Photo by Bayliss

Could you work as a freelance blogger? If you blog, yes. That’s really the only qualification that you need.

Freelancing blogging (or ‘paid blogging’) is one of the most sensible and enjoyable ways to earn some extra income online. It pays well (between $50 and $100 for a post, most of which will take sub two-hours to write) and it’s highly flexible. Instead of taking on a chunky commitment, you can usually add and subtract posts at your discretion. Working for multiple blogs gives you another level of security. If you’re no longer needed at one, you have the others to fall back on.

I’ve been working as a freelance blogger since September 2007 and have worked for ProBlogger.net, Freelance Switch, Daily Blog Tips, Daily Bits, North x East, People per Hour and a number of other blogs. In that time I’ve learned tips, tricks and mistakes to avoid. If you’re interested in getting started with freelance blogging, here are the top five most important bits of advice I’d share with you.

Continue reading »

Photo by rappensuncle

If you sell your skills and you run a blog or website, you must have a hire me page.

An About page which mentions you’re available for hire isn’t enough. The information will always be too broad: it has to cater to new visitors, people who want information about the blog/site, people who want general information about you, as well as clients. It also doesn’t indicate from the main page that you’re looking for work. A page called ‘Hire Me’, ‘My Services’ or ‘Consulting’ is much more likely to attract the interest of prospective clients — though it doesn’t hurt to link to it from your About page, either.

If a ‘Hire Me’ page sends you just one client every few months, it pays for your time (a basic page will probably take half-an-hour to write). In my experience, a Hire Me page can do a lot more than that.

On to the good stuff: how to write one that works.

Continue reading »

Photo by stg_gr1

Online consulting is a steadily blooming industry. There are consultants on almost every topic imaginable, from life coaches to expert gamers sharing their tips.

This getting started guide will explain what kinds of jobs are available, what you need to be a consultant, how consulting works and how much you should charge.

Continue reading »