Be a Freelance Blogger

Can You Negotiate Your Way to a $100 Prize? It’s PITCHFEST Time!

PITCHFEST! PITCHFEST! PITCHFEST! *dances*

Pitchfest is one of my favorite things we do here on Be a Freelance Blogger!

There’s the excitement of knowing that some lucky entrant is going to win a $100 prize – but, more importantly, I love knowing how much these contests help freelance bloggers become better pitchers.

I’ve received literally thousands of pitches in my inbox since I started working for BAFB over three years ago – and most of them were terrible. And, honestly, that’s not surprising! Most freelance bloggers have no idea what a good pitch actually looks like. And that’s because, most of the time, the pitching process is kept private.

This is your chance to view REAL pitches from REAL freelance bloggers – and see what REAL editors have to say about them!

This is your chance to get your pitching style critiqued in a “safe” environment. (Sophie and I are both nice ladies and promise we won’t bite your head off if you slip up!).

This contest is FREE to enter and the prizes and knowledge to be gained are fantastic.

Follow the directions carefully, stick to the theme, and have fun!

Here’s how you enter…

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By Emma-Louise Hudson

6 Simple Steps for Optimized Blog Posts That’ll Wow Your Clients

The hours of diligent studying have paid off; you’ve got your first gig as a freelance blogger! You know you should be excited, and you have a great idea for a post.

But your head is full of doubts. Is it enough to just write a post? Will my client’s audience be able to find it? What happens if no one reads it?

You’re scared your client will think you’re an amateur. But there is good news! Improving the visibility of web content in search results is no secret, nor will it take you weeks to learn how to do it.

In fact, you can optimize your blog posts and make them search engine friendly in six steps using some simple SEO techniques.

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By Ashley Gainer

How to Come Up with Blogging Ideas Forever and Ever

As a regular contributor here at BAFB, my job is to come up with an idea that you lovely readers will find helpful and relevant, and then write it up. I’ve been a reader here for years, and a freelance writer even longer, so usually it’s a lot of fun to come up with a few quick ideas to pitch.

Usually… but not always.

I use calendar reminders religiously to keep track of deadlines (you have a system to help you track deadlines, too, right?). So when I got the reminder that it was time to submit an idea for my next BAFB post, I opened up a new email, tapped out a quick introduction, and waited for the ideas to come.

But to my horror, all I had was… a whole lotta nothing.

Nothing!

I’m kind of an “idea person” — I have pages of ideas for various topics. My favorite part of pitching new gigs is the “send us some ideas” part. I even have an idea generation module in one of the courses I offer, for crying out loud.

But my idea well was completely dry.

What to do when you have no ideas

Whether you’re pitching a new client, trying to land a hot guest post, or coming up with content for your own blog, there will be a time when you don’t have any ideas.

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By Karen Banes

How to Drastically Improve Your Freelance Acceptance Rate

If there’s one constant we all deal with as freelance bloggers, it’s rejection.

It happens to all of us. In different ways. Sometimes it’s a polite no thank you, sometimes it’s silence, and sometimes it’s a scathing commentary of why our idea sucks on every level.

Whether you’ve sent a quick query letter, spent hours on the perfect pitch, or written a whole piece from scratch, there’s only one thing you want, and that’s an acceptance. There are no guarantees in the world of freelance blogging, but there are some steps you can take to improve your chances.

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By Lauren Spear