Applying for Blogging Jobs - Do You Need A Resume?
Recently someone asked me about blogging resumes. As in do you need one, and if so how should your resume look. The short answer to this is you won’t need a full-on resume for most
The three kinds of blog gigs I’ve applied for are; network-based, individual client or business owed blogs, and word of mouth blogs. Word of mouth blog is my catch all phrase for blog gigs that I hear about because one, I know the individual hiring, or two, I was referred by a good friend who knows the person hiring.
I stick to one general rule when it comes to applying for blogging jobs. I give the hiring party what they ask for. I read the ad, follow directions, and tell them what they want to know. Plenty of people DO NOT follow basic directions when applying for writing jobs. If you do follow directions, you’re already one step ahead of many applicants.
There are two times when I won’t follow directions. One is when I’m asked to submit newly written original clips. Two is when I’m asked to quote a rate, but the ad is too vague regarding required tasks and hours. I’ll discuss these two issues in an upcoming post. (Stay tuned)
With network blogs, there’s usually some sort of application page. The best way to apply for a network gig, is to read their application and/or job opening page carefully, and then follow their directions for applying. In my experience, a network is far more likely to hire you if you apply for a blog opening they have already, vs. suggesting a new blog.
With word of mouth blogs, I’m very brief. I’ll send a quick email that begins with how I know about the gig; i.e. “Bob Smith let me know that you’re looking for an architect blogger for Architect.com; here are my qualifications and time available.” I’m brief, because I don’t know what they want to hear, other than I know they need a blogger. Also, sending a potential client too much info, is worse, in my opinion, then bare basics. No one likes wading through wordy emails.
When it comes to applying for individual client or business owed blogs, first of all, I tell them what they want to hear based on what they wrote in their ad. Personally, I’ve never had a potential client ask for a standard resume. Usually clients want a cover letter or introduction letter of sorts. If they don’t ask, don’t send a full resume. Blogging tends to involve brevity, or at least showing that you can be brief when asked. If a client asks for a short introduction letter, and you send a resume, refs, and a cover letter, they’re probably going to wonder if you’ll ever be able to follow directions.
The actual introduction email letter: I’ve posted a sample intro letter with a breakdown of what’s what, as its own post - Sample Introduction Letter.
Do you usually submit a resume or an introduction letter when applying for blogging jobs?
How Much Do You Earn Blogging for Someone Else?
What Do the Top Bloggers Earn? It’s a Lot More Than $5 per Post!
Read/Write Web posted some interesting statistics about some top tier bloggers and their earnings. The results were surprising to many. No, they’re not earning $5 a post or $100 a month plus traffic bonuses, many bloggers are bringing in pay ranging from $25 a post to $75, 000 a year plus bennies.
Surprising? It shouldn’t be. Even though most network bloggers start out low, the job boards tell us there is life beyond the networks. Blog posts paying upwards of $20 a post are becoming more common place and many of us have stopped freelancing to earn a much higher salary doing what we love.
While the Read/Write web article states gigs like these are difficult to find, I’m not so sure I agree. We look at several different job boards a day and there are always a couple of choice, high paying gigs on at least one of the boards on a given day. Moreover, by browsing certain sites one can also find full time opportunities for bloggers, Community Managers, Social Networkers and more. Like all good things, you have to to be patient to find these jobs but they’re there, I promise. Granted, the competition for these is no doubt fierce, but that’s just more incentive to be the best blogger possible.
I wonder, if earnings like this DO become commonplace, will bloggers leave networks for greener pastures or will networks begin raising their rates? It’ll be interesting to watch for sure.
$20 Per Post Blogging Opportunity
I’m often asked where to find higher paying writing and blogging gigs. In fact, I’ve even been questioned over whether or not they exist. So, in putting my money where my mouth is, I’d like to present a very good opportunity. A DevLounge blogging gig at $20 per post.
You see? Let’s hope gigs like this become the norm. In the mean time, I’ll continue to link to the higher paying gigs here.
Got issues?
It’s been one of those days when working for an unruly social service agency sounds like way more fun than freelancing. Still, this made me laugh.
Calculate your hourly blogging rate
A large base salary or high traffic bonus at a blog gig may seem great, but to know how much you’re honestly making as a blogger you need to evaluate your hourly wage.
For bloggers, figuring your hourly wage is something you should do frequently; at least every couple of months, because things change quickly. A job that was worth it when you started, may not be worth it now. On the upside, a job could be worth more now then when you started. Good news or bad, you won’t really know what a blog gig is worth if you ignore hourly pay.
Example 1 - figuring hourly wages for a low task blog:
At one blog I make a flat rate of $600 a month. Posts there take me 15 minutes and I’m not required to network. That’s 15 mins x 19 posts a week + about 1 hour per week answering comments which = 23 hours of work a month which = about $26 an hour. That’s not bad. Once in a while this blog client tosses me some extra work at $50 an hour (which I consider a pay benefit).
Example 2 - figuring hourly wages for a task heavy blog:
At blogs where I’m expected to do a variety of tasks it can make computing an hourly wage difficult. For blog gigs like this I usually divide up tasks by:
- Blog maintenance - comments, blogroll, link checks, and so fourth.
- Posting - finding leads, finding images, writing
- Networking - leaving comments on other blogs, submitting to social network sites (or hanging out on them), and promoting the blog in other ways. I usually include things like staff meetings or editor meetings in networking.
To figure my hourly wage for a task-heavy gig, I set a timer (once in a while) as I work, just to see how long, on average, all the above tasks take me at a particular blog.
Calculate total hourly pay averages:
After I figure all my monthly hourly wages, I compute my total combined hourly wage. To calculate your total combined hourly wage simply take your average monthly take home pay and divide it by all the hours you work in a month.
Why bother with the total hourly wage average - because overall, either blogging is a good career choice for you money-wise, or it’s not. There are folks in between I’m sure, but calculating your overall wage allows you to consider that, “Hey, blogging is working out for me” or, “Wow, I only average $8 an hour - I could make way more if I went back to tech writing.”
Adding it all together:
Honestly, I don’t just focus on hourly wages in order to decide whether to stick with a blog gig or not. I look at my stress level and enjoyment related to each blog. For example, I make about $37 an hour for one blog gig, but it’s a little stressful, because I really have to focus on writing perfect posts; I stay because it pays so well and it’s only a little stressful. I write for one blog where my hourly wage is only $10 an hour (which is too low), but I love the darn blog, it’s easy for me, and my other gigs make up for it; so I stay. On the flip side, I had a blog client once who paid me, on average, $17 an hour, but said client was a major pain; although the hourly wage was decent, I quit.
When it comes to choosing blog jobs, or choosing to stay or leave a blog job, it’s a good plan to start with your hourly wage as a jumping off point, add in the other factors, and make a decision.
Do you know what you’re making per hour blogging?
Will Work for Diggs
I hit the Digg front page a couple of times and it felt darn good. When I hit it wasn’t because I sent a shout or email to friends asking them to vote. Each time I hit, someone else (someone I didn’t know even) submitted my post and it got lucky. On the occasions I asked for Diggs for what I felt were good articles nothing happened. I stopped asking for Diggs and Stumbles, however, because I feel doing so on a regular basis turns one into a pain in the butt.
It’s no secret how I feel about people who come out of the wordwork to ask for social media loving. With that in mind, I’m sure you can already imagine how I feel about b5Media’s new policy of rewarding bloggers who hit big on Digg.
Actually I learned a little about a new bonus system before the details were announced at TechCrunch because I had the pleasure of chatting with Jeremy Wright and David Peralty in the speaker room at BlogWorld Expo. While we chatted, I agreed with Jeremy that bloggers should receive bonuses for hard work. Indeed, when I have an especially good month at FWJ I share with my bloggers. Also, when I was an editor for LovetoKnow we were allotted a monthly allowance to give bonuses to our bloggers. I feel strongly about rewarding the people who work for me and enjoy calling them out for going on and beyond. I think b5Media got it right when they put a plan in place to award bloggers bonuses in recognition of a good month or good deed.
But (and you knew there’d be a but)
The more I think about giving out bonuses for Diggs the more I’m not so sure it’s a good idea. This could just be my personal feeling but I think by doing so b5 bloggers will write more for the Digg factor and less for their readers. Don’t get me wrong. Linkbait can be fun, but I don’t want to read it every time I visit a blog.
I also feel this will turn many bloggers into social media beggars. More bloggers will be hitting up their buddies, and even people they barely know, for Diggs and Stumbles. Digg lists will be created so everyone can vote on each other and now bloggers will put much of their effort in getting Diggs rather than building community or writing good content.
Rewarding bloggers with bonuses? Good idea. Mad props to Jeremy and the team for looking for a way to give credit where it’s due. Encouraging the almighty Digg? I’m not so confident this is a good idea. Digg traffic is temporary. Instead bonuses should be awarded for community building, quality comments, great content and a good steady rise in traffic.
What do you think? Am I wrong about this? Should bloggers be encouraged to get out the Digg?
The New b5media Pay Structure
As you may have heard, b5media has a new pay structure in the works, soon to be implemented. Since we aim to cover network news, following are some links if you’d like to learn more…
Tech Crunch posted all the new pay structure stats from a personal email sent out to b5 staff. Is it right to post emails like this - maybe not; in fact, I’d be kind of pissy if someone snagged my emails and posted them on the web. However, on the flip side, if you’ve thought about joining (applying for work) at b5, it’s best to have all the facts. Also, it’s a business, and business news breaking out into the world is hardly unheard of. If you’re interested read: Big Blogger Pay Cuts At b5Media
Here’s the Blog Herald coverage of the issue: B5media Revamps Pay Model, Bloggers Lose Money
Jeremy Wright responded at his own blog: Initial (3am) Response to TechCrunch
I work at b5, and honestly have no concrete comment yet. I’m still considering my own options; trying to work out the math and pay per time spent part of this new structure. That said, I’m sure I’ll be back with some thoughts soon. What I do know is that one of my favorite blogs won’t be worth writing for anymore. Meaning, I’d have to put in too much time for too little pay, which blows, seeing as how I adore this blog. On the upside, that’s not how it’ll be across the board.
Do you work at b5? Do you have an initial take on the the pay structure?
10 places to find unique products for your blog
Most of the blogs I write for are low-level product centered; meaning I sometimes blog about products but more often I post tips, news, or advice. Still, I do post products, if one, I think it might be useful for my readers to know about the product or two, if it’s during the holiday season.
During this time of year you can get some decent traffic by focusing on gift guides (examples: 10 kooky gifts for your neighbor, 15 sustainable toys for Christmas, etc.) or products that suit the season - decor, costumes, table settings, and more. I’m not a huge fan of product driven blogs, but in the case of my blogs, posting about products some of the time works. In fact, one of my most popular posts ever was a holiday product post; although it’s been a year, I still get big traffic from it.
If you’re interested in blogging about products, it helps if you can find some unique products. No one wants to see the same old thing that every other blog is showing. While it’s tough to have 100% unique product posts at your blog, you can find some spiffy fresh products if you know where to look and where to avoid.
For unique product finds avoid the following:
Blogs on your blogroll: I don’t tend to look for products at other blogs covering my topic, because I’d rather find something that my favorites haven’t already blogged about. That said, I will look at blogs that cover other topics. For example, for my green blogs, I’ll sometimes check for cool products at say, an office or tech blog
Books: Products you show or review on your blogs should be timely, and books tend to become outdated quickly, which means searching books can be a huge waste of your time. The only exception I’ve found is in how-to books, like home building or home design for example. Often the resource section in these sorts of books will still be current, but not always, so for me, books are a last ditch effort for product reviews.
Where to look for unique products to post about or review:
- PR.com and ProfNet: Both offer press releases about new products. We posted about ProfNet before in Where To Get Blog Contest Prizes.
- Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports doesn’t show the most unique products, but they will give you some great ideas about what’s hot in product news. Also, because they show so many products, you’ll be able to link out to online shops quickly.
- This Next: Bad because you’ll see duplicate products often, but good because once in a while you’ll see an extra fab unique product or a link to an unusual online shop.
- Magazines: Unlike books, magazines update product listings monthly. You can check in the back of a magazine hard copy, or look at a magazine’s webpage (most now have a shopping section).
- Interior design magazines: IDMs, are to me, in a different league than other magazines. You can find some very neat and unique home products, art, clothing, and more in these publications. Dezignare has a great listing of tons of interior design pubs.
- Local stores: Local shops are good places to visit and look for products. I hate shopping, so I usually don’t go to the store directly, but will check my local business chamber website instead. You can find unique local merchants who carry items you may not see in any other part of the world. In line with this would be local galleries, although, you have to be careful, because not all galleries sell online, and I’ve had readers complain when I show something impossible to purchase.
- Show websites: Green home shows, home and garden shows, parenting expos, and other events list plenty of sponsors on their websites.
- Local and national business directories: You could choose a single profession like the Toy Industry Association, or choose a large general guide with a focus. Since I blog green topics, I tend to frequent directories like Co-op America and my local ReDirect Guide, but of course, choose a directory that focuses on your topic.
- Etsy: Etsy always carries fresh products - most handmade and unique. Plus if you post an Etsy product you’re usually helping out a self-employed artist.
- Online shops: I collect online shops related to my topics, sort them into bookmark folders, and then bookmark the new product page.
*Bonus tip: Ten Sites for Finding Wonderful Things
Are you offering gift guides and product reviews this holiday season at your blog?
Will I Be Quitting Blogging Anytime Soon?
Miss mind reader Deb just posted an excellent read, Should You Work for Blog Networks? Blogging for others (OR NOT) is what’s been on my mind for weeks now. Ok, longer then weeks. It’s also been on the mind of pretty much every pro-blogger pal I have, and that’s not a huge surprise. In the last year I’ve worked for networks that have closed up shop, networks who are implementing pay reconfigurations that may or may not make it worth my time to even blog anymore, clients who have no clue about blogs, and a couple of pesky clients who forget to pay me each month (until I yet again remind them).
Blogging, which by the way I love, has become sort of cumbersome. At least blogging for others has. At least for now. But quit altogether? I’m not so sure I could do that.
When blogging for others is good, it can be REALLY good. It’s enjoyable to blog for pay, actually see a paycheck on time, and not have to worry about all that back end blog work. When a client or network runs a blog, I don’t have as many worries. No worries about design, or ads, or what to do when the servers flop; it’s a snap to deal, when you don’t have to truly deal with these issues.
My take on the seemingly unsettled and not so reliable blogosphere right now is in line with what Gayla noted in the comments of Deb’s post - “Blogging is a game of chance - some hit big, some don’t.” She also points out that blogging for a network allows you to, “Rub elbows with influential people more often than what independent blogging would allow.” Both those statements are true, and likely why I stick with blogging for others. I’ve landed some pretty major blog/writing gigs based on my past work with other blog networks and clients, plus made plenty of great friends, so in some ways, I feel that even when I’ve been fed up at work, it’s somehow paid off.
In Deb’s post she says, “I’ve been receiving a lot of email lately at my Freelance Writing Jobs blog regarding blog networks. Most want to know if they’re still worth it. Should we continue to blog for someone else, or is it more realistic to create our own blogs and keep all the revenue?”
My answer would be much like Deb’s - no one can make that call for you. For myself, I am at a point in my career where money does matter. I won’t put in long hours or be motivated at the thought of $100 / month for any blog client, because I know I can make more. If I can make more at my own blogs fine. If I can make more by going back to magazine work, well, ok. It’s still writing, and still something I’ll enjoy. I’ll enjoy it at a different level, but all jobs have ups and downs and we all know that writing is especially testy at times.
Knowing the current state of blog networks and client-owed blogs, as a single mama supporting a son, I think that putting all my eggs in the blogging for others basket would be a bad call. I’ve managed to pay all my bills with only blog income for a good long while now, but if I can’t, if blogging for others starts to make my life slide downward, I’ll switch things up.
In the end I think part of being a good freelance writer is the ability to be very flexible. You have to make the market work for you. If one sort of work won’t cut it, then diversifying is the only option. At the very least, diversifying will liven things up.
What do you think? Are all your eggs in one sort of writing basket right now, or are you branching out?
