This month’s theme is all about time: using it, saving it, managing it, billing for it…
So, in the interest of saving us all some time, let’s get right to the contest!
We Want to Hear YOUR Ideas
In case you’re not familiar, Pitchfest is a blog post pitching contest we run here on Be a Freelance Blogger every three months. You tell us your blog post idea and we choose our favorites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners.
The contest starts today.
Your theme for this Pitchfest
This time we’re looking for pitches on the theme of “time.”
Interpret that theme any way you like! It could be anything from how to write faster blog posts for clients, how to bill for the time you’ve worked, or how to manage your time as a blogger when you’ve got newborn twins and three puppies to look after — anything!
We’re looking forward to seeing what YOU come up with.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your pitch’s theme not only has to involve the “time” theme, but it also MUST revolve around freelance blogging (Be a Freelance Blogger’s niche). Whatever idea you present to us HAS to benefit freelance bloggers (or their clients) in some way.
The rules
- Anybody can enter the contest by typing (or pasting) their pitch into the comments box at the bottom of this page.
- Only ONE PITCH per person, please.
- Follow the pitch format I’ll tell you in a moment.
- After you submit your pitch, Sophie and/or I will offer feedback to help you optimize your idea for this blog’s audience and improve your pitching skills. You may also get feedback from other entrants, BAFB team members, and innocent bystanders — pay attention, because they represent your readers here.
- After you get our feedback, you can revise your pitch if you like and re-submit it by pasting it into a follow-up comment. And yes, that means you can offer us a completely different idea if we’ve told you your first idea definitely won’t work for this blog.
- If you win, we’ll ask you to send us a draft of at least 1000 words, so bear that minimum word count in mind when you pitch.
The prizes
- First prize: $100 for your guest post, paid on publication.
- Second prize: $50 for your guest post, paid on publication.
- Third prize: A 3-question mentoring package with Sophie via instant messaging.
The deadline
- Submit your pitch before the end of Saturday, December 9th, 2017.
- We’ll announce the winners on December 16th, 2017.
- If we choose your pitch, we expect you to deliver your first draft to me (Lauren) by December 31st. But if you need a little longer, let us know and we’ll work around it.
How to pitch
- Read our general guest blogging guidelines first, then come back here to submit your pitch.
- Suggest at least one headline designed to make freelance bloggers want to read your post.
- Follow the headline with the opening lines you’d use in the post. No less than 30 words, no more than 60. You DON’T need to write a whole post (or even a whole introduction) before you pitch — we’d like to give you feedback on your idea before you write a draft.
- After the opening lines, give us no more than 6 points you’ll make in your post, and provide a one or two sentence summary of each point. (If you plan to make more than 6 points in your post, only tell us the most important 6 in your pitch.)
- Then explain in no more than 3 sentences why this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger and why you’re the right person to write it.
- Put your pitch in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
- Check the little box that says “Notify me of follow-up comments” so you’ll know when we’ve given you feedback.
- Submit your comment and if you followed all the steps above, you’re entered into the contest.
Extra tips
- It’s a good idea to explain how your pitch reflects the theme we’ve set for you — unless it’s blindingly obvious, in which case you can probably assume we’ll see the connection without extra signposting.
- Remember to tell us why you think your blog idea will interest the people who read Be a Freelance Blogger.
- To get a better idea of what Sophie and I are looking for in your pitch, study the pitches and responses in previous Pitchfests.
- Save a copy of your pitch somewhere before you post it here — if your comment gets lost in the internet, you don’t wanna have to re-write it from scratch.
- Your comment may get held in a moderation queue, especially if it contains hyperlinks. Don’t worry if that happens; we’ll get to it and reply!
OK, it’s time.
Let the Pitchfest begin! THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED NOW.
Ways to learn a language 20 minutes a day
Opening:If you have pieces of paper, a MP3, a power bank, and a friend with whom you can speak your target language, you can learn a language anywhere, at any time.
1. If you speak the language daily, learning it will be easier.
2. If you like a celebrity, talking with his or her fans who speak your target language will make learning it more entertaining.
3. Make sentences about your favorite celebrity with new words you learn to make vocabulary memorable
4. Use vivid imagery to help you learn faster!
5. Watching clips of your favorite singer speaking the language is a great motivation.
6. Why spending a couple of minutes daily is much better than learning 2 hours once a week.
As an English-Chinese bilingual learning Spanish and French, I know how to learn languages a couple of minutes a day. As a fan of Ariana Grande, I use my fan interest to help me learn.
This is interesting, but I don’t see a connection to freelance blogging. Was I supposed to? 🙂
ADVENTURES THROUGH TIME AND SPACE ..
Honor-bound and compelled to ever move forward in search of the treasures of life.
Lola and I sit for hours outside the Poker Palace casino Because Feeling my losses inside the Poker machine filled room. Their lies within my ability, a stubborn streak that has at once saved my life, finding work, freedom and a boosted self esteem, while on the other hand has been pretty distracting. Aboard the Trusty Hollywood Hustler Lola and I set our course towards greater things.
I am a self made modern Adventurer and have seen more than most I know. I’d love to share.
This contest is one among many other small gigs I’ve been able to find on the phone . Using my phone and walking for many miles with Lola in a backpack. Each gig has it’s worth and time it has been of note
Growing up in Alaska sheltered my brain against the desensitized ”lower 48″ as we call it. So driving inexoensive old beater Honda’s accross the country several times reveals treasures most can’t imagine or look right passed.
Time has expanded for me and life became more real. Wandering through our solitude, Lola,who is my chihuahua and I have been granted great blessings. Miracles to convey another time.
We try to begin a more appropriate expression of our tale as we have been told to blog our story. I will be developing this skill while maintaining a regular blog and the writing is what I’ve come to believe as the material by which I touch the world.
Relationships and turmoils. Love affairs and betrayal. The 3 months spent this year in New Orleans contain magic beyond anything I ever expected could be.
Help me to tell my story to the world. I am the first of my kind to exist, if ever, in a long time. My road navigated well Is a road that may have people in it but I face it alone. A chance to share the beauty I have found while developing reader relationships will be a much needed respite from my isolation.
That sounds kinda cool, but also kinda lonely. I hope you and Lola have fun times!
We’d love to see you tell your story in blog form, but for us to accept your pitch it would need to offer clear advice for freelance bloggers.
Well i dont quite understand blog form but do know that all one needs to do to write what others will read is to document their adventures. I am at the same time navigating the country, my soul, and nlw i guess, outlets for its expression. I need help figuring out the proper medium and it’s execution. This solution will probably relieve some of my road weary questioning. Life is lonely. So that i choose it on the road rather than when surrounded by people is a reason why if you read my whole submition you can hopefully see it contained the separate components that were requested, with the reduced understanding of someone who doesnt know blogs. Thanks for the response
This seems like an interesting story, but I’m not seeing how it would be helpful to freelance bloggers or their clients…
As year end approaches, some writers will be scrambling to finish their projects. Others will take a vacation, contemplating what they want to do next. But different writers choose different approaches when it comes to spending the last few days in December and goal setting for next year.
I will interview a few writers to find out how they perceive time and writing. In their replies, I will weave an article to go in-depth into the topic relevant to writers.
I like this idea, but we can’t enter your pitch into the contest unless it follows all of the instructions in the post above. Feel free to resubmit with more details!
Getting time on your side: A freelance blogger’s guide to productive flow
(possible alternative headlines or tweets:
Manage your time, or time will manage you!
You can’t stop the clock – so work with it, for best blogging results
Time is the great leveller. Every person in the world gets the same 168 hours in the week, to do everything: work, sleep, eat, play… So why do some people get so much more done than others seemingly without breaking a sweat – and what can you do, to maximize your creative output?
* Time as a universal constraint, so you must flex other things – scope, output etc. BUT how constraints actually create freedom, when you look at the right.
* The importance of self-knowledge – your own circadian rhythms, your power-hours. Are you a lark or an owl..?
* Freelancing freedom: liberate your mindset from the 9-5, that is not for people like us – so why let it shape our work?
* Why planning matters – even if you don’t stick to it, the process is highly effective
* Creating focus – writing is deep work. Concentration is the force-multiplier, get into flow and you’ll write better
* Avoiding burnout and making time for run, rest, ‘sharpening the saw’
This will be of interest to readers of Be A Freelance Blogger, because as knowledge workers without a boss, creating a healthy relationship to time management can be challenging for people like us. At its best, the freelance writer lifestyle can provide incredible freedom for creative self-expression alongside a wide range of other interests and commitments – but this doesn’t happen by accident.
As an experienced writer on business and productivity, who has learned some of these lessons the hard way, I could write you a post which offers real actionable help to your readers, in an engaging and accessible tone.
Yep, I like this one! I recently gave an interview on Facebook Live that covered a lot of the same ground – it’s like you read my mind (and when the editor thinks you read her mind, you *know* you’re on the right track).
Great, thank you for the feedback. I have written for a number of clients who appear to expect me to read their minds, but I rarely accomplish this, so – good to hear! Do let me know if you want anything else from me, to develop this idea.
Hello Sophie and Lauren,
Thanks for the Pitchfest it’s excellent! Here’s my idea:
Headline:
How to Craft Blog Strategy that Will Save Time and Skyrocket Your Freelance Blogging Business
Opening lines:
Starting your freelance blogging business is difficult. Let’s face it competition is fierce.
Thinking about bidding sites and writers willing to write for peanuts, for too long, can easily get you the common disease in the freelance world: free-float, time-wasting anxiety attack.
That’s why it’s smart having some kind of a plan or blog strategy right from the beginning.
6 points:
1. Determine your perfect client or client you’d like to write for
2. Find out what she struggles with and how you can help
3. Find unique angle to explain how you’ll help (tell your story or USP)
4. Write at least 20 headlines with subheadings that’ll help in storytelling
5. Think about emails that will notify people on your mailing list about each blog
6. Think about social media posts that will spread the word about each blog
I think this post will be useful for beginners starting their freelance blogging business. Having blog strategy can save them time and money in the long run. The post is also intended to be useful for people with the established businesses to help them audit their blog content and maybe develop another buyer persona.
That’s it from me. I hope you’ll find my idea useful for your audience :).
There are several good ideas here… A few too many for one pitch, in fact! To give a useful level of in-depth detail, try focusing on just one key issue and saving the remainder for other posts.
Thanks for the feedback Sophie! I’ll get back soon with the more focused pitch.
Here’s a more focused pitch:
Headline:
It’s Time to Meet Your Perfect Client and Skyrocket Your Freelance Blogging Business
Opening lines:
Starting your freelance blogging business is difficult. Let’s face it competition is fierce.
Thinking about bidding sites and writers willing to write for peanuts, for too long, can easily get you the common disease in the freelance world: free-float, time-wasting anxiety attack.
That’s why it’s smart having some kind of a plan or blog strategy right from the beginning. On your way to developing blog strategy you’ll have to think about your perfect client.
6 points:
1) Why having a niche and knowing your perfect client can save you a ton of time?
Here I’d like to cover two possible ways to profile yourself as a writer in order to command higher rates: by topic and by content you write.
2) Have you ever really consider who do you want to write for?
Most writers especially at the beginning of their careers write basically for clients that want to pay them :). That’s understandable, but it’s time consuming and money wasting.
3) Do you already have a perfect client?
For writers satisfied with their existing clients this is a good starting point.
4) Do you want to write for small businesses or large companies?
There’s a great chance this will determine your blog strategy.
5) Find out as much as possible about your perfect client
On their websites, Quora, Reditt, Amazon, FB groups, LI groups, other social media, etc.
6) Describe your perfect client in detail
Try to describe your perfect client not as a persona, but as a human being – with all the flaws and quirks.
Let me know if this is what you’re looking for. Thanks.
Much better. I like it. 🙂
Thanks. Let me know if you need more details.
PITCH: Why you should use Trello to organise your freelance writing career and save you time
Intro: Freelancers need to be skilled jugglers; they’re always trying to keep track of their article ideas, pitches they’ve made, and payments they need to chase up. If your hand-eye coordination is even a little bit off, something will definitely fall down on your head.
As a result, freelancers are always looking for little hacks to streamline and organise their career and save them precious time.
• Lists: Each board has lists, which I use to distinguished between ideas, flesh-out pitches, articles I’ve pitched in the past month, pitches that have been accepted, and pitches that I have completed and am waiting for publication on.
Labels: You can assign labels to each card and then you can use a filter on a board to only bring up cards with those labels, which is helpful if you have quite a few different cards and you are pitching to something quite specific (i.e. a site dedicated to Netflix Original Series)
Calendar: Here you can track pitches by their due date (whether that’s when you want to start pitching, when you need to have a draft in by, or when you should follow up on payment)
Cards: There are many things that go into making a project other than just the words. For that reason, I recommend attaching pictures, PDF, web links, videos, GIFs etc to the cards so that you don’t lose them between idea and submission.
Comments: I use the comments to keep track of any important information that I may wish to put in: reports, podcasts, statistics, quotes along with the URLs if possible, so that I have them ready when it comes to writing the piece.
Due Dates: I set due dates on cards that should only be pitched around a certain time, so for instance, if the piece was on Halloween Costumes, I would set the due date around the beginning of September to start pitching in time for the holiday.
Checklists: I use these to keep track of the points I wish to make in any given article if I have not formulated the structure yet and to keep a record of who I have submitted a pitch to (nothing worse than submitting the same pitch to the same place).
This will be good for readers of BAFB as it’ll help them manage their writing career better using one trusty website. I’ve been using Trello for a year now in my freelance writing career and have beenamazed by the time it saves me.
Yes, I like this. I’m not usually a big fan of single-tool-focused articles, but provided you include a short list of similar tools for readers’ choice, I think an explanation of how to drag, drop and label your way to organised success will be great. 🙂
P.S. We use Trello to organise BAFB’s upcoming posts; it’s awesome.
+1 for the awesomeness and versatility of Trello!
Hi Sophie,
Apologies for not replying to your comment before but I’ve been out of the office for the week.
Of course, I can include a list of similar tools for readers’ choice:)
Hmmm… Interesting. I’ve only used Trello as an Editor, not as a freelance blogger. It never even occurred to me that it could be used in that way.
Headline: Redefining “Time” as a Freelancer
Opening Lines: I’ve been questioning the time it takes for me to write. Every assignment seems to take way too long to complete. I should be writing faster, I tell myself. But should I? That is the question.
Six points:
What “time” means when you work for yourself vs. working for someone else.
The difference between questioning my writing and questioning my process.
Does every writer measure each word like I do?
Why I can’t subscribe to the “good enough” philosophy.
The need for greater self-reliance as a freelancer.
Is it all just a content mill?
After 30+ years as an employee, I’ve taken the leap to being self-employed. The transition has led me to question my talent, my skill, and, of late, a process that has defined my career. How does a seasoned veteran decide if it’s too late to realize the freelance dream and instead, return to work for someone else?
This is intriguing – can we have a sentence or two of extra detail about what each of your 6 points will include? Thanks!
Hey Sophie, thank you for your interest. Here is some additional detail:
What “time” means when you work for yourself vs. working for someone else: I never watched the clock when I worked for someone else. Writing tasks took however long they took. Now, I have become almost obsessed with how long things take and berate myself about it all.
The difference between questioning my writing and questioning my process: This idea started out with me telling myself that something is wrong with my process, but now I think this notion of “time” is playing tricks on me. My process has been my process for decades; I’m just executing it differently.
Does every writer measure each word like I do?: As a veteran writer and Type A personality, do I need to let things go so I can get more done in less time? Regardless of the answer, I can’t. Where does that leave me?
Why I can’t subscribe to the “good enough” philosophy: I read a lot of material and shake my head in (I admit it) judgement. How much time was spent doing this? Do I need to throw my hands up and simply throw words on paper so I can throw more words on paper, or do I keep running on the treadmill chasing after my big break?
The need for greater self-reliance as a freelancer: When you work for someone else, you typically engage in a performance evaluation. It’s an opportunity to hear kudos and areas for improvement. Now I am the only one judging my performance. That’s scary…
Is it all just a content mill? Is this a young person’s game now? Do people really accept $5 as payment for $1,000 words? Is time being valued more than content?
Hope this helps,
Elissa
This seems like it would be an interesting study of your personal struggles, but I’m not seeing the relateable points for ALL our readers… It seems like it focuses a lot on you (at least in the pitch), rather than our readers. Hmm.
“There’s Not Enough Time in Deadlines”
Becoming a freelance blogger is hard work. You’re trying to get your name out there and by doing so, you are submitting to countless “gigs”. Once you do this, you may suddenly have several opportunities, all of which have set deadlines.
The points I would like to make in this post are:
1. Establishing Yourself As A Freelance Blogger. This will talk about how to do this as a newbie writer.
2. Submitting Proposals to Potential Opportunities. This will talk about picking the opportunities and how to submit proposals.
3. Receiving Feedback and Gigs. This will talk about what the next steps are when you hear back from those potential opportunities.
4. Time in Deadlines. This will discuss deadlines and how to juggle those.
5. Relax, It’s Time for a Plan. This will discussing drafting a writing plan and calendar for submissions you are writing.
6. Time’s Up! Submit It! This will go over final checks and editing before submitting your final drafts.
This would be a really helpful post in managing stress (Lord knows I am the queen of stressing!) and how to manage your time as a freelance blogger. You want to get your name out there in the beginning and take any opportunities that present themselves!
This article would go with the theme of time because it’s main focus is how to handle multiple deadlines.
Loooove your headline, it is what caught my eye and drew me to read the rest of your submission!
Nice and simple. This might work well for our “Stay Sane” category…
5 Ways to Find More Time as a Busy Freelance Blogger
Time is a valuable commodity. There never seems to be enough of it, especially when you’re trying to juggle an active family and a growing freelance blogging career.
While I can’t give you any more minutes in you’re day, I can give you some tips to help you make the most of the time you do have.
1. Make a Meal Plan
How much time do you waste rummaging through cupboards, wondering what’s for dinner? Here’s why making a meal plan is essential for your sanity, and how to make a basic annual meal plan.
2. Give Your Kids Each a Day
All those small decisions really cut into your productivity. If you’re tired of being the referee and tracking whose turn it is to do what, let someone else handle the small things by giving your kids each a day to rule.
3. Add a 15 Minute Clean Up
If everyone pitches in, one 15-minute cleaning session can make a huge difference in the state of your house. But, you’ve got to do it the right way so it doesn’t turn into a fight, or a time waster.
4. Write Together
Working quietly is an essential skill for kids to learn. Learn how to help them practice (and enjoy it!) by implementing Family Writing Time.
5. Make your evenings count
Before you go to bed, you have the ability to set yourself up for success the next day. Let’s look at several quick tasks that’ll make a huge difference in the morning.
This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because many of your readers are trying to balance a family and their work. By making proactive decisions, they’ll be able to tame the chaos and find time to breathe. As a freelancing, homeschooling mom to eight, I’m the perfect person to write this post.
Hmmm… I’m going to have to leave this one up to Sophie. As someone with no kiddos, some of the points definitely didn’t apply to me — which means they won’t apply to a lot of our readers. Sophie will have to make the call on whether we want a “family life” post or not.
That said, I thought the pitch was good! Even though some of the points involving kids/family didn’t apply to me, I can see the value in them for those who DO have others living with them.
Yep, a good pitch and solid tips but not quite on-target for our audience. Take a look at the parenting section of our Ultimate List for other blogs that this post will suit perfectly!
Six Radical Ways to Steal Your Time Back
Time is our most precious resource yet we live like we’ll never die. We flippantly give our time away and squeeze our money like Uncle Scrooge. When we’re lying on our death beds we’ll not wonder how we spent our money. We’ll wonder how we spent our time.
1) Say No to Socials: say no to social obligations that you don’t want to attend. Even those that you do want to attend should be closely scrutinized.
2) Turn off ALL notifications: All notifications. Each notification that carelessly bounces into your life can lead you down rabbit holes for hours.
3) Get Up an Hour Earlier: Yes, sleep is good. But you really only need about seven hours. Plus, if you want to radically steal time back, the best place to find it is in the morning before life starts demanding time from you.
4) Dump Your Inbox: Stop wasting time trying to get your inbox under control. Select all and erase. Nice clean start. Were you really going to reference that email from last year?
5) Ultra Batch: You don’t grocery shop or do laundry every day so why work like you do? Set aside days specific to one task. Just like you set aside your dirty laundry for laundry day, set aside tasks that can be grouped and completed on one day.
6) Create a Routine: create a plan for your time from the time you wake until you sleep. Include free time or time with no desired activity, too. The point is to structure your days so your thinking mind is more free to be creative, to solve problems and to enjoy living.
This is great for BAFB because the time it takes to write is directly tied to what we’re getting paid. If you’re slow at writing or you waste time doing other things, then you’re paid less overall. Plus, freelance writers went freelance because they value time (and writing). Time and freedom are keys to freelance living. Waste time and you might as well be working a 9-5.
I’m the person to write this because I’m a freelance writer, I’ve worked in corporate America, and I’ve been a terrible time waster in the past. Who better to learn from than he who has learned the hard way?
Well, I can’t agree with point #4 (I reference old e-mails all the time! They even help me reconnect with former clients lol), but the rest seems like solid advice.
It is radical. Plus, I think we all use email as data storage instead of a mail box. We all don’t receive, sort, trash and save like we should. That’s why we have services dedicated to helping people achieve a zero inbox, as if that’s a productive goal. I think the point is to stop wasting time on trying to get to the bottom of your inbox, if that’s a pain point, and work on productive tasks, like writing and prospecting.
Personally, I tend to stop reading if I see “get up earlier” as a productivity or time management tip… I’d rather stay up late. 😉
More important than my personal quirks, though, is the fact that from conversations with our readers, I know they’ve typically already tried all these tips and are now in “Phase 2: Why Doesn’t It Work For Me?”… So we’d be looking for deeper insights into the practical execution of the ideas.
Werk Title: Why time is a meaningless metric for measuring output.
Summary: I will be exploring the fallacy that is the “workday”, “work hours”, and generally using time as a unit of measurement when it comes to productivity in the workplace.
Background:
-So many jobs become contests for who works “more” (but they really mean stay at the office longer -or arrive before you).
-You can spend 18h making a presentation for example or just 2h (How come and what influences this?)
-Not all tasks are created equal and comparing 2 projects or tasks in terms of how much time they consumed is neither fair nor accurate. (If I have to a write a blog post about a topic I know inside out, my hourly wage is significantly better than if I have to add research and digestion to the mix)
Why it will be of interest to the community: Many bloggers may not realize how their topic selection can drastically change the ROI of their labor. Many managers falsely budget “time” instead of “effort”.
Not really seeing where you’re going with this in regard to freelance bloggers or their clients…
Perfect “timing” for me: my weekly project load surged last month, and I’m learning a lot of new things about time management as I go along.
HEADLINE: I Should Be Grateful: How to Cope When Your Blogging Work Hits a “Feast” Period
OPENING LINES: Has this ever happened to you?
For months your blogging income was stuck at near-poverty level, and you would have done ANYTHING for more work. Then, almost without warning, more work started flooding in–and suddenly, you’d do ANYTHING to get back the time it’s taking to keep up….
KEY POINTS:
1. Life has its trade-offs. Here’s how to decide which of your leisure activities or other work projects may have to go–without falling into self-pity or neglecting your top priorities.
2. What you want tends to look better before you actually get it. You can always find much to appreciate about being a freelance blogger–even when you feel it’s trying to drown you with busyness.
3. Words per day; posts per day; hours per day? How to create a full-time blogging schedule that suits YOU and leaves you breathing room.
4. Estimating work time–realistically–based on post requirements and your personal energy levels (included: tips on managing the latter). Why you need to include number of posts, not just number of words, in the factors considered.
5. When you have serious doubts about being able to keep up: how to tell legitimate concerns from unreasonable “I’m not good enough” anxieties, and what to do about both.
6. When you don’t feel a new–or existing–client–can provide adequate ROI for your time: how to say “no” without making enemies, how to negotiate a better per-hour price, whether to charge different clients equal costs for equal work.
WHY THIS POST? WHY THIS WRITER?
There are thousands of articles on time management and priority-setting, but few that really consider how “being busy” is a good AND a bad thing. The lucky-to-have-it-vs.-stressing-out-on-overload question is especially relevant to freelancers, whose total income rises and falls with their “busyness”–and bloggers, for whom “busyness” usually means keeping up with a LOT of small individual projects, can find it especially easy to get overwhelmed.
I’m a good choice to help others gain perspective on this issue because I’m currently in my first real “feast” period–and still learning, sometimes by trial and error, how to avoid the time-management AND emotional-stability “indigestion” that can come with the blessings.
Love it. Great job!
Time Is Constant
Everyone likes to say “I cannot find the Time”. When I hear this, my mind always goes to, where did you lose it?
When trying to write I find myself drifting into the project. I will not look at a clock while I work. Writing becomes like therapy for the soul. If you are into what you are doing a clock does not matter. Time is relevant though. Working from the house, I have three dogs to take care of on top of my paying job. This would be the case if there were small children in the home as well. This is where you learn the nuances of managing time.
You can manage just about anything, whether it be people, a business or the clock. Time, however, does not stop or listen to your management. If you have an Apple product or an Android, there are calendar apps. It is easy to keep yourself on task. The hard part is remembering to put reminders in the app. I have learned to let the leash manage the clock. When the leash beeps, it is time to complete the current task and move the next thing.
In writing time becomes constant, in meeting your deadlines, you must stay on task. Will an app help you to stay on task? Maybe or maybe not. Can you figure out your boundaries on when to stop? Definitely. You will not lose time, for it is constant…
Interesting… But not quite what we’re looking for. I’m not seeing the points you intend to make (should be bullets, as per the contest directions), or how they apply to freelance bloggers or their clients.
HEADLINE: Running Out
OPENING LINES:
Relating your story or post to a timetable is an automatic way to create buy-in within the human psyche, and trajectory. Most of us are conditioned to constantly monitor time and stress hormones, then occasionally seek the euphoria of a more timeless state through vacations, chemicals and fantasy. As a writer, you are always playing with unexplored time-power.
KEY POINTS:
1. The human mind has an automatic neuro-chemical reaction to different uses of time-narration in writing, that can be creatively used to inspire powerful buy-in, impact and belief.
2. Time, employed skillfully, has a way of appealing to (what a mystic might call) the trans-real, or human soul, and inspiring dreamlike dimensions of visions and thought.
3. The art of writing is such that our words actually become part of a person’s inner “self”, or world, automatically, because writing has to be “thunk” in order to be processed — the way something must be licked for its taste to be known. This implies responsibility in our craft as writers, on an ethical level, as well as a personal or relational level. Plus, understanding the way language affects the mind can lead to a more conscious relationship with our own thought life, professionally and personally..
4. “Jedi mind tricks”: Exploring historical comparison, statistical projections of the future, verb-tensing and paragraph sequencing are all fun, obvious ways to create interesting time-narratives which are much more expansive than those common in most people’s workaday thought-life, which can help an article matter and appeal to a bored, stressed or anxious individual, by helping to take them “out of themselves”.
[more creative aspects will be generated and examined, as well as ideas for how to generate your own creative twists]. Also examining strange film writing and creative storytellers, like Louis Borges for example.
5. Applying the Golden Rule; as a reader how would you like to be treated, knowing that language is influencing your unconscious beliefs connected to time, stress, goal-orientation and self-value?
Am I reinforcing the belief that if someone does not become what they are striving for, that stress, guilt or shame are called for? Am I taking advantage of someone looking for a quick-fix or fantasy life? Am I sharing the solutions within my own perspectives that I’ve found helpful? What am I holding back, and why? [the importance of metered self-reflection in mining towards the essence of a person’s message in writing].
6. Ultimately, writing can be a way in which we access and tap into unlimited time, that is, “running out” of the Standard American time-paradigm [work more, accomplish more, stress more]. Writing with awareness of time can be a service of guided thinking, and encourage virtue, genius and self-care, while simultaneously functioning as a clever way to entice your readership into novel mind-states. Win/win benefits.
WHY THIS POST / WRITER?
This pitch itself will prove to stem from ideas that are both grounded and psychically novel. Writers will automatically be launched into a dimension of analyzing their own use of the temporal in their writing, and find their own improvements to be made by spring-boarding off a this complex topic.
This article blends the experimental, the spiritual and the useful in a technically fun way that concerns everyone with a thinking mind, and opens a variety of doors for freelance bloggers and readers of all kinds to explore and stand-out in their professions.
*Pick me* because I’m fascinating, heartfelt and multi-disciplinary. I am teachable, can respond to instruction (very fluidly), and have found this contest almost by complete coincidence the day after I wrote in my journal “I want to be a freelance writer.” As a researcher, dreamer, journalist and fiction-writer, I write over 11,000 pages a year and am working on my first cinematic script. Good luck to all contestants!
Interesting points, but I’m not seeing how you’re going to use those points to help freelance bloggers or their clients…
Redeeming The Time
It’s not magic because it always works, like Mathematics always works there are certain ways to do things correctly that always work. Liberal folks don’t like it because it sometimes makes them look silly, but common sense dictates the result which redeems the time.
1. What is the foundation made of? To build something huge and awesome this is terribly important yet 6 billion people or more haven’t a clue…….
2. How do we know our perfect foundation is on bedrock, or a fault-line waiting for an earthquake? Insurance companies world over create the illusion this isn’t important just so they can sell you some more paper…..
3. Wood, Brick, Steel or some synthetic wall material? Weather often determines what folks build with, but is that the very best scenario? What about costs? Labor, waste, logistics, availability?………
4. Windows and doors, the necessaries to make it usable and efficient. Plumbing and power now come into the light as well, yet they are hidden and made to be incognito.
5. We know the roof needs to protect us and our fine work so far, but there’s a sale on some new fangled synthetic stuff. It comes in pretty colors and they say it lasts forever. Trouble is other folks that have used it have tons of complaints. Lies never add up, 1×1=1 that’s how the Truth works. Search for Truth…….
6. Doing things right the first time redeems the time because you don’t have to go back and fix your mistakes and cover up the lies.
In conclusion, I don’t have all the answers yet, but I know who does and He is always available to me 24/7. I’m the right one to teach this lesson because He has made me a Steward of this commissioned task. Since the beginning of time my job has been done by all kinds of men and women, and we all share the same blood.
There is a way which seems right in most folks eyes but the end there of is confusion and death. Shouldn’t you pick the guy with the right tools?
Interesting… But how do these points help freelance bloggers or their clients?
Possible Headline: 5 Ways to Find More Time as a Busy Freelance Blogger
Intro: Time is a valuable commodity. There never seems to be enough of it, especially when you’re trying to juggle an active family and a growing freelance blogging career.
While I can’t give you any more minutes in you’re day, I can give you some tips to help you make the most of the time you do have.
Main Points:
1. Make a Meal Plan
How much time do you waste rummaging through cupboards, wondering what’s for dinner? Here’s why making a meal plan is essential for your sanity, and how to make a basic annual meal plan.
2. Give Your Kids Each a Day
All those small decisions really cut into your productivity. If you’re tired of being the referee and tracking whose turn it is to do what, let someone else handle the small things by giving your kids each a day to rule.
3. Add a 15 Minute Clean Up
If everyone pitches in, one 15-minute cleaning session can make a huge difference in the state of your house. But, you’ve got to do it the right way so it doesn’t turn into a fight.
4. Write Together
Working quietly is an essential skill for kids to learn. Learn how to help them practice (and enjoy it!) by implementing Family Writing Time.
5. Make your evenings count
Before you go to bed, you have the ability to set yourself up for success the next day. Let’s look at several quick tasks that’ll make a huge difference in the morning.
Why & Why Me:
This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because many of your readers are trying to balance a family and their work. By making proactive decisions, they’ll be able to tame the chaos and find time to breathe. As a homeschooling mom to eight, I’m the perfect person to write this post.
Headline: How To Prevent Burnout As a New Freelance Writer
Opening: The allure of launching a freelance career is patently obvious: being your own boss, setting your own pace and choosing the nature of the work that you take on. To anyone who’s worked as a 9 to 5 wage slave, this probably seems like the very definition of career bliss.
Content points:
1. Making leisure time part of your daily routine – how to strike a proper work-life balance by incorporating activities that you enjoy into your schedule.
2. Practicing assertiveness – how to say no to impossible client demands.
3. Productivity tools for bloggers – for example scheduling tools such as Hootsuite.
4. Relaxation exercises, including meditation and mindfulness.
5. How to switch off after hours and avoiding the “always on” effect.
Having worked as a freelancer myself, I can attest to the fact that it’s all too easy to burn out during those critical first few months, with bills to pay and a lot to prove. Burnout is more than merely “being tired”; it is a very serious condition that can impact virtually every aspect of one’s life. In my blog post, I’ll throw new freelancers a life line by providing tips for preventing burnout when going out on one’s own.
These tips all feel very generic. I’d love to see something more specific to helping freelance bloggers…
How am I going to start my freelancing when having a fulltime job on the side?
opening – In the beginning for some freelancers, we start with having another fulltime job, but it’s a soul-crushing 9-5 job, so how do we manage the time with both until we can focus completely on freelancing?
When the idea to become a freelancer came into my head I was (am) working fulltime at a job I hate. I did my research on how to freelance when to do what and step by step guides. But now what? I can’t quit my job right away then I’ll be broke and can’t pay my bills. The answer is to manage your time and have clear goals.
6 points.
1.Prepare yourself by aiming for the goal. Open up a document or keep a freelancing journal where you write your goal and how to get there day by day.
2.Find out how to reach that goal AND work at your other job. Maybe you can find time to explore different niches and write down great pitches at work?
3.Start writing a blog and aim to write 3 times a week or more! This way you will become a better writer and attract followers.
4.Do daily or weekly goals for your freelancing career. Find out who are your clients? Read their blog or magazine at lunch or before bedtime and have a notebook next to you so you don’t miss out a great idea.
5.Put some effort into your branding, buy that domain because you have a regular income, so put some money into your future business. it took a while for me to actually buy a domain because I was worried to be able to afford it, but then I realized that if there’s any time to do it, it’s now.
6.Look for blogs to guest post on, write down some ideas every evening or early morning and start sending out some of them on the weekends. Slowly the ideas and pitches will be easier to write.
I think this post will be useful for beginners that are just starting out and haven’t finished their current soul-sucking jobs yet but really want to start but don’t know how to find the time. I myself, am at this very start and I have found certain ways to keep my eyes on that goal to freelance full time!
I’m a little confused. It seems like you’re trying to help freelancers in general who blog for fun on the side…? Am I getting that right?
Hi! No, what I want to write about is helping freelancers who might start off while working fulltime on another job until they are able to work fulltime as a freelancer, which we want. As I am in that position myself I want to give advice to newbies on how to manage both.
Headline: Time Your Blog Post Strategically and Effectively
Opening Lines: If you want to get the most impact from your blogpost, timing is everything! To be a great blog post, it must connect with your readers. By tying your post to current news items, annual events, historical anniversaries, or pop culture fads, you can strategically and effectively make your point, engage your audience, and grow your following.
Four Points of Focus:
Current News Items: Strike While the Iron is Hot
Whether you are a news junkie whose background music is NPR and CNN or a casual observer who gets their news via Facebook or the Daily Show, if you want to make your point or share a related story, it is imperative to act fast.
Annual Events: The Golden Opportunity to Get to the Heart of the Matter
Everyone has a story – or many – that connects to a holiday or annual celebration. By timing your blog post appropriately, you will enhance exposure to your post. For inspiration, check out nationaldaycalendar.com
Historical Anniversaries: Every Day Provides a Meaningful Link to a Story You Want to Tell
From the Normandy Invasion to the end of the Mexican War to the death of Winston Churchill, there are endless opportunities to connect your content to a relevant event in history. See historynet.com for ideas.
Popular Culture: Use That Fad to Make Your Point
However you follow the new waves of pop culture, you can connect your ideas to the buzz everybody is talking about.
Why this is a great post and why I am the best blogger for the job:
Every freshman blogger needs inspiration and direction. Having the right hook for a blog post is invaluable for expanding your audience. As a retired world history teacher, I know a thing or 200 about how being in the right place at right time is a game changer.
These tips seem like they’d be great for writers who have their own blog. Most of our readers do not (they blog for clients). If you could show us how these tips would work for our readers — by helping out their CLIENTS’ blogs — then I might be interested 🙂
Thank you for the feedback. I tweeked my Headline and Opening Lines to better serve individuals who blog for hire.
Headline: It’s About Time!
Opening Lines: Grab the attention of your clients and their audiences by connecting your blogpost to time-relevant data. By tying your blogpost to current news items, annual events, historical anniversaries, or pop culture fads, you can strategically and effectively make your point, engage your audience, and impress your client. Linking a potential client’s message to a time-specific event or annual theme will help you land that pitch. For your existing clients, these time-related themes will help you create a back-log of blogposts to promote their product or message. Ultimately, if you want to get the most impact from your blogpost, timing is everything!
Hello Sophie and Lauren,
Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to join in your amazing Pitchfest! Here’s my humble entry.
Headline:
Time Value Maximization: A Newbie’s Starting Point Towards Becoming a Freelance Blogging Rock Star
Opening lines:
While there are several factors that could influence a successful blogging career – excellent writing skills, strong passion for blogging, etc., one essential element shouldn’t be underestimated by every newbie wanting to become a blogging rock star – knowing the value of time and how to maximize it.
Understanding Time Value – Time can be the most valuable resource a newbie blogger can have, so learn how to capitalize on it. Time allows you to explore the world of freelance blogging and helps you to have what it takes to be successful in this sphere. But unless you commit your time to shaping your blogging abilities, you’ll be stuck somewhere with your potential being left untapped.
Proper Utilization of Time – Time is a scarce resource, hence it should be used wisely. While still a newbie, one should already master making every second counts by staying productive even at the least given time. This can be achieved by channeling your time towards fruitful activities such as reading previous blogs/articles relative to your niche, or in case you’re not sure yet, discovering your niche and building on it.
Maximize Time to Maximize Earning Potential – Investing considerable amount of time in expanding your knowledge about freelance blogging and establishing yourself into it is tantamount to developing a career that could be your milking cow. Having been equipped with the appropriate blogging qualities, you can confidently reach out to potential clients or let them come to you effortlessly. With this, you’re cutting short your time spent for client hunting and saving more for producing substantial blogging results that translate to more income.
Capturing the Essence of Time – While perfecting the art of freelance blogging is worth time investing, knowing the power of NOW is also essential for a newbie blogger to be an efficient decision-maker. So, if you have a strong desire to become someone in freelance blogging, don’t waste more time thinking it over. There’s no perfect time to turn such dream into reality but now.
I believe this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger especially to the newbies. I will try to ignite some inspiration and motivation to this group of audience by expanding further each point should I be given the chance. Being a newbie, myself, I’m the right person to write something on this topic based on my personal experience.
Not bad. Nice and simple. My only concern is it might be a little to similar to some of the other “starting out” posts we already have on the blog.
Headline: The One-handed Freelancer
Opening lines:
Finding time to write your blogs while navigating how to take care of a newborn can be daunting. Newborns are the cutest little time-suckers for sure, however, that doesn’t mean your writing needs to be put on hold, though, it might take a little longer.
Main Points:
1. Break Your Project Into Small Chunks- Breastfeeding a newborn takes up all the time you had before so the wisest choice would be to break your projects into the smallest chunks using bullet points. When you are able to find even the slightest bit of time, fill out your ideas in more detail.
2. One-handed Mode- Writers will benefit from finding new ways to write to save on time or make better use of their time. For example, you can use your phone in one-handed mode while you breastfeed (because that is pretty much all you do with newborns) or use dictation and fix the typos later.
3. Creating More Time- And lastly, I want to point out how to make enough time for your writing in between feedings and other tasks such as laundry, dishes, personal hygiene, etc… Pick only a few chores, probably fewer than you’d like, to get done by the end of the day so all of your free time isn’t bogged down with these things. Also, put that baby down every time he seems to be asleep, because I know how easy it is to sit there with him, thinking he will wake up as soon as you move him. I say risk it, it just might give you a little more time for your writing.
The Why:
This post can benefit new moms who feel overwhelmed by all the new daily responsibilities and feel they are losing their writing time. It can also provide tips for writers without children or with older children. I am a new mom myself and I am writing this in between feedings, so I am speaking through experience.
As someone who has no children, and likely never will, I’m having trouble relating to this post — which means a lot of our readers will as well.
I’ll leave this one up to Sophie (resident mom and Head Editor!). 🙂
The tips are all good, but I would actually prefer to see this re-focused as “How to keep freelance blogging with a newborn baby” – I know our theme is time, but there’s so much other than time that new mums have to figure out if they plan to continue freelancing… And it’s so damn hard that I know if you focus on the time aspect, there’ll be desperate women reading your post and thinking “But even if I manage my time, what about Skype calls and backache and baby illness and etc? WTF do I do about those?”
Thank you guys for the feedback! I will definitely take your advice and see what I can come up with 🙂
HEADLINE: How to Job & Jog & Blog: Accommodate Many activities in a Day With Limited Amount of Time
Intro: Yes, it is possible to be a freelance blogger, to have a job AND to keep practicing the important activities for your health such as: sports and healthy eating, sleeping 8 hours a day and relaxing. All you have to do is to create and to maintain a very well structured time schedule that works for you.
STEP 1: Write down your schedule and make sure it includes the hours of writing, before or after the hours you work at your job. Set these hours according to your productivity, whether is before or after working time.
STEP 2: Set the hours for sport routine into your schedule and respect them no matter what. It doesn’t have to be something difficult: a quick jogging, weight lifting or a short fitness program should be enough as long as you stick with it daily. As a bonus, the physical training will give you extra energy for the rest of the activities.
STEP 3: Cut the lazy hours of the weekend. It may be a bit difficult in the beginning, but it will definitely worth it. Use the morning time of the weekend for blogging instead of lying in bed until noon. This is the time when you feel the most energized, since you don’t have to go to work.
STEP 4: Use a time management app. I don’t even have to tell how many great apps for time management are out there, from simple alarms to blocking your time-wasting apps, everything only to set you on the good line.
STEP 5: Work progressively. If you are a beginner blogger, you can’t expect to write a ten Word pages essay from the beginning. It will get you exhausted and the result will probably not be that great. Instead, go for shorter blog posts with a powerful idea at the core. Use the working hours for thinking of ideas and topics that you can lately turn into interesting posts.
STEP 6: Reward yourself. Make sure that your schedule include relaxing time. If you can’t add these hours during the week, respect them during the weekend. Use this time for activities unrelated to work or blogging (unless you also have a personal blog where you write for fun). This way you have a something to look forward during your intense working time and to feel more motivated and not over-worked.
I think “beafreelanceblogger.com” would benefit from this post because one of the greatest challenges of our time is earning money AND preserving our health. Also, I think many freelance bloggers fear that they can’t sustain a job besides freelancing (or they choose the job and give up blogging), which I want to prove it is possible.
Nice and simple.
Pitch: How to Cut Your Time in Creating an Article to Increase Your Income
Are you a freelance writer?
Are you a book author?
Are you a blogger?
Do you often find it difficult to divide the time if there are multiple jobs at once at the same time?
If one of your answers are yes, then this article can help you solve your problem by dividing the time.
As a freelance writer, you should be able to manage or schedule your time in completing your writing or speaking job. Especially, if you get multiple jobs at the same time. Therefore, you should be able to divide and get around the time to complete all your writing jobs.
If you can cut your time in writing a great article, then you will be able to take advantage of your time to write another great article or do any other work. In other words, If you can cut your time in creating the great articles, then you can increase your income. He… 7x
Doesn’t every writer/author/blogger want to work with little time as possible, but getting the most extent possible? Right?
Key points:
1. Eliminate writer’s block forever. Writer’s Block is one of the biggest causes for a writer/author/blogger unable to complete his work. Or at least slower in completing the job. So, cut your writer’s block forever.
2. Research faster. Research is the lifeblood of every article writing. Because you need a lot of data to make a good article. And the data can only be obtained through research. Therefore, if you can research faster, then your written work will also be completed sooner.
3. Read faster. Read faster is the lifeblood of your research. Because you need to read a lot of data while doing research. Therefore, if you can read faster, then your writing work will also be completed sooner.
4. Think faster. Think faster is one of the best ways to get your writing job done faster.
Think faster makes you faster in composing words into a sentence. Think faster also makes you faster in composing a few sentences into a paragraph.
5. Write faster. Write faster is one of the best ways to get your writing job done faster.
You can train your writing speed. The more often you write articles the faster you write.
6. Using the tools. You can use tools to speed up the process of your writing job. There are many tools, both free tools and paid tools, which you can use to speed up the process of your writing job.
WHY THIS POST? This article is very useful for writers or bloggers to increase their income. Especially, for those who are a pioneering career as a freelance writer or blogger.
WHY THIS WRITER? I am the author of 4 books on Amazon. And if you want to finish writing an article faster, then you can read a book titled “How to Create A Great Article for SEO in Three Hours.”
Thank you for your review.
Lord Jesus bless you.
Amen.
This might be a little too all over the place for BAFB. We focus specifically (only) on freelance bloggers, not writers in general or book authors…
Thank you for your review.
I’ve finished this article with 2,000 words. After that, I will make it a book. Ha … 7x
I’m happy to get an idea from here.
May I offer my ebook for free here?
Until the 16th, I’m offering my ebook for free.
How to Skyrocket 7-8 Figure Income Annually from Blogging.
If so, I’ll give you the URL.
Thank you.
Lord Jesus bless you.
Amen.
Hey guys, this contest (and this entire website) is awesome! Thank you so much for the opportunity, from the bottom of all our hearts 🙂
Here’s my pitch! It comes from the bottom of my heart and from personal experience.
Title: The Secret to Meeting Freelance Writing Deadlines on Time, Every Time
Intro outline and premise: Being your own boss is the dream to end all dreams. Let’s face it though, time is money, and as creatives time management is not our strong suit. So how do we avoid rushing to finish our work at the last minute (or later)? Simple: ask our friends and family to help us enforce our deadlines.
Points:
-Have them hold you to micro-deadlines. If you tell them you’ll show them an outline at 9 am tomorrow morning, show them an outline at 9 am tomorrow morning.
-Reward yourself through them and hold yourself accountable. After you’ve met a deadline, let your family tell you you’ve earned time to goof off.
-Unlike a boss, your friends and family aren’t threatening to fire us (although our clients might not want to work with us again if we hand our work in late!) They’re simply there because they care.
-When they’re proud, you’re proud. Finishing a piece and getting paid for it is one thing, but having someone you trust tell you you’ve done a genuinely good job can be the difference between a paycheck and a real sense of fulfillment.
-The reverse is also true. If your friends and family feel like you haven’t done your best work, you can take it to heart and try, because now you’re not just trying to impress someone you’ve never met, but people you have to see and who remind you of it every day.
Conclusion: Something along the lines of we’re all in this together, even those of us who haven’t chosen the ongoing existential crisis that is freelance writing as a career path.
I used to be a manager at a grocery store. When I quit my 9 to 5 to focus on freelance writing, I very quickly realised that without the day to day pressure of completing tasks from my higher ups, I was falling behind on work and by consequence, bill payments. Turning to my friends and family not for money but for a little extra push and pressure really helped me get into the groove of being my own boss.
Interesting… But what about the people who don’t have family living with them or close friends who are willing to help? Hmm.
I’m also not sure how you’d be able to stretch out this one point to 1200 words. :\
Hi Lauren, thank you for the feedback 🙂
– It doesn’t have to be limited to people you live with! I don’t live with my family but they still helped me a lot. Everyone has at least ONE person they can confide in and ask for small favors, even if they’re not on the same continent, there’s also communication via the internet! (If you don’t have the internet, your freelance writing career has bigger problems.)
– I would talk about seeking help from online allies as well, such as this blog (nudge nudge, wink wink) If you have no connections, you’re going to need them eventually, so why wait? It’ll only save you time in the future!
– I would also talk about learning to use friends’ and family’s specific skill set as an advantage in saving time, for example knowing someone who is a finance expert could save you time AND money in that area.
-I’m confident that, given the opportunity, I could turn this into a very helpful and very readable 1200 word piece!
Turn Busy into Productive
Do you wonder where your time has gone? You’ve been busy all day yet nothing got done? Stop being so busy and become productive. Learn how to use your executive function skill portion of your brain to work less but produce high quality results. Until several years ago I never knew how to tap this portion of my brain to maximize results. Now that I have my life has changed for the better. And bonus…I make more money doing less.
(intro will include the reason why I had to learn these rules and why they are effective)
Know your daily priorities
It is easy to start the day and start looking at emails, comments on posts, or getting caught up in the day to day. Not knowing what your priority is keeps you from working on the most important tasks first – tasks with deadlines, invoices to be sent, researching for your next post. If you don’t prioritize you realize at the end of the day “stuff” still needs done. (outline of this section will teach a quick method to prioritize work)
The 90 minute rule
Once the day is prioritized (which can be done the night before), the first 90 minutes of your day should be uninterrupted time to focus on the top priorities. Throughout the day each working block should be no more than 90 minutes before a break is taken or a non-work activity is completed. The body has normal rhythms, ultradian rhythms, which is the same as the sleeping cadence which optimizes body performance; research of Nathaniel Kleitman in the 1950’s. (section will break out an example of an optimized day)
Planning the little things
Now you know your priorities, you schedule your day in 90 minute blocks, remember to schedule the other things you want to get done. Do you want to begin a meditation practice? Schedule it. Do you want to take walks outside? Schedule it? Time with family, doctors appointments, travel? Schedule it and use the time in between the 90 minute blocks of productive time to your advantage. Changing what you are working on to do other tasks will improve brain function and creativity.
Why are you doing this?
Knowing your why isn’t about why you blog, but why are you doing certain tasks? Everyone has parts of their life they don’t like. If you don’t like something, procrastination sets in and the work does not get done. Whenever possible, take what you don’t like and find ways of automating the work. (post will provide some examples – invoicing, post scheduling, social media awareness)
The post is relevant to freelance bloggers because working somewhere other than an office has its time traps. My working rules outlined above were learned after I had a brain injury and had to relearn how to work and be productive. I freelance, have a full time job, co-own a company all while balancing my family and health responsibilities.
These are great general time-saving tips, but I’d love to see how they relate specifically to freelance bloggers.
What are ways you would like to see them tied back? I don’t see the gap that you are seeing. Each section will have a few concrete examples of how to place the “rule” into action. Maybe this is what you are looking for?
Want more time to write? 10 ways that really work.
Do you struggle to find enough time to write? Time seems to be so elusive, it dances invitingly in the early hours only to escape into the ether like the steam from a pressure cooker, gone forever.
But there are 24 hours in each and every day and whilst you believe you don’t have enough time to write, you really do.
10 Simple Ways to master time more efficiently so you can write more
1. Prioritise your writing over other commitments even if you’re not at your desk-waiting for children in the car, waiting for an appointment etc.
2. Track your time for a week. How many hours do you spend doing other activities, such as watching television? Find out where your time goes.
3. Find out when you work at your best, are you a lark or an owl? Don’t assume that your best writing hours are early morning, try different alternatives.
4. Time Blocking- free time does not magically appear, you have to make that time happen by blocking it out on your calendar. It’s easy to do the dishes or check your email but if you have set a specific time for your writing then there’s no excuses.
5. Respect yourself and your writing time as important and others will too – put writing first.
6. Focus on your writing project with no distractions until it is finished. Don’t hop from one project to another. This sounds easy but sometimes it is hard to do.
I think this story idea would be a great fit for ‘Be a Freelance Blogger’ because one of the biggest problems writers face is finding time to write.
I am a psychotherapist transitioning into being a writer. It has taken me a while to get my head around this and I can honestly say, it wasn’t until I started to prioritise a daily writing habit that I began to take my new career as a writer seriously.
Time would come and go and many times other activities took priority over my writing and it wasn’t until I began to harness my time and manage it more efficiently that I found that I did have enough hours in the day to write.
Thank you for considering this pitch for ‘ Be a freelance blogger’.
So long as this focuses on freelance bloggers specifically (and not writers in general), then you might have something good here.
Yes, freelance bloggers do need more time to write
How to be a productive blogger
Freelance blogging doesn’t have set hours – you’re free to choose when you want to work. But whilst this can be extremely liberating, it can also be hard to manage your time effectively.
⁃ How to plan out a weekly blogging schedule and prioritise tasks.
⁃ Make a timeline for each article so you can clearly see what needs to be completed and when. Do you have to interview anyone? Will you need to factor in time for them to get back to you? When is the first draft due?
⁃ How to make every second count – ie. jot down ideas when they come to you, make new blogging contacts when at a party.
⁃ How to factor in breaks and chill time and not feel guilty about it.
⁃ Allocate time to focus solely on administration ie. replying to e-mails, following up on submission proposals.
⁃ Keep a record of all your finances as you go along so doing a tax return isn’t a massive headache.
1. This suits Be a freelance blogger as it can help bloggers to reach their full potential.
2. It offers tips on time management and productivity.
3. It sympathises with the fact that it’s sometimes hard to stay focused when you’re your own boss.
Nice and simple… maybe a little TOO simple? I’m not really seeing anything new/fresh being brought to the table here. :\
Headline: The One-handed Freelancer
Opening lines:
Finding time to write your blogs while navigating how to take care of a newborn can be daunting. Newborns are the cutest little time-suckers for sure, however, that doesn’t mean your writing needs to be put on hold, though, it might take a little longer.
Main Points:
1. Break Your Project Into Small Chunks- Breastfeeding a newborn takes up all the time you had before so the wisest choice would be to break your projects into the smallest chunks using bullet points. When you are able to find even the slightest bit of time, fill out your ideas in more detail.
2. One-handed Mode- Writers will benefit from finding new ways to write to save on time or make better use of their time. For example, you can use your phone in one-handed mode while you breastfeed (because that is pretty much all you do with newborns) or use dictation and fix the typos later.
3. Creating More Time- And lastly, I want to point out how to make enough time for your writing in between feedings and other tasks such as laundry, dishes, personal hygiene, etc… Pick only a few chores, probably fewer than you’d like, to get done by the end of the day so all of your free time isn’t bogged down with these things. Also, put that baby down every time he seems to be asleep, because I know how easy it is to sit there with him, thinking he will wake up as soon as you move him. I say risk it, it just might give you a little more time for your writing.
The Why:
This post can benefit new moms who feel overwhelmed by all the new daily responsibilities and feel they are losing their writing time. It can also provide tips for writers without children or with older children. I am a new mom myself and I am writing this in between feedings, so I am speaking through experience.
Suggested Headline: How to make an hourly rate be profitable for you
You must have heard from several gurus and experts that you should get paid per project. Or per word, at least. But we all know that some clients insist on paying per hour. And here is how you are going to make this kind of deal profitable for you.
1. Make the rules and setbacks clear from the beginning: what you should say in your letter/email of agreement to make sure that your deal won’t backfire
2. Start in trial mode: dividing your project into blocks so you can evaluate each step
3. Keep an open channel: communicating with your client about the time spent as you deliver your tasks so he or she can also learn with you
4. Gather your tools: time management tools that you must have to make it work
5. Calculate the cost: checking how much time you actually spend on each task and how much they cost you – you might find out that you need more than one hourly rate.
6. Renegotiating: how to approach your client to discuss an increase on your hourly rate if it becomes necessary.
I believe this article is relevant for freelance bloggers because there is a huge struggle and misconception about hourly rate. Already talking about me, I get paid by project, but also per hour, and it works very well for me because I have learned how to anticipate issues and prevent them, to communicate efficiently, and to calculate (and renegotiate) my hourly rate wisely.
I hope I can pass my experience along in this article to other freelance bloggers.
Nice. I haven’t seen one about billing for hourly rates yet. Nice one!
Thank you!
An Essay on Schedules and Change: It’s About Time!
We’ve all heard that Time is money, but have you ever taken the time to compare them? Both can be spent, invested, given, or wasted. Many of the same principles can be applied when outlining a spending budget for either money or time. Spare a little of your time here, and you may find using your spare time for a little change now will lead to more spare time later – and more spare change, too.
1. A Lack of Interest: Your time bank account
You won’t get a raise with time
Money can be saved for a rainy day while time does not add up
Time can be spent without you even realizing it
2. Stop! Watch your spending
Be aware by monitoring how your time is being spent
Pennies add up, and Seconds count
3. A timely budget plan that makes cents
Pay important bills first
Find the holes in your pocket and patch them
Procrastination is debt: Avoid it!
4. Spending wisely and watching for hidden fees
If you need more time, you must spend less
How to cut out unnecessary spending
Making a plan and sticking to it
5. Timeout! Optimizing free time
How to get more bang for your timely buck: Wise investing strategies
Hi, I’m Paul. Why is this a great topic for freelance bloggers? Because the type of people who blog freelance tend to have a busy schedule (Don’t we all?). Time frugality is essential for anyone who is their own boss and helpful for anyone else. I will be tossing out some great stratagems for saving time while keeping an easy conversational tone and squeezing in a few puns to keep a smile on your face. So take a moment to read over my preview here, that is, if you have the time.
These are all great general tips, but I would have loved to see you frame them so they were more specific to freelance bloggers…
Hi!
I posted on 12/5, but my entry did not appear. So here it is again.
Headline: Time Your Blog Post Strategically and Effectively
Opening Lines: If you want to get the most impact from your blogpost, timing is everything! To be a great blog post, it must connect with your readers. By tying your post to current news items, annual events, historical anniversaries, or pop culture fads, you can strategically and effectively make your point, engage your audience, and grow your following.
Four Points of Focus:
Current News Items: Strike While the Iron is Hot
Whether you are a news junkie whose background music is NPR and CNN or a casual observer who gets their news via Facebook or the Daily Show, if you want to make your point or share a related story, it is imperative to act fast.
Annual Events: The Golden Opportunity to Get to the Heart of the Matter
Everyone has a story – or many – that connects to a holiday or annual celebration. By timing your blog post appropriately, you will enhance exposure to your post. For inspiration, check out nationaldaycalendar.com
Historical Anniversaries: Every Day Provides a Meaningful Link to a Story You Want to Tell
From the Normandy Invasion to the end of the Mexican War to the death of Winston Churchill, there are endless opportunities to connect your content to a relevant event in history. See historynet.com for ideas.
Popular Culture: Use That Fad to Make Your Point
However you follow the new waves of pop culture, you can connect your ideas to the buzz everybody is talking about.
Why this is a great post and why I am the best blogger for the job:
Every freshman blogger needs inspiration and direction. Having the right hook for a blog post is invaluable for expanding your audience. As a retired world history teacher, I know a thing or 200 about how being in the right place at right time is a game changer.
Headline:Time as the key to being a professional freelance blogger.
Openingline:Time can mean different things or have different definition to individuals,some it might mean The Clock,others it might mean Activities and to some it means Change.TIME to me stands for T=Thinking,I=Is,M=Most,E=Essential.
Thinking is most essential to a freelance blogger who aspires to be at the zenith of his career.
For a freelance writer to be on top of his game he must be able to; 1.Think and Study,2.Think in between Moments and 3.think and Imagine.
Think and Study:A freelance blogger should be able to acquire knowledge from his milieu and everything he/she comes in contact with. This is done by careful thinking and studying.This expands
the blogger’s horizon.
Thinking in between Moments:This can be possible only if he/she has a wide range collected information in brain.This amassed data gives him/she the ability to think and recollect fast.
Think and Imagine:This last stage of conception qualifies a blogger to write.
I’m not really feeling this one. It feels very similar to all the pitches we get about SMART goals…
My main concern is that you wouldn’t be able to stretch your points to the 1200-word minimum.
OK I will try hard later
December 2017 BAFB Pitchfest
OUTLINE
Headline:
Freelance Blogging: 9 Signs You’re Not Doing Great With Your Time
Opening Lines:
Sincerely, time is the moving target every freelance blogger is chasing. And no one is a perfect master of the game. But awareness can make you the better lot all of the time.
Subtopic:
1. Having a low emotional intelligence
Subscribe to the emails of Ramit Sethi (CEO of Iwillteachyoutoberich.con), Jeff Bullas (CEO of Jeffbullas.com) and Dr Travis Bradberry (Coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0) and you should be convinced a low psychology can’t help you to survive the wavy waters of marketing your freelance blogging business.
2. Servicing low-paying clients
Unless you’re a newbie in freelance blogging, any client offering you a rate lower than $50 per copy is sucking your strength for a peanut. And your time is crying for help on the other side of the tunnel.
3. Spending so much time on social media
Though awesome, using more than two hours daily is a big waste if you do not care to understand the core value that socialization brings into your blogging business before venturing into the game.
4. Having a poor document management skill
Without a decent home office and a daily work plan or a to-do list, your desire to produce excellent copies for your esteemed clients is weak.
5. Sleeping less than eight hours daily
Because nature is specific about your daily need for a decent sleep, so when you value your work or other activities more, it’s a sign your blogging life is wrong.
6. Quarrelling with your spouse
Recognizing that life is give and take and everyone needs help can take you farther than secluding your spouse from your freelance blogging business. You can’t make the desired progress when you play the game in isolation.
Why is it a great post for BAFB?
Time management exerts a great influence on everyone – and freelance bloggers are no exception. However, if the triggers are known, implementing the right strategy would be damn easy.
Theme connection:
My topic is an offshoot of time management and is quite relevant to the theme – time.
These are all very interesting general points, but I’m not seeing how they apply to freelance bloggers specifically.
Making the Most of Downtime – Becoming a Better Freelance Blogger Off the Clock
Freelance blogging is a big demand on what little free time we have between day jobs, family and other commitments. Everyone needs some downtime in order to be their best. It doesn’t have to be long, just long enough to recharge the batteries. Here are some ways to make the most of those precious snippets.
Unplug: Turn off the TV, computer, cell phone, music, and any other distraction. Give yourself a little time alone with your thoughts and see what pops into your head.
Take a Walk: Exercise is good for the mind, and doesn’t have to be done in a gym. Taking a brisk walk in the park or around town can open you up to new experiences that you can transfer to your writing.
Read a Book: Reading well written novels can influence your own writing. Try to read at least one good book a week, and include both contemporary and classic literature.
Eat, and…Just Eat: Meals are meant to be enjoyed, not shoveled down while you check your messages. Put the computer aside and enjoy your food, either alone or with family or friends.
Get Some Sleep: Sleep is the first thing we sacrifice for our writing, but it can do more harm than good. Honor your bedtime, even if it means putting something off until the next day.
Explore the Internet: We tend to visit our bookmarked websites when we’re surfing the net for fun. Who knows what awesome new stuff you’ll find if you shake off your rut for a day and go explore new frontiers!
How you spend time off the clock can be just as important as how you spend it on the clock. Writers need to find ways to relax and reboot even when facing a tight schedule. Through trail and error I have found new ways to enjoy my downtime that help me be a better writer without it feeling like just another chore.
These are all great general tips, but I’m not seeing how they apply to freelance bloggers specifically.
Headline suggestion:
Time and time again or More time per time: An emotional approach to time management
Opening Lines:
Einstein suggested that time is not constant, but relative. Even without working knowledge of Einsteinian physics, you can tell that the experience of time is quite subjective. Doesn’t it seem that some people accomplish so much in a day that you feel they have way more than 24 hours? What if I told you, they do?
6 points:
1. People experience time differently. The traditional perspective of time is factual, it is comprised of hours and minutes and can be measured by a clock. But then there is an emotional perception of time as time taken to talk to a friend or come up with a bestselling idea for a book. Most people fall somewhere in between the two ends of this continuum.
2. This is one of the key reasons why traditional time management techniques that view time a purely factual experience don’t work for most creative people like, you guessed it, writers, who are closer to the emotional end of the time experience continuum!
3. The more you understand your perception of time, the better in sync with yourself you will be and the better your will be able to ‘negotiate with time’ and plan.
4. What does this mean for planning your day. That’s where we come to the concept of “Time Division Multiplexing” (TDM). TDM is a telecommunications concept where several signals can be sent over a single path. Translated for our purpose, you can plan to do multiple things that organically converge in the same time. No, this is not the same as multitasking.
5. TDM technique will revolutionize your day if you experience time emotionally. But if you perceive time factually TDM technique can dramatically improve your efficiency as well.
6. Doing more things in the same amount of time means that there is more time to do other things (or maybe take a nap or go for a walk). In short, TDM technique can make you experience what it feels like to have more than 24 hours in a day!
Why is this a great post and why me?
As creative professionals, bloggers often have very emotional view of time. They are easily distracted by things that may not be particularly urgent to the task at hand but are vital for experiencing a full life and creating compelling content. But most time management techniques do not provide for the space to plan for these. I have struggled way too many years with this before I was able to make peace with time with what I now call the TDM technique. I believe this will be very useful for the readers of Be A Freelance Blogger.
These seem like great tips, but I would have loved to see more about how they could be applied specifically to freelance bloggers.
MANAGE YOURSELF, NOT YOUR TIME
Do you struggle with managing your time? Whether you are a beginning Freelance Blogger, or are seasoned in your entrepreneurial blogging endeavors, making the best use of your time invested into a project has the potential to leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed. I have found that the key to sanity exists in how you manage yourself.
6 Points To Manage Yourself
• Know Your Personality
• Organize Your Workspace
• Have a Morning Routine
• Develop a System Of Accountability
• Limit Your Social Media Time
• Know Your RO(t)I – Return On time Investment
This post would be very beneficial to the readers of Be a Freelance Blogger because it will help them to understand that they can’t manage time. We each have the same 24 hours and the clock is consistent every day at 10 or at 2, it never changes. What needs to change is how we manage our self, at 10 and at 2, so that we achieve the results that are the most beneficial and the most profitable for our business.
Until I understood that I had to manage myself within the time that I had, I struggled with the self-discipline I needed to follow through with my work. I was great at planning the work, but not so good at working the plan. These key 6 points have helped me to stay on track.
I would have loved to see more details with each of your points and how they applied specifically to freelance bloggers…
I sent in a pitch on Time but a message popped up on my screen saying that my submission was unsuccessful. I submitted it twice and it gave me the same message both times.
I did check the ‘Notify me of follow-up comments by email’ box and received an email saying that I would ‘get an email when new comments were posted.’ I clicked the ‘Confirm Follow’ button, but just wanted to make sure that my pitch did get submitted successfully.
Thank you for your time,
Patricia
We got your pitch. No worries. 🙂 Sorry for the technical difficulties!
It looks as though the pitch did go through successfully.
On the other hand, I see that you are in a different time zone than I am and I did not realize that before I submitted. I live in the United States in Mountain Time Zone and it is Dec 9th at 5;32 pm.
The contest closed at 12am Pacific. You’re fine. Don’t worry. 🙂
Time: 10 reasons why taking time off writing is good for your health.
By: Amber jump
Here are some things writers should keep in mind before they jump to conclusions about what to do before starting a project, getting back to one, or even starting!
1) Health Problems- Some of you, including myself may have some very serious health issues. Some that can be life-threatening or it can come down the scale to the common cold. Whatever it may be, writers should be able to have sick days too!
2) Stress Overload- Nobody likes a stress overload, especially when it’s all about family, or a bunch of events going on, or maybe just one of those days where you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
3) Deadlines- Deadlines can be a bit tricky when you find your new client and they tell you that terrifying moment of when all of your work has to be done. But do not fret! You should really try to take your time on this even if it is as soon as a few hours later on the same day it was assigned. Trying to cram all of your thoughts together into one space can really make your brain hurt. So take your time to the next section!
4) Collect Your Thoughts- Like I was saying earlier above. Cramming is NOT good. This could lead to memory loss and can mess up your schedule for a range of periods depending on how long you cram. So it’s often times the best solution the plan ahead and start to learn your topic little by little before you take up days worth of judgment.
5) Find Evidence and/or Inspiration- The inspiration that you get on your clients topic. And your writing speed along with your connection to the subject is %50 percent key to what motivates you to continue writing for that topic you are going to start, have been, or are writing about.
6) Time For Yourself- Time for yourself is very important when it comes to being a full-time part-time writer. Yourself needs to come first before you do anything else. If there is no you, then you can’t take care of anybody else.
7) Plan A Schedule Schedule- Planning how your day will go can certainly brighten up your mood from a bad day and can give yourself small bits of control. Plus will help your mental state when going through some pretty tough obstacles.
8) Meditation- A type of break people can take from all types of jobs and freelance writing is one of them. Stretching and taking in breathing exercises allows more peace flow through your mind are great ways to get more ideas to start popping up on their own!
9) Kickstart Your Motivation- There are various ways writers can get a jumpstart of motivation. Including the following. Social media, Outdoors, Reading, and everyday life events.
10) Time To Grieve- Grieving or mourning for somebody you once held dear. Is all relatable and is necessary to do as a human being. Giving yourself the time to grieve should be number one priority if you have lost a loved one.
(Please read: Just getting my idea out I’m not completely solid on this! I’ve been working on this all week.)
These are all good points (I can certainly relate to point #1!), but I didn’t really see how you were going to present them in a way that was specific to freelance bloggers (our audience)
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!
THE WINNERS ARE:
1st prize:
Katherine Swarts, on the feast part of “feast & famine”:
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/pitchfest-time/#comment-214953
2nd prize:
Lucy Damasceno, on using hourly rates:
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/pitchfest-time/#comment-215178
3rd prize:
Krista Tedder, on busy vs productive:
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/pitchfest-time/#comment-215136
(Krista, please take on board Lauren’s feedback before you draft!)
Other people whose pitches we feel are ready to draft:
(If your name’s on this list, we encourage you to either pitch your idea to one of the sites in The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs, or write a full draft and submit it to lauren@beafreelanceblogger.com for publication as a traditional, unpaid guest post on Be a Freelance Blogger.)
* Maya Middlemiss, on productive flow
* Svetlana, on identifying ideal clients
* Emma, on using Trello
* Pamela Berry, on working with a newborn baby
Congratulations and well done to everyone who entered!
Fantastic, I am soooo happy! I will start working on my draft straight away! Thank you very much!
I wondered why I couldn’t see the winners announcement. Then I realised my comment was “awaiting moderation”… D’oh!