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samedi 12 novembre 2016

From Blogger to Freelance Writer

alt="From Blogger to Freelance Writer" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/typewriter-500x327_c.jpg" />

It wasn’t until many years into writing Mom-Blog that I realized I could start a writing career, my long time dream, by bootstrapping off of my years of blogging. Here is how and what I did to get to where I am now.

Step 1: Don’t Just Blog, Write With Heart – and Edit With Your Brain

My early days of blogging were filled with passion, authenticity and truths – some on a level I wouldn’t share now. Because I started with that intensity, I built up a trusted audience. Making the transition, however, to professional writing while using your blog as your primary resume means you need to pay attention to detail. Don’t just write well, edit extensively, even if that means going back and correcting spelling errors, poor grammar, and lapses in judgment. You should also remove anything that will turn potential employers of: delete profanity, whining, political diatribes to keep your blog above board for prospective clients.

Step 2: Start Writing Off-Site

id="attachment_7309" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">href="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PSContributer.jpg">class="size-full wp-image-7309 " alt="Parent Society" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PSContributer.jpg" width="300" height="46" />class="wp-caption-text">A good place to start.

The best way to build up your reputation is to start writing on other blogs and publications, even if it’s for free or little pay. Help out friends who have bigger blogs with a larger reach, if you have no experience. Pitch bigger outlets that cater to your niche. In addition, there are always networks that accept blog posts from people, such as href="http://blogher.com/">BlogHer, or you can write on a revenue share or paying site, such as href="http://www.examiner.com/">Examiner.com or href="http://create.demandstudios.com/">Demand Studios if you get accepted. This is a great gig to build up some credentials and start earning pay. A few years ago, I blogged for href="http://www.parentsociety.com/">Parent Society, which helped me position myself as a professional.

Need more resources? Here is a list of href="http://bit.ly/175Cer8" target="_blank">101 Blogs to Guest Post.

Step 3: Prepare Your Background

id="attachment_7308" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright">class="size-full wp-image-7308" alt="reach" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ReachOnResume.jpg" width="300" height="149" />class="wp-caption-text">My reach listed at the bottom of my regular resume.

Now it’s time to write your resume. At this point, anything you have in your history that contributes to your skill as a writer or marketer will come in handy. People will also want to know your skill at persuasion, so be sure to add analytics and metrics. What’s on my resume? I include my social media metrics, my background in web design and advertising, my experience in speaking and teaching and my sponsorships – and I update it regularly .

Next, you’ll need at least 3 writing samples. I suggest you set up two of those in areas you want to write about and one generic article for fields outside your interest. Once you start applying for jobs, you will probably need to tweak those articles, depending on what the ad is looking for. I have a larger stable of samples than three; some have a professional voice, some are more casual. When I land a position, I take the article sample I submitted and use that as a framework for future submissions.

id="attachment_7307" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright">href="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SkillsonResume.gif">class="size-full wp-image-7307" alt="skills" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SkillsonResume.gif" width="300" height="137" />class="wp-caption-text">Any skills from your past that might be relevant, add them to your resume. A background in video is appropriate.

Finally, you’ll need a cover letter. Just like for a traditional job, a good cover letter should not only showcase your skills but how you and your particular expertise and voice can help the client. Remember to research the company and their blog to focus the letter around them and use proper article samples. When I get a bite off a cover letter, I reformat it for other jobs which has paid off in getting more responses.

Step 4: Apply for Jobs

My favorite places to apply for jobs are href="http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/?nav=mmj">MediaBistro.com, href="http://jobs.problogger.net/">ProBlogger Job Board, href="http://freelancewritinggigs.com/">Freelance Writing Gigs and my local Craigslist. Remember that as a blogger, you can write on any topic. Just because a topic is out of your field of interest or niche, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. I know very little about cars, however, I spent the summer delivering over 20 articles on Corvettes and trucks for a client – and she was wildly pleased with my work. However, if an ad said, “car enthusiast,” while I have experience, I would not apply. The key is providing quality research and content curation for those articles.

If you are a product reviewer or brand ambassador, you can also step outside the comfort zone of ghost blogging or running your own column by writing product descriptions or writing for social media. I worked on two product review projects this year, an entirely new field of writing for me. If you have experience with successful search engine optimization, you can also apply to jobs writing web pages. It’s important to review all your skills to see how they fit a writing opportunity.

Step 5: Network, Network, Network!

Some of the best jobs I’ve gotten have been from networking, both with friends and strangers. That means you need to spread the word on your networks that you are now blogging professionally. If you have a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn profile, make sure it reflects your writing endeavors. If you don’t, I highly recommend you sign up and create one and connect with the people you know. LinkedIn has provided me job offers from both former colleagues and strangers who’ve read my profile.

Tell your friends and family in parallel fields – such as marketing or web design – that you are now writing professionally. I have gotten jobs from friends and former colleagues who were in a bind and that helped build my reputation. As I mentioned last week, href="/uncategorized/how-to-attract-direct-advertisers-to-your-blog">partnering with a core group of bloggers can also help land you paid writing gigs.

In addition, start attending conferences and professional events. Because of my participation in conferences, I now have blogged for CVS, MassMutual and Maty’s Health Products. Make sure that the brands you approach complement your vision and voice and have a plan on what to offer them. Many brands are looking for reviewers, so be sure to let them know that reviews, articles and giveaways are paid products and not free. Or, you can start a relationship with a great review and then upsell them additional services such as blog writing or social media promotions.

Step 6: Wow Them With Your Professionalism

Whether it’s a free writing gig to get your name out on the web, a low paying or revenue share project, or a high profile, well paid writing project, it’s up to you to take your work seriously. The minute someone engages you to write, you are no longer a hobbyist but a professional writer – act like one! Edit judiciously and use proper grammar, terminology and a good thesaurus. Respect attribution requirements in photos and links. Read the content policies of any site you are quoting or linking. Meet your deadlines early and warn your client far in advance if missing them is unavoidable. href="/blog/web-hosting-guides/the-dangers-of-free-web-hosting">Have a self-hosted blog or website.

If you want to build a serious career, you should go above and beyond these basics. Always promise your client the minimum and then deliver far more than they expected. Make creative recommendations that will benefit your client. For example, if they are not using social media, you can teach them why it will benefit them – showing examples from your own blog is a great start. You might just earn more work from them.

In addition, always build on your pay rates. If times are tight, it’s fine to accept a lower paying gig temporarily but if you’ve already been paid $.10 a word for most projects, do not accept $.02 a word. You’ve already proved your time is more valuable than that.

Step 7: Know When to Walk Away

Professional writing relationships can be tricky. For example, if you’re not getting enough feedback or your client is being inconsistent with pay, demands or other issues that are affecting your work, it may not be worth your effort. This spring, I had a writing gig that didn’t work out. They felt my work was not what they wanted and I felt that I was not given enough support or direction. After leaving, my schedule opened up for a project that fell into my lap soon after. Never underestimate the value of your time nor the fact that not every job is right for you.

These tips will help you get started on the road to professional blogging. Do you have any other tips for professional writing? Please share them here.

Page 17 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed

10 Resources for Finding Freelance Writing Work

alt="10 Resources for Finding Freelance Writing Work" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/problogger-500x217_c.jpg" />

Now that you’ve got some blogging experience under your belt, it’s time to hit the road and href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/blogging-tips/from-blogger-to-freelance-writer/">start looking for freelance writing work. Before you get started, here are some things to consider:

What Kind of Writing Work?

Firstly, you need to determine what kind of work you want. If you are a blogger, there are plenty of blogging and ghost blogging jobs (that is, blogging without credit to your name). However, you may feel ready to step out of that box and into brand ambassadorship, writing product descriptions or copywriting. You’ll need experience in whatever area you step into, so if you have any, add it to your resume. If you know of close contacts in these fields, consider offering your services on a limited or low cost basis, once or twice, to get your feet wet. I do not advise making a habit of this but assisting companies and brands is always beneficial.

What Pay?

Pay for writing varies greatly. Some gigs pay by the word, some offer flat fees. Because competition is stiff, newbies may believe they cannot write for anything more than a few dollars. My first gig paid .05 per word, which is not great but it’s far more than for 500 words. Another thing you need to consider is that some sites pay revenue share rather than a word count – that is, you get a share of the advertising. Other sites provide reader votes or quantity bonuses, while regular pay is quite low or nonexistent.

id="attachment_8919" style="width: 760px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">class="size-full wp-image-8919" alt="Writer and Editor Hourly Rates (according to Freelance Industry Report 2012)." src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/writers-salary.jpg" width="750" height="307" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/writers-salary.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/writers-salary-300x122.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />class="wp-caption-text">Writer and Editor Hourly Rates (according to href="http://www.internationalfreelancersday.com/2012report/" target="_blank">Freelance Industry Report 2012).

While making a few dollars for a post may feel great right now, down the road it’s going to seem like you’ve done a lot of work for almost nothing in return. It worked for me for a short time, but if you don’t feel comfortable starting out with such low pay, instead offer to guest post about a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about. Contributing to something you care about will motivate you to write well and can establish your reputation. Otherwise, you cannot guarantee that the amount of income you receive will be worth your time and effort, and you may be tempted to write a lower quality piece.

Where to Publish Your Sample Posts

If you don’t have a website or your blog is too personal, you’ll need a portfolio of writing pieces online. Most job ads will request writing samples – allowing you to get a decent gig without much experience. The following sites are great resources for creating a writing portfolio:

href="http://www.clippings.me/" target="_blank">Clippings.Me: This site is professional, polished and targeted for writers. You can load unlimited clippings for free.
href="https://contently.com/journalists" target="_blank">Contently: This site allows you to create a custom URL for your online portfolio.

Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs

In 2008, I landed my first blogger job after months of applying at some of the sites listed below. I had no prior paid experience, but I did have a track record already as a long time blogger in that niche, SEO and web design experience. Remember to apply to any job on these boards the same way you’d apply to any other job: write an effective cover letter that focuses on the prospective client, upload a professional resume and submit tailored writing samples.

1. Problogger Job Board

style="text-align: center;">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8927 border" alt="problogger" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/problogger.jpg" width="750" height="326" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/problogger.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/problogger-300x130.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

Brought to you by the trustworthy folks at ProBlogger, this board primarily lists blogging work and that’s why it’s the first source I go to. In addition, many of the ads here are fairly comprehensive in telling you exactly what you need experience-wise and pay parameters. Jobs are broken out by blog network positions vs. job offers from companies. Offers plenty of blogging advice on the main site as well.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
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href="http://jobs.problogger.net/" target="_blank">Visit Problogger Job Board

2. Freelance Writing Gigs

This board is updated every weekday. It’s categorized according to section, “Content Writing Jobs,” “Blogging Jobs,” and so on, allowing you to check out writing jobs that are not strictly blogging but in areas such as translation or educational materials. You can also subscribe and have jobs delivered to your inbox. The blog also offers lots of advice for landing jobs.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
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href="http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/" target="_blank">Visit FreelanceWritingGigs.com

3. Media Bistro

style="text-align: center;">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8928 border" alt="media bistro" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/media-bistro.jpg" width="750" height="380" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/media-bistro.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/media-bistro-300x152.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

This board is primarily for local work in media, so if you live near a major city or an area they cover, you’ll want to check into these job listings regularly. They do have freelance work and remote jobs from time to time as well, although many of these are full time gigs in all areas of media. This is a convenient place to search jobs by location. This site also offers latest news about media and a host of paid training options.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
class="icon-file-text" style="color:inherit !important;">
href="http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/?nav=mdj" target="_blank">Visit MediaBistro.com Job Board

4. Journalism Jobs

Similar to Media Bistro, this site also allows you to search by job type (blogger, writer). Don’t be intimidated by the site name; there are local blogger jobs available here. Also offers lots of advice and training in the field, as well as journalism news.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
class="icon-file-text" style="color:inherit !important;">
href="http://www.journalismjobs.com/" target="_blank">Visit Journalism Jobs

5. Your Local CraigsList

Be very cautious with this one but you can find local and possibly remote work on this site. Often ProBlogger and Freelance Writing Gigs will pick up the quality ads from this site, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t find work nearby through CraigsList. The problem here is that some of these links can be spammy. If it looks and feels like an ad or is simply screaming, “work from home!” you can be sure it’s spam.

6. Morning Coffee Newsletter

This newsletter is subscribed to through FreelanceWriting.com and is an excellent source for freelance blogging work. The weekly email has a short description so that you only need to click on the links that apply to you. This is one of my most valuable resources, so I suggest you sign up right away.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
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href="http://www.freelancewriting.com/newsletters/morning-coffee-freelance-writing-jobs.php" target="_blank">Visit Morning Coffee Newsletter

7. All Indie Writers

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This site is comprehensive and lists the pay / professional level before you even click the content, making this one a new favorite. Also includes a writer’s market for print jobs and opportunities.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
class="icon-file-text" style="color:inherit !important;">
href="http://allindiewriters.com/marketplace/freelance-writing-job-board/" target="_blank">Visit All Indie Writers

8. Blogging Pro Job Board

These too are separated by type of hire: blogger, copywriter, editor. Only lists open / recent positions. Also features blogging advice.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
class="icon-file-text" style="color:inherit !important;">
href="http://www.bloggingpro.com/jobs/" target="_blank">Visit Blogging Pro Job Board

9.LinkedIn

Because of its nature as a professional site, LinkedIn is a great place to search for jobs, detail your work experience, collect endorsements and connect with the companies and fields you’d like to work for. In addition, you select what you are seeking from contacts and how you’d like them to reach out to you. While it’s not my top resource for finding work, I have landed some interesting projects through my contacts.

class="meteor-icon" style="font-size:15px !important;">
class="icon-file-text" style="color:inherit !important;">
href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">Visit LinkedIn

10. Sign up with creative placement firms

style="text-align: center;">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8926 border" alt="creative circle" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/creative-circle.jpg" width="750" height="380" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/creative-circle.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/creative-circle-300x152.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

This option is going to work best for you if you can take temp jobs on short notice, live near a large city, and are looking for writing work that employs more like full time – that is, working for full days or weeks at a time and most likely onsite for a client. I’ve recently signed up with href="http://thecreativegroup.com/" target="_blank">The Creative Group and href="http://creativecircle.com/" target="_blank">Creative Circle.

Where Else to Find Writing Work?

I’ve gotten some of my best work writing for friends and family, for full pay so leave no stone unturned. A new resource I’ve discovered is href="http://ed2010.com/whisper-jobs/" target="_blank">Ed2010. While these are tailored toward magazine jobs, there is a ton of information, resources and mentorship, as well as jobs and internships. Search for local companies that you’d like to be a part of and hunt for targeted magazines accepting pitches in your niche. In-person events and conferences round out my list of places where I have landed writing contracts.

These sources will get you started in landing your first well-paying freelance writing job and building your skills set.

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