The good news is that other people have done it. These bloggers have made more than a buck or two by freelance blogging, which proves that it’s possible! You can make your living — and then some — in this field.<\/p>\n
How to prove your worth as a freelance blogger<\/h2>\n
It’s time to learn from the best in the biz. We talked with successful writers who make money from freelance blogging<\/a> to see what worked for them. Follow their tips to get started on your successful freelance blogging career.<\/p>\n Here’s how to make money from freelance blogging.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a jack of all trades, master of none, you won\u2019t make much money freelance blogging. Why not?<\/p>\n Because you won\u2019t stand out as an expert on anything.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can demand higher rates if you are a subject matter expert.<\/strong> Your niche will help here \u2013 tremendously.\u201d Since you\u2019re just starting out, you probably don\u2019t have a writing portfolio<\/a>. If you have nothing to entice clients to hire you, why would they? They\u2019ll go with someone who already has some experience, which leaves you back at square one.<\/p>\n But if you have your own blog and can submit samples of your own posts, you\u2019ll be able to prove to clients off-the-bat that you\u2019re hireable. (If you want guidance on this, here’s our step-by-step guide to starting a blog<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to become a successful freelance blogger then you should create a successful blog. It doesn\u2019t have to be the next Mashable (when I landed my first job my blog was attracting just forty visitors per day), but a successful blog is practical evidence of your abilities<\/strong>.\u201d Once you start landing freelance blogging gigs, it\u2019s important to keep up your personal blog — even though you aren\u2019t paying yourself to do so. Focus on growing your community and providing relevant content.<\/strong> The next step is finding a way to monetize your personal blog so it can become another revenue stream.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you\u2019ve built up a following, you can also sell e-books, courses, and other products to your readers \u2014 or market yourself as a writer in your industry.\u201d You want to be a freelance blogger so you can have the freedom to work from wherever — ideally from a sunny beach while sipping a Mai Tai. Although that isn\u2019t a realistic vision of what it really means to be a freelance blogger, keep that vision in mind anyway. The idea is that a flexible job gives you freedom.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re working for a difficult client or writing a blog post on something you couldn\u2019t care less about, it doesn\u2019t matter how beautiful that beach is or how delicious that Mai Tai tastes. You\u2019ll be miserable.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery project you say \u201cyes\u201d to means you have less room to say \u201cyes\u201d to another project.<\/strong> So make sure everything on your plate is something you really want and can handle.\u201d Time is money, and every time you start working with a new client, you\u2019ll have to spend (sometimes unpaid) time getting to know the client, their expectations and their style. With long-term clients, you\u2019ll have a more steady income and can even negotiate a higher rate down the road.<\/p>\n \u201cI work with a handful of long terms clients and spend next to no time on marketing and administration.<\/strong> It is highly rewarding to know that the vast majority of the work I do on my freelance business is directly earning me money. My hourly rate really is my hourly rate.\u201d Simply put, the faster you type, the more blog posts you can crank out and the more money you can make. So if you can\u2019t type quickly or you make a lot of typing errors, get to work on improving your speed and become a more efficient typist.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may sound trivial, but it really isn\u2019t. If you are interested in writing for a living, learning to type faster is effectively a business investment<\/strong>.\u201d Wait, isn\u2019t this a post about making money<\/em> as a freelance blogger? Hear me out.<\/p>\n Do you want to get your name out there and in front of clients who have potential to pay a lot? Do you want to prove you\u2019re an awesome writer without having to beg clients to give you a chance? Writing for free is your answer to all of the above. Writing for free is how you make money down the road.<\/p>\n \u201cWriting for free helps you gain visibility and develop a network of people who will actually pay for something you offer<\/strong>, so long as you\u2019re smart enough to monetize that opportunity.\u201d Yes, freelance blogging is a cushy work-from-your-couch job that doesn\u2019t even require wearing pants. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy. It\u2019s still hard work.<\/strong><\/p>\n Freelance blogging can be a bit of a grind. So if you think this is about resting on your laurels, think again.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, this isn\u2019t that moonshot way of earning that so many are dreaming of, where you monetize your own blog and make six figures on autopilot. This is an everyday, working-class sort of way to earn from blogging.<\/strong> Simply helping publications and companies communicate powerfully with their readers and customers.\u201d When you land your first freelance blogging gig, it\u2019s likely not going to pay lucratively. That\u2019s okay. But as you gain more experience and know your clients want to keep you around, it\u2019s time to raise your rates<\/a> and start making more money.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, as a freelancer, there\u2019s no boss giving you an appraisal and deciding that it\u2019s time to beef up your paycheck. That\u2019s up to you. Most experienced freelancers I know will raise their rates every year or so<\/strong> (unless the economy is tanking). If nothing else, raise your rate according to the rate of inflation. If you don\u2019t, you\u2019re effectively losing money.\u201d You don\u2019t know if you\u2019re good enough. You don\u2019t have tons of experience. You don\u2019t really know what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n Enough with the excuses.<\/a><\/p>\n If you want to be a successful freelance blogger, then you need to adjust your attitude, clean your slate of all those excuses and get started already<\/em><\/strong>. Because one thing is for sure. Your freelance blogging \u201ccareer\u201d will continue to make you zilch for the rest of your life if you don\u2019t start somewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cDeciding that you simply don\u2019t have the confidence<\/em> to talk to people about your freelance blogging services, or to apply for an advertised gig, is like deciding that you\u2019re too shy to call emergency services when someone\u2019s lying wounded at your feet. Excusing yourself from freelance blogging because you don\u2019t know where to begin<\/em> is like excusing yourself from eating cake because you don\u2019t know where to slice it.\u201d1. Find your niche<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Marya Jan of Writing Happiness<\/a><\/p>\n2. Start your own blog<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind<\/a><\/p>\n3. Keep blogging on your own<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Linda Formichelli, formerly of The Renegade Writer<\/a><\/p>\n4. Blog only for readers you want<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Kelly Gurnett of Cordelia Calls It Quits<\/a><\/p>\n5. Seek out regular clients<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind<\/a><\/p>\n6. Speed up<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind<\/a><\/p>\n7. Blog for free<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Alexis Grant, founder of The Write Life<\/a><\/p>\n8. Be prepared to write quite a lot — and then quite a lot more<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Carol Tice of Make a Living Writing<\/a><\/p>\n9. When the time is right, increase your rates<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Mridu Khullar Relph\u00a0of MriduKhullar.com<\/a><\/p>\n10. Step the f*ck up<\/h3>\n
\n\u2014 Sophie Lizard of Be a Freelance Blogger<\/a><\/p>\n
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