “live”, by the way. I’m literally writing this blog post while I come up with a list of blog post suggestions for one of my editors. Let’s see how long it takes me to deliver at least 5 fresh ideas, shall we? Start time: 5:21 pm.

OK, here’s what to do:

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By Sophie Lizard

How Nude Photos Convinced Clients to Hire a Blogger With a Shocking Past

Would you hire someone to represent your business if you knew they had a background as a nude model?

Maybe you would. [Have I told you today how awesome you are?]

And maybe you wouldn’t. It’s cool — I understand some people are put off by the idea.

Not my clients, though. Some of them are amused that I once posed naked halfway up a tree, or perching in a giant birdcage.

I used my background as a pin-up model and burlesque dancer to win one of my first writing gigs, with an upmarket lingerie retailer who was impressed by my knowledge of garter belts and stocking seams.

The client checked out my modelling portfolio to confirm my expertise, and the photos in which I wore nothing but retro stockings and a garter belt sealed the deal. They were pleased to have a hosiery-obsessed pin-up write articles for their website, and I was proud to work with them.

Being a photographic model was fun and paid well, but writing has become even more profitable for me. Here’s why.

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