I used to run a heaping handful of blog contests at my client’s blogs. Contests and giveaways can be fun, improve traffic stats, connect you nicely with companies and draw in and encourage new readers, but I’ve come to realize that contests and giveaways are not worth it at every blog you write for. When it’s not worth it: If they take too much time. Hosting a decent two week giveaway at a blog requires extra time. For example, you’ll have more comments to moderate, PR reps (or the company) hosting the giveaway to deal with, and time spent making [Read more…]
BlogHer Looking for Green Team Bloggers!
March 3, 2010. 2 Comments
I don’t post gigs much here anymore – honestly, I’m not sure how useful it was, what with Deb posting them at the main Writing Leads page. However, I adore green so here you go… The BlogHer Green Team is back this year and they’ve opened up a handful of new positions for BlogHer ’10. Here’s what they’re looking for in a committee member: Passion: You do not have to be a “green blogger,” but should be passionate and knowledgeable about green issues Practical Ideas: Can you tell us not just what isn’t green, but also help us find our [Read more…]
Average Pay for Blog Posts
February 23, 2010. 7 Comments
Here’s a recent email question from a Blogging For A Living reader… I’m currently blogging for free for a startup business. I’ve been writing for about 6 months for this site. I think now I should at least get something for each article posting, having proven myself a valuable commodity to bring in regular traffic. What is the average fee for writing one blog article? Is $25 – $50 reasonable? Thank you for your help. I’ll break it into parts. 1) Six months, in my opinion, is far too long to write for the same client for free. Technically I’m [Read more…]
How to keep your cool – getting over freelance blogger slumps
February 19, 2010. 6 Comments
First up, a little disclaimer… To be honest, I hadn’t planned on posting about the b5media issues. I’ve worked for b5media for a long time and at this second still do. However, I’m involved because I’m knee deep in emails and Skypes and now I’ve even got a direct comment at b5media asking me if I’ve been fired, so I suppose I’ll comment here. If you’re a blogger, I’m sure you’ve by now heard about the b5media shenanigans. But just in case you’ve been living in a cave… Yesterday with zero notice b5media fired all of the bloggers who had [Read more…]
Make Money Fast – Start Your Own Blog (ha ha ha!)
February 16, 2010. 5 Comments
Ok, I’m diverting from my usual topic here at Blogging For A Living; making money blogging for others, because I saw a blog post recently at Coupon Sherpa titled Quick Cash: 24 Ways to Make Money While Unemployed and part of it irked me, hence the diversion. The post isn’t terrible. In fact there are many gigs listed that could theoretically make you some quick cash but the blogger also notes on number 15, “Monetize Your Web Site or Blog. You’re already spending a ton of time on your blog or Web site. Why not earn some money from all [Read more…]
How long is too long – when to give up freelance writing
February 15, 2010. 16 Comments
Only you know when you’ve tried freelance writing or blogging long enough and when it’s smart to throw in the towel. It’ll vary for people. There is a difference between an impossible situation and an iffy situation though. For example, there are almost always feast or famine periods when you’re a freelance blogger or writer. The key is knowing if you’re experiencing a typical famine or a never ending drought. Have you had well paying blogging or writing gigs in the past? Yes? You can get jobs again. Try applying more often and apply for gigs that relate to gigs [Read more…]
When to throw in the blogging towel
February 13, 2010. 3 Comments
I don’t advocate quitting anything if you truly love it and feel you can make a good go at it but I also believe that some people just aren’t cut out to be freelance bloggers. If you’ve been trying for a long time to get blogging jobs and nothing is working you may think, “I have rotten luck” but it’s far more likely that you’re doing something wrong or you just don’t have the stomach to blog for a living. Signs you should quit trying to blog for a living… You hate blogging. I’m guessing all bloggers get tired of [Read more…]
Score that blogging gig – when to apply
February 12, 2010. 5 Comments
I just read a post over at Blog Herald about scoring blogging gigs. The author, Andrew, made an important point – the last time he placed a blog job ad he got over 800 queries. That’s not rare either. Most blog editors I know note that it’s not uncommon to get 100+ queries per position. The point – you’ve got some competition. If you want a gig, you have to be better than the other guys and more importantly stand out. Part of what makes you stand out is timing; as in when you should apply. Should you check out [Read more…]
Blogging may keep your brain young!
February 1, 2010. 2 Comments
So probloggers may not get employer paid health insurance but we may get other perks like boosted brain power! According to a study released last year from the University of California, browsing the Internet stimulates neural activation patterns in your brain and may even potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults. The study consisted of folks undergoing MRI scans while performing web searches and said MRI scans showed an improved efficiency in cognitive processing plus the folks studied were able to encode information better. The research showed cognitive improvements even if Internet searches were only performed for a [Read more…]
Eight easy tips for writing better blog posts
January 28, 2010. 9 Comments
It’s easy for bloggers to get caught up in community, traffic, word count, social networking, keywords and oh my gosh, the Twitter scene. You may get so caught up in the business of blogging that you might be lacking focus on the actual writing part of blogging. I’m not free and clear either. I don’t always focus on content as much as I should, but it doesn’t make it right. There’s a lot of mucky and boring posts on the web, why contribute to that? This week; heck this year, why not focus on the writing part of blogging. Following [Read more…]
Ideas for Your Blogger Business Card
January 21, 2010. 7 Comments
The other day we looked at some benefits of having a blogger business card if you’re a problogger. Today we’ll look at what to put on your card and tips for design choices. What should you put on your blogger business card? Honestly, it depends on who you ask. Personally I think a business card should offer some sort of useful information about you and your business, but often I see cards that are more design savvy than informative; i.e. more for looks and brand recognition then for info. Not to play favorites, but Deb has an excellent business card [Read more…]
Your Blogging Business Card
January 19, 2010. 5 Comments
To be honest while I do have business cards, I don’t hand out too many per year. Still, I think it’s worthwhile to have a set of business cards that you carry around with you because there are some perks… Writing related events and conferences: If you attend blogging or writing related events of any sort a business card comes in handy to give out to potential clients and your peers. Local topical events: At the last green expo I attended I was shocked at the sheer amount of green businesses in attendance without business cards. Yeah, business cards may [Read more…]
Need hundreds of blog post ideas?
January 10, 2010. 4 Comments
If you’re a problogger for clients, odds are you do need hundreds of blog post ideas. Because typically one blog won’t provide a livable income, you’re likely writing for many clients, which means multiple blogs and multiple topics, which in turn means you really need to churn out those blog post ideas. Example, I write, on average a minimum of 14-20 posts a day for clients (not counting all the forum topics I need to come up with for my community management gig) – that’s a minimum of 100 topics and issues I need to come up with each week. [Read more…]
Blogging rules you should follow and rules you can break
January 9, 2010. 3 Comments
Even when you’ve heard the same tried and true rules absolutely everywhere, it doesn’t mean those rules will work for you. Some blogging rules were made to be followed and some well, not so much. ALWAYS FOLLOW THESE RULES… Avoid flowery, long-winded, mucky, metaphor-filled writing. I’m not saying you shouldn’t or can’t write long posts, but long or short, posts full of fancy Nancy style writing or purple overload are so freaking annoying. Readers (read me) aren’t interested in wading through paragraph after paragraph just to locate the point. In college the best web writing advice I ever got was [Read more…]
Is your blog job sucking the fun out of blogging?
January 4, 2010. 2 Comments
I’ve been blogging professionally (i.e. making money at this blogging deal) for a long while now. However, before I blogged for pay I blogged for me. For fun. For the sheer need of saying what was on my mind. I had a blog with zero ads so comments and freedom of speech were my big rewards, not cold hard cash. There’s a big difference between blogging for yourself and blogging because it’s your job, but it doesn’t mean the two paths can’t connect. For example, when you blog for clients, for cash, there are some issues that can super suck [Read more…]
It's freelance tax time – are you ready?
January 2, 2010. 7 Comments
Ah tax season. Taxes can be confusing even under the best of circumstances, and who has those? Add in divorce, child tax credits, college loan interest, home credits and so on and even the most prepared start to get a little loopy. Case in point, I’m pretty sure I reworked my taxes at least five times last year, which wasn’t entirely my fault (see below). In any case prepared or not tax season is here. Following are some tips… Do bloggers even pay taxes? Yes if you earned an income that’s over $600 $400 (see comments – my bad) from [Read more…]
Managing work in a chaotic household
December 29, 2009. 4 Comments
The other day in my job sucks more than yours we looked at some of the perils of working at home. From distracting kids, to friends and family who believe you’re sitting around eating bon bons all day, to finding a coffee shop with non-sticky tables and more, working at home can be a nightmare at times. Here’s how to make it better… Have a dedicated office space with a door you can shut: If you can’t have this now, or don’t foresee having this in the very near future, working at home honestly may not work out unless you [Read more…]
Happy Christmas Day!
December 25, 2009. 3 Comments
My job sucks more than your job – no really
December 22, 2009. 12 Comments
In the game of “My job sucks more than yours” I NEVER win. Because my job doesn’t suck. Not a lot, not a little, not even a smidgen. At least not according to anyone I’ve ever met. That’s because I’ve managed to do what a lot of people want to do but can’t – I work at home (writing no less – ah glorious writing) and actually make a living at it. However, right now know where I am? I’m outside, on the porch, in 30 degree weather typing away as my fingers turn an ever so pretty shade of [Read more…]
Writing Product Reviews for Readers Not Yourself
December 20, 2009. 7 Comments
If you’re currently a blogger, you’ve likely heard about the FTC blogger guidelines that kicked into action this month. If you haven’t heard about them (which would surprise me) it’s basically that you need to disclose free swag you get when you post about it on your blog or in other social media settings. Am I worried about the FTC rules for bloggers? In short, no. I personally don’t think the rules are fair but they’re not a big concern of mine. While the FTC guidelines have kicked off some major online protests and I know some bloggers are worried, [Read more…]
Are blog comments working for you or against you?
No matter if you run your own blog or write a blog for a client, your blog comments at other blogs are a good way to network. I myself will click on the name of someone who leaves a good comment and have found some of my favorite reads this way. That said, your comments can also work against you; it all depends on how you play it. What kind of comments may entice people to click your link… Comments that contain personality. I usually click on comment links if the comment makes me laugh because I assume that person’s [Read more…]