Get Hired 11 - Be a Freelance Blogger

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How I Convinced Cosmopolitan to Publish My Blog Post [And You Can Too]

Do you think you can’t get published by a big name due to lack of experience? Think again.

My first ever published piece ran on Cosmopolitan.com and has become an invaluable writing sample in my portfolio. Pay attention, because I’m going to explain how you can get the heavy hitters to take a chance on you, too.

Digital media is interactive, and successful online magazines and blogs understand the importance of connecting with readers. Editors and content managers aren’t just seeking feedback – in some cases they want real readers to contribute to the publication.

If you have no published writing samples, no professional experience, and no idea where to start, don’t worry. That’s exactly where I was until one email from the editor of Cosmopolitan.com changed everything.

Take the following into account when pitching, and you’ll be well on your way to catching the eye of your favorite online magazine or blog, no matter how intimidating reaching out may seem.

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By Sophie Lizard

Why Your Photos Are Worth Millions [Plus a $100 Pitchfest Prize]

Now, let’s be sensible about this.

Most of the people who read this post will never get a million dollars for a photo they’ve taken. It’s unlikely, though not impossible.

But a million views, ah, that’s a different matter. It’s totally possible for a good blog post with awesome photos to get a million views. Yep, even one of *your* posts for a client whose blog is moderately popular.

Sometimes a post goes viral purely on the strength of its visuals. How many times has a photo caught your eye on a social network that isn’t dedicated specifically to images? Like on Facebook or Twitter, say, or on LinkedIn.

You may not go there intending to gawp at photos of other people’s cats, lunch, home office setup or accidental sideboob flash, but all those images are there just waiting to jump in your eyeballs as you scroll down. (OK, not so much sideboob on LinkedIn. But TBH it really depends who you network with — even LinkedIn has lively subcultures of burlesques, erotica writers, vajazzlers and other deviants.)

Why are those images there? Because someone shared the post that photo or video was featured in. Why did they share it? Because of the visual elements that make it more fun, more surprising or more insightful. More cool. More meaningful. More worth pointing out to a friend.

Point is, you can either:

(A) Write a brilliant blog post, or

(B) Write a brilliant blog post with an information-rich graphic, a funny stick-figure illustration, and a sequence of photos or screenshots that show YOU doing whatever you’re talking about in your post.

As the editor-in-chief of this reasonably popular blog you’re reading, I can tell you that I’d pay a writer more for Option B.

And now I’m giving you a chance to win $100 by creating *your* version of Option B.

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By Bree Brouwer

Blogger of Interest: Peter Sandeen of PeterSandeen.com

Back in February 2015, Sophie interviewed Linda Formichelli of The Renegade Writer… but there hasn’t been another featured blogger since then.

I told Sophie she should bring back the “Blogger of Interest” series. She agreed. Then she put me in charge of the whole shebang.

So the series is back, bloggers.

In this installment of “Blogger of Interest,” we’re featuring Peter Sandeen of PeterSandeen.com (neat!).

Peter started blogging as a way to build his business and reputation as a marketing expert. But Peter’s no ordinary online marketing guru; he’s made a name for himself as the go-to guy on value propositions and marketing messages.

In this interview, I talk to Peter about how he started out as a marketing blogger, what value propositions are and why they’re so important, and how freelance bloggers can discover their own value propositions to attract the right kinds of clients. We also discuss how freelancers can figure out their clients’ value propositions to deliver content genuine to their business goals.

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By Sophie Lizard

Is Your Blog Post Idea Worth $100? Find Out in Pitchfest!

Did your latest blogging pitch get accepted, or did it fall flat?

No freelancer can win them all. [But you’ll have a chance to win $100 a bit further down this post, so keep reading.]

One thing I’ve noticed is that top freelance bloggers don’t pitch much.

Now, for the love of all that’s holy, do NOT take this to mean you should stop pitching. You gotta pitch your way up the ladder until you’re close to the top.

When you’ve been doing this for a while and you’ve built a reputation for yourself, blog editors and would-be-clients start to come looking for you. They invite you to work with them.

At that point, full-blown pitches become a lot less important, and topic suggestions often become more important.

When you do pitch to new potential clients, they’re more interested in how your idea fits their content strategy and how your expertise makes you the ideal writer for the post.

So that’s what we’re gonna practice in our June 2015 Pitchfest!

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

The contest starts today, but before you get your pitchin’ hat on…

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By Alicia Rades

5 Simple Tweaks That Put the BANG Into Your Writer Website

If you’re like most writers, you can spend days, months, or even years slaving away at your writer website, and you still don’t feel like you’re quite “there” yet.

You’re likely to let a few curse words slip and maybe even kill a computer mouse in the process. [Don’t worry. We’ll forgive you.]

But learning how to build your website, and deciding what elements to include, doesn’t have to feel like slave labor.

I’ve looked at a lot of freelance writer websites, and you know what I noticed? Many writers tend to make the same mistakes over and over.

You aren’t going to be one of those writers.

You want your website to say, “I’m a professional.” You’re driven to create copy that makes prospects say, “Let’s get to work!”

Your highly effective writer website starts right here. Begin by avoiding common mistakes, and make these simple tweaks instead.

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