Be a Freelance Blogger

Learn to make REAL money blogging for hire

Freelance Blogging Beginners

Need some help to launch *your* blogging business and land your first paying clients? Not sure where to begin? You're in the right place. :)

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9 Warning Signs That Mean You Should NOT Be a Freelance Blogger

9 Warning Signs That Mean You Should NOT Be a Freelance Blogger

Not sure how to break this to you. It’s bad news.

Maybe you really *shouldn’t* try to be a freelance blogger. I mean, normally I’m quick to point out that almost anyone who is teachable can learn to do freelance blogging.

And yep, anyone teachable can learn to earn anything from a decent chunk of “mad money” to a full-time income that pays for everything you want to do.

But this career choice isn’t right for everyone.

So how can you find out if it’s wrong for you, before you spend valuable time trying and failing?

I’ll tell you.

If you see any of these warning signs in yourself or your usual lifestyle, then freelance blogging may not be a good idea for you. 

[Read More…]

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It’s Not About You: What Editors Want Writers To Know About Pitching

It’s Not About You: What Editors Want Writers To Know About Pitching

You follow successful bloggers on Instagram and dream of living that lifestyle yourself. How hard can it be to dash off a few guest posts a week in between traveling the world and taking lots of pictures of your dog because, hey, you don’t have to sit in a boring office all day? Soon your social media following will number in the high six figures and you won’t be able to keep up with all the sponsorship offers from your favorite brands.

In reality, successfully pitching a guest post has a lot more to do with research and tenacity than finding the perfect angle for your “it’s always 5:00 somewhere” selfie with your laptop and white wine glass as you blog from the Mediterranean Coast of Italy, sure to encounter George and Amal at any moment. You can celebrate once you see your byline in print, but in the meantime you’ll need to brace yourself for frustration and rejection.

Whether your motivation for pursuing freelance blogging is to become rich and famous, or to simply make money on the side while you raise kids, it’s important to check your ego at the door before you begin the pitching process. Understanding your audience means knowing it’s not about you. As an experienced freelance blogger and creative writer who has worked on the editorial side of three literary journals, I’ll share my perspective from both sides of the desk. Here are my five tips for successfully pitching a guest post, with examples and specific steps you can take now to achieve pitching success. [Read more…]

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Cracking the Editor’s Code: Writing a Killer Guest Post as a Freelance Blogger

Cracking the Editor’s Code: Writing a Killer Guest Post as a Freelance Blogger

Freelance bloggers are constantly looking for ways to spread their talent to outlets all over the internet. Let’s be honest, having your own blog is nice — but, when you get published on a website with hundreds of thousands of unique visitors a month, it feels great!

Getting content published to big name websites isn’t easy, but it IS worth it. The satisfaction of getting your creativity out to scores of people while making money is perhaps one of the most rewarding feelings on planet Earth.

The biggest hurdle that you’ll have to champion when sending out a guest post pitch involves getting past the editor of the website. Editors, in particular head editors, act as gatekeepers for the publication. Their primary responsibility is making sure that high quality, amazing content gets published to the site that they operate.

If you can get the editor’s attention in a POSITIVE way you stand a good chance at getting published. We are going to dissect the steps involved in getting the pitching editor to take a look at your pitch — and respond favorably!

The editor’s code is complex, there is no doubt about it. But if you have the proper resources and know-how, you too can get a piece published just about anywhere. [Read more…]

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Procrastination: When You’re Too Scared to Start Freelance Blogging

Procrastination: When You’re Too Scared to Start Freelance Blogging

You’ve blocked off your freelance blogging time, you have your clients and assignments all lined up, everything is ready to go…

…and you’re cruising around on social media, not sure why you can’t get started. You’re miserable and overwhelmed with stress.  You open your word processing program, check the client’s requirements, and take a few seconds to research one last thing…

…and it’s three hours later, your mental energy has drained like a tub with a leaky plug, and you’re playing a video game with your neighbor’s six-year-old kid (and losing). You’ve done solitaire, Words With Friends, Angry Birds, Farmville and…

You still haven’t started your blogging for the day. You mean to. Really you do. But every time you try to get started, your throat tightens up, your stomach clenches, you get distracted by a Facebook ad for car insurance, and before you realize it, you’ve wasted the day.

On top of which, you haven’t made your earning goals, and…you start going broke doing nothing when you very much want to be doing something.

So much for following your dreams.

Here’s how to start recognizing the habit of procrastination and learn what steps you can take to negotiate with your inner two-year-old and their delaying tactics.

Instead of continuing a cycle of trying to guilt yourself into writing, using up all your willpower, then collapsing into mindless time-killers, let’s look at procrastination itself:  if it were mere laziness, then you wouldn’t be so stressed! [Read more…]

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5 Backup Plans for New Freelance Bloggers

5 Backup Plans for New Freelance Bloggers

The first, most difficult lesson that aspiring freelancers learn? Most clients do not want you.

To be successful, it is important that you come to terms with the fact that there are clients out there who do not, and will not ever, want any of your work.

Likewise, it is equally important that despite these rejections, you remain confident in yourself and your writing abilities. As long as you continue working to improve your writing, and as long as you do not give up on yourself, then you are bound to find success on your path to publication.

If you are just starting out, and are struggling with either the rejections from clients, or with maintaining confidence in your endeavors despite these rejections, then I strongly encourage you to refer to these 5 backup plans required for success in the field of freelance blogging: [Read more…]