Tips, Training & Community for Remote Freelance Writers
While monetization isn’t the end all be all for all bloggers, a good portion of us wouldn’t mind some dollar bills to float our way. Today we are going to discuss some of the many ways that you can monetize your niche blog so you can justify those hours spent staring at a cursor on your computer screen.
So you want to add your name to the growing list of freelance writers making good money online? Want to whip out your laptop and work from anywhere, so you can set your own schedule and live by your rules?
Of course you do! That’s why you’re here. And you’re smart for wanting to carve out a piece of this pie.
I’m here to tell you, though, that the rules have changed in recent years. Getting a writing job online today is a lot different than it was 5-10 years ago.
It may not come as a massive surprise that an online career could change so rapidly (lol, it’s the internet), but it’s tricky to keep pace with the “rules” of freelance writing when you’re focused on finding clients and doing great work.
To make matters even more difficult, every blog is giving different advice, everyone is claiming they are an expert, and some people are selling bad information just to make a buck.
Actually, that’s why I’m writing this post for you. I’ve been funding my lifestyle with online writing gigs for about 7 years at the time of writing this, so I’ve taken some major notes along the way.
Read on to learn about the new rules of making money online as a writer. There are only three, but each one is crucial to your success.
In a perfect world, you’d wake up in the early hours of the morning in your clean, well-lit apartment, a mild breeze blowing through the windows as your S.O. served up breakfast and you flipped through the notes from yesterday’s three-hour writing workshop.
You’d slide into your robe and sip tea as you contemplate the completion of another brilliant published piece, sighing a happy sigh of relief.
You’d water your plants (none of which are perishing because you’re a brilliant plant mom), meditate, take a walk to the coffee shop, and soak it all in for another hour before returning to your spotlessly clean desk to tap out another masterpiece.
*ahem* Oh, sorry—that’s just my perfect world.
Back to real life. You’re busy. Really busy.
You’ve got freelance projects to complete on deadline—and maybe you’re still in a full-time job! There’s a to-do list to handle, bills to pay, a body to keep in shape, pets and family members that are always hungry, friends who demand your presence at brunch, a messy kitchen counter, etc.
Everyone seems to be reeling in their own version of chaos these days.
Writing isn’t easy, and it gets harder when your schedule is chocked full of obligations. Sometimes it feels impossible to sit down and get some work done (let alone write for yourself).
Today we’re going to demystify a few ways super busy people get a ton of writing done, even when it feels impossible to stretch the clock any further.
I promise, you can do this! It just takes a fresh reality check, some planning, and perhaps a few apps.
Once upon a time, I was an intern-turned-editorial contributor at the crown jewel of stylish online publishing, Refinery29.
Our stylish, growing team was crammed in a chic basement office, clattering away at our keyboards in a highly collaborative atmosphere.
As a freshly churned out fashion school grad, it was basically the best place I could have imagined working. They effectively kickstarted my writing career, which is huge. If the editors there hadn’t taken a chance on me, there’s no telling what I’d be doing right now.
…or whether this blog would exist!
Anyway, while growing increasingly obsessed with their ultra-cool content, I learned a lot about online publishing—specifically what editors look for.
In fact, I learned quickly enough that shortly after becoming an intern, I was allowed to guest-edit the site when the Editor in Chief or Global Editor had to step out for a meeting (or a runway show).
Site traffic was growing steadily, which meant editor inboxes were filling up regularly with pitches.
It seemed like everyone wanted to score some a piece of that prime digital real estate.
The editors spent a crazy amount of time reading emails from people hoping to place products or personalities on the website. They would laugh at some, gawk at others, and immediately assign some to be written up and published.
Others got deleted without a thought.
What was that magic quality something had to have to get published?, I wondered. And, after a while, I caught on. Years later, the same “magic qualities” hold true.
Want to get your projects published? Here’s what not to do when you’re writing to an editor…