What should I be writing about on this blog? What information could I share that would stand the best chance of helping writers earn more?
These are questions I’m thinking a lot about lately. (And yes, please do tell me your thoughts about it in the comments.)
One way I try to figure out what would help writers most is by looking at the list below — the most popular posts of the year.
To create this list, I used my Google Analytics, and eliminated posts that originally went up before 2012. (I’ve also excluded posts from my Marketing 101 for Freelance Writers e-course — subscribe here to get those.)
I made it a list of 20 instead of just a top 10 because I wanted to look at more data on what readers like.
Take a look — bylines are mine except where noted. These are ranked by the number of pageviews each post received across the calendar year of 2012:
- How I Made Six Figures as a Freelance Writer
- How I Became a More Productive Writer by Doing This One, Simple Thing
- 10 Writer Websites That Kick Butt and Get Clients
- How I Got $25,000 Blog Subscribers From Pinterest — in Two Months Flat by Taylor Flanery
- 10 Mistakes I Made Publishing My Ebook — and How You Can Do it Better
- 10 Reasons Why You Can’t Make a Living Writing by Josh Sarz
- Are You Letting Sleazebag Freelance Clients Get You Pregnant?
- How To Get Great Blogging Clients… Even if You’re a Teenage Nigerian (featuring Bamidele Onibalusi)
- How to Dig Out of the Content-Mill Hole and Land a Client — Fast by Elaine Yue
- The 3 Worst Blog-Writing Blunders — Don’t Make These Mistakes by Danny Iny
- How to Win a Free Year in Freelance Writers Den (sorry folks, this contest has expired!)
- The 10-Step Guide to Fixing the Writer Website Fails That Cost You Clients
- 7 Ways the Make a Living Writing Blog Makes Money
- The 13 Business Bloggers All Freelance Writers Should Read to Earn More
- 7 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Create Retirement Income
- 3 Guest Post Pitch Emails That Got the Gig
- 5 Reasons Why Your Letter of Introduction Isn’t Getting You Writing Gigs
- Answers to 100 Freelance Writing Questions — Including Yours (still room for your question here!)
- How to Get Well-Paid Copywriting Jobs Without Being a Suck-Up by James Brown
- How One Writer Pulled Out of a Depression and Kick-Started Her Earnings by Sarah Protzman Howlett
A few thoughts on these (and a preview of what’s to come in 2013):
As with last year’s list, nearly half of these begin with “how.” This list also contains quite a few of what I’d call “example” posts, where I offer concrete evidence on how to do something — the actual emails that got a gig, for instance, or 10 examples of good writer sites. I’ll be looking to deliver more of this sort of specific, nitty-gritty info next year.
Short lists of do’s or don’ts were also popular — there are more lists of under-10 than of 10 or more. Presenting one single tip worked for you, too.
The other big shift I see is that many of these talk about blogging or writer websites. When I started this blog, all the posts revolved around finding freelance gigs the old fashioned way, where you go to work for a company or magazine.
But as self-publishing and blog-monetizing have emerged as increasingly viable ways for writers to earn, more posts are addressing this side of paid writing as well. Posts on ebooks and blogging were favorites, so you can expect more of that next year, too. I think of this blog as an umbrella for all avenues to paid writing.
I’m excited to see that six guest posts made the top 20 — apparently, you are loving the variety of fresh voices my guest posters bring as much as I am. Hoping to see even more of these next year.
I included the contest post as a reminder to myself that you like contests. As it happens, I love putting them on! So I’m definitely planning more of them next year…and the prizes are going to be tasty. Stay tuned.
Speaking of guest posts…my guest-post well is nearly dry, so it’s a good time to pitch me ideas. For those who don’t know, I pay $50 a post (and it’s pretty competitive to get an assignment, so bring your best idea we haven’t covered before!) Read my guidelines first, if you want a chance at getting a post approved.
What would you like to learn from this blog in 2013? Leave me your topic ideas in the comments.