Be a Freelance Blogger

Make REAL money blogging for hire.

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5 Steps to Blog About Your Client’s Good Deeds [Without Coming Across as Insufferably Smug]

5 Steps to Blog About Your Client’s Good Deeds [Without Coming Across as Insufferably Smug]

We modern humans have very little tolerance for crappy business ethics.

Companies that choose to exploit human labor, ruin the environment, do business with shady suppliers, or adopt creative financial practices pretty much get a death sentence.

And we have one specific entity to thank for that: the internet.

For better or worse, we have a torrent of information available to us 24/7. As with any type of news, business wrong-doing spreads like wildfire; our social media feeds are bursting with the latest corporate scandal within minutes.

Business is changing for the better because we now demand and expect better. And this wouldn’t have happened without the spread of information and transparency made possible by the internet.

OK, great. But what does all this mean for you, a freelance blogger? 

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Blogger of Interest: Peter Sandeen of PeterSandeen.com

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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How to Make Money as a Blogger: 7 Ways to “Cash In” on Your Skills

How to Make Money as a Blogger: 7 Ways to “Cash In” on Your Skills

How many blogs do you read every day?

You’re reading a blog right now, so that’s one. Did you check Buzzfeed this morning? That’s two, and the link you followed on Facebook is three, and the New York Times Well section is four, and you can probably get up to 10 without having to think too hard.

All of these blogs need writers, and if you’re interested in becoming a freelance blogger, there are plenty of ways to get your foot in the door and start making money.

Start with these seven ideas, courtesy of The Write Life’s 71 Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer (which, full disclosure, I helped write — so I know it’s good). Then pitch your first blog post this afternoon! 

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Content Mills vs Content Agencies: How to Get Steady Freelance Writing Work Without Sacrificing Your Self-Respect

Content Mills vs Content Agencies: How to Get Steady Freelance Writing Work Without Sacrificing Your Self-Respect

On paper, working for a content agency seems like a no-brainer for freelance writers. You get a steady stream of work delivered straight to your inbox, with none of the hassle of prospecting for new clients — right?

In practice, we all know it’s a bit more complicated than that.

There are plenty of content agencies out there that are little more than lipstick-on-a-content-mill-pig. Agencies that are just as ready to take advantage of you as the $5-an-article exploiters we’re all too familiar with.

Are content agencies all bad? Of course not. I run a content agency, so it’d be pretty disingenuous of me to suggest that we’re all scam artists ripping off talented writers!

The key lies in being able to distinguish between the two. What makes one agency a good option for advancing your career, and another no better than the content mills? 

Let’s take a closer look at content agency writing work. 

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How to Get Paid When You Blog Internationally: Cash, Cheques, Transfers and Confused Bank Tellers

How to Get Paid When You Blog Internationally: Cash, Cheques, Transfers and Confused Bank Tellers

Writers love to freelance for a number of reasons — you can choose your hours, pick your favourite topics, and wear boxers and t-shirts at least 80% of the time.

For me, this career has mostly been motivated by my two great loves: literature and travel. But it turns out the two don’t go hand-in-hand as easily as you’d hope.

Earning US dollars and UK pounds while spending Mexican pesos sounds pretty ideal, but getting that money into your hands can be an absolute nightmare.

I’m a Canadian freelance writer, currently based in Mexico. Because most of my work is done for US, UK and Canadian clients, I’ve had to juggle all kinds of payment methods to make this business work for me.

Sometimes it’s like trying to extract money from an old shoe; other times I have to barter. For example:

“Okay, I’ll agree to rework the English side of your web site, but only if you build a big carpeted cat house for me as payment!”

“Okay, deal. What colour?”

When all the moons align, getting paid on the go is the best thing in the world. If you’re in search of a solution to the international payment issue, read on for an explanation of the most commonly used payment methods. 

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