Freelance Bloggers, Why Don't You Write about Your Experience Rather than Someone Else's?

Lately I've noticed a disturbing trend while reading various freelance writing blogs. I've watched people act like authorities on subjects they obviously had little to no experience actually doing.

The clues that these blog posts were by posers instead of professionals were there for all to see. The writers showed an obvious lack of knowledge about what they were talking about, the advice was the same as advice I'd read elsewhere (a lot of it here on AFW), and the posts were a sudden departure from the regular advice and nature of the blogs in question.

As a blogger for All Freelance Writing, I may be biased, but this is one of the few freelance writing sites I've visited in which all the information, tips, advice and stories are from the actual experience of the writers who write them. Each of them writes about something they are doing, have done, have tried, or do practice and they aren't just repeating what others have already said--chances are that's the reason you keep coming back for more.  They aren't writing posts to win friends or influence people, but to share their experience with the freelance writing community. Some other blogs I'd include on that short list are Anne Wayman's About Freelance Writing, About.com's Freelance Writing blog, Lori Widmer's Words on the Page, and Lorraine Thompson's MarketCopywriter Blog. There are many more I should probably add to this list, but I'm tired and lazy.

Each of these blogs, and many more that are going unlisted, have long, insightful, useful posts. The bloggers who write them don't pretend to have all the answers; they share their mistakes and what they learned from them, give credit where credit is due and don't try to turn their spots into stripes depending on whichever way the wind happens to be blowing.

This kind of writing gives us more value as a "community." Instead of all fighting to be experts, gurus, thought leaders, and figureheads we become a group of people that inspires each other. A group that shares original thoughts and ideas (something that writers in particular should strive for and pride themselves on), interacts and is beautifully honest and open.

I don't know about you, but that sure is something that I would value.

Profile image for Yo Prinzel
Yolander Prinzel is the profit monster behind the Profitable Freelancer website. She has written for a number of publications and websites such as American Express, Covestor.com, Advisor Today, Money Smart Radio and the International Travel Insurance Journal (ITIJ). Her book, Specialty Ghostwriting: A New Way to Look at an Old Career, is currently available on Amazon.

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19 thoughts on “Freelance Bloggers, Why Don't You Write about Your Experience Rather than Someone Else's?”

  1. C’mon, Yo, you gotta name names, out the offenders, get out the rotten tomatoes!

    I love your point about sharing mistakes, which is something I quite enjoy because it makes for far more interesting and edifying tales. (That, and because it represents a limitless pool of ideas, since I’ve made enough of them since 1999…)

    Thanks for noting Lori and Lorraine, which I hadn’t seen before. I feel like I add an RSS every day, so now I’m good for the weekend. If I may be so bold, I’d like to throw Valerie Alexander’s into the mix, which I discovered recently. In fact, yesterday she featured a quote that’s applicable to what you’re saying: “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” – Henry David Thoreau. True dat.

    Hope you’re back up to 100%, by the way!

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  2. Oh Jake, yours is a good example of one I left off my short list. You always have a great, personal story to relate and a completely different POV.

    There are so many of the other variety–I couldn’t name all of them. They’re everywhere. Some are popular blogs who seem to have lost touch with the actual act of freelancing, some on small blogs which are probably filled with newer freelancers who might not even realize how often their info has been rehashed, some from copywriting blogs, some from mid-sized blogs trying really hard to become popular–honestly, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t think of at least one blog post you’d read this week that made you roll your eyes and click off because.. uh… yeah–you’d heard it all before.

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  3. Thanks so kindly for recommending me! I feel like one advantage of my site at About is that I secured that position relatively early in my freelance writing career, so the advice grew AS my experience grew. That can be a downside, though, in that I get farther away from what beginners experience, so I try to temper that with guest posts from beginners.

    However, aren’t we all constantly growing? And as I go down different roads, ya’ll get to come with!!

    Also I give a big thumbs up to your other blog recs, too. I have each of those on my iGoogle.

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  4. It’s the same in any niche and it doesn’t get much worse than in the Internet marketing realm. There are many “poser” bloggers out there who write about making money online when they’ve nary made a dime themselves.

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    • … And the SEO bloggers who think they’re experts because they ranked well for some obscure long tail keyword phrase no one searches for. That always amuses me to no end. There are definitely a lot of people in this niche who fall into this group though (the freelance writing niche I mean). While I can understand that some newer folks want to go out there and sound like they’re bigger than they are to build an audience, what really disgusts me is when I see one of the “big” blogs in the niche criticizing someone for something and then echoing that person’s same advice later or just being a constant hypocrite. If you really know what you’re doing, you’ll be fairly consistent. That’s not to say people can’t change their minds. But if your advice changes drastically, the way I see it is that you owe your readers an explanation.

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  5. Then there are the sites with the huge followings that I wonder how it happened. The whining when criticized caused me to drop some from my RSS feed.

    Of course, IF I had a huge following, I might feel differently. 🙂

    I’ve followed Jenn, Anne & Allena from the beginning of my freelancing and appreciate them keeping it real, like you point out, Yo. I just started following Lori. Now I can go check out the other sites named.

    Great comment, Allena, about trying to remember what it’s like for new freelancers. I’ve only been freelancing 1 1/2 years and even with 30+ years in my niche–this is a whole different world – which is why I like following you, Anne & Jenn – great “nuts & bolts.”

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    • I can think of one of those in particular — constantly preaching “positivity” while taking back-handed shots at others, constantly whining every time someone criticizes them so they can play the perpetual victim and try to score sympathy points, calling out “rudeness” within a week of flat out lying to their own readers in an effort to make a point, speaking out against people trying to “ride their coattails” if they ask for favors while asking favors of others (that they never return). The list could go on. Do you know how people like that get a following? A) Dumb ass luck and good timing. B) Patting people on the back for mediocrity so they feel good about it instead of feeling pushed to do better (which is often what they visit these niche blogs to learn how to do in the first place). And C) Being beyond fake (of which changing advice and ripping from those you’ve criticized for the same advice is just the start of).

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  6. I am so glad that you included Lori in your list. I discovered her through Anne a few years ago and I always enjoy her posts and the ensuing discussions.

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  7. I like blogs that share personal experiences once in awhile. I don’t like ‘all business-all the time’ type blogs. They get old real fast for me. If you can throw something different in the mix, then I feel like there’s a person behind the blog and not just a business.

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    • I like blogs to the stick to business, but introduce personal elements into their posts. For example, if I were reading a blog from a WAHM on freelance writing, I don’t want to see posts in my feed talking about planning her kid’s birthday party. I might want to hear about her kid(s) and family life a bit more if it’s kept in relation to the work though (which is why I’m there in the first place) — like taking a working vacation with kids or something along those lines.

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  8. Great post! I was contacted by a woman who reads my posts on a website I guest blog for. She said she contacted me because of my experience. I’m writing my articles based on what I experience in my freelance writing. Topics range from ghostwriting, networking, creating a novel from a short story, writing groups, developing business relationships, etc…A more personal touch is always welcomed!

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  9. wow, I’m late to this party… so glad to be mentioned positively… and so glad some of you found Lori through me… she’s a brick.

    Thanks!

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  10. Hi Yo:

    I feel terrible weighing in so late on this terrific post–and after you said such nice things and put me in the excellent company of Lori Widmer, Allena Tapia and Anne Wayman.

    You’re right I “don’t pretend to have all the answers.” Especially when it comes to digital tools–and here’s where I plead my ignorance of the WordPress dashboard as my excuse for not seeing the incoming link to your post.

    (Breathing deeply and trying to recover composure after wiping off egg on face…)

    I agree with your post’s premise, of course. I love it when bloggers share their ups and downs–I count you as one of my favorite bloggers for “telling it like it is.”

    I also adore Lori’s site–and look forward to exploring Allena and Anne’s blogs.

    Your fan in verity,

    Lorraine

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