Be a Freelance Blogger

The Jedi’s Guide to Conquering Your Freelance Blogging Fears

You know those moments when you feel too paralyzed to press the Send button, or where you think “I actually suck at this”?

That’s your fear breaking out, and it sucks. I know my many fears surface on occasion, but guess what? Star Wars taught me how to beat them.

For thousands of years before the Star Wars trilogies, the Jedi fought the Sith, a terrifying force who built an empire relying solely on their powers from the Dark Side. Because of their dangerous legend, Yoda is careful to warn young Anakin Skywalker (later known as Darth Vader) in Episode I that the origin of the Dark Side is fear.

Just as the Jedi had to deal with the Sith for thousands of years, freelance bloggers have to deal with their own Dark Sides on a daily basis (which, on a bad day, can feel like a thousand years).

We always have some sort of mental or physical fear we need to overcome. Let’s look at the top three fears that most freelance bloggers have, and how to battle them with the dedication of a Jedi.

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By Sarah Rickerd 54 Comments

7 Job Board Mistakes That Compel Clients to Reject You

It’s not exactly a secret that one of the easiest places to find freelance blogging gigs is on popular industry job boards.

That said, why is it that some people seem to luck out and secure the “cream of the crop” jobs, while others apply time and time again without seeing any results?

In fact, it might not be your skills that are preventing you from getting hired. If you’re making any of the following mistakes, your odds of gaining new clients go down significantly – so get your act together ASAP!

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By Chris Peden 30 Comments

Accounting and Taxes: A Freelance Blogger’s Cheat Sheet

So you decided to become a freelance blogger.

You know your topic and you’re well versed in WordPress. You think you’re all set.

However, as you’re filling out your personal tax forms –it’s that time of year!– you think “Oh wow, I’m going to have to keep track of the money coming in and out and fill out tax forms for this business!”

So you scrap the idea and curl up in a ball on the floor sucking your thumb, convinced that the world is against you and that you’ll never be your own boss if the thought of accounting and taxes scares the Dickens out of you…

Umm, it doesn’t need to be like that. Let me walk you through an easy way to track your finances and prepare for your tax forms.

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By Leslie Lee Sanders 16 Comments

How Your Past Mistakes Can Make You a Go-To Blogger

We all make mistakes.

Most people learn from their own mistakes. Some learn from other people’s mistakes.

Why is this important?

This is one way you become an authority, a go-to person, an expert.

According to my Encarta dictionary, an expert is “someone who is skilled or knowledgeable about a particular subject, skill, training, or who is experienced in a particular field or activity”. We’re all experts of something, be it parenting, football, writing, or Twitter.

So where do your past mistakes come in?

Mistakes are often caused by bad judgment, ignorance or lack of care – all fixable problems.

How great would it be to help your readers by blogging about the mistakes you’ve made, preventing others from making the same mistakes and showing them the valuable lessons you’ve learned? This could be a perfect way to start or expand your freelance blogging career.

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By Sophie Lizard 36 Comments

Avoid Getting Played By Your Clients: 5 Lessons to Keep You Safe from Rip-Offs and Fee-Dodgers

You might think getting ripped off by a client is something that only happens to newbie freelance bloggers.

You’d be wrong.

I hear from a lot of experienced bloggers who are still having bad experiences with clients, time after time. Why does this keep happening?

Often, it keeps happening because you keep trusting in people you have absolutely no reason to trust. Sometimes you just don’t spot the warning signs. Sometimes you spot them, but you keep going anyway because you don’t really know what else to do.

I’ve been played by bad clients a couple of times. I know how it feels when you’re halfway through a project and you get that sudden feeling of impending doom. Your gut tells you to run for the hills, but you’re too busy worrying about your money and your reputation to act on that instinct.

And so, you get fooled again.

Learn these lessons now, and you won’t have to suffer the same thing later:

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