Ahmed wrote about the blogging opportunities that came avialable to him through Performancing. I completely agree with him.

I've been around longer on Perf than Ahmed, but only just slightly. There are a few lurkers here that have been around longer than me, but they don't seem to participate anymore. That leaves room for you, dear new Perf member/ newbie blogger.

For all the Perf readers that have recently started following this site, let me say to you that pretty much every single paid gig I've received since Jan 2006 was because of my participation here at Perf. Some gigs were indirect, but Perf has played a major factor in my being able to work from home for over a year

Of course, I'm a blogger for hire and don't put as much effort into my own blogs (something I've started rectifying this summer). However, you'll learn lots here for your blogs, or for your hired work, from active, successful bloggers sharing their experiences.

I don't want to single anyone out, but I will say you should read every post Ahmed and Ryan have written here, not to mention all our other guest bloggers. Go through the archives as well. Set up your own Perf blog and start writing about blogging/ related topics; build your profile. It might just lead you to work.

I'm especially going to say to every blogger that drops comments on job listings at Perf and say "pick me, i can blog for you," I say prove it. Show what you know. Here's what you should do:

1. Sign up with Performancing so you have a blog here. Use a username with your name in it.
2. Build up your profile page and write in it a bit about your current projects and what you are hoping to work on in the future. Link to any blogs you own.
3. Start commenting on the posts here. Don't be afraid to disagree, but do offer constructive criticism instead of insults.
4. Start posting on your Performancing blog . Topics should only be about blogging/ writing, blog platforms, monetization, SEO/ SEM, SMM, productivity, finding work, work environments (e.g., at home), software/ tools, etc. [Personal Perf blogs should not be about anything else.]
5. In your posts, link back to your best relevant articles elsewhere, as well other bloggers' relevant articles on Performancing and elsewhere.

Do all that and... Well, there are a number of bloggers who are in a position to hire, and they keep tabs on Performancing activity. I, for example, am much more likely to hire you if you've been participating on Perf. I get to know you, your work (ability to write a sentence), thoughts, etc.

Since I started my first blog back in '06, I've always had a hard time trying to find things to write about. I don't know what it is. Maybe the blank editor staring at me, saying, "If you write something it better be good or else no one will like you". Maybe the lack of topics I can come up with. I don't know.

So here are the 3 things I hate about blogging:

1. It's so popular you feel pressured to be a damn good writer.
2. If you're not a good writer you feel inadequate.
3. And feeling inadequate makes it hard to write good.

I guess my quam, if you will, is that there are so many damn good writers out there, that I feel inadequate. Not that I should. It's not like the blogging community as a whole is going to beat me or kill me for not writing a good post.

Oh, well.

I have been blogging full time almost for a year now. In the early days I made nothing from blogging and these days 60% of my income comes from blogging. I say this as the monetization of my blogging efforts enabled me to experience a bit of a writing break through. Putting money to my blogging efforts made my efforts feel valuable.

I always thought they were valuable, but with out money to show for my efforts, it didn't measure up in the real world.

I have read over and over again that people should blog about their passions or they will suffer from Blog fading. I do believe this is true almost. I often provide executive coaching consultations (paid and unpaid). I can talk about it with a passion, but the same thoughts don't flow through my fingers. As such, I had a blog fade on the subject despite my passion.

Similarly, I have a blog about the Distribution Business. I am not passionate about it, but I write about it weekly. Its a money earner. There is readily available news to write about it and I have expertise in the area. The money makes it possible to cover that one.

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