subject: 5 Tips For Bloggers For Hire [print this page] 5 Tips For Bloggers For Hire 5 Tips For Bloggers For Hire
Freelance writers earn a living doing something they absolutely love: writing and they take pride in their work but sometimes the road to publication can be harsh and difficult. With query letters taking months to receive an acceptance or rejection letter and publication taking another six to twelve months, with final payment arriving 30 to 60 days after publication, it's no wonder that freelance writers are turning to online publications and ghostwriting as a more steady source of income.
Ghostwriting for company blogs can be a great way to earn a steady, monthly income. Blog posts start at $10 per 200 word post and go up according to level of difficulty, word count, experience of the blogger, and company budget. Some writers even earn a monthly salary as full time bloggers with salaries ranging from $500 per month for three- 300 word posts per week to $1,000 per month for five- 500 word posts per week. Others earn a higher income by agreeing to monitor the blog's activity and market it through forums, social networking sites, and other blogs, plus reply to each comment left on the blog.
The trick to getting hired as a paid, professional blogger is to create a blog of your own that acts like a resume. Pick a topic that you are passionate abouteven if it is not a money maker and not in the industry you want to earn a living writing forso that keeping it updated on a regular basis does not become a chore. This will show potential clients that you have what it takes to create fresh content on a daily or weekly basis and to do it steadily. It will also show them that you can interact with your readers and know how to build traffic.
Once you've been blogging for a few months, pitch yourself as a blogger for hire. Include a link on your blog's sidebar offering your service, visit job sites like Performancing ProBlogger BlogHer (), and Freelance Writing Gigs, and query small businesses that have an online presence but no blog of their own.
Next, follow these simple tips to blogging success:
Get to know the industry you want to become a professional blogger in.
It's not enough to be a good writer when it comes to blogging professionally. You need to be a good researcher and you need to think like a journalist. You need to know the inside scoop before it happens and report on it before others in your industry do. That's why it's a good idea to become an active member of the community. Sign up for trade publications; join networking sites and associations; and attend workshops, seminars, and training series on a regular basis.
Never accept a non-compete contract.
As a writer, you make your living selling information in a variety of formats: blogs, magazines, books, websites and for a diverse group of clients. Signing a non-compete clause will prevent you from writing about the same topic for other clients and that's not good for your business.
While companies that hire blog writers want exclusivity to the content you write specifically for their blogs, they should not be given exclusive rights to the topic itself. If you are a health and nutrition specialist, for example, you can write for five different blogs and still not show a conflict of interest. You can write for a vegetarian blog, a holistic treatment blog, a vitamin company blog, and a diet blog without a conflict of interest by choosing a different angle on the same topic of choice.
Never rely on revenue sharing as your sole source of income.
Revenue sharing requires you to take ownership in the blog. It requires you to promote the blog, increase traffic, and increase click-through rates in hopes of earning an income. This is no way to make a living. First, you don't have access to important information that tells you which content performs best or how well the blog converts traffic into dollars. Second, if the company doesn't pull its weight, the ad revenue will not exist. And if the ad revenue doesn't exist, neither does your salary.
It's best to be paid a flat rate for your services. However, there is nothing wrong with negotiating a lower monthly stipend plus a percentage of the ad revenues. Just keep in mind that companies make a living from the very products and/or services you are helping to promote through your blogging campaigns when negotiating your contract.
Sign a contract.
Whether your blogging gig is for a two week trial period or six months, get everything in writing. Spell out the terms of your contract and have it signed by both parties before you begin work. Include information like: company name and contact information, blogger's name and contact information, blogger's responsibilities, fees for blogger's services, payment due date, late fees for not paying blogger on schedule, rights to content produced by blogger, confidentiality clause as it pertains to company information shared with the blogger, and what happens if there is a dispute between the blogger and the company.
Get paid in advance.
Negotiate a contract to get paid at the beginning of the month for that month's blogging. That way you will never be out money for a project you've completed. And remember, if the company can pay the web host, the electricity bill, the web designer, the internet provider, and so forth, the company can afford to pay you!
