How To Be A Professional Blogger Without Really Trying

Of course, the view on the other side of the fence is a little bit different. Many people clam up when they face the blinking curser and a blank white page. But a little bit of momentary fright is no reason to think you too can’t be a professional blogger . All it takes is some determination, some careful planning, and a willingness to share your thoughts and opinions with the world. Here are a few suggestions for jumpstarting your new career as a professional blogger.



Schedule Your Day

It might be tempting to wake up late in the morning, eat some leftover pizza and start penning your memoirs for all to see, but most professional bloggers who don’t stick to a schedule find themselves overwhelmed and distracted. Try setting specific blocks of time aside for writing. For example, if you’re a night owl, block out two hours in the evening that will be devoted to just writing, with maybe an hour before for research and an hour afterwards for final edits and revising. Any time of day will work, but a professional blogger won’t get very far if they can’t stick to a schedule.



Get Out Of The House

Don’t think that being a professional blogger means you get to sit in your underwear all day while the money rolls in. Many bloggers find they get distracted and lazy if they don’t have an office to go to, somewhere without the comforts of daytime television or repeat trips to the fridge. Finding a space designated solely for work can help you focus on the task at hand. A coffee shop or bookstore is perfect for the professional blogger because of their relative comfort, access to beverages and snacks, and free wireless Internet access.



Do Your Research

The difference between an amateur and professional blogger isn’t just the money made from blogging or the time spent writing. It’s also important to make sure you do your homework. Professional bloggers take the time to study up on their topics, reading arguments from both sides, exploring what others have said about their topic, and doing countless amounts of Google and Wikipedia searches. When you blog for a living, the worst thing you can do is get your facts wrong.



Don’t Avoid The Deadline

You might think that the life of a professional blogger is footloose and fancy-free, a life without cruel overlords demanding finished TPS reports by noon. But the truth is that professional bloggers have to live and die by the deadline, or their blogging days are numbered. Some writers handle deadlines better than others (Douglas Adams once said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by,” while professional blogger and copywriter Ainsley Drew loves deadlines, “'Cause I like to complain and they give me a reason to.”) but they’re an unavoidable part of writing. Keep your deadlines organized and always in sight, then meet them. The worst thing a professional blogger can do is blatantly miss a deadline and still expect their client to pay.



Just Write!

You’ve found a coffee shop to call your office, color coded your organizer for each important deadline, done your research and started the clock. What now? Now it’s time to put one word in front of another and write. Don’t let the blank page psych you out. You’re a professional blogger. Get writing.