Freelance staff writing for blogs can be a good way to make money as a freelance writer. But you need to be aware of the drawbacks.
I love what I do. I enjoy freelance staff writing for a variety of blogs. However, as with all jobs, whether you are self-employed or not, there are drawbacks. Before you decide that staff writing is for you, here are some things to consider.
Downsides of Freelance Staff Writing
You may not receive a byline
In some cases, the site owner may decide to post some of your work under his or her name instead of using your byline. If you require a byline, make sure you specifically spell it out in the terms of your agreement. Some freelancers negotiate a higher rate for ghostwriting since they won't be able to use pieces without their bylines as portfolio examples.
Your work can be edited
Whenever you write for someone else's site, you are subject to their requirements, and your work will be edited in some cases. Site owners might change your wording or add entire paragraphs. If you are uncomfortable with these changes and having the attributed to you, be wary of staff writing for other bloggers.
You might have to write for SEO
I am very clear with my clients that I am not an expert at SEO. However, I try to oblige when a client asks me to consider certain keywords. Writing for SEO is a big part of staff writing. For some writers, this is a very disheartening and annoying experience.
It's hard to make changes to some posts
Depending on your credentials at a blog, you might not be able to make changes to a post once it's published. We all make mistakes, including typos and awkward phrasing. I do it, too. Without the right credentials, you must ask the blog owner to fix the mistake on your behalf.
You might need to check the comments
Some site owners expect you to check for comments and respond to them. While notifications help, they can become overwhelming. I don't respond to every single comment on all of the blogs I write for, but I do stop by if I think a comment is warranted and make a general response.
I would be uncomfortable doing it without a byline. I think it’s uncool, but to each his own.
Ghostwriting is surprisingly common. I don’t mind ghostwriting, when my name isn’t on the post. But, like you said, not everyone is happy with that arrangement. You have to find what works for you.
Hi Miranda–the point about making changes was a problem for me on an important post. I had a math error in the beginning of the post, but it carried through the entire post as math calculations tend to do.
Needless to say the edits (of a live post!) took almost as long as the original post. I try to avoid posts with too many calculations since.
That’s rough! You really do have to check over everything. 🙂
Bulk writing is a surefire way to burn out and make mistakes!
I prefer to ghostwrite as I currently have a staff position. Most company blogs prefer ghostwriters anyway, and many pay quite well.
I agree. Lately, I’m discovering that the hard way…
Nice post, at least I have learn something today about the ghost writing and byline. The truth remains that I want get good pay for my writing. How can I get freelance staff writing job
I did write something about looking for jobs: https://mirandamarquit.com/looking-for-freelance-jobs-heres-where-to-start/