A lot of writers that spend their days on Web content eventually seek out some residual income for the weeks when gigs are scarce. Aside from selling ebooks and seeing the sales trickle in over time, there are a number of sites that can supply you with a small residual income. All of these sites pay small amounts based on how popular your content is, i.e., how many pageviews and clicks you get. This can be simply from the number of people who look at your content, or it may be AdSense revenue.
Triond- This is a revenue-share site, which bases its payments on the amount of revenue your articles bring in for the site. After you upload your file (one file per article), the site approves it and it's set up on one of their many content sites. You can track your pageviews and income per article on the main site. In addition to articles, it also accepts poetry, essays and pretty much anything that people may be inclined to look at.
Squidoo- Squidoo is a place where members create "lenses," which are just easy-to-build web pages. Some people use them to promote their services, some use them as writing samples, and some use them for affiliate sales. You can also combine their uses and stick some affilaite links on a lens that promotes your writing services while providing writing clips. In addition to the affiliate sales that are possible, you also earn a small amount on your lens, depending on how popular it is. Even if it gets very little traffic, you earn a very small amount each month, and it's payable via PayPal.
HubPages- The income from this one is based on your own AdSense income. You approve the site to be added to your AdSense account and you keep any income that comes from it. Each HubPage is a separate Web page, kind of like a Squidoo lens. There's no limit to how many you can make. I've heard that making 50 or more can bring in a nice residual income every month. Of course, it has to be something that people want to read in order to start raking it in.
eHow- Writing articles at eHow isn't too terribly taxing, but again, it has to be something that people want to read. There are people that do very well there, and there are people who make pennies or less per article. The only payment is from some proprietary formula based on, something or other. They won't actually say what it is, but I'm assuming it's based on the amount of income the article generates. eHow has a very specific format for their articles, but once you get that down they go much more quickly.
AC- The old standby, Associated Content, started paying residuals last year. Fortunately, that means that the people who were paid for the articles they wrote for the site before the residuals started are being paid extra for articles that were already paid for. Unfortunately, it means they pay much less, or not at all, for most of the new articles that come in, hoping that residuals are enough to keep people writing. And, so far it has been. To keep the residuals coming in, you have to be active on the account at least every 90 days. The amounts are based purely on your pageviews, though they sometimes offer an upfront payment as well.
Suite101- This one pays based on pageviews, but it has a good readership and a high placement in the search engines. I have roughly as many articles here as I do on Triond, but my residuals are three times higher on Suite101. The residuals go on as long as the articles are on the site, even if you stop writing for them.
Helium- There are residuals, but they are supposedly the lowest available pretty much anywhere. I've never written for them, and there may be someone somewhere who does well for them, but I've only ever heard of writers who ended up making little to nothing and regretting their time spent on Helium content.
How to Do Things- This site is another AdSense revenue site. The readership is medium sized, so there is some potential there. My articles were put up back when they paid for them, so I don't know how much the AdSense brings in. I do know, however, that my articles there have averaged more than 1300 views apiece, so articles on lucrative topics have potential.
Residuals may not pay much in the beginning, but the key is really to build up the volume of them. On most of these sites, whenever you post a new item, the views for the other items go up as well. This of course means that people who read your stuff will want to read the other stuff you wrote. Keeping some fresh content going in keeps views and revenues steady. I don't know that anyone could live off Web residuals, but they are nice to have during those slow times.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Bind Your Own Books
If you've ever had the urge to publish or print your own books, you may have noticed how outrageous the cost of a vanity publisher is. The alternative is to find a way to print the things up yourself.
Coverbind is a company that has sold small, personal binding machines for the last 20 years. The binding machines can be used for small books, reports, photograph albums and anything else you need to give off a professional image. The books and reports aren't just stapled together or glued in place- they're really bound. The binding machines range from the small personal model to the larger, commercial version of the binder. Any of them will create a professional-looking result.
The binders are often used to bind a professional portfolio, such as writing clips or photography samples. If you’re familiar with how much professional photography supplies cost, a binder might be the least expensive thing in your studio.
Binders are a useful thing to happen in small businesses, as well. With an in-house binding machine, no employee has to take off an hour to run to Kinko’s. Every employee can bind their reports and meeting minutes. The result is an office that runs smoothly with less time wasted.
For writers, the possibilities of a personal binder are intriguing. You can bind up copies of a small book to use as a sample, or bind up many copies and hawk them to a bookseller. You might also use the binder to make a manuscript or book proposal more professional looking. Having a bound copy of a manuscript to send to an agent is a good way to set a manuscript apart from the slush pile. So, if you’re interested in seeing what these binders can do, take a look at www.coverbind.com. This is a sponsored post.
Coverbind is a company that has sold small, personal binding machines for the last 20 years. The binding machines can be used for small books, reports, photograph albums and anything else you need to give off a professional image. The books and reports aren't just stapled together or glued in place- they're really bound. The binding machines range from the small personal model to the larger, commercial version of the binder. Any of them will create a professional-looking result.
The binders are often used to bind a professional portfolio, such as writing clips or photography samples. If you’re familiar with how much professional photography supplies cost, a binder might be the least expensive thing in your studio.
Binders are a useful thing to happen in small businesses, as well. With an in-house binding machine, no employee has to take off an hour to run to Kinko’s. Every employee can bind their reports and meeting minutes. The result is an office that runs smoothly with less time wasted.
For writers, the possibilities of a personal binder are intriguing. You can bind up copies of a small book to use as a sample, or bind up many copies and hawk them to a bookseller. You might also use the binder to make a manuscript or book proposal more professional looking. Having a bound copy of a manuscript to send to an agent is a good way to set a manuscript apart from the slush pile. So, if you’re interested in seeing what these binders can do, take a look at www.coverbind.com. This is a sponsored post.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Um, Elance? Breathe.
Elance has visited this lil' blog no less than 11 times today. I'm not quite sure what to make of that one. That's pageviews also, so it may be less than 11 times that the site was brought up from scratch. But, several of those times were 20 minutes or more apart, and looking at the same page, so it may have been several different people. I just have to wonder what they're saying. They must bring up The Writer's Journey, close it out and then call a friend to come and look at it.
"Hey! Marge! Someone mentioned Elance on a blog! Can you believe it? What the heck? They actually mentioned us!"
Then of course, they close it out, but Bill walks in, and they know Bill wouldn't want to miss this. They bring it back up to let Bill share in the excitement.
"We've got one, Bill! Someone mentioned us! Do a screen capture! Get the camera out and take a picture! Can we get stationary printed up to mark the occasion? Check petty cash!"
Then of course Lillian walks in, and they have to repeat it for her. By this time, they've decided to celebrate with some champagne. A little bit tipsy, the Elance employees decide to re-read some of my old posts, all of which mention Elance. They laugh, they love, they drink some more. Good times, folks. Good times.
"Hey! Marge! Someone mentioned Elance on a blog! Can you believe it? What the heck? They actually mentioned us!"
Then of course, they close it out, but Bill walks in, and they know Bill wouldn't want to miss this. They bring it back up to let Bill share in the excitement.
"We've got one, Bill! Someone mentioned us! Do a screen capture! Get the camera out and take a picture! Can we get stationary printed up to mark the occasion? Check petty cash!"
Then of course Lillian walks in, and they have to repeat it for her. By this time, they've decided to celebrate with some champagne. A little bit tipsy, the Elance employees decide to re-read some of my old posts, all of which mention Elance. They laugh, they love, they drink some more. Good times, folks. Good times.
New Article Directory Offers Profit Sharing
If you’ve looked into the so-called bum marketing method, or other types of article marketing, you know about some of the biggest article directories out there. By choosing low-competition keywords, you can get in there and plug your site or pump those affiliate links out there. But, there’s a new site that gives you another opportunity to profit from your article marketing ventures. The 24Find Profit Sharing Article Directory is a new article directory that allows not only links in your article to your own site or blog, but it also lets you put your own AdSense on each article.
This is a sponsored review, but I do think it’s a pretty neat idea. Since the site is so new, there aren’t that many articles on it yet, but that could actually work to your favor. The site gives out quarterly awards to the writers with the articles with the best ratings. The ratings are made by other members of the site, and the awards are $100, $200 and $350. Since the site is new, there’s a pretty good chance of winning one of those awards. And, if you don’t, you still profit from your Adsense and from your article marketing. It looks pretty win-win all around.
This is a sponsored review, but I do think it’s a pretty neat idea. Since the site is so new, there aren’t that many articles on it yet, but that could actually work to your favor. The site gives out quarterly awards to the writers with the articles with the best ratings. The ratings are made by other members of the site, and the awards are $100, $200 and $350. Since the site is new, there’s a pretty good chance of winning one of those awards. And, if you don’t, you still profit from your Adsense and from your article marketing. It looks pretty win-win all around.
Elance "Connects"
Ever since the Elance changes, they have advertised that even though you get very few "connects" with the new memberships (their new annoying word for bids), members would be free to buy more connects anytime they need them. Well, I bit the bullet and bought some today. I swore I wasn't going to, but the site now requires so many connects to bid and gives you so few, that to even bid on the number of invitations I get leaves me without connects after a week or so.
Now for the shocker- you can't just buy a pack of connects. Once you buy more connects, you are obligated to buy that amount every month forever. You have to actually agree to change your account so that the new amount is what you'll be paying for every month. Very sneaky, Elance. I had pretty much planned to move to Guru in March, but it's now a concrete plan. Elance is no longer hiding the fact that they are trying to gouge writers. All the talk about making the site better by charging us more rings pretty hollow when you see how they try to trick you into paying more. The "connect packs" were never billed as a change to the account. They were billed as something you could buy at any time when you needed more. Thanks to rampant mismanagement and what seem to be some slightly unethical practices, Elance will be a ghost town in March.
Now for the shocker- you can't just buy a pack of connects. Once you buy more connects, you are obligated to buy that amount every month forever. You have to actually agree to change your account so that the new amount is what you'll be paying for every month. Very sneaky, Elance. I had pretty much planned to move to Guru in March, but it's now a concrete plan. Elance is no longer hiding the fact that they are trying to gouge writers. All the talk about making the site better by charging us more rings pretty hollow when you see how they try to trick you into paying more. The "connect packs" were never billed as a change to the account. They were billed as something you could buy at any time when you needed more. Thanks to rampant mismanagement and what seem to be some slightly unethical practices, Elance will be a ghost town in March.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Freelance Bidding Sites
Freelance bidding sites are one of the ways that freelance writers get started. There are also lots of writers who work almost exclusively through them and do quite well. I've used two of them consistently for both work through the site and to secure regular clients. Now that I think about it, I'd say about 90 percent of my regulars have come to me through an initial bidding site project. Of course, some sites are better than others, and no site is identical to any other. Here's a basic breakdown:
RentACoder- This one is free to use and was the first bidding site I tried. The well-paying gigs aren't as plentiful as they used to be, but they can still be found if you're persistent. What I usually do is check the buyer to see if they've been outsourcing to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh for content. If they have, I pass. If not, there's a chance that they may pay a decent wage. This site gets knocked a lot because it has some of the lowest-paying work you'll ever see. And, yes, it does. But, there are definitely gems to be found amid the muck. I've gotten some of my highest-paying gigs through RAC.
Elance- This site was great for a long time, offering an enormous amount of jobs, though they did require a monthly fee. But, the fee could be knocked out quickly as the jobs came in. They still do have an enormous job pool of diverse writing gigs. Some of them are extremely well paying. I've done pretty well here and gotten a lot of regular clients. Unfortunately, they recently tripled their fees and reorganized into a complicated mess that results in less opportunities for gigs unless you pay a lot more. There's still potential there for someone with a lot of experience. But, for new writers who won't be getting as many jobs at first, the cost will likely far outweigh the benefit. Right now some of the new fees are being waived until March. If you've never used the site and want to try it, I would advise signing up right away to get a few feedbacks under your belt before the hideous rate changes smack you down.
Guru- I've heard extremely good things about this one, though I've never used it. The only reason for that is that I have a problem paying for more than one bidding site at a time. I'd have to start buying generic chocolate, and no one wants that. Trust me. I have heard it recommended so highly so many times that I'll likely be jumping on board as soon as I jump off the Elance train wreck in March. The fees are comparable to what Elance's used to be back in the day.
GetAfreelancer- I've heard mixed things about this one. The fees are quite low, and paying just $12 a month means you don't have to pay any commission. The problem is that I've never seen a gig worth the money on this site. It may be like the RAC weeding out process, but wherever the well-paying jobs are, I'm not seeing them. I've also heard from several people that getting stiffed isn't uncommon there. It might be worth a try, but overall I'll have to pass.
Two others to try:
pcLance
ScriptLance
Just stay away from these guys: http://www.gofreelance.com/
They are not a bidding site but try to look like one. Their reputation under a different name was horrendous online due to scam concerns, and they have changed their name since that time. I can't prove that the bad reputation and the name change were connected, but you do the math.
RentACoder- This one is free to use and was the first bidding site I tried. The well-paying gigs aren't as plentiful as they used to be, but they can still be found if you're persistent. What I usually do is check the buyer to see if they've been outsourcing to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh for content. If they have, I pass. If not, there's a chance that they may pay a decent wage. This site gets knocked a lot because it has some of the lowest-paying work you'll ever see. And, yes, it does. But, there are definitely gems to be found amid the muck. I've gotten some of my highest-paying gigs through RAC.
Elance- This site was great for a long time, offering an enormous amount of jobs, though they did require a monthly fee. But, the fee could be knocked out quickly as the jobs came in. They still do have an enormous job pool of diverse writing gigs. Some of them are extremely well paying. I've done pretty well here and gotten a lot of regular clients. Unfortunately, they recently tripled their fees and reorganized into a complicated mess that results in less opportunities for gigs unless you pay a lot more. There's still potential there for someone with a lot of experience. But, for new writers who won't be getting as many jobs at first, the cost will likely far outweigh the benefit. Right now some of the new fees are being waived until March. If you've never used the site and want to try it, I would advise signing up right away to get a few feedbacks under your belt before the hideous rate changes smack you down.
Guru- I've heard extremely good things about this one, though I've never used it. The only reason for that is that I have a problem paying for more than one bidding site at a time. I'd have to start buying generic chocolate, and no one wants that. Trust me. I have heard it recommended so highly so many times that I'll likely be jumping on board as soon as I jump off the Elance train wreck in March. The fees are comparable to what Elance's used to be back in the day.
GetAfreelancer- I've heard mixed things about this one. The fees are quite low, and paying just $12 a month means you don't have to pay any commission. The problem is that I've never seen a gig worth the money on this site. It may be like the RAC weeding out process, but wherever the well-paying jobs are, I'm not seeing them. I've also heard from several people that getting stiffed isn't uncommon there. It might be worth a try, but overall I'll have to pass.
Two others to try:
pcLance
ScriptLance
Just stay away from these guys: http://www.gofreelance.com/
They are not a bidding site but try to look like one. Their reputation under a different name was horrendous online due to scam concerns, and they have changed their name since that time. I can't prove that the bad reputation and the name change were connected, but you do the math.
Unsecured Loans
If you can’t afford to hire a freelancer, but still want your business to take off, you might think about taking out a loan to get started. Many small businesses start with a loan for start up costs, and for online businesses, sufficient capital is often needed to hire a web designer and a content writer.
America One Unsecured offers unsecured personal loans as well as business loans. And, as you may have guessed from the name, these loans are unsecured. You don’t have to put up your house or car in order to get the capital you need. A small personal loan of as little as $100 can be obtained to fund personal projects, or you can apply for a business loan of up to $50K to give your business the best possible start. And, when you apply, America One Unsecured gives a fast reply with no credit check required. This is a sponsored review.
America One Unsecured offers unsecured personal loans as well as business loans. And, as you may have guessed from the name, these loans are unsecured. You don’t have to put up your house or car in order to get the capital you need. A small personal loan of as little as $100 can be obtained to fund personal projects, or you can apply for a business loan of up to $50K to give your business the best possible start. And, when you apply, America One Unsecured gives a fast reply with no credit check required. This is a sponsored review.
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