I once saw bloggers as one of two people: They were either geeks hiding behind a computer writing desperate prose and sending them out to the abyss in search of other life forms or they were stay-at-home moms and ex-journalists begging for sponsorships and free products to review while slaving away at their computers hoping to get fame larger than a Kardashian’s rear end. Regardless of why they were blogging, I saw all bloggers as self-promoters; free spirits; Jacks-of-all-subjects, masters of none.
Since becoming a professional blogger myself, I know that anyone can be a blogger, many are seeking some kind of income from this trade and the lucky ones do make money from it…
I’ve spent an entire week at a computer only to find that I made a paltry $50 and that more than half of that was blown on large iced coffees to keep me awake long enough to keep writing. I’ve sent copies of my posts to “traditional” media outlets hoping they would find my writing amusing enough to give me a decent paycheck and although some did the gigs didn’t last long. I have even accepted assignments about “personal care” products and naughty conventions that made my mother’s Baptist skin crawl so that I could pay a bill. I’ve tweeted, I’ve facebooked, I’ve pinned, I’ve begged for shares and likes and even bribed a few folks to repost some of my posts – I’m not proud of that last one, but one thing has remained:
I wouldn’t trade any of this! Why? Because I love it! Blogging allows me to be myself with all of my quirks, and passion for writing and my ADD and… Squirrel! Hmm, I wonder what will be on the next episode of Blacklist. I think I could really use some more sequins on this shirt I’m wearing but I’m also kind of craving pizza right now. Oh wait! Blogging! Let’s get back to discussing that…
The truth is I am one of those pesky ex-journalists I spoke of earlier. After two magazine internships I was suddenly a newlywed, unemployed graduate with a journalism degree unsure of where my path would take me. Unwilling to accept that my career as a writer was over before it officially began and definitely not willing to move in with my new husband to my parent’s house I stumbled into a part time blogging job and suddenly I was the pot calling the kettle black. The profession that was once a punch line in jokes was now my profession!
Now, I was making some money that was nothing to sneeze at, but still not earning enough to completely abandon my 9 to 5 job office temp job I had taken to make ends meet. I don’t know about you guys but it really frustrates me having to wear pants every day and I prefer blogging from home in my pajamas.
Luckily, at the beginning of 2014 I found the book “The Art of Freelance Blogging” and had an epiphany. Since I couldn’t earn enough money with my own blogs I figured why not start blogging for others? Before I knew it my first client landed in my lap. It was a travel agent that had a blog but didn’t have time to write it and I had the time and the need for income.
Some of my other blogging clients I’ve landed have included real estate agents, shrinks- er I mean psychologists, a golf company and a diamonds company. I’ve covered topics such as how to prepare for the best sex on your honeymoon, how to stage your home to sell it for more money, even what should be in your golf bag.
Between you and me – I know NOTHING about most of these subjects. It’ll be our little secret right? I research the topic and then write a post and voila- money in the bank! It’s like high school- memorize, regurgitate, forget! Only instead of trying to get an A on the final, I’m trying to pay my rent.
In my spare time I still work on my personal blogs but the important thing is I’m making money doing something I love. In fact by the time you read this I will have left my 9 to 5 office job to focus on writing full time!
Do you want to be a professional blogger too? If so, I’d like to invite you to join me on my journey. You’ll see the highs, the lows, the good and bad, the freebies and the fun of this exciting adventure. Maybe together we can both figure out ways to get rich using our gifts of writing these web log thingies that no one ever thought would last. So, let’s throw some words on a screen and send them out into the abyss in search of life forms, or at least making a living.
