How can I become a successful Fashion Blogger?

How to Become a Fashion Blogger

• Answer:

  Blogging -- writing short, directed articles about a very specific topic -- has become a very popular method of reporting and commenting on various fields, including the world of fashion. Just about anybody can start a blog on any topic, but only a very small percentage of writers get paid for their work. To become a professional blogger, you need skill, dedication and no small amount of luck, but for the right person, writing about your passion can make for extremely rewarding work. Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions Before You Begin Hone your writing skills. Bloggers are reporters and writers first and foremost, and if your writing ability is lacking, you have almost no chance of scoring a blogging job or turning a profit yourself. If you need to improve your writing, consider taking a writing course at your local community college, and take every opportunity to write. Focus on short-form newspaper-style writing using the AP style guide. One of the best resources for improving your writing is your friends and family; ask them how you could improve your "voice" to be more easily readable and entertaining. Know your focus. Before you're hired to write about fashion, you have to know about fashion. Even if you've been following the industry for years, keep up with the latest fashion magazines, blogs and opinions. While researching, do not neglect the history of your subject, as fashion's history can often be one of the primary inspirations for new trends. Check out the resources at your local bookstore for both current and historical information. Research fashion bloggers that are already successful and emulate them when possible. It isn't necessary to follow your future fellow bloggers to a "T," but be aware of the background of the industry press. If you follow a fashion blogger who is outgoing on Twitter of Facebook, consider contacting her for advice on breaking into the fashion reporting scene. Start Blogging Start your own free blog from any free platform like Blogger or Wordpress. No popular blog will hire you without at least some industry-specific writing under your belt, so you need to demonstrate your ability with your own site. Begin writing on any area of fashion that interests you, though you may want to focus on an area that you wish to be hired for. You don't need to write every single day, but stay consistent and stay current. Familiarize yourself with blogging tools. Almost every major blog uses a Content Management System like Wordpress to organize and maintain blog posts, and the more comfortable you are with the general tools, the better off you'll be. You may want to learn some basic image-editing skills with Photoshop or Corel Painter too, to create effective images for your posts. Keep it up. Employers want to see quality and consistency in existing posts, because that's what they'll need if they hire you for their own site. Focus on short articles -- between 300 and 500 words -- about current events, but don't be afraid to throw in an editorial or two to display your long-form skills. Make sure to thoroughly check each post for spelling and grammatical errors, and respond appropriately to any discussion or comments that appear on your blog. Get Hired Keep an eye on your favorite fashion blogs. If you want to be a fashion blogger, you probably already have several sites that you visit regularly. Blogs often announce that they're looking for new writers directly on the site. When such a post appears, respond earnestly and enthusiastically. Be sure to follow any directions given exactly -- blog owners often post extremely specific directions to weed out potential applicants. Watch online classified ads for job openings. Blogging-specific job websites like problogger.com are a great resource where prospective employers post job openings. Region-specific blogging jobs often appear in local websites like Craigslist. Remember that there can be hundreds of applicants for each job opening, so if you get turned down, don't get discouraged -- just keep trying. Continue to write while applying for jobs. A current crop of posts is absolutely essential to prospective employers. If you feel comfortable enough in your own skills and knowledge, start your own website, placing ads from an Internet advertising service to recoup some of your hosting costs. With time and dedication, your blog could hit the big time and make enough of an impact online to earn you invitations to fashion shows and events. Tips & Warnings Warning: It's not something that most blogger like to talk about, but there isn't a lot of money to be made writing online. Most professional blogs pay $10 or less per post, with no benefits, and even the biggest blogs pay only a little more than minimum wage. You'll need a source of income while you look for a blogging job, and unfortunately, you'll probably need one after you find a job, too.