Last Updated on: January 29th, 2021
I’m pleased to present you with a guest post today from Ryan Biddulph, the nomadic dude who lives all over the world… island-hopping, traveling to new and exciting places, encountering strange people (like the guy who stole his $1 flip-flops!) and living life on his terms as a blogger, an author, and a freelance writer.
I met Ryan online when he first became an author. Ryan and I have a lot in common. We are both authors, bloggers, and freelance writers.
He, however, is a bit more famous than I am (wink wink!) because he has been featured on Forbes, Fox News, Entrepreneur, Richard Branson’s Virgin Blog, John Chows Dot Com and Neil Patel Dot Com.
Ryan has also written and self-published 126 bite-sized e-books, which he sells on Amazon!
Some of his top-sellers include:
7 Steps to Build a Full-Time Income-Earning Blog
How to Land Guest Posts on Authority Blogs
6 Tips for Work-at-Home Entrepreneurs
10 Tips to Be a Smarter (and Richer) Blogger
How to Become a Successful Home Based Marketer
How to Build a Profitable Blog through Twitter
How to Become a Successful Freelance Writer
How to Find Your Writing Voice
How to Create and Publish a Successful eBook
7 Tips for First Time eBook Authors
10 Strategies for Increasing Blog Traffic through Automation
6 Tips to Grow a Rabidly Loyal Blog Community
… and many more!
Be sure to check out his books later, after you read this post!
Snazzy titles of bite-sized #ebooks 🙂 Be sure to take a peek! #bloggers #freelancers
Click to tweetTake it away, Ryan!
Peanut butter and jelly.
Frick and Frack.
Bert and Ernie.
We all love a good match.
Blogging and freelance writing, like the above duos, are perfect together.
When I asked my buddies if they wanted me to write a guest post for them, Lorraine was all over the opportunity like bees to honey. Or like feisty critters to the house where Kelly and I are currently living in Thailand, with centipedes, scorpions, tarantulas and foot-long Tokay geckos!
Anyway, I love the blog topic we both agreed on because Lorraine and I are freelance writers as well as bloggers. I see a few parallels between running a thriving freelance writing business and a successful blog.
Let’s dive into these parallels.
1: Each Teaches You the Art of Attraction
I attract freelance writing clients… and I don’t even have a freelance services page!
I also attract blog readers. I do run an established blog but tend to allow in readers versus hunting them down, stalking them, or bribing them to visit my blog.
Being a freelance writer and blogger teaches you the art of attraction. At least if you want to enjoy this online ride and get paid without going batty.
I think of attraction as doing things primarily from a place of fun, love, and service, versus from a place of seriousness, fear, and self-service. My freelance clients all found me and hired me because they enjoyed my writing. My blog readers sought me out because they enjoyed a guest post or comment I made on another blog, or perhaps they found me through a ReTweet.
In both cases, I let them in versus sending people emails saying “Hire me!” or “Read my blog!”
Building a successful freelance writing business or rocking blog requires you to stop chasing and to start giving.
Sure, you’re entitled to get or receive in terms of money, clients, readers and customers. Just focus your attention on giving and helping so all that sweetness can head your way.
2: Each Income Stream Complements One Another
Freelance writing is an active income stream. Getting paid requires active work. You trade time and effort for money.
Blogging is a passive income stream. I work on the front end by writing and publishing blog posts but then e-book, audiobook, online course, and affiliate revenue flows into my bank account 24-7, around the clock. I work then get paid passively with no real limit to what I can earn.
It’s wise to establish active and passive income streams. Active streams like freelancing are fun, fulfilling income channels through which you work with individuals, 1-to-1, in most cases. Passive income streams help you earn money while you sleep or enjoy fresh coconut juice on the beach (I like doing both).
Freelancing complements blogging nicely. Each activity diversifies your overall cash flow which boosts your online income significantly.
For more information about how to earn via different income streams, read The Essence of Blogging (+ How to Earn Money Online).
3: Each Teaches You How to Handle Feedback
I vividly recall receiving my first incendiary criticism from a freelance writing client.
She told me she’d be better off ordering articles through Fiverr.
I apologized but noted how she knew my writing style before she hired me and reminded her all sales are final (Side note: this is called “having posture” in the face of cheap, unhappy folks).
I also remember landing my first few nasty blog comments. Factor in a few scathing e-book and audiobook reviews from unclear folks and I’ve received colorful feedback through my freelance writing and blogging businesses.
Both blogging and freelancing open you up to a wide array of people. A handful of unhappy, unclear people may criticize your freelance work, blog, or any of your products and services.
Running a freelance writing business and a blog help you to face, embrace, and release all forms of feedback so you don’t get caught up in the opinions of others.
Some offer gems in the form of helpful feedback while others are secretly ranting about their life and simply project on you. You learn which advice to catch and use and which feedback to let sail over your head through freelancing and blogging.
I developed greater clarity and confidence in my abilities by receiving some snarky feedback from disgruntled clients and also became more bold, light-hearted, and detached by fielding harsh criticism about my blog and brand.
Related: 10 Lessons Learned from My First Freelancing Client (who was both My Worst and Best Client)
4: One Feeds the Other
Writing articles for my clients helps me become a more skilled blogger.
Writing blog posts helps me become a more skilled freelance writer.
True, some clients order a distinct writing style for their articles. I may go short and punchy sometimes. Or I may write more Tweet-able style posts. I certainly would never venture into the irreverent waters I regularly explore on Blogging From Paradise if I’m writing for a client. But writing is writing.
If you practice writing – no matter the style – you become a better writer. You can apply your improved writing skills to both your freelance writing and blogging careers.
Related: 20 Ways to Be a Master Writer and Improve Your Writing Skills
How About You? What connections do you see between blogging and freelance writing?
Leave a comment and let’s discuss this!
And be sure to check out (and buy) my books on Amazon! 😉
7 Steps to Build a Full-Time Income-Earning Blog is particularly good! (LORRAINE’S WORDS, NOT MINE!)
How to Land Guest Posts on Authority Blogs is also good, and takes into account Lorraine’s advice (which she provided for free in How to Land Guest Posts on High-Traffic Sites: An Interview with Wording Well Founder Lorraine Reguly).
The two have similar connection in terms of creativity , eye catching, audience dedicated, website trafficking, content, theme content formulation, thematic area oriented, language proficiency, consistence and above all they should be simple and straightforward (KISS).
I agree, Mehedi. The KISS (Keep it super simple) method is a great method to use!
nice comparision and very well explained too.
Kudos to Ryan for that! 🙂
Indeed, blogging and freelancing go hand in hand and it is the greatest job in the world. You can write from anywhere and make your time as you want. Great tips and a very good article.
Thanks, Bianca!
Hi Ryan & Lorraine,
You both are really doing a great job here. By reading the post I learn that freelance writing is really an active income stream and the hard truth that getting paid requires active work. I do believe this!
Blogging can be done anywhere anytime, with just the connection of an internet network and a smartphone or a tab and/or Laptop. It is a passive income stream which anyone can dive into and become successful by following the right process. Anyone can work to get paid online (even robots do… lol) and yes, I’m a witness of this.
I enjoyed reading the post.
Thanks for sharing, Ryan.
~ Prince.
Hey, Prince, thanks for stopping by and checking this post out.
What I love about freelancing is that it CAN be done from anywhere, wherever there is an Internet connection, like you said. 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed this post. See you again! (Probably on Facebook! LOL)
Awesome article
On behalf of Ryan, THANKS!
Hi, I’m Elizabeth.
I am running my own blog but looks like i am not getting good traffic from it, and i was going to start my hands in writing as a freelancer, however after reading this post of yours i think i should wait more and keep on writing content for my own blog and i hope i will do better in writing for myself.
Thanks for the post.
Good luck to you, Elizabeth!
Hi, Lorraine,
The two have similar connection in terms of creativity , eye catching, audience dedicated, website trafficking, content, theme content formulation, thematic area oriented, language proficiency, consistence and above all they should be simple and straightforward (KISS).
Once well creates and managed both can be source of income. It all originates from the mind of a blogger and freelancer.
Very true, Carolyne! This is an excellent observation!
Nice post and very well explained.
Actually blogging and freelancing are quite correlated with each others and all the points are nicely explained.
Thanks, Nisha. Kudos goes out to Ryan for that. 😉
Ravi that is a good point about blogging correctly. Build your blog on a solid foundation and you can grow a successful business through so many different income streams.
Ryan
Hi Lorraine and Ryan,
It’s great to see you spreading the blogging love around Ryan!
I definitely see the connection between blogging and freelancing. That’s why I was like yass, yass, yass, and yass while I was reading through your post. 🙂
I have to admit I was kind of confused when I started blogging because I thought they were the same thing and it just so happens that your second and fourth points is why I believed that. 🙂
I was reading through the comments and like Sherman, blogging is preparing me to transition to a freelance writer if I decide to go that route.
As always, a great post! I hope you both have a great day and rest of the week!
Cori
Cori, many people get confused about what blogging involves. That is because there are so many different types of bloggers.
For example, event blogging is something I only learned of about a year ago, and it is really risky, as it depends solely on AdSense earnings.
Then there is hobby blogging, business blogging, etc.
And new bloggers seem to think that you can get rich immediately from blogging! LOL Oh, how I wish this were true! 😉
Freelancing is a whole other ballgame.
There are different types of freelancers, too! (Depending on what type of service you sell…)
Thanks for visiting and please visit again! 🙂
See you on FB. 😉
Excellent positioning tool Cori, this blogging bit is. We can sell our freelance wares or pretty much anything through our blogs.
Ryan
Hey Ryan and Lorraine,
Blogging gives you an opportunity to showcase your writing talent. You can attract more clients if done correctly. People are more curious than anything now.
Many freelance writers like Elna are living their life happily. You will learn how to handle feedbacks. I agree with this point.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Have a great day.
~Ravi
Hi Ravi, it’s so true that people get curious about you when they connect with your writing style!
My blogger and freelancer friend, Elna Cain, got so many new clients just from guest posting! Plus, everyone loves her course!
It’s a great way for a blogger to get into freelancing… and she shows you how to do it every step of the way!
Have you tried your hand at freelancing yet, Ravi?
Hey Lorraine and Ryan,
I haven’t been on your blog in a long time, but I got the heads up from Ryan when he tag me on Facebook.
Although I’m not a freelance writer, I do see the connection between freelancing and blogging. They definitely compliment each other quite well.
Blogging is a way for you to practice in order for your the be well prepared for the big game called freelancing. Yes, you’ll get some criticisms but you’ll see how you can use it to build posture and improve your writing skills. It’s about how you react to the criticisms, whether positive or negative.
In the end they become diverse ways to build multiple streams of income and this is something we all want.
Great post Ryan! Have a great week you two!
Sherman, thank you for visiting again!
Yes, we all want more income streams 😉 and by adding freelancing to your services, you can earn more money!
Thanks for your comment and see you again soon, I hope!
Sherman that point rocks. Because really, I feared freelancing because I had a deep terror about getting criticized by clients. But blogging gave me the confidence and clarity to dive in and grow the freelancing side of things. Thanks a bunch.
RYan
Hi Lorraine
I was with you from the beginning as I was trying to set up a wordpress blog at the same time you were. You went on to succeed in blogging and I dropped out to write novels. Ryan points out I need both, something I already knew but the idea of trying to rework my stagnant blog repels me. Maybe I’ll pick up some of Ryan’s books to get in the mood.
Elaine, long time, no see!
So that’s what happened to you… hmm. I’ve been wondering where you went! LOL
I’m happy to hear you started writing novels. Congratulations! I think you should keep blogging too. This might help you. https://lorrainereguly.com/how-writers-can-use-blogging-to-increase-reading-audience/
And yes, definitely browse Ryan’s books. There are a lot of gold gems available! 😉
One hand washes the other nicely Elaine. A Blogging From Paradise eBook can certainly inspire you too 😉 Thanks a bunch.
Ryan
Lorraine thanks a bunch!
Ryan
You’re welcome, Ryan.
Happy to see you already subscribed to follow-up comments! 🙂
Only thing is, I moderate comments here, but I will be approving them soon! (I mean, if we get any, that is. LOL) 😉
Just kidding! I am sure we/you will!