“What blog post ideas are on the calendar for the next few months?”
When Carol Tice asked me that on a recent Zoom call, I knew the well of blog post ideas for Make a Living Writing was running low.
“Let’s work on getting 6 to 8 weeks ahead.”
Makes sense, right? Working ahead is always a good idea.
So you’d think I’d just dip into my inbox flooded with blog post ideas, sift out the bad ones, reach out to the freelancers with fresh ideas, and make some assignments.
That’s a great idea. There’s just one problem…
About 99.9 percent of the blog post ideas and pitches writers submit are terrible. As in:
Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me?
Seriously. It’s bad (I’ll show you in just a sec). And it’s time to do something about it.
Want to write a guest post for Make a Living Writing? Here’s what you need to know:
First…Please stop sending insanely bad pitches
Put yourself in my shoes. You’re the editor of a popular blog about the business and craft of freelance writing.
And you need to make some assignments to keep the 1,200-blog-posts-and-counting machine going that publishes useful advice for freelance writers every Tuesday and Friday.
So let’s take a look at my inbox. Here’s a couple of pitches I’ve received in the last few days for Make a Living Writing:
- I am also a blogger and I love to write about gardening related topics.
- Here is an idea I think would resonate with your readers: The 8 Manliest Alcoholic Drinks of All Time
- I want to publish my unique and informative article on your site related to: Technology/Business/Web Design/WordPress/social media/graphic design
- Tell me, are you interested in a guest article for a blog on how to live a whole year in Russia without a refrigerator?
Would you accept any of these blog post ideas?
No. No, you wouldn’t.
Not if you can read, have a pulse, or know the difference between a Lamborghini and a Ford Pinto.
Chances are pretty good even a grade-school-age kid who’s been stuck at home for months between fake school and an everything-is-closed kind of summer vacation, can tell these pitches don’t have anything to do with freelance writing.
I have to give these freelance writers props for taking the initiative to pitch an idea. I mean, it’s one of the best ways to land freelance writing assignments:
- Put yourself out there
- Come up with some good blog post ideas, and
- Reach out to an editor
But it’s all for nothing if your blog post ideas don’t have anything to do with the target audience or the site you’re pitching. Please, stop sending bad pitches to editors.
Make generating good ideas one of your superpowers
With that little rant out of the way, what are we looking for? Your best blog post ideas about freelance writing. For example:
- How to get started when you don’t have any writing samples
- Creative marketing strategies to find freelance clients
- Using social media to connect with freelance writing prospects
- Tips for writing blog post headlines that attract readers
- Rules about SEO every freelance writer should know
- Apps, tips and tools to boost productivity
- How to set your rates or raise your rates
- How to break into a new niche as a freelance writer
- Tips to turn your LinkedIn profile into a lead-generating machine
- Advice for laid-off journalists trying to go full-time freelance
- Hacks, strategies, and ideas to find high-paying clients
- How to write for non-profits and make money
- How to get retainer clients or long-term clients with lots of work
- Your success story from zero to where you are now as a freelance writer
- Thoughts, ideas, and expert advice about content marketing for freelancers
Spark any blog post ideas? Good. Here’s what to do next:
Pitch your best blog post ideas about freelance writing
It’s open pitch time for Make a Living Writing. If you’re foaming at the mouth with a great blog post idea right now, let’s hear it in the Comments section below. If you need a little more time or help to brainstorm some ideas, do the following:
Study the guidelines. It’s all there. Lot of freelance topics, details, and instructions to help you pitch an idea that gets accepted. (Note: Far too many writers don’t read the guidelines. No, we don’t want a pitch about living refrigerator-free in Russia, or anything else unrelated to freelance writing.)
Read the blog. FYI, there’s more than 1,200 posts on all kinds of freelance writing topics. Get familiar with the content, style, and audience, before you pitch a guest post idea.
Develop an original idea about the business and craft of freelance writing. We don’t accept any generic, researched-off-the-Internet writing topics we’ve all seen 1,000 times before.
Share your experience. Your hands-on approach to freelancing, successes, failures, and strategies make a difference. Share your experience or provide a play-by-play account of how you get more clients, for example. Learning from other writers’ personal experiences is a powerful way to teach, motivate, and help other freelancers move up and earn more.
Write a pitch with a working headline and a brief outline of the points you’ll cover in the guest post. In case you didn’t see that…write a BRIEF outline with a working headline. No pre-written posts, ramblings, or novel-length submissions. And no…nothing about gardening, alcohol, refrigerators, or spammy link-bait offers, either.
Submit your blog post ideas and pitches in the Comments section below.
It’s open pitch through Aug. 31
Let’s see what you’ve got. Submit your blog post ideas for Make a Living Writing in the Comments section. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible, if it looks like a good fit.
Got a blog post idea about freelance writing? Pitch in the comment section below.
Evan Jensen is the blog editor for Make a Living Writing. When he’s not on a writing deadline or catching up on emails, he’s training to run another 100-mile ultra-marathon.
