Post by guest contributor Disney. Photography of Sunday Suppers for Alt NYC.

How To Present Yourself To Your Readers

Your blog is basically your online journal. Your journal that thousands of people all over the world are going to read! That’s why your readers will often say that they follow “you.” While writing in your personal journal can be perfectly candid, the writing you post on your blog should be slightly censored.

Search Yourself

To build a following, people have to like you. Period. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be a “life of the party” personality, with the wit of a comedy show host. Every personality and temperament has something to offer, and yours is no exception.

By Victoria Hudgins. Photography of Mr. Perswall wallpaper.

Juggling tasks in the online world can be a challenge. Whether it’s blog posts, social media, or other freelance gigs, staying organized is the difference between having success and always feeling behind. As a part-time blogger, full-time juggler, I have learned a bit about this process. Here are 2 of my favorite tools for organizing online.

1) Feedly

A reader that works with my life! I love using Feedly as my blog reader because it is able to organize posts in the ways that I need it to. It shows me a gorgeous Pinterest like selection of my daily must-reads while chronicling the others. It gives me access to social media feeds and shares non-subscribed blogs that cover the topics I am interested in. Without Feedly’s design friendly platform I’d be lost trying to keep up online.

By guest contributors Brittni Mehlhoff and Jenny Batt. Photography by Leah Reena Goren.

The simple truth is that you might have to start out working for free before you land your first paid freelance position. Editors often want to know that you have already established yourself as someone who is reliable and has a strong voice before taking a chance on you.

Writing your own blog on a consistent basis is a great start, and sometimes that is all the ‘proof’ needed before landing a paid gig. But if you haven’t been blogging very long, or you approach an editor that is looking for past experience, taking on a non-paying position is a perfect way to start. Look at it like an internship – an opportunity to get the experience you need to land the job that you want.

How to land non-paying contributor spots

These contributor positions are typically a little easier to find, and can give your freelance career a jump start. You’ll find available positions posted on your favorite blogs as they come up (typically posted in the content as a blog post), so make a list and check in often to see if something has become available. Here are some other things you’ll want to know about a non-paying contributor spot:

By guest contributor Ciera Holzenthal. Photography by Aram Bedrossian.

One of my 30 before 30 goals was to spend less time online. This has proven to be much harder than expected! I have been struggling for a balance. I want to stay connected and inspired without getting totally overwhelmed. While trying to grow my blog and get myself out there in the design world, I feel like it is hard to get away from my computer. I am constantly looking to make new connections, and well, that involves a lot of online time!

There is a fine line between being productive online and getting sucked into the procrastination circle of the internet. Everyday I struggle with this, as I’m sure some of you do as well. So to try and create a better balance, I have come up with a few tips to having a fun, active online world without having it take over your life.