Write For Work

Write More... Earn More!

2011-01-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Write more (& faster)... earn more

Write more... earn more! That's my mantra this 2011.

I've been writing online for almost two years. Most at content site like eHow and HubPages. During that time I've made money -- passive income. Not a lot, mind you, but I have seen how choosing the right keywords and implementing good SEO can earn money. And I've also seen that as I write more, I earn more.

It doesn't take a genius to make the connection. If I want to earn more money (and reach my goal of quitting the day job), I need to write more. I know, I know, someone will say, "it not working more, it's working smarter." That obviously is part of it (keywords, SEO and such), but the people I respect the most have LOTS of stuff on the Internet -- on content sites, their own sites, articles directories and more. I do admit that many of them have been online for a long time, so they've had time to build their portfolios.

But I just don't have that time anymore. Or at least I don't want to put another year... or two... more into the day job before I can quit.

So there's only one thing to do... write more so I can earn more.

I've set a goal to complete 1,000 articles for 2011. Yikes, that's a lot.

I think it's doable. That works out to about 83 articles a month. But not all of them will be long 500 words or more articles. It will be a mix of different short and long articles for a variety of sites:

Content sites like Hubpages, Squidoo and InfoBarrel.
Articles for my own websites
Articles directories for promoting
A variety of bookmarking and promotional sites for backlinks
And PLR articles (more about that later)

I've already have over 25 articles completed this month... it's a start, right?

And the bottom of the page is a ticker to track my success... and keep me honest.

Wish me luck!

Oh, and Happy 2011, everyone!

Image curiosity: sxc.hu

My First InfoBarrel Article

2010-10-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, after signing up two months ago for InfoBarrel, I published my first article today. Life (and my day job) often get in the way of my revenue sharing writing life. So was the case with InfoBarrel. But I did it... finally. As of this writing I have one article approved and published and one pending.

I can't blame my delay totally on my day job, I was also trying to figure out how I was going to utilize InfoBarrel. It finally all came together for me -- backlinks, maximizing my keywords and earning more passive income.

InfoBarrel for Backlinks

I still spend a lot of time researching and writing articles mostly for HubPages and my own blogs. And I also still do a little work for eHow via the rev share program and Suite 101. One of my "missing links" to passive income has been backlinks. I've been a little stubborn about it. One, I have very little time but two, and this is a big one, I hate the idea of writing for articles directories and not getting any $$ back. That's where InfoBarrel comes in. It's currently at a PR4, but that's not bad. At the moment, I'm not linking to any of my other articles on the content sites or my blogs. The first 10 articles have to be approved by InfoBarrel before publication and they frown on articles that seem overly promotional (as in, you're only publishing this article for backlinks). After the first 10, your articles then auto-publish. I'll just waiting until then before I start adding backlink to other articles or blog posting. Yes, I am going to publish on InfoBarrel for the backlinks, but I'm also there for the money!

Maximizing Keywords at InfoBarrel

The backbone of my strategy is maximizing my keywords I'm already using. That's a tactic I'm using across my blogs and content articles. Basically I don't want to reinvent the wheel, so when I write about laundry room storage at Hubpages and also write about getting the most from your laundry room organization. I'm able to share the research, but I'm targeting different keywords within the niche. It would be like having a niche blog on the subject and writing a variety of articles around the subject. Only in this case, instead of a blog, I'm just spreading my articles around some content sites.

Now the thing is, I'm not spinning my articles or at least I don't use a spinner. I manually spin my articles and I'll probably be changing up the formats, as well.

Making Money with InfoBarrel

Well, that's just going to be wait and see. I did read the forum today at InfoBarrel and folks are beginning to talk about their September earnings. My overall feeling is that is not going to be as big an money earner as eHow or HubPages, but it is going to make something. And, that's the whole idea of writing for these content sites. The more you write, the more you earn. Pennies turn into nickels that turn into dimes... well, you get the picture.

Now, if I could just figure out how to write more. That $#@! day job is just in the way!

See ya all later...

Image courtesy Miguel Saavedra @ sxc.hu

Finding SEO Success in Office Decor

2010-09-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I visit and oldie but a goodie (I think) from just before eHow's WCP sank. I really though I was getting into a groove about that time so why this particular article didn't make it, has me boggled (especially since I'd like to revisit the territory (niche) for HubPages. How to Makeover Your Office Decor has solid info and I added more photos than I would normally. Soooo....

What's the problem? On the surface I think my SEO was correct. The keyword "office decor" gets about 9,900 Local Monthly Views (Broad) and has an average Goggle page one rank of 3.0. And, that my friends, just might be the problem. It might be too broad and I probably should have dug a little deeper to find a less competitive keyword phrase. Currently I'm finding more success with narrowly focused phrases (some long-tail, some not), but with less searches (around 2,500) and an average page one rank of less that 2.5.

Also, as was with the case of all of my eHow articles, I did little if any backlinking and promotions. Now I haven't drank the "backlinking koolaid" yet, although I know something is better than nothing. So, I'll be adding a few things links like Redgage, Snipsly and Zimbio for backlinks and maybe throw a few words to Twitter (for promotion only) and Identi.

Image courtesy Svilen Milev @ sxc.hu

The Freelance Writing Blues or How I'm Failing at Suite 101

2010-09-21T19:02:00.000-07:00


Sing those Freelance Writer Blues

I may have said it before, but my Suite 101 are a sad, sad affair. It usually takes me two months to make pay out. Now it may be that I only have 13 articles. And I've stopped writing for Suite for a while. But, geeze... it's no wonder I singing the Freelance Writing Blues.

Okay, stop the whining. A lot of it is my own fault. I went into it with eyes wide and got discouraged too early. Writing for Suite was hard. Maybe even harder than writing for Demand Studios. And the hard is really all me. I just wanted those articles to be the best they could be. And they are. They are some of the best writing I've done, especially my Writing for Children articles.

Have you ever went back to read something you're written months or even years before and it's almost like you don't remember it (sort of like childbirth). I have some good stuff there and I don't want to abandon it.

Now there are some things going on at Suite that seem troublesome. A number of longtime writers are seeing their page views and income dropping. Felicia at No Job for Mom wrote about it today. I'm sure some of the Suite's nosedive has something to do with my specific problems, but truth... a lot of it has to be me and my lack of promotion and SEO. I hate to admit this, but I didn't even interlink any of my articles. How bad is that?!

So for the time being, I'm going to work on cleaning up and promoting what I have, starting with my Writing for Children articles. Only have a good try can I really evaluate whether Suite 101 is still a viable revenue sharing site. So, I'm adding tweaking Five Mistakes New Children's Writers Make. Adding more photos and captions to Breaking Into Children's Publishing. Interlinking between Writing for Children's Magizines and Win a Children's Writing Contest. And pinging Writing for the School and Library Market. Actually, I'll do that for all my Suite 101 articles, but I've got to start somewhere.

Maybe with a little work, maybe I'll stop singing the Freelance Writing Blues and start whistling a rosy tune!

Image courtesy S. Brumley @ sxc.hu

Writing and Failure

2010-08-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Learning from failure. Walt knew about that, too.

So here's the story of repurposing an aritlce or how I can never let something I wrote go to waste! I wrote a historical type story as a sample for about.com. I didn't get the gig (bummer) and I had a article in need of a home. I had two choices: Suite101 or HubPages. I opted for the later. Don't ask me why, but that's where it ended.

The Birth of Mickey Mouse and the Walt Disney Studios make it's debut in May and it has received... 51 views as of this writing and has made zero money. If you thought this was going to be a success story, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Sometimes there's a much to learn from failure as from success.

So what went wrong. It's a good article (I think) and full of lots of interest into. Is it keywords? Maybe, but I do some some relevant ads: The Mickey Mouse Club, Pictures of Walt Disney, Walt Disney Biography and even Disney Alice Wonderland ad from eBay.

Is it the wrong venue? Probably that, too. Maybe I should have put it on Suite 101.

Is it lack of promotion? Bingo! That's got to be it. It's not interlinked to any of my other Hubs, much less any external sites. I only recently started add RSS feeds. I haven't done anything at all to promote this Hub.

Okay, I obviously have some work to do. It will probably never be a big money maker, but I should do something... a little... anything.

Writing About Shipping Contianers

2010-08-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

You knew writing about shipping containers could be profitable!

Shipping Containers. Now there's something I wold have never thought I would write about, but I did... and it's published on eHow. Normally, I write about home interiors, health or even writing, but every once and a while I get a bug to write about something that catches my imagination. So it was with How to Build a House with Metal Shipping Containers.

It started as a Rev Share article at Demand Studio. I have no idea how long it has been sitting there before I capture it, but it was right on the heels of reading an article on someone who had build his own getaway in Texas with nothing buy shipping containers. It really did catch my imagination and I was scratching out a few of my own designs.

I thought I was pretty lucky to find it as a Rev Share idea at Demand Studios and grabbed it up quickly. But I also checked out the keywords I could use and it's looked like it was worthwhile. As usual with a subject I'm really passionate about, I did too much research, but in the end the article got kudos from the CE and is making $$. So, if there's a moral to this story is that Rev Share at DS can work for you if you check out the keyword possibilities.

Photo: John Nyberg @ sxc.hu

Complete Something Today

2010-08-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've been hanging out over at the Warrior Forums lately. Yeah, I know, sometimes I feel like a guppy in an ocean of sharks, but I'm really learning a lot. There are many terrific people over that are willing to share. It a good learning place for a online writer, whether you're working on rev share, upfront payments or creating your own blogs and products.

Last night I was in the Mind Warriors section. It's all about self-improvement and motivation. I came across a thread called "What are your habits for success?" I have to admit, I love to hear how people motivate themselves and how I can apply it to my own life. Writing online (or in any other genre for the matter) is be a lonely proposition. And like all writers I can be my own worst enemy.

But back to Warrior Forums. There was lots of good stuff there, but one post really resinated with me. It was from a frequent contributor named Mr. Twenty Twenty. Here's what he said:

Complete something.

Complete something every hour you work.
Complete something every day you work.
Complete something every week, month, and year you work.

It sort of changes "something" inside of you if you choose to COMPLETE something, instead of work toward something.

Make it something worthwhile.

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of days where I don't get anything done, but I'm frantically busy. I always start off the day with my to-do list, but by the end of the day I feel like a failure. And maybe that's the problem. I have big projects, big plans. Maybe I need to follow Mr. Twenty Twenty's advice -- just try to "complete" something every hour.

So instead of saying I'm going to write three articles today, I'm going to break it down and be happy with the small jobs done. The first hour I might try only to complete research and a beat outline for one article. Then the next hour I might write 300 words.

I like this idea. Completing smaller tasks every hour means by the end of the day I'll have a bigger success to any of my writing projects. It's an idea worth trying.

Till later...

Image: Aaron Beall @ sxc.hu

Taking Passive Income Writing to the Next Step

2010-07-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

I left full-time writing seven years ago. Although I loved my writing life, I didn't much like the instability of it. Running up debt, getting enough assignments to pay off the debt, only to run up the debt again. I longed for stability -- a regular paycheck, health insurance, paid holidays and vacation time and a 401K plan. Well, it's one of those cases where you should be careful what you wish for.

Yeah, there's some big regret here! I have a terrific day job with a wonderful company, but it's not writing. It's not creative in any way, shape or form (unless you consider writing polices on computer disposal creative... UGH!).

I missed my writing life. That's why last year I decided to get back into writing. Since I couldn't quit the day job (yet) I had to find some form of writing that would work with my already hectic schedule. So getting back into the TV writing grind and writing books was out of the question since I couldn't commit to the time needed for those endeavors. That left magazine writing. But that's a hard road to walk. You spend more time finding an assignment and waiting for the payment (months) than you do writing.

That's when I found eHow and the whole world of earning money online by writing articles. Not only earning money, but earning a residual income. That's something the eluded me during my TV writing career (most kidvid assignments are work-for-hire). Now, in addition to writing for eHow (Demand Studios now), I also write for Suite 101 and HubPages. I'm not bringing the big money, but I'm starting to see how the more I write, the more money I earn. It's a combination of choosing the right keywords and writing a LOT of articles. It works. It's passive income. And it's mine.

What I also see is I'm sharing my revenue with companies like Demand Studios. Yes, they offer me a forum for my work, but it is my work and I'd like to keep a little bit more of the money. I need to expand my horizons and look behind content writing. Yes, that means building my own website and moving beyond just writing. The first step for me has been to get some more training. I've joined Wealthy Affiliate University just for the purpose. I'm also working on my first niche website which I'll be documenting on this site. It should be interesting, to say the least. My goal is to earn enough passive income to quit my job within the next couple years. That means not just one niches site, but many. And lots more content writing, as well.

Make sure to check back often. I'll share how I'm gong to make this work, why and doing what I do and my successes and failures (I hope not much).

Till later...

I Did It! I Joined Wealthy Affilate

2010-06-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

I did it! I did it! I know I sound like a Dora the Explorer clone. But I did it. I've invested in my online business and myself and joined Wealthy Affiliate University.

What made me join? You could say it was a combination of factors -- the moon and stars aligning. First, I had the money from a magazine project I just completed. And I had been looking around for something to help me move to the next level in this Internet career I'm creating. But the kicker was Maria/Writer's announcement that she had joined.

I'm a couple weeks into it now and I have to say... I glad I did this. Every day I learn something new. Sometimes it's just a small tidbit, but it's something I didn't know. And there's a wealth of material at Wealthy Affiliate (WA). It's almost overwhelming.

What I also like about it is that it's not just one Internet guru centric. Kyle and Carson the founders of Wealthy Affiliate University have provided a lot of material, but a lot of other well-known Internet marketers have contributed more material. And that doesn't even count the forums where information is shared freely. There's just a lot of POVs and everyone understands that there no one perfect way to make money on the internet. Each of us has to find the right combination.

For me, the timing couldn't be better. I've been thinking about and sort of researching a niche markets, but I was getting caught up in a research-paralysis. I was questioning everything and getting nowhere. I won't say that I'm over it, but at least some of the tutorial on WA have helped me take some actions. My niche site is in the works and should be ready to go live in a couple weeks.

Could I have done it without Wealthy Affiliate. Yeah, sure, with more time. But the information I've already learned and the questions I've already have answers for is making this adventure move faster.

So, here's the bottom line: Wealthy Affiliate is worth it for me and my goals. If you're in the same situation, maybe it's time to invest in your future and give Wealthy Affiliate University a try.

Are you a Wealthy Affiliate yet?
Learn how to Make Money Online from two Successful internet marketers who are willing to share their secrets.

May Online Writing Earnings Up

2010-06-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much about what I earn from my online writing. That's mostly because its been pretty pitiful. Right now I work a very full-time day job and I don't get to write as much as I would like to, but these past 14 months I've seen my passive income add up -- penny by penny. Although, I not going to post exactly what I'm making (it really is pitiful), I can share this: May has been a very good month.

My eHow articles shot up this past month -- 33% for the articles written for the WCP and 42% for the Demand Studio rev share articles. I don't know if it's because of a better economy or if the articles are just starting to mature. Maybe both. What I realize is eHow is still the 800 pound gorilla and even though the WCP is no longer available, it's still the best place to earn a passive income. So, what's a girl to do when the eHow WCP is no longer available and the DS rev share program has some serious issues DS holds the copyright not the writer?

Write for DS rev share.

I know, the copyright thing is a no-starter for a lot of writers. That was the one thing holding me back from writing any more rev share articles for DS. I like the idea of owning what I've written and moving it if I want to. But I'm also greedy and I want my work to make the most money for me. Articles on eHow work better than everything else at the moment. My Suite101 earnings are in the toilet and it's going to take some time for my HubPages to start producing.

I've decided I can do without the copyright. My words for the informational articles I write aren't important to me. What is important is the research and as long I keep copies of all my articles, I know I can quickly re-purpose the information into a new article.

So I guess it's back into the lions' den for me. Wish me luck.

Image courtesy Laura Leavell @ sxc.hu

Google Adsense Rev Share is...

2010-05-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

68% and 51%! Woohoo!

It's official. Today Google opened the door on how it shares revenue with publishers. In a effort for more transparency, Google has let publishers in on a closely guarded secret.

We hope this additional transparency helps you gain more insight into your business partnership with Google. We believe our revenue share is very competitive, and the vast number of advertisers who compete to appear on AdSense sites helps to ensure that you’re earning the most from every ad impression

It also probably has to do with the the legal scrutiny the company is under, but who cares how it came about. What's important is publishers have have little more knowledge. So what do those percentages mean?

68% shared with publishers for Adsense for content -- the ads above, below on either side and sometimes within a post
51% shared with publishers for Adsense for search -- the ads within searches (if you're signed up)

These percentages have been in effect since 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Knowing what's at stake should make every content writer and publisher think a little more about their business models. If you don't already have a handle on SEO, backlinks, all the steps necessary to to get your articles, blogs and websites ranked well, then what are you waiting for. Knowing that 68% of the income is yours to be had should be a big motivator. I know it is for me!

What Comes After Keywords and SEO?

2010-05-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time researching keywords that I use in my articles for eHow and HubPages. Sometimes I think there's another component I should know or be looking for. Well, I think it might have found it. Maybe you've already heard about this amazing too--Detecting Online Commercial Intentions from Microsoft adCenter Labs.

Yeah, I know, a mouthful, but this audience intelligence tool might be a big help in making the final decision about a keyword. It also might help in deciding whether the article you're writing should be more product related, like a product review, or if it should be more informational. That's something I've been thinking more about lately. Who's reading my articles and why? Are they they to hopefully find the perfect product to buy? Or, do they just want to find out some general info.

Here's a little bit more about the tool directly from the site:

"This tool can be used to find keywords that are commercial but have low ad coverage. From a SEM point of view, it is useful to find these keywords as they have low bid density (low price), but high commercial value. Similarly, for an advertising engine, this can help increase ad relevancy by displaying fewer ads if a keyword has low online commercial intent."

Just to give you an example of what the tool can do, I've checked out a couple of words that might make good articles.

So from this, I see the keyword phrase "dog collars" has a .83 commerical intention probability. 1.0 equal 100% probably, so .83 is equal to 85%... a good rating in my book. "Dog collars" might be good for an article on HubPages where I'm monitized for Google as well as Amazon and ebay.

The keyword phrase "dog breeds" is coming up with a .9 probability of non-commercial intention which leads me to believe I might do better with an informational article and place it on eHow or another site that pays by page views rather than Google clicks.

I've read pros and cons about the Detecting Online Commercial Intent tool and what I've decided is... it can't hurt! It's just one of a number of tools I can use to analyze keywords when I write for passive income.

Oh, and did I mention... it's free!

Good writing, everyone!

Image courtesy Nerijus J @ sxc.hu

Find Your Online Writing Fit

2010-05-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Many questions on the writing forums have been about other sites to write for, especially since eHow’s WCP closed. It’s been interesting to hear what other freelance writers have to say about these online writing sties. I’ve always been a big proponent of having multiple streams of income, so I’m always curious about other writing sites. What I’ve gathered is that here is no one-size-fits-all-writers sites. It’s all about finding the online writing site that feels like the right fit.

Every company has its own culture and may not be the right fit for every writer. Some content sites have a lot of structure. You heard the gripes about Demand Studios. And you’re probably heard just as many writers singing its praise. There’s nothing unique, sinister or even miraculous about Demand Studios. It’s a content company with a lot of product to produce and rules it expects its writers to follow.

Some writers can work under those rules. Some even thrive, while other chafe and can’t get out fast enough. Stay or leave? Leave or stay? There is not right or wrong answers when it comes to online writing, because it’s all about fit. Is the content site the right fit for the writer? And is the writer the right fit for the content company?

You don’t know until you give it a try.

Is Your Online Writing Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full?

2010-02-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Online writing, especially for passive income writing sites like eHow, seem to bring out the naysayers. Take the article I recently read at Early Retirement Extreme (I'm jealous!). Jacob wrote an article about writing for eHow and the passive income it might generate. As generally happens, some folks voiced pessimistic comments, like Mo.

"Jacob, do you have any concern that the time you invest in writing eHow articles will not produce long term passive income? eHow is paying out now, but will it be in 10 years, or 20 years?"

Fortunately there were a number of posters who get the writing online for passive income model (thank you Captain eHow Earnings).

“What if instead of the possibility of eHow fizzling out after 10 years as Mo suggested (which could certainly happen), eHow just continued to grow and grow for the next 40 years and those of us who got in at the ground level (first 5 years) are making bank?”

Those are two great examples of your online writing glass half-empty and half-full. Obviosuly I'm a glass half-full believer, but I'm no Pollyanna. Once you understand and accept the concept of earning money online with your writing, you need to protect your work. Here's are a few things I think writer should consider, especially those seeking passive income for their online writing:

The copyright of any article you write and post to online writing sites belong to you. If a site's Terms and Conditions say anything else, don't post there. If a site should close, those articles are yours to post elsewhere.
Protect your writing. Don't ever write directly into a site's publishing program. Always write your article offline in a word procession program like MS Word or Google Docs. Then make sure you save a back-up copy, like on an external hard drive or even keep it offsite (like Google documents).
Create a way to track your documents. That's important when you start building a large portfolio and are publishing on many sites. I currently use a spreadsheet, but I'm moving toward a document management system utilizing MS Access (more about that soon).

Online writing offers many opportunities for those you want to make money online from their writing. It's a perfect place for those of you who believe their online writing glass is half-full.

Treating Writing Like a Business | The Business Plan

2010-02-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

My friend Eric is a Program Manager by day. Maybe that's why he takes a business approach to to his writing. When he decided to start his own website, the first thing he did was sit down a write a business plan. Now I believe in treating my writing as a business. I present myself as a professional. I write set hours, not just when the muse hits me. I'm here to make money. But a business plan for a writer!!!

Well a business plan for a writer makes perfect sense. It give you a chance to think stategically. Set goals. Look at your competation. And map out how you're going to succeed.

At it's basic, a business is a blueprint for your writing buisness. It can be used to gather everything needed to start your business and should be referred to frequently to make sure you're staying on track. It's not a document set in stone, so it can be changed when the circustances of your business change. Here are some the elements you want to think about for a business plan:

A mission statement
Description of business
Marketing
Competition
Operating procedures
Capital
Cash flow

It might seem like overkill for sitting at your computers for a few hours a day and writng blogs or articles for eHow, but if your goal is to earn money with your writing, a business plan just may be the difference of plodding from one article to the next and real success.

The best place to start with informatin on writng your own business plan is the Small Business Administration (SBA). They have a lot of great (and free) information to get you started, like this link to sample for a magazine journalist business plan.

Needless to say, I'm now a convert and I'm working on my own writing business plan. I've given myself a goal (to complete a five-page business plan) and a goal (to complete it in one month).

How about you. Does a business plan make sense?

Earn Money Writing | Your eHow Articles Could Be Worth $300,000

2010-01-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

I know, you're probably asking how any articles written for eHow could be worth $300,000. After all, a Demand Studio writer earning $15 per article would have to write 20,000 peices of content. Even at 10 articles a day, 365 days a year it would take 5.47 years to year that kind of money. Talk about burn out!

But I'm here to tell you that the money you can earn from writing revenue share articles from eHow (or any other site) can be worth $300,000. And you won't have to write 20,000 articles. It may be 500 -- more or less.

Still interested. Well, hang in there and I'll explain.

Right before I started writing articles for eHow in April 2009, I stumpled across a site by a writer named Maria O'Brien (akaWritergig). On her site she had a little blurb:

You'd need $240,000 in the bank at 5% interest to earn $1,000 a month in residuals ... but I earn more than that each month just from my "bank" of eHow articles.

After reading her ebook, How to Earn Passive Income from eHow.com, I understood what she was talking about. Well written articles with good SEO were like money in the bank.

Now, I'm a little conservative in how I invest my money, so a safe 5% is probably hard to come by in this encomony. But, if I had that kind of money, I'md probably put it in a CD and right now a five year CD is paying out at 5%. That means, if I want to earn $1,000 a month from my inventments, I would need to put away $300,000. Or write about 500 eHow articles.

Currently, my articles are earning about $1 each per month. And most months it keeps growing a few cents more. Some eHow writers say it's possible to earn upwards $5 apiece. Now remember, some articles might earn more, or less (or nothing at all). Again, I'm conservative and lean on the low side, so I'm think $1-2 is about right. So using Maria's theory, I estimate I've banked $25,000 for the articles I've written so far. Not bad for 9 months work.

My point is, writing revenue share articles, whether for eHow, InfoBarrel, HubPages or Suite101 is like putting money in the bank.

Click here to view more details about Maria's great ebook, How to Earn Passive Income at eHow.com.

How to Start Writing When the Page is Blank

2010-01-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." Ernest Hemingway said that. He also said, "the first draft of everything is sh*t." The latter quote is probably what holds writers hostage when they stare at a blank computer screen. Getting the first words down, even for a simple 500-word article, can stop a writer cold. So what do you do when that big WRITER'S BLOCK won't let you start.

Making a List to Break Writer's Block

Make a list. Yup, that' what I said. Making a list, especially while you're doing research, does two things for a writer:

Takes your mind away from the dreaded WRITERS BLOCK.
Gets you putting words down on the computer screen (or paper if you prefer).

Now this isn't just random free writing (which has it place), but it should be specific to what you're writing. If it's a nonfiction piece, the list should be that's important about the subject. If it's for a piece of fiction, then block out the scene you see in your head, like a movie director. Don't worry about language. All you're doing is making a list.

Before you know it, your nonfiction piece of writing has a lot of information. Then, it's a matter of connecting the dots to make a first draft. Making a list for your fiction piece should free up your mind and loosen up the ideas. Before you know it, the words should be coming out. (Okay, it’s sort of like free writing).

The idea is, there’s no such thing as writers block as long as you can put words down on the screen. I’ll leave you with another writer’s view:

When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One day's works is all I can permit myself to contemplate. - John Steinbeck

Rating Content Sites (With a Little Help From Alexa): Thoughts About Writing for the Web

2009-12-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

As the end of the year approaches, I'm starting to review the Internet writing I've already done and make some decsions about which content sites I will continue (or start) to write for. A couple days ago I headed for alexa.com. This site gives traffic details for most websites on the Internet. There are pros and cons to using the site, but for my purposes -- a quick read -- alexa.com provides me with a starting point. I looked up a bunch of content sites where writers can publish original content for residual income (or passive income, if you like that term). Since my intention is to earn money with my writing, then I want to write for sites that generate more traffic (which should equal higher writing revenue). So, here's what I've found, as of 12/21/09:

Site /Alexa Traffic Rank / US Traffic Rank / Sites Linking In

ehow.com / 158 /48 / 15,310
hubpages.com / 278 / 178 / 17,467
squidoo.com / 280 / 128 / 49,042
associatedcontent.com / 519 / 176 / 13,60
suite101.com / 814 / 345 / 8,152
xomba.com / 2,383 / 417 / 1,018
bukisa.com / 4,577 /2,848 / 1,816
infobarrel.com / 14,049 / 5,182 / 901

What does it all mean? Well, for me, the content sites highlighted in yellow are the ones I currently write for. eHow and Suite101 are definate keepers. HubPages needs a little more thought (or work). The two sites highlighted in blue are sites I want to look into a little more. And the other sites are always possibilities.

My aim is to be diversifed, but not streched too thin. Such is the life of an Internet content writer.

For other writers out there, what's you're plan.

New Conent Site for Writers: Seed.com

2009-12-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

Here's one to keep on the radar screen for freelance writers interested in writing for the Internet. Seed.com is a new content site from AOL that is in beta testing. But don't go rushing to sign up just yet.

It looks like they are just getting started and there is a lot to still work out. Like... how do writers get paid? Is there rev share? At the moment, comments from other writers are "we don't truly know." Seed.com may pay end of paying more than Demand Studio, but the it may be a free-for-all for assignments. That is, writers may be competing for the same topics and editors will choice who actually gets published. I sure hope that's not the case. Also, at this point, no one is sure if there will be a rev share options (maybe after January??).

Wait this one out and Seed.com and AOL work it out. When they do, it might be a good option to write for work. I like the look of the beta site and AOL is a search engine that caters to a different crowd.

UPDATE 12/23/09: I signed up for seed.com and grabbed a couple titles. I'll get one of them done and turned in by 12/31. Then we'll see about working conditions and payment. I was going to wait until there was more feedback but 1) a few writers on Associated Content had articles approve already and 2) the titles were on topics I've already written books about. My update will come.

UPDATE 1/1/10: I turned the two titles back in when I remembered my goal is residual income. The titles looked like fun and Seed.com is definately a venue to keep an out out for. More to come on this one.
Let me know what you think of Seed.com (or if you hear something different).

You Call it Vanity Press, I Call it Self-Publishing

2009-11-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here’s a trivia question for you. What famous children’s writer turned to self-publishing?

Mark Twain. Well, yes he did self-publish a number of his books, including Huckleberry Finn, but that’s not who I’m thinking of.

Beatrix Potter. Well, yes, she did first self-publish The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but that’s not who I’m thinking of either.

Lewis Carroll. Bingo. Carroll paid the publishing expenses for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland published according to Wikipedia and he continued to pay to have his succeeding books published, as well.

Actually, there have been lots of famous writers who have paid to have their books published. Names like Zane Grey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman. So what does this have to do with anything?

Self-Publishing Causes a Stir
Recently, there’s been a big brouhaha in the writing community since Harlequin Books announced a new partnership with provider Author Solutions, Inc. Harlequin is one of the biggest romance book publishers around. Author Solutions is becoming a self-publishing giant with a number of recent acquisitions and partnerships with traditional publishers.

Author Solution, Inc. is considered a vanity press service. That is, writers pay ASI to publish their books instead of more traditional form of publishing (acceptance of a writer’s manuscript by a publisher who edits, prints and distributes the book in return for an advance and royalties from the sale of those books).

Harlequin reasoning for this new departure is that the current publishing model is not working. The risk is high and the return is often not profitable for the publisher or the author.

Organizations like the Romance Writers of American and the Mystery Writers of America have are up in arms. It’s understandable. Vanity press or self-publishing has been associated with author scams. These writers organizations don’t want to see writers taken advantage of or bilked of hard-earned money.

I have to admit, I did wince when I heard the announcement. But…

The New Face of Book Publishing?

But, the publishing business is changing. More and more, publishers are not taking chances on new authors. Or even for published authors. The old adage of “you’re only as good as your last book” is a very real these days.

It all comes down to what readers are buying… and these days, they are not buying much. Book sales are down and have been going steadily down for a long time.

It’s not that people are not reading. Just look at the Internet. It’s exploding and there are many sites in need of content writers. E-books and books-on-demand are becoming mainstream and writers can upload manuscripts to Amazon and have them bought and downloaded into a Kindle.

Before vanity press and self-publishing became akin to scandalous, it was common for authors to pay to have their work published. Often times, it was for greater control (and profits) and yes, sometimes it was because a reputable publisher was not interested.

Publishing is changing. And we writers may have to change, too. We may have to become entrepreneurial, even if that means paying to have our work published.

It’s something to think about.

Comments? Ideas? I’d like to hear what you have to say.

SEO Tips for Writers: How This Freelance Writer Uses an Easy Keyword Trick

2009-11-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

If you're a busy freelance writer, you're proably ripe for SEO tips for writers. I know I am and I also know I spend way too many hours of the day searching for just the right keywords for my articles. As a freelance writer building a revenue sharing portfolio, I know a search engine optimizted article with all the best keywords will bring me more money. But...

Does it have to be so hard!!

Well, no. There are lots of writing SEO gurus out there with terrific strategies (many them that I follow), but sometimes you just want to write an article quickly and move on. So, I've started going to one SEO source. Don't worry, I'm not going to try to sell you something here. I'm all about freebies myself.

No, my number one SEO tip for writers is... the Google search page. I type in what I believe to be my primary keyword or phrase is and hit the reutrn. Sometimes I might add quotes around the word or phrase, sometimes not. I'm not looking for how many searches come up. That's not that important to me. My focus is on the right hand side of the screen. You know, the area that has the Goggle ads.

See, my theory is if my keyword doesn't bring up a bunch of Google ads during the initial search, then I must be way off base on my words. I'll try again with another word or phrase. If only two or three ads show up, then I still keep looking for better words. If my word brings up eight ads, then I know I've hit the search engine optimized Google jackpot (8 seems to be the max number of ads).

I give the page a quick look to see if there might be some complimentary words to go into my article. And if I have time I may click on a couple of the search results. Again, when I'm do that I'm looking to see ads. If my competition has hads, that's a good thing.

For this article, I first searched for "SEO Tips for Writers." It brought up 472,000 searches and eight ads. Of the first five searchs I opened, four had loads of ads, while the fifth was a non monetized blog. Not bad. That means there are enough advertisers who believe there's value in those words.

I have no scientific proof, my theory works. But hey... until something better comes along, this freelance writer will continue to use this easy keyword trick.

Let me know what you think. Or do you have a better idea to share.

Cheers!