Photo by udono.

If you’d asked me on January 1st what my plans for this year were, the word “freelancer” wouldn’t have appeared.

No, I was going to launch a wildly successful weblog, make a fortune from Google AdSense, and sign a six-figure book deal…

…I’m not quite there yet.

But I have managed to arrive somewhere wholly unexpected. I’m earning money from staff-writing on two blogs, both major players in their niches (Diet Blog and Daily Writing Tips) and my own blog has a small but regular readership. I’ve made about $800 so far; not “quit the day job” money, yet, but enough to make me realize that freelance blogging could be a viable way to earn a living.

You might well have a blog, though perhaps it’s a personal one based around a hobby or passion, rather than a professional one. And since you’re reading this on Freelance Switch, I’m guessing you have some interest in freelancing. If you’ve read through the “Getting started” articles, if you spend hours staring at your cubicle walls and dreaming up your next blog post (or typing away on the sly), and if you’re waiting, waiting, waiting for that first job, first client, first check, you might be closer than you think. Here’s how to fall into freelance blogging by accident…

1. Get started with your own blog

If you don’t already have a blog, or if your blog is of the “me and my cat” variety and only read by your mum, start one! I’d strongly recommend Darren Rowse’s blogging for beginners series, even if you think you know what you’re doing. (You have to be willing to rethink preconceptions, though. I read the whole thing before launching The Office Diet, and still believed that going live on 01/01/2008 would be a good idea because surely all those millions of people googling for “diet” and “weight-loss” in January would find my site…)

2. Throw a guest post out there

I wrote a guest post for Diet Blog, because I wanted to advertise my own blog in the byline. I made it the best post I could, following Skellie’s guest posting advice on ProBlogger – and was both impressed and a little scared when it received 22 comments.

Start with any blog you enjoy that publishes guest posts, and, ideally, that has multiple regular writers. Drop the editor a short, succinct email with a couple of lines on who you are and your proposed guest post. You might want to write the post first: if you do get a positive response, this means you can send it promptly, and some blogs I’ve written guest posts for (such as The Change Blog) invite readers to send in their post when they initially make contact. (I’d suggest a detailed pitch is best. Few posts are rejected once your pitch is OKed, while it can be quite disappointing when you’ve poured effort into a complete post only to have it refused. It happens to the best of us. — Ed.)

3. Jump in after your work (without looking back)

Diet Blog’s editor, Jim, wrote to me a couple of weeks later to ask if I’d be interested in becoming a staff writer. I e-mailed straight back “Would definitely be interested. :-)” and the moment I hit Send was the moment I stepped into a brave, and slightly strange, new world: that of the freelance blogger.

My next job came about in a similar manner. I contacted Daniel, who runs Daily Writing Tips, saying that I’d noticed the site didn’t have much in the “Fiction” category – would he be interested in a guest post? Within a week, Daniel asked me if I wanted to join Daily Writing Tips as a paid staff writer…

If your guest post is published and goes down well with readers, don’t be afraid to drop a friendly follow-up email to the blog’s editor. Mention that you enjoyed writing for the blog, and that you’d be interested in a regular staff position.

4. Stay on the right track – don’t crash at the start

As an accidental freelance blogger, I needed to further my knowledge in several areas:

1. My blogging subjects: health and fitness, and the English language.
2. How to blog – constructing great headlines and reader-friendly articles.
3. The business of being a freelancer.

For the first, your prior knowledge, books, and reputable websites all help. For Daily Writing Tips, I use dictionaries and style guides to research articles on the finer points of word usage. (Differences between “awhile” and “a while”, anyone? “Insure” and “ensure”?) For the second and third, look for great blogs about blogging, writing, and freelancing. Yes, you can learn a lot just by getting stuck in, but why not capitalize on other peoples’ years of experience rather than your own?

If you’ve ended up an Accidental Freelance Blogger, these are very useful blogs for people like us, all of which I subscribe to:

• Problogger – great insider advice on all aspects of professional blogging, from writing content to using Google Adsense.
• Daily Blog Tips – similar advice to Problogger, though more suitable for beginners and hobbyists.
• Skelliewag – insightful and thoughtful articles on writing content for blogs. Fewer posts than Problogger and Daily Blog Tips, but every one’s a gem.
• Daily Writing Tips – your grasp of grammar and spelling needs to be solid to get that first staff blogger post, and adding some flair to your writing will help you win further jobs.
• Copyblogger – learn about writing great web copy and the business of writing for a living.

And, of course, you could do far worse than hang around at Freelance Switch …

5. Keep speeding up …

Don’t be afraid to spend money on quality resources, too: earmark a percentage of your freelance income to invest on improving your skills and your business. That might mean buying a book (I snapped up How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer with my first week’s freelancing pay, and I pre-ordered Darren and Chris’s ProBlogger the day it was announced.)

Once you’re beginning to make a name for yourself, you may want to pay for a professional design for your own blog to showcase your work, or spend some of your earnings on a course to further your skills and to make new contacts.

6. Have some idea where you’re heading next (even if you’re not sure where you’ll end up)

If you haven’t yet banked your first dollar from blogging, make that your goal for this month.

If you’re biting your nails every time you think of trying to make contact with the people who are waaaaay above you in the blogosphere – write that e-mail today. Keep it short and friendly (bloggers are busy people), and make it clear what you’re asking. I found the advice at the bottom of “5 Habits Of Highly Ineffective Networkers” very helpful.

If you need to polish up your skills, buy that book you’ve been thinking of, or register for that course. Don’t feel guilty investing money into your business.

Whatever action you need to take in order to fall further into freelance blogging, do it today. If you really need a motivational boost, post in the comments telling us what you’re doing to take that next leap.

Me? I’m sending this post into Freelance Switch…

Ali started freelancing by accident and is now almost as obsessed with it as she is with chocolate. She invariably takes on too many projects at once, and spends the 9-5 hours regretting the need for a day job. She writes at The Office Diet.

Ali Hale

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