Last Updated on: June 20th, 2017
This week, the “Freelancer In The Spotlight” today is Harleena Singh.
First, a few words from me… about Harleena
Harleena Singh is a freelance writer and blogger. She loves to write on a diversity of topics on her multi-niche life blog, Aha!NOW, which focuses on self-development and self-help with an aim to help you bring happiness into your life.
But she’s so much more than that. She’s also a mom, a teacher, and a truly awesome person!
Harleena Singh is a qualified teacher and started her career as a classroom teacher in private schools. She has a graduate degree in Commerce, postgraduate degree in English, and a professional degree in Education.
Harleena has also served as an administrator of a small private school, where she polished her management and organizational skills. It was after her stint as a full-time working teacher and manager that she decided to stay at home and start freelance writing, with the aim to be there for her growing kids.
~ excerpt taken from Harleena Singh, The Commenting Superstar & Proficient Writer!
Take it away, Harleena!
Thank you, Lorraine, for this wonderful opportunity to share my story with your readers, and although it’s nothing much, but perhaps it might help someone. 🙂
*Her modesty is one of the things I love about Harleena. 😉
My story, background, and how I got into freelancing
For me, it was routine to teach English to primary and elementary school children. I enjoyed imparting knowledge to the young ones, which was not limited to the grammar and literature of the foreign language.
My brief tenure as a teacher was one of my best life experiences. Though teaching came naturally to me, as part of professional teaching, I had to plan my lessons, execute them effectively, and look after the all-round development of the children.
However, I could not carry on teaching in schools for a long time. I had previously acted as the administrator of a small school, which was interesting and enjoyable too, but unfortunately, I had to leave that job because it demanded too much of my time. More so, I wanted to spend quality time with my growing kids and be there for them.
I did not want them to compromise in any way with their studies, so I decided to stay at home and look for some challenging job that interested me, something that didn’t require me to step out of my house.
It was then that my sister informed me about freelance writing that she was doing, and asked if I wanted to join as well. My sister is a good writer and unlike me, always scribbles lines of poetry or short stories, and has, ever since she was in school. In fact, I believe, we both inherited the writing genes from our mother, who also loved writing and had a flair for it. Now, even my Dad writes, though mainly for papers and journals – so it runs in our family! 🙂
I initially hesitated and doubted if I could at all write, not having written for years. I mean the writing I used to do in school and college was completely different from that required by the clients. You can call it the “commercial” writing. Nevertheless, I went ahead and started with freelance writing, though initially, I kept my rates quite low.
I gradually learned the art of researching and writing articles on topics given to me by the clients, which also included keyword research.
Not surprisingly, I loved freelance writing and had fun completing my assignments, which my clients appreciated a lot. That was a few years down the lane. Since then, I worked day and night on my writing assignments and improved my writing skills. Most of my clients were American so perhaps that helped me further.
My clients asked for SEO and keyword-rich articles. So, first I had to find out what these terms were and I “Googled” about them to reach to the right resource sites. Google has been my best friend and guide in doing research for all the articles and even the blog posts that I write.
4 Main Lessons Learned
The lessons I learned during my initial days of freelance writing helped me become proficient in my work and make a name for myself in the freelancing world. I will enumerate a few of them hoping they will help the newbie freelancers.
1: Planning is platinum
It is very important to chalk out or plan your workday and the assignments to meet the deadlines. No matter what, writers and even bloggers need to respect deadlines. You need to remember that your clients or readers will not pay heed to your reasons, which will merely be excuses for them. Planning is precious.
2: Research is golden
Pour yourself wholly into the research of your topic and drench yourself fully with the knowledge such that every word you write drips off information, and make it worthy to read. A well-researched article will even eclipse an article written by a literary expert when it comes to commercial writing.
3: Experience is silver
Your rich life experience is your trophy. You need to fill your articles with your experience. Your personal interpretation, involvement, and interjection of viewpoints helps to make your article innovative and interesting. Use your experience to make your words shine in the background of a common data that anyone can research online.
4: You are the diamond
The story does not end here, because you are the hero. You are fully responsible to create the masterpiece, and for that, you need to put in the best of efforts and never be afraid or shy of hard work. You are the craftsperson who will use the nuggets of your wisdom and weave them along with the pearls of your thoughts, in the thread of research. Nothing is impossible, if you are ready to take up challenges.
Blogging Helped Me Earn
As I was sailing in the freelancing waters, I met many writers who were also bloggers. The concept of blogging did strike me as something that I could use to showcase my writing portfolio and impress my clients. By now, I was sure that I wanted to be a popular freelance writer, so I even got a domain name registered to reflect my aspirations – www.freelancewriter.co/
However, blogging brought the twist in the story. It was almost as if I changed my religion, and slowly I became more of a blogger than a freelance writer. However, looking from the perspective of a career, blogging supplemented my desire to excel in freelance writing, and eventually helped me earn my livelihood. By this I mean that blogging helped me build a writing portfolio and got me clients for freelance writing assignments. It helped increase my income through more clients and projects.
It did not take me much time to realize that professional blogging is a demanding occupation in itself, such that it becomes difficult to be proficient in producing writing assignments and respect the client deadlines. It was tough to manage a blog and a writing career, together, and I am sure Lorraine would understand, being in the same shoes. Therefore, I decided to be a full-fledged blogger, while carrying out freelance writing on a smaller scale. I wanted to try blogging – the real way, so went ahead with it.
I started my blog Aha!NOW on Christmas Day (December 25th) of 2010, but you can say I started blogging from the start of 2011. It has been more than three years of blogging and during this time, I have gone through many blogging upheavals and experiences. It makes me think that perhaps with the amount of experience I have gained, I can now open a blogging school! 🙂
Though blogs can have sponsored ads, sponsored posts, and paid reviews as income streams, but right now I just have the sponsored ads working at my blog. I’ve had clients who wanted me to blog, but of course, that was all ghostwritten, well mostly. Presently, I do not blog for clients.
4 Ways To Be a Good Blogger
I’ll share some of the things I learned that are required to be a good blogger.
1: Be Yourself
What makes blogging special is the fact that you need to be yourself – you need to have your own voice. The more different you are, probably the more successful you are. You need to have your perspective and your unique style.
2: Be Helpful
Blogging is all about others. For me, blogging is the synonym of helping people, and that is the main purpose of creating Aha!NOW. You help others with your views, knowledge, and the power of words. Some bloggers forever run after money, but they forget that money is only the result, and it should not be the main aim of blogging.
3: Be Social
Your blog becomes successful because of a network, and as a blogger, networking is your religion. Make blog commenting and social media interactions and promotions your daily rituals, and connect with others because you want to exchange value that can be mutually beneficial.
4: Be Creative
Similar to writing, I think blogging is one of the most creative fields, and all bloggers are artists because both weave words. You have to try to be different and find new ways to entice readers, keep them glued to your blog, and make them keep coming back for more.
As a blogger, you need to set your mind free and give it the wings of your words to take your readers on a journey they never travelled before.
Personal Experiences as a Blogger
I have put in lot of efforts into blogging and it feels good when people express their appreciation or respect and acknowledge my work. I mentioned a little of that in my “About” page, if you would like to see.
I reflect that I earned a lot of money while writing for my clients, but I acquired happiness and satisfaction when I began writing to help others, without expecting anything in return.
I may be going a bit overboard, but this is something that my career – especially blogging – taught me. It taught me to be more human and work for humanity – as that is the key to bringing happiness in your life.
Follow the following mantras in your life and dig out the eternal spring of happiness that lies nowhere else, but within you.
Inculcate the belief that you are love and everything is to be loved. Have gratitude for all and towards everything. Find no reason not to be good to anybody. Keep discrimination at bay and learn to accept the differences. Respect yourself and respect others.
If you manage to do that, you find happiness, which we all want at the end of the day.
Ah, did we drift from the subject? I would say bring in the humanity factor in your blogging and writing careers. You will experience the difference and just love it. 🙂
This is Harleena Singh signing off, with the hope that all of you could learn something from this little write-up. 🙂
You can connect with me on my blog, or on GooglePlus, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
YOUR TURN:
Do you bring your personal experiences into what you write when you are blogging?
Have you learned the same lessons that I did?
Are you a “good blogger”? How can you improve?
Share your thoughts and feelings in the comment section!
Check out the other freelancers in this series:
Some Life Updates and Info about Freelancing from #freelancewriter Lorraine Reguly
An Interview With “F.I.T.S.” Series #freelancewriter Elna Cain
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Candace Simonson
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter DD, an Addicted-to-Heroin #Freelancer
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Alicia Rades
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Corinne Kerston
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Ali Luke
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Joe Warnimont
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Brian Morris
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Janine Ripper
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Crystal Nay
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Christy Birmingham
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Tom Bentley
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter William Ballard
“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Deevra Norling
Freelancing Tips From Kirsty Stuart #freelancingtips for #freelancers
7 Reasons for the FITS Series on Wording Well (with results!)
If you want to raise your freelancing rates, read How to Ask for a Raise (and Get One!) from your #Freelancing Client.
If you want to know why you should be gathering testimonials you can use on your website, read about The Power of Client Testimonials.
Thanks for sharing her story. She is a great inspiration for us.
Yes, she is. 🙂
I have known and followed Harleena since a long time. Whenever we bump into a common article, I find her comments at the top. Brief and crisp comments. She writes comments and engages people like no one else.
You can say I have started doing that following you!
Tanya, learning from other bloggers is something EVEN I DO! And, yes, Harleena is awesome! I have learned a lot from her myself!
Thanks for following me! I look forward to more interactions with you!
Dear Harleena,
if it’s not too much trouble I need advice in how to set up a blog..?
A Dickenson
Hi Dickenson,
Good to see you here Emily 🙂
Not any trouble at all, though it’s a huge process that I cannot explain here. I think you already have a blog on Blogger’s? Isn’t it? So, I am not sure what you want help with – is it WordPress? If you wish, you can check out a few post on my blog, in the ‘Blogging’ category, under ‘Professional’ tab and you’d find 2 posts that might help you.
Thanks for stopping by and let me know if we can help you with anything else 🙂
Harleena’s tale mirrors mine own to a great extent. I started blogging just to try it out. I was hooked and went to a self-hosted blog. The blog served as my portfolio and eventually it turned into a business. I agree that you’ve got to pour your humanity into your posts. They have to be authentic and reveal who you are as a person. That’s how you connect with your readers.
Jeannette, that’s exactly how it all happened for me, too! I began in January of 2013… by journaling online… now I’m growing a business! It’s great what the internet affords us nowadays. 🙂
Connecting with your readers is important. I agree.
Thanks for stopping by. You’re name has been entered into the well, too. 😉
Hi Jeannette,
Nice meeting you at Lorraine’s blog 🙂
Is that so? Awesome indeed to learn that we share something similar!
Yes, my case was very like yours and it was just one thing leading to another, and it’s been an upward trend since then – always something to learn from the changes, ups, and downs, isn’t it?
I agree with you there, you need to be the real YOU and have your own voice, that’s how people can connect and relate to you. It takes time for new bloggers to understand this fact, but that’s alright – we all have been through that phase.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂
Hello,
I always learn new things on Harleena’s blog. She is my favorite blogger and I love to visit her blog daily. Because good things are better for your business and life. She covers each topic on her blog. Thanks for publishing her interview here. She is a diamond of India.
Regards
Dr. Diana Hardy
Dr. Diana, I agree. Harleena’s a true gem. 🙂
Thanks for saying so, too!
Hi Diana,
Good to see you here 🙂
Thank you so much for saying that and I am glad you enjoy the posts on my blog, and yes, I love to write on a variety of topics – more the merrier!
Ah…diamond! OMG! Not that good and precious!!
We appreciate your kind and lovely words. Have a nice weekend 🙂
Hi Lorraine: I love your new profile pic! It’s been awhile since I last visited, and I promise to get you my guest post soon. Wonderful series you’re having here. I really enjoyed reading Harleena’s post, as I, too, spent a number of years as a freelance writer before migrating into the world of being a book author and blogger.
Harleena: It is indeed important to plan in the world of freelancing, but I think what’s more important than planning is to be flexible and be open to new opportunities and new ways of doing things. Freelancing is such an unpredictable animal that even the most careful planning often has to be thrown out the window or put aside because of factors far beyond our control. For that reason, I do prefer the world of blogging, where I have much more control about what I write about and how I express myself.
Hi Doreen! Thanks for the compliment on my picture. I just got my hair cut last week, about 8 inches off! So I immediately went home (as we women are prone to do) and “fixed” it MY way! LOL Then I figured I had better take some new pics. 😉 Did, and had my graphics designer update my logo. 🙂
I didn’t want to bother you about the post, as you indicated you were not sure you could do it, but if you are going to participate, then please send a pic of you, too, as well as your links. I don’t mind a few “extras” if you want to do some promotion of your books, too – see Brian Morris’s post (published just moments ago…) to see what I mean.
I know Harleena will respond in due time, too, to you. She’s been a great guest! 😀
See you soon! And thanks for your comment, Doreen.
Hi Doreen,
Good to meet you here 🙂
Yes, she IS looking so beautiful and radiant (sorry Lorraine, forgot mentioning it earlier, been so overwhelming lately!)
Nice to know that you too were a freelance writer earlier, so you would be able to relate so well to all of that’s written. It’s tough to be an author alongside, or even blog and write, unless you lessen your blog posts or write once a week or in two weeks. I might just write an eBook, which is on my mind since a long time, but once I take a break or lessen my posting schedule. I guess you can fully concentrate on doing one thing at a time and do it well, isn’t it?
You are absolutely right about freelancing and planning, or for that matter anything else. You need to be open and flexible or you become too hard on yourself and the other person too. It is unpredictable, that’s the sad part of it, though if you are good, you have your old clients coming to you most of the time, so one doesn’t have to look for others.
Blogging is more informal and a great way to express ourselves, and if you are good in it, you can even earn through it. I guess a combination of writing and blogging, both in one works well and you can do a lot that way too.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
Harleena,
Thank you for sharing your story and your detailed tips on blogging. My most favorite line:
“It taught me to be more human and work for humanity – as that is the key to bringing happiness in your life.”
That’s a pretty big endorsement for blogging and being a freelance writer.
Lorraine,
What an idea you had to create this series! I’m loving it. Kudos to you both!
Martha Gail, sometimes I get hit with moments of inspiration. 😉
I’m glad you are loving the series. Or… are you just trying to win some free editing. 😉 LOL
Kidding. I know you read my posts. It’s just usually on Facebook!
All kidding aside, MG, I’m super happy you like the FITS series. I have to confess it didn’t occur to ask you to be a part of it. However, if you want to do a guest post sometime, I’d be all for it. 😀 Maybe from a freelance blogger’s perspective…
Good to see you, and I’ll be seeing you again. I hope. Unless I’ve scared you off. 😉
I’m sure Harleena will have something to say to you, too.
Have a great day!
Hi Martha,
Good to meet you at Lorraine’s blog 🙂
You are most welcome and I am glad you liked all that’s written.
Yes indeed, that’s exactly how I feel, though it’s happened with time once you realize that you need to do so much more to give back to others – that’s true happiness for me.
Perhaps we all write and work for money and we have to, but at the end of the day, how much is enough? I guess we all need to make the choices in life at the end of the day about what really matters to us, isn’t it? 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to stop by here, we appreciate it 🙂
Thank you Harleena for sharing these great tips. I especially like the one about Be Yourself. I really think that is the starting point for bloggers. Also, thank you Lorraine for introducing Harleena to us. This series is great.
Lenie
Thanks, Lenie! 🙂
Hi Lenie,
Nice to meet you here, and I am glad you liked the tips shared 🙂
Yes indeed, nothing works better than being yourself, no matter what the situation, isn’t it? I think people can relate best to you that ways.
Thanks for stopping by, and I agree, Lorraine’s done so well by starting these series 🙂
Harleena, you are making me blush. 😛
But I appreciate the nice sentiments. 🙂 Thank you. And thank you for being such a gracious guest by saying “us” all the time! That is certainly making the community feel more close-knit over here. 😀
Aww..come on…I mean what I say, this is truly a wonderful series, and I am so glad to be part of it. 🙂
I always do that as I feel a part of your blog, or any other that I guest post on or where I have been interviewed – yes, gives a close feeling as we are all in it together, that’s what makes the blogosphere such a wonderful place to be in.
I am enjoying interacting with your readers, and thanks once again for this wonderful opportunity 🙂
I am glad you like it, and I’m happy you are here. 🙂
Thanks for being a great role model to others.
…And you’re welcome. 😀
Hi Lorraine and Harleena,
I am glad to see you here Harleena.:)
I have read many posts about your life and career and one thing I always like that you are the one knows the real value of teaching. Remember when you guided me to add my Twitter handle? I can’t forget that day because it was my first time someone helped my in the blogosphere.
Whenever I read your story I feel like yes, I can also do that. You motivate me through your articles and more. Glad to have a marvelous person here with us.
Thanks a lot Lorraine and Harleena for this motivational story.
I hope you both are enjoying your week.:)
~Ravi
Ravi,
Welcome to Wording Well. I do hope you stop by again. 🙂 It’s nice to meet you, and you are obviously someone who already knows Harleena.
It’s nice to see her motivating you. If you ever need help, that’s what blogger friends are for. Most will gladly share their information with you. I know I have helped a lot of people, and have received tons of help, too. One of the great things about being a blogger is the community of smart people you get to be a part of! 😉
I hope you return for another visit. Do check out the other posts in this series, as they are pretty good posts, if I do say so myself. Christy’s post will give you tips on how to get a raise, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Plus, William has a few great recommendations for books to read. 🙂
I look forward to seeing you again! FYI, your name has been entered into the “well” to win some free editing. (See page in menu bar on my blog for more information.)
Have a great upcoming weekend!
Hi Ravi,
Good to see you here 🙂
Yes indeed, you are such a regular reader and dear community member of my blog – it’s a pleasure to have you as a part. I remember that and felt it was my duty to guide you as I knew you were a newbie that time – sorry if you felt otherwise, but you know me…I would correct or check, but never in public. Glad I could help you and you were such a quick learner, and see where you are reaching today – great going!
Of course, if I can do it, you or anyone surely can. Remember, I am married with a husband, kids, dog, in-laws – a full family to see to also, yet I take out time somehow to blog and be around. You are so much better off being single as yet, though let’s see what happens once you get married 😉
Thanks for taking the time to be here today – we appreciate it 🙂
Really appreciate Harleena spelling out her career path in the writing and blogging worlds. It is certainly a captivating read made more so because I have heard her name in many other arenas. Thanks for promoting this series.
Tim, it’s kind of impossible to NOT recognize Harleena’s name. 😉
Hi Tim,
Nice meeting you here 🙂
Is that so? I am just another blogger and perhaps you might have seen me on a few common blogs. Other than that, it might have been on some common groups and communities on social media I guess.
Yes, it’s been the best of both worlds so far, though just as I always keep saying…learning never stops and the more you learn, the better you become, whether it’s blogging or writing, or even as a person.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, we appreciate it 🙂
Interesting to hear a story of someone who went into freelance writing without really being an active writer or knowing whether it was something she could or wanted to do. Different from the many freelancers who start from the standpoint of loving to write but then trying to figure out how to use that skill.
Hi Ken,
Nice meeting you here, and thank you for your kind words 🙂
That’s true, I was never a writer – coming from a teaching background, though I knew perhaps I could write if I tried. Perhaps my genes helped me there! It was a tough decision for me, but I am glad it worked, which only happened because of the hard work, commitment and dedication I put into my new career. I gave it my full in the initial years, and they paid off I would say.
Yes indeed, most freelancers are good writers or love to write when they take it up as a profession, so things are easy for them. I started at the root level I guess, but the learning has been so tremendous and helped me a great deal to reach where I am today.
Thankfully now I don’t have to look for work as clients approach me, where my blog helps me a lot too. So, not bad if one can make it to here in a span of three years, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and have a nice day ahead 🙂
It’s nice to meet Harleena. I know from experience what a leap of faith it takes to become a stay-at-home mom, and also how much time blogging takes! It can really start to take over all your free time, especially when you’re serious about it. Thanks for the tips!
Hi Meredith,
Good to meet you here too 🙂
I agree with you there, and perhaps you’ve walked the path so you know. It certainly isn’t easy leaving your job, staying home, writing, and blogging – you need to keep playing the balancing act – ask me!
It was tough earlier, but once you learn the fine art of time management, it does fit in. It’s bound to work differently for each one of us, based on our routine and work we have to do, but at the end of the day, a Mom’s work is never done! 🙂
You said it – it does take my free time too, and I need constant reminders at time that it’s time to go to bed, or be with the kids and family. Some days can really be overwhelming, and I think every mom working from home, who is serious about her work, whether blogging or even if it’s any other, would agree.
Thanks for stopping by, we appreciate it 🙂
This is a very nice interview with a really great blogger.
Boy do I agree. Blogging does come with a great deal of responsibilities; from responsible consistent posts, responsive commenting, developing and maintaining a good reputation and then there is the website upkeep that’s ever present.
Am I a good blogger? I try to be. My success in my list building, traffic and ranking would indicate I’m getting there. In the end it’s all about constant improvement and getting better each and every day. Just my thoughts.
Hi Susan,
Nice to see you here at Lorraine’s blog 🙂
You bet it does! That’s just the way I feel, and as compared, writing a post or article is so much easier!
Blogging IS hard work, if you really take it seriously and want to make a career out of it, or even make money from it. I think it’s the comments that take the maximum time, at least they do for me, as I get a huge number on my blog and I do make sure to make my return visits to those who visit mine. Other than that, I love visiting new bloggers to inspire them as they want someone to come to their blogs…and I cannot forget my time, when I started and hardly got any comments too 🙂
Besides comments, just as you mentioned, it’s the social media coverage, blog maintenance, and the learning about blogging itself that takes time. But then who said blogging was easy!!
Of course you are, as I’ve read and commented on a few of your posts. List building is one thing I wish I had started earlier, though I am glad the process is on now.
You are absolutely right about that, do your best and feel happy at the end of the day having done that – it’s my way of being successful 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
I admire Harleena not only for her blog posts, but her comments that she leaves on other sites. You can tell a lot of thought goes into whatever she writes. As far as blogging for myself goes, I feel there is always room for improvement. It is an ongoing process.
Blogging is an ongoing process for everyone, I think, Arleen! 😉
And, yes, Harleena has her commenting style down to a T.
Hi Arleen,
Good to see you here 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words – you made my day so much brighter! Yes, somehow my comments always go ahead of me..lol..and I’ve thought so often to write in a few words, but I wonder if that’d ever be me!! I guess brevity is an art I need to learn now. 🙂
Absolutely right about learning, something that should never stop, no matter how good a blogger you become. That’s the only way you grow and get better, isn’t it?
Thanks so much for stopping by – we appreciate it 🙂
It was nice reading your story Harleena. I have once read your post about prayers a long way ago as I sometimes came across your comments on different blogger’s post from BHB.
The tips are very nice for new bloggers like me, who do not have much info about SEO and stuff but write as they feel it is best friend.
Coming to your questions; I try to write about my experiences and also try do some important research about my topic. I am learning a lot from posts of different bloggers all the time.
I feel everyone in same field somewhat experience or learn same lessons…. But the thing is , your lessons are much more in three years and I am just on page one 🙂
Well I do not think I am good blogger but I try to be sincere and hard working blogger. There are many tips and advices to improve and I am trying to act upon as much as I can. I read a lot and try to write about what comes to my mind. From school I am struggling with my grammar and I am also reading basic rules in grammar books to improve it…. I am trying and I am hopeful to be successful some day.. GOD WILLING
Thank you Lorraine for sharing Harleena’s inspiring story. I have learned a lot from it.
Anna, I think everyone can a learn a lot from Harleena, and it’s wonderful that you are trying to be the best blogger you can be. Sincerity is important, too, and I commend you for being honest in your writing. Plus, I love that you are practicing your grammar skills each day. Learning another language is hard – especially English, as it’s one of the toughest languages to learn. English has many rules that even the best of bloggers don’t always know of or follow. It’s sad to say, but true.
I wish you the best with improving it and can suggest a few sites to you to help you with this, if you want…
Hi Anna,
Good to see you here, and glad you liked my little story 🙂
Yes, I did write that sometime back – you still remember? That’s so nice of you.
I agree, you’d see me on a few blogs a I DO comment a lot as I believe in building relationships with fellow bloggers, more than anything else, though feel bad at times as with the limited time in hand, one can only do a limited amount.
Glad you liked the tips, and yes, they are not much related to SEO, something that I know very little of myself. Nor have I ever used any tool or software for SEO or ranking purposes. I feel if you write for your readers, and can help them in some ways, you are doing well for yourself.
That’s wonderful! If you are able to write in your own voice, on topics based on your experience, with a little additional information (through research), it would be the best take away for your readers. Learning never stops, and that’s one thing that keeps me going too. 🙂
Don’t worry about the number of years. I was once where you are today, and I didn’t even know as much as you do today – so you are doing well for yourself. Blogging is a gradual process, so let it take it’s own time, while you can keep your learning process on and keep writing.
Remember, no one is good or bad in blogging as each one is different in his or her own way. What matters most is that you remain dedicated, committed, consistent, and hard working, which I think you are. So, give yourself a pat on the back and carry on!
I think Lorraine is the right person to guide you more about English and Grammar, and as she suggested, there are many sites online that can help you brush your writing skills. However, one thing that always works is reading and writing. If you read a lot and write a few hundred words daily, your English will get better. Try it out and let me know.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a heartfelt comment. I sure am happy you learned something from it 🙂
Very well written and a must-read for those new to blogging. There is indeed a steep learning curve. I tried to do everything I had seen others do and found in books only to realize that adopting another blogger’s posting schedule does not work. You need to fit blogging into your own work/life schedule and accept that. That is lesson #1.
Lesson #2 was that after realizing how much work goes into keeping a good blog going and writing unique content, you acknowledge others for their hard work. This is where the serious bloggers distinguish themselves from the diva bloggers. We know how much work someone put into a great post so we share, retweet, like, etc. The diva will leave a bogus LOL or smiley face with of course, a link to their own blog.
Lesson #3 was learning to pace yourself and that ties in with your remarks about planning.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Alice, it’s great that you have learned these very important lessons already! Showing gratitude to others for their efforts is a wonderful thing to do, too, and I agree with it wholeheartedly.
I appreciate the visit, of course, and… welcome to Wording Well. 😀
Hi Alice,
Good to meet you here, and thank you for your kind words of appreciation. 🙂
You are absolutely right! What works for one, may or may not work for another. If I say or do something, it may or may not work the same way for you because we all have our own way of of working, and even blogging that differs from each other. Thus, our schedules differ based on the number of working hours or time we spend blogging or working at other things.
The sites or books and other bloggers would have their own versions, and usually write things based on their experience, or what’s generally followed. I guess we just read that to understand, but do what fits in best with our routine.
Very true about your #2 also, and that’s what makes them different from the rest. I guess the more you give and help others, the more you receive. You need to be consistent too if you want to be a professional blogger, yet you can follow your own pace by following what you plan to do with your work, but without it, you might not have a real aim or right focus.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leaving such an insightful comment 🙂
Great introduction and this has be a nice series overall! I particularly enjoyed the precious metals analogy:)
Jacquie, that was one of my favourite parts of this post, too. Leave it to Harleena to think of such a wonderful analogy! 😉
Hi Jacqueline,
Nice to meet you at Lorraine’s blog, and yes, she’s surely done a great job by starting these series. 🙂
Ah..glad you enjoyed the analogy – I guess it fits in well with the post!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂
Harleena this was a great article I found it very insperational!
Hi Marcie. I’m sure Harleena is going to be happy to hear that you found her article inspirational. (By the way, that’s the correct spelling of “inspirational.”)
Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Hi Marcie,
Nice to know that you found this little write up inspirational, and just as I mentioned in my comment to Ashu, I think we all inspire each others in some way or the other, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by, we appreciate it 🙂
Your welcome mam,
And you are right, each one of us inspire each other. Thank you for giving me a chance to know more about you. Have a great week mam.
It’s always a pleasure to meet new friends, and yes, inspiration is all around us – we just need to look around. Have a nice week as well 🙂
Harleena mam is a great inspiration to all of us. Thank you for sharing her story with us, miss Lorraine.
Thank you for reading, Ashu. I appreciate the visit and your comment. 🙂 Nice to meet you, too.
I suspect I will be meeting a few new bloggers as a result of my relationship with Harleena. 😉 Especially next week!
Definitely.
Hi Ashu,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad I can inspire you in some ways, though I believe that each one of us inspires each other in more ways than one, isn’t it?
We appreciate your visit and comment. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
It’s been a while since i visited, Lorraine, and i see i have missed a whole new series! Congrats on the FITS – will have to catch up gradually.
I enjoyed reading more about Harleena – her ways to be a better blogger resonated with me so well. I think those “rules” apply for anybody who wants to be anything! Being genuine, helpful, social and creative really is the formula for achieving success, so to speak, whether you are a blogger, a writer, a marketer, or any other type of freelancer…
As to blogging taking up too much time (i saw you two exchanged some thoughts about it in the comments) – i like this about blogging. It can take exactly as much time as you have and want to dedicate. Give it your full attention, it will pay you back with being a success. Dedicate just a little time to your blog, it will pay you back by being there for you ad being your favorite hobby.
In both cases, it will take exactly as much time as you decide to give it – and it will be exactly what you have set it to be, first or last priority in your work day 😀
Diana, it’s nice to see you here again! I’ve missed you! I’d definitely check out Christy’s post. She offered great advice for asking for a raise. 😀
If you don’t know much about Harleena already, visit her blog. She has a large community over there… and spends hours replying to all her comments. Lucky for her, there aren’t too many over here… 😉 LOL
And yeah, she’ll reply to you, too. She’s one of the most amazing bloggers I know. I’m glad to know her, too. Especially since we have a few things in common – like freelancing and blogging.
Oh, and congratulations on your accomplishments with the Meliway Movie Maker! I hope you are making a lot of sales! 🙂
Hi Diana,
Nice to meet you at Lorraine’s blog 🙂
Glad you could resonate with what I wrote, and I guess most bloggers would be able to as we sail in the same boat.
That’s very true, they would apply for anyone who wants to go the right way, especially those people who tend to trust and look up to you, over time.
I agree with you about the time as well, though if you are really into it, you need to do a lot more, especially in the initial years. This is if you want your blog to rank or want more traffic and reach a wider audience etc. But yes, you also need to limit the time you spend online, especially blogging and social media, or leading a life becomes tough.
Speaking of myself, I honestly am 24×7 online, either it’s the blog, new community, social media, or making my return visits. Yes, commenting is the most time consuming job (it IS a full time job!), especially for those of us who believe in building relationships with fellow bloggers, something I truly believe in. I need to limit my time for sure 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to stop by here today, we appreciate it 🙂
Hi, Lorraine – not sure what ‘Christy’s post’ is – i didn’t refer to any Christy nor to any of her posts LOL… thanks for the encouragement for Meliway, i wouldn’t say we have a lot of sales but that’s because the idea evolved a lot and we are working on further development, not really marketing it as it is right now. But that’s a good thing, i think 😀
Hi, Harleena, being 24/7 online is a risky business… i for once never ever allow myself to be 24/7 online – work-life balance and ME-time is way more important to me than having a super active blog. I would never allow blogging (let alone blog-commenting) to become a full-time job. Ehm, full-time job is a thing of the past for me LOL.
It all depends on your goals, i guess. That was the notion i tried to convey in my comment – that whatever you want to make of your blog, that is what you will make of it, no more no less. Sure, it will require your full attention if you want to make it super popular, with an engaged community, etc. – but it can be easily successful even if you don;t do all of that – it all depends on how you define success for your blog 🙂
Thanks again for a great post and conversation! I will visit back when i have the time – both of your blogs 😀
Diana, I meant you should check out Christy Birmingham’s post – she was the F.I.T.S. guest last week. Awesome tips!
Harleena’s blog is her baby. 😀 Now she has brought her hubby on board, too. She’s basically made her blog into a social media platform! No wonder why she’s always so busy!
And I think it’s great that you can set your own hours. That’s what freelancing is all about! Well, one of the perks of it, anyway. 😉
Take care, Diana, and do drop by again.
Hi Diana,
Yes, it is!! I do need to change my routine and I write about it so often on my blog as a reminder to myself, and then something comes up, and there goes my promise to myself 😉
Blog commenting IS time consuming, as I mentioned earlier, and that’s because I try to make sure to visit ALL the blogs that visit mine – and that’s a huge number. I still fall short and can do only the amount I can and often feel bad about it.
That’s true…depends on what you want at the end of the day, and striking the right balance is the key to living a happy life.
The community is something we just started, and as Lorraine mentioned, it’s our baby presently, so needs all the care and attention, till it grows a little – so it does need to be worked upon, and then of course, I’d just sit and relax! (Hope I can do that!)
Thanks once again for your wonderful comment 🙂
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you so much for putting up this little write up about my journey from being a freelance writer to a blogger, and everything else. Yes, there’s a lot one can learn because writers are very different from bloggers.
I’d say writing and blogging are connected, but if you are not a professional blogger and just a writer, you can do a lot more where writing is concerned. With blogging, there are LOT of additional responsibilities that come up, so one’s just got to balance both the things, along with your family!
I know you too are doing the same, and perhaps many others. I just shared the little I knew and have learned over time. Hope your readers like it, and thanks once again for this wonderful opportunity to be part of your blog 🙂
Harleena, the pleasure is mine. 🙂 I’m glad to have you over here, sharing your wisdom.
The thing with blogging is that it takes up a lot of time. I find that I spend a lot of time learning… plugins, SEO, the ins and outs of running a blog, promotion, etc. It’s never-ending!
Thanks for sharing this post, too.
Btw, I’m looking forward to being on Aha!Now next week. 😀 I’m thrilled that I was one of the winners of your contest!
Absolutely! Blogging is a gradual process, because of the time it takes to get the hang of things, so very different from writing, which for us is the easy part. 🙂
You are most welcome.
Yes indeed, you won the recent ‘Guest Post Giveaway Contest’, and I’m looking forward to having you as my guest soon too!
I am already looking forward to it. 🙂 I’ll make sure my fingers are rested, too. I know you get tons of comments on your blog, and I’ll be sure to reply to each and every one, like I always do whenever I’m a guest.