Guest Posts - Be a Freelance Blogger

5 Simple Ways Freelance Bloggers Can Move Up to Well-Paid Article Writing

Tired of earning small money for paid blogging? If you’re looking to move up, article writing can be a great next step in your freelance career.

After all, you already know how important headlines are online. And you know how to focus an idea into an article-sized slice, organizing it into subheads or a bulleted/numbered list.

All great fundamentals for article writing.

How can you cross over from the world of $50 blog posts to earning $1 a word and more for articles?

Here are five proven paths for moving up to writing articles:

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By Jodi Ralston 5 Comments

Getting Shit Done in the Midst of a Doubt Apocalypse

“They’re coming to get you, Barbara.” So runs the famous line from my favorite zombie movie. But the threat you need to watch out for is far more dangerous and prolific than pixelized undead, and it offers no thrills, but a ton of regret and destruction.

Though we all know it when we see it, before I name it, let’s take a moment to focus on its victims. You have dreams, ambitions, a passion for the written word—in particular blogging. You want to make a career of helping other businesses express their dreams through your words. In this way, you’re free to use your talent and make a difference, while also making good money.

I share that dream. And to the readers of this article, like me, you are just starting the exciting journey of freelance blogging.

But there is a monster in our midst, a threat, an enemy that, if left unopposed, will never stop coming until those dreams are dead. Its appetite is voracious. Its attacks are relentless. Running offers no escape. Its only goal is decimation.

That monster is none other than doubt.

Like a zombie virus, doubt starts with a single bite, infects anyone, and can spread until nothing healthy is left. For the new freelance blogger, it makes you shamble through your career before you’ve reached your potential. Before the doubts outnumber your creative output, understand how this threat works and how to stop it truly dead in its tracks.

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By Williesha Morris 1 Comment

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.

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By Pinar Tarhan 154 Comments

How to Prepare for Freelance Blogging Emergencies

Freelance blogging is an amazing career.

You don’t have to write about something you don’t care about to make money. There are so many niches that you’re bound to find one (or several) that is both lucrative and fun.

You can find clients that make payment arrangements work for you, and you set your own hours. It’s possible to spend time with family and friends while still working on passion projects.

However, it’s also ripe with problems and complications that can drive you mad: disappearing websites, changing regulations, unpaid invoices, ghost clients, writer’s block… you name it. And life’s regular lemons like health problems, family emergencies, and beyond can also interfere.

I’ve been a freelance blogger for about a decade now. And even though it’s a dream career, it hasn’t been a smooth ride.

2019 proved especially challenging with a loss in the family, recurring health issues, computer breakdowns, and a decent-sized collection of rejections. There were times I questioned why I was doing this, whether I should follow a less bumpy career path.

But when I think about the pros of this life, they win easily. Every period in my time of freelancing also featured great moments. In this “awful” 2019, I got to go on a fantastic writers’ retreat where I met fellow writers and hung out in New York, have a beach vacation when I wanted because I don’t have a boss, release my second book, and work with wonderful editors at some of my favorite publications.

So yes, there are a lot of ups and downs. And while it’s not possible to be prepared for everything, improving your defenses can help your bank balance, sanity, and overall health.

Here are some suggestions on what you can do to offset (or even eliminate) the bad times:

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By Philipp Meier 12 Comments

How to Find an Email Address for Any Blog Editor in Minutes

You have a brilliant idea for a blog post.

You know how to pitch.

You’ve read the blog’s masthead, contact page, and About page.

You’ve worked out which editor to pitch to. Your fingers are twitching to type out your pitch and send it right away.

But you don’t see their email address listed on the site, and you have no clue how the fudge you’re supposed to find it out.

Sound familiar?

Don’t fret, and don’t give up hope of getting your pitch into your dream editor’s hands.

I’ve been through this challenge myself, and I found some simple online tools that helped me get the email addresses I wanted.

Here’s a quick walk through the 6 tools I find the most helpful, and how I use them.

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