If that makes it sound like Alltop was a fallback, a desperate pick when I couldn't choose among the best, it's not meant to come off that way. It's just that if you want to stay up-to-date with news and blog posts on a specific subject, Alltop is your ultimate resource. So when I couldn't pick one freelancing blog, I decided to point you to a source where you can look at a whole bunch of them at once.
That's because, as the name implies, Alltop features all the top stories (or all topics, all the time, as the tagline goes).
Essentially, it works like this: The folks at Alltop collect the headlines of the latest stories from the best sites and blogs on a given topic. These collections (called "aggregations") are then posted on individual web pages sorted by topic, so you can view the five most recent headlines from each source (as well as their first paragraph if you leave your cursor on the headline).
The folks at Alltop liken their (free) service to an "online magazine rack." In other words, it provides an accessible way to get informed, to read about subjects that interest you, and—here's the real value for freelancers—to mine certain subject areas for potential story ideas you can pitch.
If you're still not sure about Alltop, there's no time like now to explore. You can search for subjects by category or alphabetically. As a freelancer, you might be interested in small business, writing, technical writing, and, of course, freelance. Hoping to find some ideas for a pet publication? Try pets. Looking for fitness ideas? There's yoga, fitness, and more. Heck, there's even a category just about Wal-Mart.
Create an account at Alltop to make a personal collection of the blogs and websites you want to keep up with daily. Or just view the personal Alltop pages of a slew sort-of famous and famous folks (including a ton of terrific bloggers and writers). You're bound to find something there that's fodder for your writer's mind.
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