The winter holidays are a famously quiet time for most freelance writing businesses. Is yours the same?
It’s no surprise. Everybody’s busy shopping for gifts, planning their family time, and figuring out their taxes — so clients tend to delay hiring a new freelance blogger until the new year.
And the blogosphere is usually pretty quiet, too.
Not here. 🙂
For the next 28 days, my fantastic guest bloggers and I will keep a fire burning for you with daily posts and more than $2000 worth of prizes to give away. Your first chance to win is just a bit further down this post!
To make sure you don’t miss the other prizes up for grabs every day from now to mid-January, sign up to get an email when each day’s prize contest opens.
Holiday Survival
Before we get to today’s prize, let’s talk about the secret to getting shit done even when you’re stuffed with holiday food and can barely lift the TV remote.
It’s all about physics, no matter whether you’re a sedentary human or a shooting star.
- Inertia is the force that works to keep you where you are, even when external forces nudge you to move.
- Momentum is how fast you’re moving and how much “weight” you’ve got behind the movement.
To overcome inertia, find a way to move. Any move will do, because once you’re moving you can always adjust your course. What’s important is that you do something —anything!— to break inertia’s spell. Even the smallest movement counts.
Pro tip: it’s easier to get started if you can piggyback on the momentum of something seemingly unavoidable. Like maybe you couldn’t beat your inertia to get up off that armchair before, but now you have to pee — inertia doesn’t stand a chance because your bladder is a master in the art of persuasion.
If you can’t find something unavoidable to get you moving, find something highly desirable to act as your incentive. Prizes, cash, chocolate, a day off… there’s something you want enough to make you move.
I hope this season of prize contests will prompt you to break free of your inertia and get used to acting on the things you want from life. Even very small actions in the right direction will start to build your momentum, making the bigger things easier to achieve.
Here’s the First Contest!
Today’s prize is a place on my newest training course, Get Started for Freelance Blogging Success. It’s ideal for beginners in freelance blogging, and it walks you through small steps that build visible results in only 28 days.
I’ll choose the winner at midnight (Pacific time) on 21st December, but you can delay starting the course until the new year if you like. 😉
For your chance to win, leave a comment and tell me: what do you wish you’d known when you first started freelance blogging? Or, if you’re just getting started, what do you wish you knew right now?
Sorry, this contest is closed.
I wish I had known that taking low-paying work because you don’t have any other work lined up just saps your strength and your energy and makes it so you never have time to look for something better. You have to work so many hours just to pay the bills that you are too exhausted to do any marketing while you’re caught in the content mill trap.
I’ve been blogging for a long time, but only for myself. Finding gigs is easy. There are so many lists of resources, that anyone can find gigs. But how to get them? How to present myself as someone who hasn’t done freelance blogging for others? That’s what I want to know!
I wish I knew it was so much simpler than I thought it would be. I love it so much!
I wish I’d known that it was a waste of my time to write for content mills at $5 or $10 an article. It just wasn’t worth it in any way. I don’t even want to use them as clips. But at least I realized it pretty quickly 🙂
BTW, I recently discovered your site and am really enjoying it! Thanks for creating such an excellent resource, Sophie 🙂
I’m just getting started. My wish is to know what tasks/activities to prioritize in the beginning. As in, do this, then do that.
This should get you started, Kate:
1. Add more samples to your writer website. I didn’t look long, but I only saw one.
2. Contact businesses with blogs that appear to be abandoned and ask if they need a freelance writer to help keep them updated. Include ideas for a few blog posts and give them a link to the samples on your website.
3. Repeat #2 as often as needed.
Great tips!
I’m actually struggling with the same thing. I already have a blog, but it’s travel related and I want my freelance writing to be broader than that, so I’m wondering on when to launch my writing focused site – which will drain time from further building up my portfolio through my other site.
Sounds like you’ve already nailed this process, Bethanny! 🙂 Great summary.
I wish I would have known how little content you actually “need” in order to have a portfolio to show clients. A couple good pieces is really it. The writing of the proposal is just as important.
-Stu
Good one, Stu!
Easy. I wish that I knew there is no super-secret cabal that determines when you’re “ready” to be a freelance blogger. There’s this perception that blogging success is determined by “who you know” and the popular bloggers are the gatekeepers and you have to “work your way up” by “paying your dues”. The actual biggest stumbling block for most new freelancers is between their ears. So, I guess what I wish someone would have told me when I was starting out is that you’re ready when *you* think you are.
Where’s the ‘Like button’ when you need it? (No, I don’t spend much time on Facebook)! Good stuff Anthony! 🙂
What I know now is feeling the passion for something I only daydreamed about, the not knowing I always had the motivation and innovative ideas for writing and time management..
How to get paid for freelance blogging, most everyone only offers unpaid guest blogging opps or byline only…
I’ve only just started a blog and it’s such fun I wish I’d started long ago. As for the future, I’d love to know how to find the time to ‘pitch’ into earning money through blogging!
I wish I knew how to negotiate a contract and discuss rates with confidence. I also totally agree with Bethanny above, low pay leads to burn out.
Oooh wanna know that one too!
I wish I’ve known that charging lower don’t make the client want to work with me, it makes my value lower. I lost a lot of clients because of this mistake.
I wish I had known that it was possible for me to live the life of my dreams.
I wish I had a friend like Sophie Lizard 🙂 she would have guided me on how to launch my blogging career. I also wish I had a focus and didn’t drown online with information overload.
I’m just getting started and it would be helpful to know how to better prioritize tasks
I’m actually just leaving a comment because I love this idea that you’re giving things away when most bloggers are doing nothing.
But if you MUST know, I wish I’d known how to pick a blog topic right off the bat. It would’ve helped me establish myself as a legit blogger faster.
I like this one! How do you choose topics? I have lots of ideas and can’t narrow them down to choose a few to focus on.
From your list of favourite ideas, choose the topic with the most passionate audience. Because no matter how much you love your topic, you can’t grow your audience if only 5 other people in the world care about it as much as you do!
I wish I’d known that job sites like Odesk and Elance were the bottom of the pile, and that I could’ve been doing much better. All those months wasting my time browsing $5 jobs could’ve been spent on REAL blog clients!
I wish I’d known that bidding sites like Elance are NOT the way to go to get gigs where clients actually value your skills, instead of how much money you charge.
I wish I had known that I needed to be more careful when taking certain assignments. I was writing for a website and they published several of my posts and did not pay a lot. I regarded it as a great opportunity to build my online writing career. I am grateful for the experience but disappointed that now several of my articles are being published and suddenly my byline is no longer attached. My queries have fallen on deaf ears.
That’s disappointing, but as long as you haven’t signed any kind of non-disclosure agreement you can still use those clips in your portfolio. I’ve used ghostwritten and unbylined clips in mine for years, alongside my bylined work!
Thanks a lot for this information. I had no idea that this could be done.
Hi Sophie!
There are some awesome comments on here with all kinds of little lessons all wrapped into one place! So cool how your writing truly motivates.
I’d say that the biggest thing I wish I knew getting into this is that my BIGGEST obstacle…truly…is ‘lil’ ole me. It took me months to figure out that nobody is stopping me from progressing but ME. And now that I know that, I still try and get in my own way. But each day, thanks to a handful of truly genuine, humble writers like you, I’m learning to really trust and believe in myself. The more I believe and trust me, the more other people do too. But it all starts and ends with ‘lil’ ole me. : )
I wish I’d known that starting anywhere is better than not starting at all.
Wise words! I think that’s one of the most common things holding freelance bloggers back. 🙂
Just getting started and I wish I knew how to get people to my site.
I’ve been blogging on my own blog for over a year now and I still get the same traffic numbers as a year ago.
I’m doing SEO, guest posting, social media, engaging on other blogs, publishing ‘Google searchable articles’… and still nothing.
Oh and yes, I do think there is some good content on my site (to get the ‘but your content has to be GOOD’ argument out of the way:-))
More posts like this one: http://wonderfulwanderings.com/travel/
Content has to draw the reader in *and* wake them up to get traction. Beer reviews are useful, but asking your audience to think about themselves is a hands-down winner.
Thanks Sophie:)
I’ve got a couple of posts like that in the pipeline.
The thing is that I’ve also still got some posts to write about trips I was invited to.
(Partially) comped trips are a great thing in travel blogging, but they bring a lot of work with them.
I think I might need to think of a system to fit the ‘thinking’ posts in.
PS and thanks for taking the time to look at my site!
Managing interruptions and demands by others is a major issue in my life. Sometimes it helps to work after everyone else is asleep, but then I’m worthless for three days.
Since I haven’t started yet and quite frankly am terrified and at a complete loss at what step to take next; perfectionism with this wierd obsession of making the(!) right decision (as if there only were one) about what to do next, as well as how to execute it in the most splendid and awesome way makes me more or less like a toddler needing guidance and a how-to plan.
So all in all- how and where to start when you’re a complete beginner with no previous clips.
Thanks a bunch for your tips and all your articles and advice!
I wish I had known that a blog was supposed to have a purpose. Since I haven’t figured out mine yet, I’ve come to a screeching halt.
I wish I’d put some thought into how long I could sustain a blog on a certain topic – I ran out of steam and interest, and am only just getting ready to start again! 😀
I wish I’d known that I was cut out as a writer, so I wouldn’t have wasted so much time finding a career that suits me. All the while my freelance writing career is just there waiting for me to take the plunge.
Gosh, I wish I knew the effects of social media on communication! Word of mouth is a powerful tool. I have 1,000+ monthly views. It’s not fantastic, but I’m definitely working on it.
The whole business of blogging is still an enigma to me! Right from choosing an interesting topic to blog about, to finding serious readers, and making a reasonably decent income out of it….! Even if you end up doing the right things the right way, ‘hitting pay dirt’ could still be elusive. To the successful blogger, this may sound incomprehensible, but that is the reality!
As I’m about to start a new blog what I’d like to know is how to understand SEO. I keep hearing about it and how it’s constantly changing. Don’t get me wrong; I get the concept but how do I settle on a strategy (besides writing the best posts I can) to utilize it properly?
Writing the best posts you can *is* the best SEO strategy. Let Google worry about how search engines find the best content. All you need to do is create it. 😀
I would love a clear concise do’s and don’ts list to start out of the gate with momentum. That would be super helpful.
Then you’ll definitely like this training! It’s all about making each day a step forward in your blogging career. I’ve got checklists. 😉
I wish I had known that I can earn a full income writing and that there isn’t a precise way of doing things when freelancing!
You matter. Your words matter. People will care. You’ll never know how much if you don’t blog.
Hi, Sophie – The concept of freelance blogging is new to me so there is A LOT I don’t know. I wish I knew exactly what to do to create the momentum you’re talking about without wasting my time by taking wrong turns. I realize though that some “wrong turns” may be inevitable and I just need to start. I enjoyed this post!
Ha! Simple answer: I wish I knew what you know!
First of all…Sophie you are amazing and a true inspiration. I have been following you for quite a while and you always capture my awe. Also your resource guide is “foh Shore” going to help me to start 2014 with a bang, a money bang that is:-)
I would love to know how to quiet my mind, I have so many ideas for my blogs: multiple characters, only illustrations no photo’s etc. However I am overwhelmed. Where do I start and what does really matter? I would love to learn from you.
Keep on being Soph-ee-lizardous!
Hugs
PS: my site will be back up in a week, said–muffled cry voice from under a pillow—
I feel like I am just starting, so this is a tough question. I’d like to know how to convince an employer that I am worth taking a chance on.
You have to choose the right people to approach. And remember they’re not an employer –they’re a client, and there’s a difference. 🙂
I am still working hard on getting traffic to my blog and would love tips about that.
I blog in the animal/pets niche and have two sites going in that field. I love to write, but spend way too much time trying to understand the ins and outs of the internet, social media, and keeping up with comments. I do less writing than I like, and spend more time at what I call “playing the game”. I am having less fun. I know I need to build confidence and get started with freelance blogging instead of just reading about it or book marking all the great information out there.
I wish I knew more about guest blogging and the opportunities that provides when first starting out.
Yep, it really is one of the easiest ways to get some evidence behind your claim to freelance blogger-hood!
I wish I had kept up with my first blog. I had a decent following but gave it up. I didn’t realize how important it was to have a blog to establish myself as a serious blogger.
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for this fantabulous contest and all the best to everyone who takes part.
Here’s my entry:
Before starting my blog two years ago,
I wish I knew what I now know:
I wish I’d clearly identified my ideal reader;
And pin-pointed how I was going to help her;
I wish I’d created a roadmap to my final destination;
and marked my path with a checklist of daily actions;
But above everything else—
I wish I’d sought the advice of a wise and generous mentor.
(:-)
I have several blogs on hiatus because I lose the fire after several posts. I often wonder if I could just write without worrying about niche and still enjoying the writing itself. Sometimes I wandered on those successful blog (such as yours) only to be saddened by the fact that I could not seemed to catch what make your blog (or any other writing gurus’) great and mine just so-so. Really, if I could pinpoint it just before I bought domain name and hosting and set up blog only to faint after several post then I will not be so confused as to what actually deflating my writing balloon right now and march on to vanquish it.
I wish I’d known the importance of firing your lowest paying customer so you’d have time to go after higher paying markets.
Amen!
What I wish I had known – that I really CAN write! I still have some surprisingly robust fears I am working through (as a still-transitioning mills-to-non-mills freelancer) but those fears relate nearly entirely to the “how to” mechanics of building a freelancing business (probably the kind of things your course will talk about!) Thanks Sophie – in the crush of online resources, I come back to BAFB daily because you are honest, real, and authentic and it shines through. Happiest holidays! 🙂 Shannon
I wish I knew how to pick a topic for my own blog that is focused, and yet broad enough to be sustainable (and enjoyable for me) long-term.
I’m just getting started! I feel like I have a lot of great resources and I’ve done plenty of research. It’s time to move forward to landing actual clients. This post was especially relevant to me because I’m prone to laziness. I realized today that its been over a month since I started this journey and I have very little to show for it.
I wish I knew a way to keep myself accountable for my own progress.
I wish I knew how to pick a niche, which seems easier for generalized writing than choosing specific types of businesses to work with, although I still haven’t completely hashed out either. That and how to charge.
Check out this guest post by Lind Formichelli: Not Sure What to Write About? Here’s How to Discover Your Most Lucrative Niche. 🙂
Thanks, Sophie.
This is very helpful.
I wish I’d known about beafreelanceblogger.com and the ultimate list of better-paid blogging gigs. My very first freelance blogging gig paid $10!
Wow, so many excellent comments! BAFB readers are the best. 😉
We’re choosing the winner in about 12 hours, so if you haven’t entered yet, leave your comment here…
And the winner is… Frida Mehtälä!
Congratulations, Frida. I’m emailing you now. 🙂
For everybody else who entered, here’s a special bonus: If you decide to sign up for the Get Started for Freelance Blogging Success training, email me a quick reminder that you entered this contest and I’ll send you a mystery runner-up prize!
I think, following are the areas (not exactly in particular order) in which every newbie is wondering and couldn’t get direction without mentor like Sophie Lizard.
1. How to start Blogging (even without investment – e.g many free platforms are available for blogging like WordPress and others)?
2. What to write (terms Content and Writing are general terms, specific domains/subjects/topics need to decide prior start blogging and then require to maintain consistency).
3. Publishing Platform – your own blog, community forums or any social media – which gives highest readers, comments, likes, shares and reputations ?
4. How to monetize your published content ?
5. How to divert more traffic towards written content ?
6. How to get first client and eventually repetitive work from the same ?
7. Which are the locations to get more and more clients which can give decent Dollars as ‘returns’.
8. How to increase more ‘Dollar per Hour’ with each new content / client ?
9. How to balance between Quality, Quantity and Currency when you have so many stuffs to write in a limited time span OR to choose some assignments among all ?
10. How to create Authority like Sophie Lizard ?
Hope, these are the questions close to the readers of this blog once upon a time in career whether they are emerging or established freelance writers.
Please share your opinions, experiences and observations to help community and the hence the ‘content’.