Deb just posted some excellent summer options for work-at-home parents and they’re handy but I have a few more suggestions along with some helpful tips. Summer, for me is a little like 3 months worth of chaos. Not only does my son’s free school shut down, but my partner’s kiddos are at the house more. Three kids + FT paid blogging + FT self-run projects = insanity on my part. It’s like a much longer winter break; ugh. First read managing work in a chaotic household for some general help then keep reading below for some summer specific tips. Summer [Read more…]
How to score blogging gigs in one easy step
March 19, 2010. 2 Comments
APPLY FOR BLOGGING GIGS! That’s it. I know, it’s simple and sounds too good to be true, but when you get right down to it, applying for gigs is the number one best way to get gigs. I only bring this up because I see folks all the time at forums, in writers chats, and on Twitter who note they’re looking for work over and over. I get email questions like, “How do I get work as a blogger?” Not to sound over simplistic, but honestly you might want to try applying for gigs. Heck apply for MANY gigs. In [Read more…]
Try not to suck as much as Chris Garrett
March 18, 2010. 1 Comment
Actually I don’t think Chris Garrett sucks. In fact, I was just telling Deb today that while I browse other blogs about blogging daily, his is the one I usually stop at and read. That said, Chris has an excellent post up – Why I Sucked at SXSW So You Don’t Have to (ha). Now, maybe he did suck there, or maybe not (I’m guessing not) but this is an excellent post to read if you ever attend writing events or conferences; plus you can see a cute picture of Deb in said post Also I was struck by how [Read more…]
Are Blogging Jobs Over?
March 11, 2010. 5 Comments
I wouldn’t say blogging jobs are over exactly. I mean, that would be dumb considering I blog for a living. Many of my friends blog for a living. Deb posts blogging gigs daily over in writing leads. So no, blogging jobs aren’t over. I do however think that how you use your blogging skills to make money is changing big time. You can’t just be a blogger anymore and expect to make a living. “Just a blogger” is not meant to be disrespectful either, all I mean is when you’re just blogging for clients you’re writing posts, getting paid, and [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…]
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…]
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…]
What it means to make a living as a blogger
December 8, 2009. 5 Comments
Here at Blogging For A Living we of course talk about blogging for a living. Both as a blogger for someone else and as a blogger for yourself. Since we talk about this stuff all the time I figured it’d be good to define what we’re discussing – i.e. the distinction between blogging for yourself vs. blogging for others. Also important is what I mean when I say, “Make a living as a blogger.” That said, I thought I’d take a moment to break it all down. What it means to make a living as a blogger: To me, making [Read more…]
Blogging & Web Writing Gigs for July 1, 2009
July 1, 2009. 7 Comments
Welcome to July. Hopefully you can kick off the month with a fab new gig… Since there’s so many jobs today, no job tip other than get out there and apply, but I do have a good laugh for you today… Ex N. Idaho Drug Kingpin Needs Writer – Nice! This guy “should be dead a hundred times over” sounds like someone you want to hang with no? I’m so there I love fake ads; such a good use of my time. Anywhere gigs: International Video Journalist Female Writers Needed Care 2 blogger – NOTE: I’ve heard iffy things about [Read more…]
Avoiding the temptation of easy to score but low paying gigs
June 29, 2009. 4 Comments
Yesterday we looked at how to quit accepting low paying gigs and how to make a living wage as a writer. But what if you really can’t find a gig? Should you take a low paying job because it’s better than nothing? As noted in the last post, a while ago I needed to pick up a couple new gigs. I applied for tons and didn’t hear back from any of them for a good long while. Frustration kicks in and those low paying gigs start to look better than nothing. Trust me, I do get the appeal of the [Read more…]
Make living wages as a freelance writer – how to quit writing for low wages
June 28, 2009. 14 Comments
Deb’s fabulous post last week, WAHMs: Make Sure the End Justifies the Means, was, as Deb noted, based on a thread or two from WAHM.com’s WAHMs Who Write board. Being a WAHM myself, I’ve been to the boards in the past but quit visiting a long time ago. I just got tired of some folks being so excited by monthly wages that wouldn’t even cover my monthly grocery bills. It’s too frustrating to read. There are ups and downs big time in freelance writing, but one thing is always true, you never have to work for wages like the ones [Read more…]
Blogging & Online Writing Gigs for June 7, 2009
June 7, 2009. 3 Comments
Oddly there are a semi-decent amount of jobs this weekend. No time for a job tip today though so how about you read up on how to take your blog to the next level with video. Anywhere gigs: Flyhub is looking for a Blogger for its travel related site – might be too much work for too little pay unless you’re quick with social networking. Writter for Blog (Assisted Living) – (Phoenix, Arizona) Freelance Blogger Wanted Experienced Freelance Writers for Web Publishing Company Online Freelance Writer – Conjecture Corporation Location specific gigs: CONTENT WRITER WANTED – (Atlanta) Web Writer Needed [Read more…]
Blogging & Online Writing Gigs for June 3, 2009
June 4, 2009. 7 Comments
Some late in the day job postings for you all. No time for a job tip today, but you might want to read today’s earlier post, Have you updated your blog lately. Anywhere gigs: Expat Online editor/copy writer – Aim Publishing Social media start-up seeks part-time freelance copyeditor Writing Gig with Blerp.com Low pay alert & poorly written ad alert (but it says more pay might be available – I’d check to see if that’s true to make it worth it.) – Online dating advice articles Writer Needed For Blogs and Monthly Newsletters Hawaii Business Blogger Local specific gigs: Web [Read more…]
Have you updated your blog lately?
June 3, 2009. 6 Comments
www.toothpastefordinner.com In the last few months I’ve been neglecting my own projects in exchange for client projects. Not smart. I mean I have excuses; job cuts in the writers market, fewer jobs around, and just because I’ve been busy in general, but if you’ve got some personal projects going it’s not wise to ignore them. Why not? If you pay for hosting for your own blogs, that’s money down the drain if you’re not making money with your blogs. While some of my blogs make a little money just sitting around, they could make a lot more if I actually [Read more…]
Blogging & Online Writing Gigs for June 2, 2009
June 2, 2009. 7 Comments
Not too many gigs today, but I’m a little short on time. Here’s how my first of June kicked off – my Internet provider had service outages most of the day. Swell! Yeah, it’s only the 2nd, and I’m behind for the month – lame. Which brings me to my job tip o’ the day… Have a back-up plan: Posting ahead is always valuable, but so is having one, a back-up place you can work if say, your Internet is out for more than a day, and two have phone numbers of important people, like editors or a blogger pal [Read more…]
Online resume mistakes you may be making
May 31, 2009. 14 Comments
Applying for online writing gigs is a writing talent all on its own. If you make a mistake you’re not kicking off this whole, “I can write for a living” deal very well. Because you’ll be sending your resume / work bio by email, you need to adjust it for the web. Following are some mistakes not to make when applying for an online writing gig – be it a blog or other website. Mistakes when applying: You cut and paste from Word or another doc. application: This can result in some funky formatting and make your email look unprofessional. [Read more…]
