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  • 18 Resources for Publishing your Book

    Jul 1st, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    Here at After Graduation, I talk about freelance writing mostly for the online market. That is, you have clients that hire you to write ebooks, articles, blog posts, press releases, or other types of media to get posted online. There’s a whole other world out there, though - book publishing. I’m not an expert in this area, but I can point you to people who are.



    Understanding Traffic-Based Blog Pay

    Jun 1st, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    When you write for someone else’s blog, you can be paid a flat fee or you can be paid based on your traffic. Many blog networks pay in a combination, guaranteeing you $X per post plus bonuses based on traffic or ad revenue.

    If you’re new to blogging or freelance writing in general, understanding traffic-based blog pay is tough. Hopefully, I can answer your questions on this topic, clarifying the good, bad, and ugly of traffic-based blog pay.



    A Post for Parents

    May 25th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    Becoming a freelancer after graduation is scary. So is watching someone you love enter a really risk career field.

    My parents definitely didn’t understand my decision to start freelancing after college, but I was lucky enough to have a family who trusted me, even when they were afraid that I’d crash and burn. I could have, however, helped to calm their nerves a little by answering a few questions, questions they didn’t know to ask. So, if you’re a parent, this post is for you.



    The Sunny Day Problem

    May 7th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    As a freelance writer trying to help others get into the business, I feel like I have to be honest about something. There are a lot of sunny days. No matter where you live, there are a lot of sunny days, and because you’re a freelance writer, you’re not going to be able to enjoy them. There are oodles of benefits to being a freelance writer, but if you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer, you have to know about the bad with the good. You have to know about what I call the Sunny Day Problem.



    Blog-storming: When Writer’s Block Screws with your Productivity

    Apr 16th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    Don’t get me wrong; I love it when a client gives me freedom with a project. It’s only a matter of time before writer’s block starts to screw with your productivity, though. That’s an understatement, actually. If you allow writer’s block to run unchecked, you won’t be a blogger for long. You’ll start writing low-quality posts to just meet your client’s minimum standards, which is a fast track to getting replaced. On a blog you own yourself, the outcome is even worse - your posts will become fewer and farther between until you stop updating completely. Your blog will die. DIE!



    10 Unusual Places to Find Freelance Work

    Apr 12th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured

    We all have our favorite job boards to troll, and I’m guessing that more than a few of you are well acquainted with bidding sites like Elance. Sometimes, though, these sites don’t give you crap. I remember going through a two-month period back when I was about 5 months into freelancing full time when I couldn’t find much of anything as far as freelancing work. I actually resorted to some really crummy low-paying jobs and had a yard sale just to pay bills. Screw that.



    The Ten Commandments for Web Content Writers

    Apr 6th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured, Freelance Writing, Writing Tips

    Despite the picture, this isn’t a post about religion. Like the Ten Commandments give people of certain religious beliefs a list of rules to follow, my Ten Commandments for Web Content writers is a list of the rules you should follow if you want to succeed in this business. Nothing on this list is earth-moving for seasoned writers, but as someone new to the business, you may not realize how important certain points could be to your ultimate success. There’s a reason that the same old topics get covered again and again and again - they really are the building blocks of being a successful freelancer.



    Mom, Dad…I’m Going to be a Freelancer

    Mar 28th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured, Freelance Writing, Working at Home

    Most parents just want to see their children be successful and happy, but unfortunately that can turn into power struggles when it comes to career choices. Although your life is ultimately your decision, it is often hard for parents to stay out of the decision, since many help pay for college. They want to see that their money wasn’t wasted. Telling your parents that you’d going to avoid the job search and instead be a freelancer can be daunting.



    Rock Star Freelance Writing?

    Mar 21st, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured, Working at Home

    You might be new to this biz, but it won’t be long before you start seeing the term “rock star” thrown around online in relation to writers. Clients advertise wanting a “rock star writer.” Some bloggers call themselves “rock star bloggers.” Just look through the archive of your favorite writing site (other than this one, of course), and you’ll probably find at least one reference to “learning to be a rock star.” But you know, I’ve read some bad things about that term too.



    Why Your Journalism Professor Sucks

    Mar 19th, 2024 | By Allison | Category: Featured, Freelance Writing, Tools and Reviews

    College is an odd bird for writers. When I go back and read pieces I wrote in high school, I’m sometimes a bit embarrassed for myself. There’s a lot I had to learn about writing, even though I received a lot of praise from teachers at the time.
    So college taught me those things, right?
    Erm. Not [...]