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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How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Freelance Website: 3 Quick Questions to Answer

How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Freelance Website: 3 Quick Questions to Answer

If you want to be a writer online, you need a website.

Nobody’s going to argue with that. As a freelance blogger your website is one of the deciding factors in getting you hired.

But choosing the right domain name for that website is a HUGE obstacle for some writers. I’ve seen people dither over this decision for weeks, wasting time they could’ve spent marketing and blogging and earning.

To make this simple, I’ve broken down the basic process of choosing an effective domain name into just 3 questions. Answer these, and you can choose your domain name today. Tomorrow, on with the making money. 🙂  [Read more…]

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From Journalism to Freelance Blogging: Here’s How to Make the Switch

From Journalism to Freelance Blogging: Here’s How to Make the Switch

Are you one of the thousands of journalists holding your breath and watching as the industry declines?

28,000 people in the United States lost their newsroom jobs between 2008 and 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. (That’s a quarter of all the news jobs in the US.)

If you work for a print publication, you’re probably taking the brunt of the downturn. But digital media isn’t off the hook. Nowadays, layoffs of digital media employees happen with frightening frequency, too.

Being laid off is nerve-wracking in any industry.

Most of us knew the downturn meant taking positions that offered lower pay. But with 25% of the jobs vanishing, that motivation is gone, and you may be wondering how to keep a roof over your head.

It’s time to channel that fear and anxiety and shape it into entrepreneurship: you’re going to make the switch from journalism to freelance blogging.

[Read more…]

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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…]