5 Reasons Why Every Freelance Writer Should Blog

If you are a freelance writer and you’ve abandoned your blog for Facebook, Twitter or to take on some fresh writing assignments, I’m going to advocate on behalf of your blog in order to get you to make your return.

Your blog misses you. You miss blogging.

Okay, those are not exactly profound statements, but they do underscore why you began blogging in the first place: you love the freedom blogging gives to you and the interaction you had with your readers.

Now that you are flitting around elsewhere, you have basically given your blog the heave-ho even if you haven’t deleted it or killed it off when your hosting account came due recently. Yes, something deep down inside of you is telling you to hang on. Guess what? I hear those same voices, so allow me to put on computer screen five reasons why you should keep on keeping on with blogging:

1. Your blog is all yours – Where would you prefer to live: in an apartment or in a house? Apartments are for renting while homes are for owning, allowing you to decorate, renovate or otherwise improve it as you see fit. I am speaking about pride of ownership here: you found your niche, are advancing your agenda and you cannot wait to begin writing your next article. Life is good; your blog helps make that so. You own it!

2. Helping people is where it’s at for you – I believe everyone has a God-given altruistic side to their nature, one that when cultivated can make a huge difference in the lives of other people. Blogging allows for you to show the giving side of yourself as you dispense advice, share important news, guide your readers or otherwise do your part to bring about positive change.

3. No one is peering over your writing shoulder – Let’s face it: some of the best people in your life are editors. You know, the ones who hold your feet to the AP Stylebook fire to make sure that you capitalize Internet, spell out states such as Hawaii and Alaska and otherwise nitpick you to death! Once they’ve torn your best writing work asunder, you feel particularly small, perhaps insignificant. With blogging, you can cast style guidelines to the side and write freely and openly, perhaps the only chance you have to do so during the day or week. Let the open conversation flow!

4. To make money – Most blogs do a poor job of producing money for their blog owners through ad monetization, which is why you should not rely on AdSense and other financial arrangements (e-books, paid posts, you name it) to fund your business model. I know that I have been “discovered” by editors through this blog as well as on my car blogs because I have taken the time to update my sites and write a compelling piece or two. The money comes in through writing gigs I landed due to my very public exposure which is reason enough for me (and you) to keep on blogging.

5. Prepare for the future – I founded the forerunner to this blog, The Article Writer, in December 2005 and later merged it with this blog to create Matt’s Musings. I have more than 850 articles published to this site, many of which I am tremendously proud of. I will probably keep this blog going for many years for the simple reason it sits on the domain bearing my name. But beyond that I can see how this blog may eventually help me write my first book or launch a completely new enterprise. You are part of my faithful group of followers…what better way to keep you informed about what I am doing and where I am headed?

A few years back everyone was thinking that Google would absorb all things Internet, but it seems Facebook is pulling in users faster than anything we’ve ever seen. Facebook, Twitter and other sites are useful tools especially if you write an article and want to share what you wrote by placing links on those sites back to your own.

You may have found your place in the freelance writing world, but as Dorothy once said, “there’s no place like home.” And, even if you are not a freelance writer, but rely upon blogging for your business, keep up the good work: the benefits will continue to flow for the persistent few.

See Also — Write Often To Write Better

Reflections on a Year Soon to End

Mostly everyone I have talked to over the past few days has made a similar remark: 2009 seems to have gone by fast. Starting with the seating of a new president in January through the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler months later to the halting of much of the financial bloodletting by the fall months, a lot took place this year.

But it seemed to move at lightning speed, at least that is what some people have told me.

2010 is upon us and I have just one question to ask: how will you pronounce the new year? I’ve been mulling this for a few years now and am inclined to say “twenty-ten” instead of “two thousand and ten.” Twenty ten is short, to the point, and returns us to the pronunciation style we favored in the 20th century.

Still, I am hearing most newscasters and everyday folks pronounce the latter, therefore I am presuming that the lengthier, more cumbersome five syllable utterance will beat out the three syllable vocalization, at least initially.

I trust that your holiday season has been a good one, though it certainly has been trying one for several people. Just yesterday I talked with a friend who lost his job in May, who commented how much different the job search was for him this time around. As an engineer, he was used to losing his job from time to time only to regain a new one almost immediately, but nothing quite matched his experience in 2009.

Instead of receiving replies from companies about his job inquiries, he heard absolutely nothing. This went on for months until, finally, in November one query returned a contract opportunity which may last him until June.

I say “may last him” as we both know that contract gigs can be canceled at any time. He believes the job will be around for most of that time, but he is not relying on that happening. Instead, he will be launching his new business in the weeks ahead and joining the growing numbers of people who were downsized at the height of their careers and have decided to make a go of it on their own.

Anyway, what choice do most people have? It is not as if there are many jobs out there. At least good paying ones at that.

I am not about to harp on 2009 as the past is just that: gone. Like my friend who is launching his new business, I’ve decided to keep my eyes focused on what lies ahead. We have both entrusted our businesses into the capable hands of Almighty God, knowing that His guidance is more than sufficient for 2010 and beyond.

This will be my last post on Matt’s Musings for 2009, with a forward looking tips article to be posted here on New Year’s Day. Many thanks to each of my readers as your loyalty has helped sustain me through much of the past year.

Photo Credit:  Billy Alexander