Blogging may seem like a daunting, unpaid chore, but it shouldn’t feel like that…..and it doesn’t have to be dreadful.
It can be rewarding both spiritually and monetarily. Some argue that it is unnecessary to have a blog, in order to land well-paying gigs.
Well, that maybe true for some, but for many it is a necessary tool.
Yes, having a blog can help you advance your career, but blogging is about so much more than just a pay check. It’d be foolish to argue that it can’t be a lucrative hobby, blogging can be quite lucrative if done right. Here is why it is important for freelancers to have their own blogs:
It makes you write. We’ve all heard that doing something 10,000 hours makes you a professional. The same applies to writing. Keeping a blog holds you accountable to yourself for writing, your personal writing.
The more you write, the better of a writer you will become. At the risk of overusing clichés, they say practice makes perfect. Additionally, blogging usually pertains to topics of self-interest.
So, why not have a running log of your thoughts and/or interests. You should get paid for what you want to write about and a blog is a great platform for honing your skills. The more you write, the better you will become at your craft, and the easier it will be.
It’s always good to go back to your roots. Most writers start off by journaling, whether it be blogging or in a notebook. Maintaining a blog is like keeping pen to paper for modern writers.
Blogging is a form of self-release and sharing. Writers need to stay connected to themselves. Being a blogger keeps you grounded, it reminds you of who you are at your core.
It makes you remember writing for the love of writing. Even high paid freelancers can take an hour a week to post a blog.
It’s personal. A blog is a great way for potential clients to get a taste of you and your writing style. Freelancers spend so much time writing what other people want, that they forget to take the time to write what they want.
Plus, a blog is a wonderful database of samples for clients. The goal of a freelancer should be to get paid writing what they like. Keeping a blog helps maintain this focus. Some clients may even just be searching for your topic through random internet searches and not a hiring website.
Your writing could be found by sheer interest. There’s not many feelings better than somebody contacting you for hire based on your work they’ve seen. Yes, your work!
Blogging keeps the fire burning. It’s easy to get burnt out, especially as a new freelance writer. Until you’ve made a good name for yourself, the projects can be long and tedious for minimal funding.
Blogging is a chance to escape in your own writing and thoughts. It is a great way to keep the passion for the art of writing burning strong. Instead of a chore, turn your blog sessions into “me” time.
Find a quiet corner and grab your favorite beverage. Watch the sun come up, do something that is pleasurable while you blog. Take the time to write what you want to write or are drawn to write. Allow yourself to be selfish.
You don’t have to share your blog if you don’t want, It can be completely private.
Blogging can be very lucrative. When done right, bloggers can make big bucks. If you can only see writing for hire, taking the time to plan and write out your blog posts can help land you jobs.
If nothing else, a well written blog makes for a revolving résumé. Find out your niche and run with it. If you put the time and work into your blog, you will benefit. It will make you money. Just be patient, you’re not going to make tons of money immediately!
However, the investment in yourself is worth it. All successful business owners pour their time and soul into their work, why not freelancers.? You’re trying to build your writing business after all. freelancers are entrepreneurs.
It all seems so overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With proper time management, any freelance writer can keep up with a blog. We all have a gazillion thoughts we need to get out of our heads, why not throw them all out there for the rest of the universe to read?
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It is so easy to get distracted as a freelance writer. Free days just seem so temptingly easy to take.
There are days when it is very hard to get motivated to work, especially when you are writing for somebody else.
Overcome wasting time by being proactive and learning to schedule properly. Time management is a continual battle, but there are ways to achieve balance.
Minimize distractions.
The easiest way to stay focused is by removing potential distractions. When you are writing, close all of your social media apps, such as instant messaging, email, Instagram, phone calls, texting, etc.
It is easy to stray off focus when you’re plugged into any of these social spots. Use your time wisely.
When it is time to work, it is time to work. The work has to get done. Music can be another distraction.
If you have to have music to write, try music with more instrumentals. It is much less distracting.
Finding space away from other people aids in staying focused. It is all too easy to stop working if you are in the room with your buds. Turn the TV off, duh.
Work in time blocks.
Find an increment that works for you and commit to time blocks. For instance, write for 25 minutes then break for 5 minutes. Use a timer if you like.
During this block, keep busy and work the whole time. It is also important to be flexible. If your juices are really flowing, you probably shouldn’t adhere to the time constraint.
Adversely, if you are suffering from writer’s block, there is no point in wasting time. Move onto another project.
Make “office hours”.
Set up a plan for the day and allow time to conduct each of the jobs that the freelancer is responsible for handling: finding work, communications, administrative duties, marketing, researching, and of course, completing projects. Be realistic in your to-do list. There is only so much time in a day.
Learn to say no.
You want to focus more on getting good jobs, not a lot of jobs. Do not take on more work than you can handle. It is so hard to say no to the prospect of more jobs, which correlates to more money.
However, you don’t want your computer to be a permanent fixture, like an appendage. Didn’t you become a freelancer to have more free time? Don’t let your family know you as the guy that is always working on the computer.
Give yourself a grace period.
When taking jobs and setting deadlines, make sure you give yourself some wiggle room. It is inevitable that you are going to hit some walls from time to time.
If you give yourself plenty of wiggle room, you can handle these issues. Otherwise, you are going to be faced with a state of complete panic as the deadline nears. Learn how to properly estimate your time to complete projects, and always give yourself a buffer.
Prioritize your workload.
It is very normal for freelance writers to have several projects going on simultaneously. This is fine and dandy, as long as you know how to prioritize your responsibilities.
Projects should be organized by deadline and workload. Projects that take more time to complete should be started early and maintain an ongoing work schedule. Other projects should be arranged by due date.
It is also wise to complete any research early so you are fully aware of what the project will entail.
Time management is a skill that will get better with experience. You will find your groove and the more you write, the faster you will begin to produce work.
With time you will also find what projects you can do quickly, what you are good at, what you absolutely do not want to do, and you will learn to estimate your time fairly accurately.
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The freelance industry can go through waves of feast and famine. Just like other things in life, it seems like it doesn’t rain in forever, and then, when it does, it pours.
It is important to prepare for moments of drought. In order to maintain a successful freelance career, you need plenty of resources.
Configured below, are 5 great go-to places to find writing jobs:
Job boards.
Online job boards are a great place to find work. Make sure to find sites that update their leads daily. It is also advisable to use job boards that don’t require biding.
Sites like Upwork, have set rates and verify payments. They also update their board instantaneously and post in chronological order.
Other go-to job boards include LinkedIn, Freelancewritinggigs.com, MediaBistro, and TopTal.
Online business websites.
Part of the freelance writing business includes being able to market yourself. A good way to find work is by conducting some of your own research.
Searching business websites for things they may need a writer for is a good place to start. Websites may be missing critical, or even good content. Find companies that don’t have social media or blog posts.
They need you and it is your job to convince them that they need a writer. These are the people that you need to contact and sell yourself to. You can start locally.
Find small businesses that are close by and let them know there is a writer in the area. Word of mouth is still the best marketing out there.
Social media.
There are several business groups on Facebook, even for freelance writers. Join several groups that look tight-knit. Become tight-knit in the writing community, you never know who you are going to meet.
Freelancers will often pass along work to others when they have a full plate. You never know who might throw a gig your way or refer your work to somebody. Stay in the loop.
Make sure that you are networking. Small business owners network frequently and use referrals. People in your personal community may be looking for help with a writing project.
It is important to advertise your freelance writing career and abilities on your social media pages. You might be surprised at who is in need of your services.
Maintain a professional website/blog that is also personal.
The idea of a professional website may seem scary for a novice, but all in due time. Even a well maintained blog site can create jobs.
You just never know who may have the same interests as you and can stumble upon your blog or website. It takes time and work, but a blog can be a very lucrative place to generate business.
It also works as a dynamic, diary of samples.
This is the place to showcase you and what you are interested in writing about. Put the time into yourself, it can only help your career.
Websites looking for guest writers.
Guest writing work is not always steady, but if you are vigilant about searching for jobs, you can find a steady stream of income. At first, you may have to guest write for free to get some exposure.
This is still a great way to get your name out there and build your portfolio. Many of the larger websites and businesses are continually looking for guest writers/bloggers.
Choose a handful of websites that you would like to write for and make sure to check out the sites multiple times a week. This is a great way to find writing you want to do instead of writing to just pay the bills.
Freelance writing really has become an online profession. There are unlimited places on the World Wide Web to search.
Make sure to do your research and use reputable websites. It is also important to find websites that you enjoy using, this is your business platform.