Introduction

Picture it...No Monday-morning chaos in your house, because you don’t have to get ready for work. No rush-hour traffic jams. No going to a job you loathe.Instead, you wake up leisurely – at a time you choose – and start the coffee pot. The commute to your workplace is just down the hall to your computer. You log in, check your day’s assignments and then start writing blog posts. Sometimes you pause to pinch yourself to check that this is real and not a dream!If this sounds like your kind of workday, then you’re reading the right report.In just a few minutes you’ll find out how you too can get hired for paid blogging jobs! You’ll find out:

Where to find plenty of paid blogging jobs – there’s a lot of opportunity just waiting for you!
How to analyze blogging opportunities. Be careful, you won’t even earn minimum wage with some jobs!
How to impress the hiring manager. The other applicants will look like green amateurs next to you!
How to land the best jobs. Yes, this includes the highest-paying jobs!
Plus simple ways to make even more money as a paid blogger.

So let’s get to it...

Finding Prospective Blogging Jobs

Your first step is to uncover as many blogging jobs as possible. Be sure to bookmark all the following sites, because many of them update their job listings frequently. You’ll want to check them frequently, since some jobs are only open for a short amount of time.Here’s how to find these jobs...

Visit Sites That List Paid Blogging Jobs

Note: I’m giving you a lot of links here. As you know the Internet changes a lot. If these aren’t working doing a Google search will find you what you need.

The ProBlogger Jobs Board at http://jobs.problogger.net/. Check this daily, because a couple jobs seem to be added each day. This is one of the best places to find paid blogging jobs (often with well-known companies).
Blogging Pro Jobs Board at http://bloggingpro.com/jobs/. Very similar to ProBlogger’s board, but with different jobs listed.
Write Find Jobs Board at http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/. A mixed bag of writing jobs, so you’ll need to comb through it to find the blogging jobs.
Media Bistro Jobs Board at http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/. These jobs are all writing and creative work, but they’re not all blogging jobs. So you’ll need to sort through them to find the paid blogging jobs.
Freelance Writing Gigs at http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/. This isn’t blogging-specific, but you will find blogging jobs posted.

Use CraigsList.org

Many employers post their blogging jobs under the “Jobs” section (check the Writing/Editing” category) or under the “Gigs” section (check the “Writing” and “Creative” categories) of Craigslist.org. You can also use the search box to search specifically for blogging jobs.Keep in mind that you don’t need to limit yourself to just looking at your own region on CraigsList.org. You can find a wider variety of jobs but checking out the ads in the larger cities, like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London and so on.

Search Google

If you visit the above sites on a daily basis, then you’ll find plenty of new blogging jobs to which you can apply. However, it’s good to have a big list of prospective jobs, simply because these jobs are competitive.To that end, you can search Google to uncover individual blogging jobs as well as sites (both old and new) that post these blogging jobs.Below you’ll find a list of search terms you can use. Note that some of them are very specific to blogging, while you can use the others to uncover sites that list writing jobs (some of which may be blogging jobs). Here are the search terms:

Freelance blogging jobs
Blogging jobs
Paid blogging jobs
Blogs hiring writers
Blogs hiring bloggers
Paid blogger positions
Bloggers wanted
Paid bloggers wanted
Writers wanted
Paid writers wanted
Jobs for paid bloggers
Freelance blogging
Freelance writing jobs
Writing jobs
Telecommute writing jobs
Paid writing jobs
Jobs for professional writers
Jobs for professional bloggers
Paid web content jobs
Content creation jobs

Now that you know how and where to find a plethora of writing jobs, your next step is to analyze these jobs to see whether they’re worth your time to apply. Read on...

Analyzing Blogging Opportunities

Not all blogging jobs are created equal. Some of them are truly great opportunities, while others you should skip without not so much as a second glance.Here are the factors you should analyze when deciding whether to apply for a blogging job...

Payment

You’ll quickly notice that there are two ways you can get paid for blogging:

Revenue sharing model. This is where you post content on a blog and you get paid a part of the profits that your blog entry generates. Usually these blogs are monetized using AdSense, although some of them do sell affiliate products through places like Amazon.com.The problem with these job offers is that blog owner is basically looking for you to build his traffic. If the blog already gets a lot of traffic, then you might earn a few dollars in the long run. Otherwise, you’ll have to drive the traffic to the site yourself in order to get paid for your writing. And if you’re going to do that, then you might as well just start up your own blog (more about that later).Bottom line? Evaluate these jobs carefully, because the vast majority of them simply won’t be worth your time.
Straight payment for your work. These are the jobs where you get hired to create a specific post, and then you get paid for your work. You’ll want to focus your attention on finding these sorts of jobs, because you’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll get paid.Tip: It’s also possible that you might find a job posting that offers payment for your work PLUS revenue sharing. Basically, the blog owner rewards those whose articles make money for the site. You can certainly pursue these jobs; just make sure the upfront payment is adequate, because it’s the only money you’re guaranteed to get. Anything else is just a bonus.

You’re going to quickly realize that blog owners pay wildly varying amounts for blog posts. Sometimes you’ll even see job postings demanding the moon: Native English speakers, error-free writing, well-researched content, engaging writing. And yet the blog owner wants all of this for something like $5 per 500 words. They want perfection, but they’re only willing to pay peanuts.So perhaps you’re wondering: How much should you get paid to write a blog post?

I can’t tell you this. You need to decide this for yourself. Basically, you need to decide how much your time and expertise is worth. Next, you need to figure out how long it would take you to create a blog post. Then seek out jobs that pay you your desired amount.Example: If you want to get paid $25 an hour and it takes you one hour to write a 500-word post in your area of expertise, then you’ll need to look for jobs that pay $25 per 500 words. That’s just an example. You’ll need to crunch you own numbers based on quickly you write, whether you have an area of expertise (which we’ll talk more about later) and how much you value your time.Now, it’s true that you may accept a few lower-paying jobs, especially when you’re just getting started out. Maybe you’re looking to get your feet wet, establish a reputation and develop a portfolio of samples for other potential employers.However, don’t get in the habit of only accepting lower-paying jobs. Don’t undervalue yourself. And don’t let a prospective employer tell you what you’re worth. Instead, focus on finding employers who truly value your writing skills and are willing to pay a fair price for them.

Ongoing Work

Another factor you’ll want to consider is whether this prospective job is:

A one-off job, such as where you get paid to create one blog post or perhaps one set of blog posts.
A short-term job. This is where the employer expects to have ongoing work for you for a short amount of time, such as a few weeks or few months.
A longer-term job. This is where the employer is looking to hire a blogger on a permanent basis. This means there isn’t a set end date in the foreseeable future, nor are you working on a specific number of blog posts. You keep working until either you or the employer terminate your agreement.

The reason this is important is because it tells you how much effort to put into landing the job. If a job has the potential to pay you $3000 over the next few months, you’ll likely spend more time pursuing it as opposed to a one-off job for $50.However, one warning...This doesn’t mean that you should get sloppy or lazy when applying or one-off jobs. Not at all. That’s because a group of one-off jobs will pay your bills. And often, someone who hires you for one small blog post may come back later and re-hire you when they need more work. They might also tell their friends and colleagues about you, so you’ll get referral work, too.In other words, a small job can become VERY profitable in the long run. But there’s no guarantee that you’ll get paid anything beyond the initial job. So when you’re divvying up your time, attention and resources in applying for jobs, focus more of your effort on those that you know, for certain, will pay more in the long run.

Author Bylines

Another factor you’ll want to take into consideration is whether you get an author byline, or whether you’re working as a ghostwriter (meaning your name doesn’t appear anywhere).The reason this is important is because if you get a byline, then you can show other potential employers your published work. And you may even get work indirectly, from those who see your byline and then contact you about writing for their blogs.Plus if you have your own website or blog, then you can include a link in your byline to your site.This isn’t a make or break factor. However, if your work gets accepted on a well-respected, popular site, you may be willing to take slightly less pay (slightly!) if you get a byline. But this is only true if you’re still working on establishing your reputation. Again, do NOT get in the habit of undervaluing yourself

The Company’s Reputation

There are two reasons you’ll want to look at the company’s reputation:

To make sure you’ll get paid. If you’ve never heard of a company or website before, then you need to go to Google and search for the web link and the company’s name. Basically, you want to make sure you’re working with an established, reputable company. If you can’t find any evidence that this is a reputable company (and yet you also don’t find any evidence that they’re not reputable), then take steps to protect yourself. Either request full payment upfront, or use an escrow service.
To see if you want your name associated with the company. If you get a byline attached to your blog post, then you better be sure this is a company with which you want to be associated.

Again, go to Google to research the company. Also, take a good look at the site.Does it look professional? Is the other content well-written? Would you like to have your name posted on and associated with this site?

Site Popularity

Finally, if you’re considering accepting a job based totally or even partially on revenue-sharing, then you need to look at the site’s popularity.The idea here is to get a feel for the traffic. Will you be able to generate revenue even if you don’t personally drive traffic to your post? Or is the blog owner splitting the revenue in hopes that you’ll build his site’s content AND traffic?One way to get a feel for the traffic is by looking at Alexa.com. Don’t put too much stock in this tool, however, because it only measures traffic by counting visits to a site from those who have the Alexa toolbar installed. Some niche sites, such as those related to online marketing, have seemingly higher traffic, but only because more visitors have the toolbar installed. Point is, you need to judge traffic by comparing sites in similar niches.Regardless, let me reiterate that it is better for you to get paid upfront for your writing, rather than depending on sharing the revenue.OK, now that you know what to look for in a prospective blogging job, you’ve probably whittled down your list of today’s jobs to just a handful.Now your next step is to understand what the blog owner is looking for in his prospective writers. Read on...

Impressing the Hiring Manager

Let me say this upfront: You’re going to find plenty of competition for these writing jobs. This is especially true of the higher-paying writing jobs.So, you won’t land every job that you apply for. That’s why you’ll want to use the following steps to impress the hiring manager...

Step 1: Bring Value to the Table

Blog owners who’re posting low-paying jobs either don’t value you their writer’s time and expertise, or they’re just looking for low-value content to fill their blogs. Sometimes you can spot these jobs because the employer wants you to include a whole bunch of keywords in the content that it makes it virtually impossible for you to write coherently and include all the necessary keywords. If these folks don’t hire you, then they’ll just use an article spinner.Point is, these types of bloggers aren’t really looking for quality, and they’re certainly not willing to pay for it.However, if you’re applying for the higher-paying jobs, then your prospective employers are going to be looking at what kind of value you can bring to their blog. And they’re going to looking at why they should hire you versus the other applicants.That is, what makes YOU stand out from the other writers?Below you’ll find ways to make yourself stand out and bring value.Keep in mind, you may not have very many (or any!) of these assets working in your benefit today. However, you’re now going to be aware of these assets, so you can start building them...

Your Area of Expertise

True, some employers are basically looking for a ghostwriter – someone who can research and write about a wide variety of topics. However, many employers are looking for people who have a certain area of expertise.You can prove your area of expertise in various ways, including:

Focusing your writing on your area of specialty. As your portfolio grows, you’ll be able to show a wide variety of content that you created in one specialized niche. So even if you don’t have much experience writing in the niche today, over time your experience will grow as you do more research and writing for this particular niche.
Demonstrating real-life experience in the niche. Maybe you haven’t written anything in your prospective area of specialization. That won’t matter as much if you have real-life experience and credentials to demonstrate that you’re well-versed in the field.

Example: Maybe you’re a nurse in the offline world, which makes you uniquely qualified to write about health topics. Or perhaps you’re a published author, so you can easily blog about writing and publishing topics.

Showing a college degree in the niche. Even if you don’t have direct experience in the niche, you can demonstrate your proficiency by showing that you have a related degree.

Example: Maybe you never pursued a career in psychology, yet you hold a bachelor’s degree in the field. That means that you can write intelligently about mental health issues such as depression, autism and more.

Other Special Qualifications

Another way to set yourself apart is to show your writing credentials and expertise. Here are some ideas of how to do it:

Let prospective employers know if you have a related degree. For example, were you an English or journalism major? If so, these are degrees that can set you apart from other applicants.
Refer to relevant writing experience.Have you ever had your own column in the local newspaper? Have you published a book? Have you ever taught a writing class or workshop? Have you won any writing-related awards? Do you have any other types of experiences which bolster your claims that you’re a professional writer?

Your Own Blog

Some prospective employers want you to have your own blog or other site on which you can showcase your portfolio. Specifically, here’s what they’re looking for:

Your ability to create engaging blog posts. Blogs are interactive. They require content that engages readers. So if you can demonstrate that you’ve already built a blog with this kind of content, your prospective employers may be very interested in what you have to offer.
Proof of your writing abilities. Generally, you’ll set up a portfolio on your website that includes some of your best samples. These samples should not only demonstrate your ability to write well, but they should also demonstrate your expertise in your areas of specialization.
Evidence that you’re a professional writer. You may not have your own website when you first start looking for paid blogging jobs. However, most people who’re serious about a career as a paid blogger eventually get their own sites. Some employers figure that if you don’t have your own site, then you’re not really a serious about freelance blogging. And that means you could quit, leaving the employer scrambling to find a replacement.

In short, having your own blog says, “Yes, I am in this for the long haul.”OK, now you have a sense of how to set yourself apart from the other writing applicants. Your next step is to start applying for jobs, which brings us to the next point...

Step 2: Read the Requirements Carefully

I know, you’re excited about all these paid blogging opportunities. You’re eager to start applying for jobs. But slow down. Take your time. Because you don’t want to make a mistake at this step.As mentioned before, there’s a lot of competition for these jobs. That’s why you need to read the ad carefully, paying particular attention to the following:

Make sure you’re qualified. Some job postings will list very specific requirements, such as you having relevant work experience in the niche or having a specific type of credential (such as a journalism degree). These employers will get dozens of applications from people who meet their requirements exactly, so don’t waste their time (or yours) by applying for jobs in which you don’t meet the minimum requirements.

Tip: An exception to this rule is if you have the equivalent of what they’re seeking, but not the exact requirement. For example, maybe the job posting requires that you hold a degree in journalism. If you don’t hold this degree, yet you’ve worked as a journalist for the last 10 years, then you may consider applying anyway.

Follow the instructions. You may see some very specific instructions included in job postings, such as:
- How to format your sample.
- How to submit your application.
- What to include in the email subject line.

And so on.Truth is, sometimes prospective employers include these very specific instructions as a quick way to weed out potential applicants. In other words, if you miss following even one step of the instructions, your application is immediately discarded.It doesn’t matter if you’re the best writer in the bunch. It doesn’t matter if you are the most qualified and the best applicant for this job. The employers won’t know it, because they’ll discard your application as soon as they see that you can’t follow instructions.So once again let me just reiterate that you need to take your time, read the job postings carefully and follow all instructions.No matter how well you write or what your qualifications are, you’re going to get some “no” responses, especially in the beginning.Be persistent, and you will start landing jobs. Which brings us to the next point...

Step 3: Do Your Best Work

Here’s something I want you to think about:Landing your first writing job puts you one step closer to landing your second writing job. And landing that second writing job makes it easier for you to land subsequent jobs.Here’s why:

An existing satisfied client may hire you back to do more work.
A satisfied client may refer you to others (especially if you specifically ask him to do so).
Nearly every job you complete builds your portfolio and makes you a more desirable candidate for the next job you apply for.

As you can see, however, the key is to create GREAT content and satisfied customers. Here’s how...

Research Topics Thoroughly

This is an absolute must. And this is particularly true if you’re not an expert in the topic you’re writing about. Point is, you need to make yourself an expert by reading as much as you can about the topic.Here are two other points to keep in mind:

Fact-check your work. Readers come to the blog in order to get useful information. But this information is only useful to the readers if it’s factually accurate. Thus you need to always fact-check your work. If you don’t do this and you make a mistake, then you can count on not getting hired for any future work.
Don’t introduce your opinions (unless asked to or required to). If you’re writing as a ghostwriter, then you’re representing the owner of the blog. His or her opinions may be different from your own, so don’t interject your opinions and personal beliefs into your article. Point is, if you’re going to state an opinion, make sure it’s the blog owner’s opinion.

The exception to this rule is if you’re hired as an expert to provide content for a blog.This is a case where you’re fully credited as the author, so readers know that any opinions you introduce are your own opinions (and not necessarily those of the blog owner). But even so, you don’t want to introduce opinions that differ wildly from those expressed on the rest of the blog. (Unless, of course, you’re specifically asked to express your opinions.)

Write Engaging Articles

This is one of the most important things you need to focus on. You see, a blog isn’t a text book. It’s not a monologue. Its aim isn’t to teach readers something while boring them half to death.Instead, a blog is an interactive platform. And that means your blog posts need to be engaging. They need to get your readers thinking about the topic. You need to get them excited enough that they’ll post comments and start a discussion about the topic.Here’s how to do it...

►Check the Blog’s Overall “Flavor”

Before you even sit down and write one word for a blog post, you should read a few dozen of the past blog posts. You want to get a feel for the blog’s “flavor” or style. For example, is it:

Humorous?
Serious?
Academic?
Light-hearted and conversational?
Hype-ish (written like a sales letter)?
Low-key?
Confident?
Authoritative?
No-nonsense?
Research-driven?
Motivational?
Instructional?

You get the idea.Generally, you’ll want to mimic this style in your own blog posts (especially if you’re serving as a ghostwriter, meaning your name won’t be credited to the work).

►Make Your Post Easy to Read

Chances are, you’ll find that the blog you’re writing for is not a “high-brow” blog that attempts to impress readers with convoluted sentence structure and big words. Most blog owners who try to do that don’t have audiences, so the blog ultimately fails.Instead, you’re likely to see that the vast majority of blogs employ a conversational writing style. If you want to know what I mean by a conversational writing style, just look at this report you’re reading. I think you’ll agree that it’s fairly easy to read, because I’m writing to you as a friend explaining something to another friend, rather than as an instructor lecturing to students.You should do the same thing when you write. Indeed, think about sitting across the table from a friend and explaining your topic. Then keep these points in mind:

Use “regular,” everyday words. Don’t try to impress the readers with your big vocabulary. You’ll impress them far more if they get so engaged in your writing that they don’t even notice the writing itself. Think of the last exciting novel you read. Chances are, the author used “plain language” to suck you into the story. Otherwise, if you had to stop and look up a word every few minutes, you wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the story.Same goes for your readers. If they stumble on your big words, they’re not going to enjoy reading your blog post. They’re going to give up and hit the “back” button (and you won’t get re-hired).
Use short sentences and paragraphs. These tend to be easier to read than long sentences and paragraphs. Plus, writing in short blocks of text creates extra white space, which makes your article easier on the eyes (and thus easier to read).
Use bulleted lists. If you have a long paragraph, you can often make it easier to read by breaking it into a bulleted list (like this one).

►Tell Stories

Your goal is to engage your readers, which includes engaging their emotions. And one great way to connect with your readers is by telling stories.Not only do stories help pull your readers into your writing, but these stories also help make your points and concepts more memorable.So, what kinds of stories should you tell? Just about anything relevant. For example:

Tell a story about yourself (but only if you’re writing with a credited byline).

Example: If you’re writing about how to get over the embarrassment of going to workout at a gym, you might share stories of some of your red-faced moments. This will help readers identify and connect with you, which allows you to build rapport.

Tell relevant stories about someone else. If you’re writing as a ghostwriter, then you can tell stories about someone else (rather than yourself).

Example: You can tell a story about watching a man get pulled down the street by his large dog. Then you can use this story to launch into a post about how to teach a dog how to walk on a leash nicely.

Tell well-known stories. These could be Bible stories, fables, stories about historical events or even stories that you pull from well-known books and movies.

Example: If you’re writing a blog post about dog training, you might refer to the movie (and book) “Marley and Me,” which talks about an unruly dog that does things like eats through walls.

►Add in Examples and Tips

One way to add value to your articles is by sharing examples and tips. Just look at this report for an example of how to insert both examples and tips.

Example: A page or two back I gave you a list of tips to make your writing easier to read. And just a moment ago I gave you the “Marley and Me” example of how to use stories to connect with your audience.

►Go the Extra Mile

The person who hired you to write a blog post gave you a specific list of requirements for the job, which you should follow carefully. However, you can impress and satisfy this person by going the extra mile.In other words, do more than is expected of you. For example:

Include graphics or other illustrations to accompany the article. This could be as easy as including a stock photo (from iStockPhoto.com) which illustrates the topic of your post. So if you’re writing about poodles, you might include a photo of a cute poodle.
Create a longer article than what was required.Of course this only applies if a longer article is a GOOD thing (as some blog owners want and require short articles). But assuming it’s a good thing, then feel free to offer extra content at no charge.
Offer other extras. For example, you can create two or three different titles so that the owner can test the titles and/or pick the one he likes best.

►Proofread Your Work

Finally, be sure to proofread your work. It’s incredibly hard to catch your own mistakes, though, so you may want to have a friend proof your work for you.Better yet, have your friend read the piece out loud to you. Not only will you catch typos and other errors, but this is also a good way to check that the article flows smoothly and is easy to read.And there you have it: You now know how to satisfy your clients and employers so that they re-hire you for future work. Now let’s turn our attention to ways you can boost your blogging revenue...

Boosting Your Income

You now know exactly how to find and land paid blog writing jobs. You can make a good living based on what you already know. However, I do want to mention just a couple more tips to you for ways that you can boost your blogging income. Read on...

Drive Traffic to Revenue-Sharing Sites

If you’ve elected to take on jobs that pay with a revenue-sharing model, then you’ll make more money if you drive traffic to your blog posts.Here are three different ways to do it:

Optimize your blog post to bring in search engine traffic. You’ll need to find out what your readers are searching for in Google by using a tool like WordTracker.com. Then select a keyword and include it about two to three times for every 100 words of content.
Tell your contacts about your posts. This includes telling your Facebook friends, tweeting about your posts, emailing your close friends, and blogging about it (if you have a blog).
Include links in your forum signature files. If you’re a member of a forum whose members would be interested in your post, then include a link to your post in your forum signature file.

Advertise Yourself as a Freelancer

Yes, you ARE a freelancer. But so far, you’re relying on finding ads from employers (and clients) and answering these ads. Don’t forget, you can also post your own ads on sites like CraigsList.org.You can also look for blogging jobs on any freelance sites. Just do a Google search for freelance sites.

Start Your Own Blog

Once you start doing a lot of work for other blog owners, you may realize that you could be putting your time and efforts into building your very own profitable blog – one in which you keep and enjoy all the profits. Indeed, you can start blogging about your passion (your area of expertise) while you’re still writing for others. Then over time your blog will grow and replace your freelancing income.

Note: There are free places where you can start blogging, like LiveJournal.com and Blogger.com. However, many of these third-party free services frown on blogs with any commercial content. And even those that allow commercial content control your blog. This means that your entire blog – all your hard work – could disappear without notice.

As such, you should protect yourself by getting your own domain name (through NameCheap.com), good webhosting (through HostGator.com) and your own blog (through WordPress.org).

Now let’s wrap things up...

Conclusion

Congratulations: you now know everything there is to know about starting a career as a paid blog writer!Let’s recap what you’ve learned:

Finding Jobs: As you discovered, there are plenty of paid blog writing jobs, when you know where to look for them!Analyzing the Opportunity: Unfortunately, not all writing opportunities are good opportunities, which is why you learned how to analyze a job to see if it’s a good fit for you.Impressing the Hiring Manager: Here you learned how to make your application stand out from everyone else’s application. These tips help you land the best jobs!Doing a Great Job: The key to getting repeat business and referrals is to impress and satisfy your employers and clients with great writing. And that’s exactly what you learned how to do in this section.Boosting Your Income: Here you got an overview of three ways to boost your blogging income. Something to think about for the future!

Bottom line, you now have a step-by-step guide for finding and landing all the best paid blogging jobs.So your next step is easy: take action.Start applying for the blogging jobs today. Meanwhile, work on building your credentials, experience and portfolio to help you land even more jobs tomorrow!That’s it for this lesson! See you next month!

Lesson 1: How To Get Hired For Paid Blog Writing Jobs