Part-time Diva, Full-time Mom

This is NOT Goodbye

2011-01-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, this blog is done. It's been a blast, and I thank you for reading. I'm not disappearing- just moving. I hope you'll come with me! You can read more posts from this diva at http://www.hearthisnowblog.com

Catch ya on the flip side!

Writing Opportunity with Prayables.com

2010-12-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

So, I initially struggled with whether or not to share this on the blog- didn't want the post to be perceived as a possible conflict of interest- but after further contemplation, I decided that if I were on the other side of things, I would want to know about this opportunity.

"NEW! At Prayables- The Features Section

The Features section will include news articles that cover a variety of topics. This “prayer journalism” will keep the Prayables community informed and engaged. To build the collection, we are seeking submissions that fall under the categories listed below. Articles should be around 500 words, though word count should not dictate the content. Longer articles, in particular, will be accepted. We’re looking for high quality content. This means there should be engaging information, proper use of grammar and spelling, and a clear voice present throughout the piece. Submissions should be made as word documents. If approved for publication, you will be paid $10 via Paypal for each article.

The Faithful Feminist- Thoughtful articles that analyzes prayer and faith-based traditions as they apply to women’s rights, feminist concepts and strength for women. Should portray the practices in a positive light. We need content from a variety of religious practices. The tone should be reflective, insightful, fairly light. Examples might include commentary on the significance of the choice to wear a hijab, the Mother Mary as a feminist figure, or the archetype of the Jewish Mama.

Prayer for Reason- Analyzes prayer as a tool in international events. We need content from a variety of religious practices. These articles should be journalistic in nature- a reporter like tone. Examples might include reporting on the prayer vigils held for the passage of the DREAM Act or the call of Jordan and Lebanon for a prayer movement to bring rain.

Interfaith Works!- Heartfelt reporting on the campaigns and projects of interfaith organizations across the world. Should take on a human interest feel and be light-hearted in nature. Should include interviews with beneficiaries of the groups as well as group members. Examples might include food drives or lobbying campaigns.

Mommy Moments of Faith- Anecdotes about mommyhood and how it has inspired moments of prayer or faith. Content should be humorous, and borderline irreverent. These are personality pieces. Examples might include how a child’s funny prayer inspired your own or how one of their tantrums made you realize that you throw some of your own.

Healing Hearts- Human interest pieces that tell the story of individuals in trying circumstances for whom prayer made a difference. Tone should be heartwarming, narrative based and include certain elements of humor. Examples might be how prayer helped a daughter cope with the loss of her mother, or how prayer helped a family impacted by the recession cope with adjusting a scaled back lifestyle."

Submissions or questions can be sent directly to Editor Amanda Rinker at amanda.rinker@prayables.com. Of course, I'm willing to answer any questions you may have in the comments section as well.

I do work for Prayables.com, which is where the conflict of interest worries came into play, but I'm fully comfortable vouching for them. Their staff is awesome (not intended as a plug for myself- though I do think I'm pretty cool), and their pay is prompt.

Happy Writing!

http://prayables.com/about-prayables/partners-and-how-to-partner-with-prayables/talent-partners/writers/submission-guidelines

Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom Celebrates 100 posts!

2010-12-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! My hundredth post! I started thinking about what profound rambling I was going to put in here yesterday, but I realized there's nothing all that profound to be said.

This post is important to me for two reasons. For one, it's a form of validation. When I started the blog, I had a lot of people dismissing it as a two month hobby. They expected I wouldn't follow through on it. All my life, as a curvy blonde with a spunky personality, I've been dismissed as a ditz. This blog's continued production serves as a testament to my veracity and ability to deliver.

For two, it's a chronicle of this crazy writing journey I've been on for the past year. I've had (several) bumps in the road, but by and large, it's been a journey of self-discovery. My passion is communication; my talent is the weaving of words. With writing, I found the road to realizing my abilities to their fullest extent.

So what have we learned?

1. Writing isn't easy. It isn't for the faint of heart, but it is a rewarding profession.

2. There are a lot of opportunities out there. Some are awesome, some are not, but realistically, few are worthless. Finding the opportunities that best allow you to work on your craft is the key to success.

3. Writing as a profession in this day and age REQUIRES a passion for web entrepreneurship. It's the nature of the beast, so if the World Wide Web is about as appealing as a vacation in the Arctic to you, you're in the wrong industry.

Here's to another 100 posts!

Today's Lesson for the Freelancer Brought to You by Moses

2010-12-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

I am feeling so genuinely inspired right now. My daughter is definitely a movie junkie, and in a recent bout of spoiling, we bought her a copy of The Prince of Egypt. For those of you unfamiliar with the title, it’s an animated telling of the story of Moses. It features an all-star vocal cast and a soundtrack that’s stunningly beautiful.

So I’m sitting here, cursing AT&T for my internet being down, and I find myself watching The Prince of Egypt with Ava. I’m very familiar with the story. I was brought up in both a Catholic and an Evangelical church growing up, so I feel comfortable saying I’m pretty well educated when it comes to the Bible and fundamental Christian teachings. However, watching this movie… well, something was different.

I’ve seen it probably a half a dozen times, but for some reason, it really resonated with me today. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’m working for a faith based website (Prayables.com- check it out!), but it just inspired me beyond belief. I’m only a little embarrassed to say that I cried when Moses and the Hebrews escaped the onslaught of Egyptian soldiers as the Red Sea crashed down.

Don’t worry- I’m not about to get up on a soapbox to start preaching. However, I do want to say two things.

One, I’m in such a wonderful place in my life right now, and it’s because I’ve been open to opportunity. I’ve explored a variety of fields, experimented with my writing and communication styles, and tried out anything that came my way. You never know what’s going to work for you unless you try it. I encourage you to remain open to every opportunity that presents itself. The next gig you take could turn into the career of a lifetime.

Two, I am incredibly inspired at the moment. Blame the movie if you like, or the holiday season, or (reliably) my daughter’s exuberance, but know that this inspiration is AWESOME. I’m energized, motivated, and the creative juices are flowing at full speed. Today, yes, the movie started it, but what I’m starting to realize is that this kind of inspiration is possible every day.

It goes back to that concept of an open mind. An awesome article on SEO can inspire you to revamp your home page contents. The success of a fellow entrepreneur can push you to seek similar success. Be open to inspiration, and you WILL reap its benefits.

I’m going to go keep humming the songs from The Prince of Egypt while I work now. Get busy getting inspired all on your own.

Thoughts on Twitter: How Valuable Is It?

2010-12-06T16:31:00.003-08:00

A lot of people are on Twitter. I mean, a lot. We're talking over 175 million people talking and listening. Despite these numbers, a great deal of people question the value of the conversations taking place. To what extent does our presence on Twitter impact our business efforts?

1. It's a fantastic marketing tool. Release a new product lately? Twitter is a wonderful way to make people aware of its existence. Trying to increase exposure? Try announcing that you will give away one of your products for free to one random follower if you get x amount of new followers by a specific date. Sit back and watch your reach explode.

2. It's a wonderful way to engage with moderately interested site visitors. By posting links to fresh content, you can bring back sometime visitors more frequently, supercharging your site rank and increasing exposure of the products you offer.

3. It's a good demographic pulse for you to reference. By looking at what your followers are saying and retweeting, you can figure out how to best frame your own content to ensure that your followers want to share it. The best way to find out what your customers want is to ask them, and that's another way for you to check your demographic's pulse on Twitter. Tweet questions about content or ideas to receive the feedback you crave.

4. It's an excellent networking tool. When you need help promoting a product, the individuals you follow and that follow you are likely to have similar interests to your business. You can solicit a review or plug, or offer them an affiliate program for promoting your product. If you're operating in the same niche, chances are that their audience will appreciate what you have to offer.

5. It's a way to establish credibility. Let's be frank- the Twitter folk who do nothing but post their own stuff are irritating. They're the most likely to be "unfollowed"- after spammers, that is. If you're tweeting properly, you're probably retweeting smart people's tweets, or posting articles from other venues. This provides a balanced perspective, and demonstrates to your followers that you don't just talk the talk- you walk the walk too by staying up to date on the most current issues in your field.

The fact is, Twitter, when used properly, is an epic tool for web entrepreneurs. Contrary to what some may think, it's not a bunch of twits on Twitter. Perhaps the real twits are the ones that dismiss it so quickly.

New Look! New Look! New Look!

2010-11-18T08:17:00.001-08:00

Perhaps you've noticed something different about the blog. At least, I hope you have, or I've spent the past week wasting a heck of a lot of time.

What's new? Obviously, the layout is different. I'm hoping it's a little more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate. I've eliminated some features that weren't doing much of anything for the site, and added a couple of others:

Shameless Self Promotion- I've added an About the Author and Services Offered page. I figured it was probably just stupid to promote other people and not have anything about myself. Never said I was a genius!

Reaching Out- Want to talk to me, suggest content, ask to contribute, etc? There's now a contact form you can use!

Legal Nonsense- In today's world, a girl can't be too careful. I chose to put a legal disclaimer on the site, just in case someone loses their marbles.

Back to Blogger Comments- IntenseDebate was nice, but it was unnecessarily complicated. For now, we're using Blogger Comments again.

Category Pages- Want to read up on Productivity? Opportunities? Just click on a link on the right hand side. I'll likely add more pages in the next couple months. The posts linked there are not exhaustive on the subject, but it provides a starting point.

Pretty Follow Buttons- I just like them better. Enough said.

Slider- A preview of some of the more popular and meaningful posts on the blog- especially my profile!

So anyway, that's why I've been AWOL all week. Prepare for more posting next week!

Readbud Rave Retraction

2010-11-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Not so long ago, I reviewed a site called Readbud. The premise was simple. Read articles, make some change, potentially make money off of referrals. I'll be honest- I haven't even thought about the site in months. However, as I was tinkering with the layout of the blog, I glanced at my ad for them and decided to log on for a little bit.

Glad I did.

What a holy trainwreck. Within 3 minutes, I had 20 pop up windows flooding my screen with advertisements. The articles you rate are even worse than before, and the hassle was no where near worth the 5 cents I was getting for each article.

In other words, I am retracting my endorsement of Readbud as an opportunity- even if just for idle channel surfing work. My referral ad is now removed from the blog; I won't advertise for companies I don't support. You're better off with CloudCrowd or Mechanical Turk. AVOID READBUD.

Making Excuses is Bad for Your (Financial, Mental, Emotional, Etc.) Health

2010-11-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned it before on this blog, but my true passion is communication. Speech and debate have molded me into the person I am today, and I feel truly lucky to have the opportunity to give back as a coach to the high school program that got me my start.

I've been coaching students in impromptu speaking since September and public forum debate since February. Public forum is best described as a citizen's debate. It covers topics hot in society's spotlight, changing monthly, in a non-technical and easy to understand manner. For example, the topic in October questioned the usefulness of NATO troops in Afghanistan. Last April, the topic discussed the equity of Affirmative Action policies. I prefer more technical, policy-oriented forms of debate, but I'm also long standing defender of all forms of debate being educationally invaluable, so I'm happy to coach the event. The team has zero funding from the district or school, so if I weren't coaching for free... well, yeah.

I'm getting off topic. I promise this is leading somewhere relevant- so stick with me. Impromptu speaking is an event where students are provided three random topics in a round. They can be quotations, words, ideas- you name it, a student has probably given a speech on it in an impromptu round somewhere. They choose one topic, and within two minutes, prepare a six minute speech interpreting the significance of their chosen prompt with arguments and examples to back their perspective. It's an awesome event when done right (which it rarely is), and something I excelled in during my competitive years. Not to toot my own horn, but I actually won the national title in impromptu in 2005. What can I say? B.S. is something I'm good at.

So, anyway, I'm coaching nine students in impromptu this year. In high school forensics in Illinois, nine to ten competitors in an event is pretty average, and you'll usually have three to five experienced competitors returning to your squad from the year before. I had one. It's been a trying year, but I've got some really good kids to work with, so it's hardly been a chore.

Except for one student.

I met this student- let's call her Jane Doe- in February as a debater. She was moderately talented, but not incredibly experienced and paired with a freshman debate partner. They did ok together, and I was hopeful for her performance this season. As I said earlier, we have no funding on the debate side, so we were only going to one tournament this semester. As a senior this year, she and one other returning debater were being looked to for leadership.

A week before our only debate tournament before districts and state in the spring, I received an email explaining that she would not be able to complete her debate assignment in time. She was leading a student political group. applying to schools, tutoring, taking music lessons, etc. She was busy. She assured me the scheduling issue was a short-term problem, so I took her out of the tournament with the intent of putting her back in the game later on. She apologized over and over again, swearing that she was committed to speech and debate.

She's also competing in impromptu. However, even in this other activity, the excuses and apologies continued. She was supposed to compete for the first time in the event this weekend... but she hadn't practiced for two weeks. Suddenly, she had a million excuses for not practicing this week either. Despite attempts to be flexible and schedule a practice at later hours than I usually do, I found myself buried under an avalanche of flimsy excuses.

I don't know what the end result will be for Jane Doe. I know I was immeasurably frustrated in working with her. It had nothing to do with her talent or potential talent or schedule. It had everything to do with being able to identify with her.

This is where we get to the moral of the story (told ya there was a point). I was just like Jane Doe in high school, college, post-baby, two days ago... I would over-commit myself. I knew I could excel in a multitude of ways, didn't want to limit myself, and wound up doing it anyway by taking on so much that I was unable to truly perform in any arena. It got to a point that I was perpetually in a state of discombobulation. Even if I wasn't over-extending myself, my body and mind were acting like I was, placing me in a state of constant exhaustion and never ending excuses.

I'm too tired to pick up. I've got too much to do to write those residual earning articles. I'm too busy to do hour long practice sessions with the speech kids. There's too much work to take Ava to the park today. On and on and on....

Worthless. As frustrated as I was with Jane Doe, I realized that she was holding up a mirror I didn't want to look in. After a bit of self-reflection, here's what I determined:

1. Everyone has their limits. I need to identify mine- realistically, without inflated ego or borderline panic interfering. I'm capable of doing a lot of work, but at what cost? Sanity is key to productivity in the aggregate... and I'm sounding like a debater again...

2. I'm capable of more than I give myself credit for. I just need to identify times where I will be doing certain amounts of work. I've already sort of implemented that with my writing. I wake up, change baby, set her up with food and a movie, do a blog post and write a residual earning article. Get me and baby bathed and clothed afterward. It's after that that I see my day kind of unravel into the excuses zone. Time to nail down tasks. Do I source for job requisitions until lunchtime? Should I work on my web projects during that time? Should I wait to do that until night? What days should I coach? Some of that determination will change weekly based on my copywriting load and *cringe* my retail schedule.

3. Once I've figured out my limits and schedule, I've got to stick to it. Why? I'm sabotaging my own income. Every time I don't write an article, I'm taking two steps back from supporting myself via passive income. Every time I bail on candidate sourcing, I'm several more weeks away from a recruiting paycheck. Every time I make an excuse, I shoot myself in the foot. They're getting kind of riddled with bullet holes, so I'm thinking it's time for an intervention.

No debating this one. Put up or shut up time.

Retail: Humility and Motivation

2010-11-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I have taken on a retail position to help supplement my monthly income. A necessity (especially with a two year old around the holidays), it's not something I'm particularly excited about. My distaste for the position was only amplified after my first night. What did I take away for my 6 hour re-initiation?

1. If I'm not promoted within 3 months, something is seriously wrong with the world. The assistant manager I closed with last night knew nothing about shrink prevention coverage, took 40 minutes to count down two registers with a total of $392 in them, had to have me (yeah, the girl on her first night) interpret the new window display instructions, and was a complete airhead. It's not about qualifications, seniority or anything close to that. She's younger than me, has no management experience, has only lived state-side for eight months and has only been working at the store for three months. Nice girl, but... really?!

2. I hate retail. A lot. Mostly when I'm working in highly unorganized settings. Time to hit the keyboard hard so I don't need to use it as a supplement for long.

3. I should not wear heels again. Blisters along the bottom of my feet make surviving shifts and chasing baby uncomfortable and difficult.

4. I need to reign in my shopping impulses. I am NOT allowed to bring money to work. I get a 40 percent discount, so I could absolutely see myself buying clothes I have no where to wear. Or shoes. Or jewelry. Or... well, you get the picture.

5. As much as I want to quit, I can't. I need to have steady, reliable income, even if it is just a little bit. With Demand's communication titles coming few and far between, this is the best I can do at the moment. That thought is humbling, and makes me want to work my butt off to get to a better place.

I'm going to go soak my feet before writing again. Luckily I don't work again until next week!

When Will I Ever Learn? Or Why I Should Stick To Certain Demand Article Formats

2010-11-10T06:26:00.001-08:00

Ugh. I should know better, which is why I'm writhing in self-loathing as I type this post. Writing for upfront pay at Demand Studios or Media or whatever they want to be called is only acceptable under a couple of circumstances. For one, it can't take you forever to write the article. For two, if you get a rewrite requested of you that will hurt the ROI of your time put into the article, you should be able to resubmit your work elsewhere for publication.

However, titles from Demand have been slim pickin's as of late. Not quantity wise- there's just under 300,000 available as of this morning- but within my specialty. So when I saw an article titled "Digital Communications Protocol," the topicality debater in me thought, "Well, I mean, that could reasonably be interpreted in a non-technical fashion..."

Dumb.

Accentuating my stupidity in the moment is that it was a Fact Sheet, meaning the payout was only $7.50 if accepted. So, I spent maybe five or ten minutes less on the article than I would have if it were, say, a List article, but even if accepted, it still wasn't a great ROI considering time. Of course, the CE sent the article back saying I wasn't on topic. It's not worth a rewrite, but because it was Fact Sheet (150-200 words), it's worthless as far as resubmission for publication elsewhere goes.

Colossal waste of time.

So, for about the billionth time, let's go over the lesson learned. If I'm writing for upfront pay with Demand, I need to be writing in the $15 categories. So should you.

Content Determined Publishing- Why I'm Going With Associated Content

2010-11-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

I've been trying something, and I like it. A lot.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about Burma's messed up elections. Today, I did a write up on the challenges to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Not only was there zero sense of chore surrounding the work, but I was genuinely pleased with the final product.

I felt really good about my writing.

I like that feeling.

I think I'm going to keep writing about things that matter to me, but after reflecting upon the strategy, there's one thing I'll change. I'm publishing on Associated Content. Why? While my writing may be able to attract intellectuals fascinated by the political dynamics of southeast Asia, it's unlikely they'll be clicking on many ads. Adsense puts things like "Take a vacation in Burma!" next to my article about ethnic cleansing. Cognitive dissonance, nice to meet you. While I like the publishing platform available with Infobarrel, and the luxury of speedy publishing, I'm much more likely to make money off of this kind of content with pageview pay than I am with advertising.

It doesn't mean I'll never write for Infobarrel. However, for the kind of writing I want to do, Associated Content seems like the best deal. Thoughts?

The Value of Controversy

2010-11-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

A lot of blogs on writing will tell you to go with evergreen, solid topics for articles you write in order to extend the shelf life of your work. It makes sense. Write about a topic people will always be searching, like dog training or something, and your article should get more hits. More pageviews = good. Simple math.

Problem is, I was never very good at math. Simple numbers plugged into equations to generate answers? No way. Life is much more complicated than that, and if it wasn't, how boring would that be? I think the tedium associated with this writing tactic contributes to burn out in a major way. Still, if you're looking to make money, this is your only option, right?

Wrong.

Some of the most read writers on the interwebs became the most read because they took risks. They wrote about flash in the pan topics in a flashy manner that raised a few eyebrows. They were hated or loved... but above all else, they were talked about.

I'm not saying SEO isn't important. I'm not saying content or substance isn't important. Most of these big name writers combined style with substance. What I am saying is that there's a reason that people like Mars Dorian make for an awesome read in freelancing. He goes balls to the wall without regret or apology. It's refreshing, engaging and inspirational. He's crazy, and it's a good thing.

The point I'm trying to make is that you should never try to force your writing into the metaphorical mold. I'm not saying you should break the mold. The mold has been rather profitable for some people. What I'm saying is that there are multiple successful molds out there, and there are successful molds that have yet to be developed. Perhaps we should stop focusing on what mold we do or do not fit into, and appreciate awesome when we see it. Thoughts?

Top Reasons YOU Should Be Blogging

2010-11-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

The other day, I posted about my current income generation plan. I was discussing the proposal with a friend of mine who pursed her lips and furrowed her brow when I spoke of writing for residuals.

"Well, why would you write for pennies? I mean, it doesn't make sense."

I explained that articles may earn pennies at first, but over the life of the article, you may earn far more than that.

"Ok," she said. "I guess I can see that. Seems like an awful lot of risk for all that work, but even if I grant you that, what about your blog? It's not like it's making you rich. Maybe you should cut that out."

I kind of shook my head at her, but didn't have a firm response in the moment. I mulled the query over during the weekend, and came to the conclusion that my blogging would continue. Why? Glad you asked.

1. It keeps me sane. Let's be real- I'm a single mom who spends most of her non-diaper duty hours typing away on the keyboard. Blogging is fun, lets me showcase my personality, and requires far less thought and work than any of my other daily ventures.

2. It keeps me fresh. Other writing bloggers often tout the risks of "burn out." I haven't had to suffer from total burn out before, and I largely attribute that to this blog. With most content mills or private clients, you have very specific guidelines you have to adhere to. On a blog, you don't need to adhere to anything except refraining from posting anything you wouldn't want your Grandma to read (metaphorically speaking for most, literally for me- Grandma Nelson is intrigued by the concept of blogging). This keeps your writing and perspective fresh, which leads to better production of content and, potentially, better gigs in the future.

3. It helps me network. The blogging community is awesome because everyone has something to offer. I learn more every day from fellow bloggers than I did in the entirety of my undergraduate work. One cool blog will lead you to another, and before you know it, you're absorbing information faster than a magic eraser absorbs your two year old's impromptu wall mural.

4. It (might) make me money. This is the most tenuous reason I blog. I don't make much off of this thing. Honestly, I don't really care whether I do or not (see above benefits). However, the potential to make money while reaping all the other benefits sweetens the deal.

That's why I'm blogging, but I feel pretty strongly that these incentives are universal. Even if you're not interested in freelancing per se, strengthening your writing skills will never hurt you. Why do YOU blog?

Revisiting Residual Earnings

2010-11-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past week attempting to discern a feasible earning strategy. Much like Felicia from No Job for Mom, I've come to the conclusion that traditional employment is not a good fit for me. Hyper-structured, mundane and repetitive tasks bore me to tears. W hen I get bored, I get depressed, and deliver sub-par results on jobs I should be able to do in my sleep. At the same time, there is no get rich quick scheme out there. So what's a girl to do?

Here's my current plan. I'm working five jobs. Say what? Follow me if you can...

1. I'm working as a speech coach at my old high school. I'm being paid next to nothing to coach a speaking event, and absolutely nothing to coach debate. Why do it? Public speaking, in case you haven't noticed from prior posts, is a major passion of mine. Passion = drive = sanity. Got it? It's not a massive time commitment, and it keeps me motivated.

2. I'm working as a copywriter for WeDeal.com. This keeps me working for profit in the writing sector, boosts my resume, and provides supplementary income. Because my subject matter changes with every piece of copy, it keeps me interested in the work and churning out good results. Not a bad thing.

3. I'm working retail. Am I thrilled about the concept in theory? Absolutely not. It does nothing to my resume, is not something I'm passionate about, and pays very little. But you know what? It pays. Reliably. It gets me out of the house and mandates socialization. It gets me a 40% discount on cute clothes. Right now, these literal benefits outweigh the intangible perceived detriments, so I'll take it.

4. I'm working as a head hunter. I can't particularly decide how I feel about the work, and I'm just getting started, so... time will tell how beneficial this position becomes. There are four things that excite me about this job. For one, I can do it from home on my own terms. This means I'm around baby. For two, the money is (theoretically) awesome. It's a commission only position, which didn't interest me at first, but the way it's set up, it's very difficult to not make money. The guys running the firm are a year or two older than me, made a killing in their first year, and are expanding rapidly. I like my odds. Finally, the position FORCES me to do something I haven't focused on enough- networking. Networking = contacts = more opportunities. Yes, please. Finally, I'm helping people find work and advance in their careers. There's something very satisfying about that.

Speaking of which, if you're in the market for a new job, drop me a line.... but back on subject....

5. I'm writing. This is where I get to the point of the post.

See, for the most part, I've written for upfront payment only. I couldn't afford to write a lot of residual earning pieces, because I needed money right away. What I began to realize was that there are a limited amount of reliably paying titles available for upfront pay in my areas of passion (communication, business management, etc.) and that sucks. A lot.

Residual earnings sounded awesome. You write, you publish, you make money... forever, basically. You write about what you want. You do so at your leisure. You do it from home. THAT is what I wanted to do, but didn't have a cushion to fall back on.

This is what I figured out my cushion will likely be on a monthly basis, reliably:

Copywriting- $500
Retail- $640

Remember, I'm living at home. This pays for daycare, my terrible cigarette habit, transportation, basic debt payments, etc. It lets me save a tiny bit. This doesn't include the head hunting position, but from a very, very, VERY conservative perspective, that should be bringing me in 2k a month. With that said, I'm looking at $3140 a month at least, giving me $37,680 a year, plus around $700 annually for coaching. That's enough of a cushion for me to revisit the concept of residual writing.

The real question is whether all of this work is worth my time. This is how it breaks down on a weekly basis:

Coaching- 5 hrs
Copywriting- 4 hrs
Retail- 20 hrs
Head hunting- 20 hrs
Writing- 8 hrs

Total hours worked weekly: 57 hours

Multiply that by 52 and divide as necessary... I'm making about $12.94 an hour. Not a fantastic hourly wage. However, this assumes the lowest possible monthly income for head hunting and no income from writing. More realistically, I should be making around $3500 a month head hunting. When it comes to writing... it's hard to predict. My goal is to make AT LEAST $2000 via residual earnings by this time next year. If both of those numbers come to fruition, I'm looking at $19.69 an hour. It doesn't put me in the millionaire's club, but it's something.

There are two distinct benefits to this approach, as far as I'm concerned. For one, income is largely unlimited. Aside from my speech stipend, none of these numbers are static. The copywriting load is increasing week to week. I could theoretically get bumped up in hours with the retail gig, which will come with a raise if I have anything to say about it. The head hunting, if I like it and do well, will likely wind up trading off with the retail hours for substantial financial gain. Writing? Well, all you need to do is talk to people like Felicia, Pat Flynn and a myriad of others to realize just how lucrative that CAN be.

The second and most important reason to love this set-up is that it keeps me around my daughter. Aside from the retail work, I get to spend the day with her. Yes, I'm working, but as I've mentioned in prior posts, distractions do little to my productivity. The other plus is that much of this work can be done when she's sleeping. Regardless, I still have plenty of time to play. I mean, I'm working 57 hours. 25 of those hours are out of the house. If there are 168 hours a week, and I assume 8 hours of sleep a night (haha- pipe dream), that still leaves me with 7 waking hours a day, on average, that are not work related.

So, here we go. I'm going to give it a shot. We'll see how it plays out, and I'll keep you updated, but only time will tell.

*Photo credit to mzacha at Morgue File

Whoa Nelly!

2010-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

So much for applying for the Demand Media Blog Network. If you're a current writer for Demand, you can forget about it too. Not an option for us. After being told that there was a "technical issue" with my application and to contact the help desk, this is what I received:

"Due to account duplication possibilities, we need to work out some tech issues before current Studio account holders can add or migrate their blogs. We'll let you know when you can do so.
Thanks for your patience,
The DMS Team"

Lovely. Oh well... perhaps I should research other syndication options.

Taking the Plunge: Demand Media's Blog Network

2010-10-28T07:10:00.001-07:00

Interesting new opportunity from Demand Media just came to my attention. According to an October 15th Press Release, Demand will now be working in blog syndication. You apply with your blog, and if accepted, they explain,

"Blog posts that are syndicated carry an identifying byline to ensure that the blogger’s brand goes wherever their posts appear. As an added benefit, bloggers will also receive backlinks to their blogs with each post, which may help bloggers improve the rankings of their content in search engine results. All eligible blogs will be part of the Demand Media Studios revenue share program, where bloggers have the opportunity to earn revenue based on the pageviews that their posts receive on the company’s and its partners’ sites."

Very interesting. I think I may apply. Their general information page about the syndication opportunity outlines the requirements for selection as:

One or more postings per week minimum
Family-friendly language and content
Distinct, intelligent writing style

So where does that leave me? Let's investigate.

One or more postings per week minimum. Well, my blog has been live for 177 days today, or just over 27 weeks. I've posted 84 times, including this post. That leaves me at an average of 3 posts a week. However, that average includes my hiatus from July through several days ago. If you remove the dead time, you find that when I'm posting, I average 6 posts a week. Depending on how they view things... I should meet the post minimum.

Family friendly language and content. Well, I think the content is pretty family friendly. I'm a single mom, writing about how moms can write and work from home... even if some of the content now focuses on working as a mom, period. I don't really curse all that much. Reflecting on old posts, I found maybe a handful of instances of objectionable language. One of those times came in my post The Intersection of the Stay at Home Mom, Writing and Feminism. Can't apologize for that one. I have the mouth of a sailor around my friends, but I try to keep it clean on here. You don't need to be cussed out while seeking advice, I figure. Will that disqualify me? We'll see.

Distinct, intelligent writing style. Do I have that? I certainly think it's distinct, at the very least. At least, I hope it's distinct. Is it distinct? Now I'm doubting myself, and while a healthy dose of self-inquisition is good for the soul, this isn't going to inspire a crisis in self-confidence. Given the feedback I've received in comments, emails, and forums, I feel pretty comfortable in my own blogging skin. I think that I strive to achieve a healthy balance of humor, content and realism in my blogging. If it's not what they're looking for, then so be it (but I think it could be).

So what's in it for me? Demand continues to trumpet its ability to bring exposure to writers through its traditional freelancing position, and that claim has now been extended to this blog syndication opportunity. How valid are these claims, though? Let's think this through.

The explanation on their general info page explains that this will work like their revenue share program currently does. I have written one article for them on revenue share. I have made, since May 5th, a whopping $.31 on the article. Not much. Granted, the article was not written for SEO. It was just something I knew a lot about (persuasive speaking). Still, if that's what the payment structure is going to be like (and I still have not received the $.31), then what good is it to me?

I started thinking it over, and decided this is really a no risk proposal. For one, I may not even be accepted. For two, even if I am accepted, it's unlikely to change my writing style or habits (except maybe when it comes to vigilance with profanity), so even if it brings me no extra traffic or money, it's not going to impact anything. At worst, I waste 20 minutes applying, or less. In the middle of the road, I get to reach more people, and make even more awesome connections. At best, I have a little extra change in my pocket.

You guys know I've been a Demand Media fan for quite some time. They may not be perfect, but I've gone to bat for them and other mills many a time, most notably in lengthy exchanges with Jenn Mattern from All Freelance Writing, and Carol Tice of the WM Freelance Writer Connection. I've even started (slowly) writing for them again. We'll see what happens with all of this. I'm about to go apply. What are your thoughts on the new program? Anyone try applying yet? Share below!

*Image Credit: Svillen001 at Stock.xchng

Writing: The Most Important Thing You Can Master

2010-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

I'm currently going through my least favorite processes in the world: the job hunt. I hate it for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it's boring. You enter the same information on every stupid application, sifting through piles of openings in hopes of finding something that won't cause your brain to atrophy from lack of stimulation. Second, it's depressing. You have this perspective on the value of your work, and yet, you look at the compensation levels of some of these positions... well, I guess the economy really does suck these days. Finally, every single position with stable income will sap away precious time from the most important part of my life... my precocious two year old.

Needless to say, I'm not in the best of moods these days. In an effort to keep myself from digging out my eyeballs with a spork, I guess my brain has subconsciously kicked into analytic overdrive, because my mind is going a million miles an hour, mapping out overlaps in the requisitions I'm reading. The one constant? Writing ability.

It doesn't matter if I'm looking at an opening for an administrative assistant or program director. Everyone wants someone who can paint a masterpiece with their words. Granted, the majority of these positions also equate a four year degree with proficiency. In recognition of the blithering idiots I saw graduate from the WKU Comm department.... well, I know better. Still, people with effective writing skills are in high demand.

Why? Now, that's a no-brainer. It doesn't matter what capacity you serve in. You're going to have to write, and write well. Whether it's correspondence, project proposals, reviews, copy or reports, people like to have things in writing. It provides a record of events and easy future reference material. When people can't explain things effectively and concisely in writing... well, that can be even more trying than participation in one of these insipid job searches.

The point of this ramble is that what we do is valuable. Initially, my writing experience had played a small role on my resume and LinkedIn profile. Now, not so much. I realized that these writing abilities are marketable and worth a lot to just about everyone. I'm proud of what I've done, and you should be too.

Now, back to the damn hunt.

Why I Love Copywriting

2010-10-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Just because I haven't been dedicated to the freelancing game doesn't mean I haven't been writing. I've been working as a copywriter for the same company I've been doing outside sales and marketing for. I have to say, I absolutely love the gig.

I came into the job on accident. It just so happened that they were looking for a new copywriter when I interviewed, and as I began to expand upon my past year of employment, my soon-to-be boss asked if I'd be interested. Given that my other work is purely commission based, I said why not? It would be predictable money.

Part of me was a little hesitant to accept the job. I had no copywriting experience, and the way it was discussed, I felt like I was a high school biology teacher about to start experimenting in neurophysics at John Hopkins.

Turns out, copywriting is pretty awesome. Unless you're blogging, a lot of the writing you do as a freelancer is pretty bland. Don't get me wrong- if you get to write about your passion, you're good to go. I needed variety, and I wanted to show some personality. Copywriting has done just that for me. I can use a dry sense of humor to keep things light and enjoyable, and the result has been that I enjoy myself a lot more. And guess what? It's not hard at all.

It's also great to have consistent writing work coming in. Unlike the mills, I know there's always something I'll enjoy writing, and I still know exactly where my next paycheck is coming from and for how much. Not a bad deal at all.

The point I'm trying to make is that if you haven't tried copywriting yet, you should. You might just like it.

Wait... she's still alive?

2010-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. I'm still alive. Yes, I am aware that since July 5th, I have been entirely MIA. I suppose you'd like to know why.

The past year has been tumultuous to say the least. While I was previously thrilled to be making enough money to get by from the comfort of my own home, several unexpected expenses coupled with family concerns prompted me to leave my life in Bowling Green and return to Wheaton, IL.

Living at home. Let me tell you- it is humbling and motivational all at once.

Living under my parents' roof came with certain expectations, including looking for a brick and mortar style job. I'm currently working as a marketing specialist and copywriter for a Groupon-like company in the area. It's not a bad opportunity- and I'm working my butt off- but it's not the best fit.

So where does that leave me? Over extended and underpaid. I'm doing a lot of speech coaching at my former high school. I'm exhausted. I haven't written for Demand Media in months, partially because I haven't had the time to relearn their guidelines.

So where does that leave the site? I'll be honest with you guys- this site will no longer be about writing only. Expect material on daycare, being a working mom, and how much this economy sucks. Expect tidbits, tips and hints on how to survive it all. Most of all, expect daily laughs at my expense!

Buckle up. Here we go!

UPDATE: To Do List on Uppers

2010-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Alright guys, I'm getting there. Slowly, but surely. I know it's been three hours and I said I'd post in two, but I got caught up doing some work and didn't want to lose momentum. So here we go- as you can see, I've moved seven of my tasks to the "To Done" category.

Will I finish all of this tonight? Probably not. Am I going to be working for the rest of the evening? You bet.

To Do List on Uppers

2010-07-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Lord almighty. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind. The past couple of days fall into that category. Time to get going. How am I going to accomplish this? A little bit of Felicia from No Job For Mom and a little bit of me.

Felicia did a post not too long ago about revisiting the concept of the "To Do" list. She had started making two lists: "To Do" and "To Done." At first, I thought it was an interesting concept, but not one that I needed. With several deadlines looming and two weddings to attend/participate in (no, not my own) in the next two weekends, I figured it was worth a shot.

So here we go. Crappy image? Perchance, but deal, cause I took it on my phone instead of wasting time finding my camera. Two columns. The one on the left represents individual tasks that I need to get done today. The column on the right represents ones that I have completed. It's a lot, but this is happening.

How? Well, I'm relying on you all, the readers, to keep me accountable. Every two hours, I'm putting up another post with progress on the list, including pictures. Ready... set... go!

Financial Findings- June

2010-07-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, fair warning: this post will be brief and ugly. Month two of my life as a freelance web content writer/producer/creator... and my net income was (drum roll please)... $537.36.

Pitiful. Just over a quarter of what I made last month. I brought in $513.00 from Demand Studios with upfront pay, and $.16 predicted off of residual earnings on the one article I've published under their revenue share program. I brought in $9.54 from Infobarrel and $14.66 from Associated Content, $5.00 of which was a sign up bonus. This blog brought in $.36.

Why was the income so low? Frankly, the beginning of the month set the pace of productivity for the rest of it. Between Memorial Day weekend, my brother's birthday and my birthday, there was a good week of nothingness. I was supposed to move the weekend after that, which didn't happen for another week, throwing things entirely out of wack. I was to take over the lease at a duplex in Bowling Green when I finally returned, but until then, I had next to no expenses.

All of this added up to very little will to work. At least... very little will to work profitably. I posted regularly on this blog and started working a little on some of the sites that you'll be getting a review of in the next couple of days. Enough excuses, though. The reality of the matter is that I didn't work enough, and my income reflected it. As such, I'm going to have to work double time this month to get where I want to be.

And I'll get there. Don't doubt that for a second.

Blog 30 Challenge- My Review

2010-07-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

So, as some you may or may not know, I was one of the crazy fools who signed up to do the 30 Day Blog Challenge. Basically, the challenge was to post 30 posts within a 30 day time period. I did it! 39 posts in 30 days, and that's with a whole bunch of madness going on in the background. Realistically, I should have spent that time writing articles for cash, as my Financial Findings post later today will highlight, but here is what I've learned.

1. It's easier than it looks. If you can employ some of the content generation tactics I've mentioned on the blog before, you can pull it off- no problem.

2. It's fun. Writing that frequently really puts you in touch with your personal voice and style, which is so much more engaging than a cold, distant and utterly professional approach.

3. There are a lot of talented people out there. The Blog 30 community had a strong presence on Twitter, directing me to all sorts of valuable blogs. Not all of them were in an area of particular interest to me, but they all had great content and perspective.

4. People like to see other people succeed. Not only did I get to read a lot of wonderful things, but I also had a tremendous amount of support from the Blog 30 community.

In other words, the next time one of these challenges comes about, I highly recommend participating. It will be more than worth your time!

Poll Results- 6/30/2010

2010-06-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

The results are in! I asked you lovely folks, the readers I appreciate OH so much, how frequently you used social bookmarking sites. Having only just started my foray in the world of bookmarking, I wanted to see what you had to say. Here is what I found.

Only one respondent said they never used social bookmarking. 55 percent of respondents said they sometimes use it, while 33 percent admitted that they use bookmarking services frequently. Overall impression? Social bookmarking is becoming a huge part of our online lives... especially as writers.

Truth be told, the poll was probably not necessary for me to figure that out. A logical person will realize the reach of social bookmarking within ten minutes of web browsing. Nearly every blog post or article you see posted will give you the option to share it via Twitter, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us or Digg. There are literally HUNDREDS of these sites out there. Some of them are big, some of them are small, and some of them are growing. You can find a good list of the top 20 here.

Why use social bookmarking sites?

1. To promote your own stuff. Why shouldn't someone Stumble onto your genius?

2. To support your community. This is functionally free advertising. Find a blog you love, and Digg the heck out of it.

3. To promote cool ideas. Did you find the most awesome write-up ever on how to overhaul your commenting system? By all means- share it with the world.

I'm not the only one considering such things. Eric at My 4 Hour Work Week is actually in the middle of a grand experiment with social networking sites, just did a post about StumbleUpon and it is phenomenal. I'll defer to him for the in depth expertise, but I think the moral of this story- er, poll- is that bookmarking services should NOT be ignored. Get marking, you social fools! Ok, officially too tired to be posting... but you get the picture.

Ta Da!

2010-06-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. I stopped talking about it, and I delivered.

I set up an office.

If you follow the blog at all (and you should!), you know that I'm a big believer in the fact that your surroundings can, and often do, dictate your productivity levels. Working from the couch may be comfortable, but it gets a little too comfortable. Slowly but surely, you find yourself devouring the last season of Hung while your Demand Studios articles creep toward expiration. True story.

So anyway, I finally got around to setting up my own little "office." It's not much to look at, as you can see from the pictures, but it's good for me. I've got my handy dandy post its, room for my computer, places to store paperwork, and most importantly, a direct view of all the damage Ava can do. I can see all of the kitchen and living room, and with the rest of the house closed off by doors, that's all I need. More work, less running.

I'll post updates over the next week or so on how this has impacted my work ethic. My preliminary impression? This is going to be a very, very good week.

Time Travel, Problem Solving and the Gold Mine

2010-06-29T09:34:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid, I remember my parents staring slack-jawed at the unholy mess my sisters and I had created in our bedroom. "Clean this up IMMEDIATELY!" they would bellow, and my sisters and I would pitifully stare at the piles of mess surrounding us as the bedroom door slammed shut. Usually, we would just sit there for five or ten minutes, thinking. Where in the hell were we supposed to start?

This would usually happen about once a week (SEE! I've always been messy!), and every week, the same thing would happen. The room cleaning would take much longer than it theoretically could have, because we didn't even know where to begin. While my bedroom is marginally cleaner today than it was then, that paralyzing fear or phobia or indecision afflicting my brain regarding where to begin still makes regular appearances in my life. This time, it's work related.

Recent posts by Carson Brackney and Felicia Williams have touched on this a little bit in the past- oh- twelve hours or so. Carson talked about having to run to keep up with the demand of a business while trying to stay ahead of the curve as far as a design and strategy go. Felicia talked about doing what you want to be doing, and writing about your life. These two brilliant bloggers got me thinking.

There is a LOT I want to do. Right now, I have this blog, Infobarrel, Associated Content, Demand Studios and baby to take care of. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I've also got another blog I recently began but haven't promoted at all. I've got yet another blog I desperately want to begin, but haven't yet. There's a big website I want to develop, and know how to develop, but haven't started on. Last night, I stayed up, day dreaming about a potential marketing strategy I'd like to use locally by this time next year.

My brain is like my cluttered childhood bedroom, but instead of mess, I'm in a gold mine. It seems silly to me. I have a bunch of potentially profitable ideas just sitting here, and I don't know where to start. What now?

Well, I started to think back to those room cleaning days. Eventually, the sitting around part of cleaning grew shorter, as the micro-manager in my 9-year-old self dictated where each of my siblings and I would begin our work. My strategy was to divide and conquer. Well, there were six hands cleaning that room, and despite my best efforts, I've yet to develop super powers, which means that I've only got two hands on these projects. That cleaning strategy didn't seem a likely fit.

As I continued my frustrating stroll down memory lane, I started thinking about the messes that would accumulate when I finally got my own room. Many a Friday night, my dad would make it crystal clear that I would not be leaving the house until that room was clean. To make sure I got everything done that I needed done, I would make a list, outlining the specific steps I needed to take. I compartmentalized the work, and would cross off each task as I completed it.

Ok, fast forward to the here and now. Really, this strategy was nothing more than a glorified to do list. But could it work? Well, we're about to find out. Each of my projects has been assigned a sheet of paper. On each sheet, I have tasks listed out. These sheets are posted prominently around my desk. I have the work I NEED to do each day to keep myself and Ava afloat, but there are more than enough hours in the day for me to start working on some of these other projects. I'm hoping the visual reminders well help me start making a dent in this mess- er, I mean- work.

Do you struggle with getting started on all of your fabulous ideas? How do you cope?

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

5 Minutes with Eric Gati of My 4 Hour Work Week

2010-06-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

As promised, interviews are becoming a regular component of the Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom experience. To start things out, I sat down for a quick chat with My 4 Hour Work Week's Eric Gati. Why? Because's he's pretty much awesome. As a CPA, he's managed to build a fantastic blog centered around the concept of lifestyle design, attracting a massive following. In five minutes, here's what he had to say:

1. You're currently a CPA. Do you ever find yourself distracted at work, thinking about your other work? How do you keep yourself focused and balanced?

I am constantly distracted at work by my other work, and sometimes it is overwhelming. There will be days where I have a lot of actual work to do, but I'll be hit with a new business idea and immediately want to do a full-fledged brainstorming session while I'm at work. Sometimes I'll randomly think of a good topic for a blog post and I'll want to drop everything I'm doing and begin writing it (before I forget what I want to write!).

Staying focused and balanced isn't easy, and there are many times when I will give in to the distractions at the expense of my "actual" work. One way I usually keep my focus is by making a list of things I must do at work in a given day. By identifying these items, I can make sure I don't fall behind on my work, despite any distractions. Once I complete the must-do list, I "reward" myself by allowing myself to think about and work on other things that are not related to my CPA work.

To be honest though, having your actual job and a side job that you're actually passionate about is a never-ending struggle. Sometimes the only way to accommodate both is to work your normal job from 9 to 5, and then work from 7 to midnight on your passion (which is what I do at least a couple nights a week).

2. How did a CPA become so interested in blogging?

I've always been interested in blogging, but it wasn't until this past January that I actually pursued a blog that covered a topic I was really passionate about (passive income, lifestyle design, etc.) The 4-Hour Workweek was my inspiration for the blog (which is obvious with the title of my blog), so I can probably credit that book with giving me the motivation to enter the blogosphere.

3. You conduct a lot of interviews on your site. Any advice for the readers (and me!) on finding people to interview and how to approach the possibility?

Honestly, the opportunities have really just fallen into my lap. The majority of my interviews have come from me reaching out to people who have commented on my blog posts. I think this is an excellent starting point, because you're connecting with people who are already familiar with your writing. It's flattering to be asked to do an interview for a blog of which you are a reader, so you'll find that people won't say no to the opportunity to be interviewed by you.

Also, I don't think there is a such thing as a bad person to interview (except for someone who says "no" to the opportunity, of course). Everyone, regardless of their background, blog popularity, or profession, has experience and wisdom to share. As the interviewer, you just need to ask the right questions and extract that wisdom.

Beyond simply reaching out to your commenters, reach out to any bloggers or other individuals that you're a fan of. People love the opportunity to gain new fans and followers, and participating in an interview is one way for them to get this exposure. Outside of the few who are extremely busy, most people won't say no to you.

4. The About page on My 4 Hour Work Week talks about your money making days as an online card shark. What business lessons can you draw from your gamblings?

Way to dig up a part of my past that I don't discuss much anymore. :) By far the #1 lesson I took away from playing poker online is that variance (i.e. luck) will always create ups and downs for you, but those who work hard on their game and always strive to improve will come out on top. Even the best poker players have losing streaks, but they will always be profitable in the long run. The key is to not be discouraged when you're on a losing streak.

This is directly applicable to business and just about anything else in life - if you're good, you will rise to the top. The most successful people in business have failed at least once, but they never let it discourage them from working hard and eventually finding success.

5. What do you think the most valuable character trait is for someone interested in pursuing online entrepreneurship?

I think patience might be the most valuable trait for someone interested in online entrepreneurship. The barriers to entry online are so low, that failures and successes come and go every second. This can be really distracting when you're spending hours on your blog and only see that you're getting 5-10 visitors per day (and one of them is probably your mom). While you slave away to produce content for a few sets of eyeballs, you see other people making six-figure incomes with their blogs. It's discouraging, and that's why patience is so important. If you can work hard and get over the early slumps, you'll find that your popularity and success will grow exponentially.

This doesn't only apply to blogging, but blogging is a good example because it's the place many begin when they dive into online entrepreneurship.

* * * * *

Eric is a full-time CPA (tax consultant), part-time blogger, and an entrepreneur at heart. When he isn't wrapped up in the world of accounting and taxes, he blogs about passive income, lifestyle design, and his struggle to escape his "9 to 5" job at My 4-Hour Workweek. You can also follow him on Twitter @My4HWW.

Monday Morning Role Call- 6/28/2010

2010-06-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

You know, why is it that I almost never get this thing out in the morning? Lawd's sakes. Well guys, here it is, another edition of Monday Morning Role Call, where I tell you, my loverly readers, about some of the blogs you should be checking out if you aren't already.

The Big Red Tomato Company

If you're at all interested in the business side of things with your work, this is the site for you. They have buckets of great material on entrepreneurship, building your small business, and making the internet work for you. Amusing and informative, the site is not without a sense of humor. You've got to check it out!

Freelance Writing Tips

Angie Papple Johnston knows her stuff, and she's willing to share. This blog is bursting with valuable data. This isn't where you go for a story; it's where you go to LEARN. Some of her latest posts have revolved around writing press releases- a very marketable skill, indeed!

Mars Dorian- Spread Your Influence

This is my favorite recommendation of the week. This guy is brilliant, irreverent and entertaining. He's quickly becoming a must read for me, and it's not just because of his site's edgy design and photos. No, Dorian hits a home run because he takes his craft seriously without developing an overinflated ego in the process. In my opinion, this is business know-how for the rest of us, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

That's all for this week! Come back next week for links to more super valuable blogs!

Are you interested in being featured in next week's Monday Morning Role Call, or have a suggestion? Email me the link at therealspeechmama@gmail.com.

How much should YOU be making?

2010-06-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

As I began to gather my rather dismal June numbers for my Financial Findings report (yes, they're awful, and you'll get them and a slew of a excuses in a couple of days), I started thinking of other income reports I've seen. On one hand, you've got Pat Flynn over at Smart Passive Income reporting 30k months. On the other hand, you have women reporting $500 of income. So where should I be falling? For that matter, where should you be falling? If you've read my blog at all, I'm sure you won't be the least bit surprised when I tell you that depends on a few things.

1. How much time you spend writing. Some people spend one to two hours a day writing. Others spend one to two hours a week. Some write for eight hours a day. How much time you spend writing will greatly impact how much you make.

2. How many distractions you encounter on a regular basis. Some people are bachelors and bachelorettes, coming home to an empty apartment in peace and quiet. They have all the time in the world to write without interruption. Others have five children pulling on their legs as they do the dishes, limiting their access to uninterrupted work time. This is important, as productivity often relies on momentum, and constant interruptions may limit your ability to gain momentum.

3. Where you write. I see some people who report making around $1600 in up front pay at Demand Studios a month. Others are making that much in residuals at Associated Content, Bukisa, and Suite101. However, where you write, held relative to the amount of time you have to dedicate to writing, can be a huge indication of how much income you can expect.

4. What you write about. Some people write about what they love. Others worship SEO. Your subject matter will implicate your traffic, which, on residual sites or directories like Constant Content, affects your bottom line.

5. How much work you've done so far. This is particularly important in residual writing. A person with 5 articles on Suite101 is unlikely to make as much money as someone with 500 articles, just statistically speaking. Moreover, if you have a large body of good work, you may have a better shot at getting in with more lucrative private clients.

6. The kinds of work you do. You guys know I'm a Demand Studios fan, but I'll be the first to tell you that you can make a lot more money writing for private clients.

7. What your priorities are. Is writing a hobby or a job for you? Even better- is it both? Your attitude will impact your work, and thus, your results.

8. How much you market yourself. It is rare that a well-paying private client will just fall into your lap. Landing the big gigs takes work. It takes a lot of marketing and self-promotion.

After perusing a thread in the Work At Home Mom forums, I started feeling a lot better. I realized that one person's pittance is another's fortune. June may not have been what I would have liked it to be by the numbers, but it was not without accomplishment (like I said- hold your horses- you'll get that post in 3 days). Next time you wonder if you're doing all this the right way, think about where you fall in the above categories before you begin to make comparisons.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

You can generate even MORE article ideas by...

2010-06-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we talked about how to tap into your areas of expertise to generate thousands of article ideas in a short, organized period of time. However, if you've been doing this for a while now, or if you're fast at churning out content, your well may be running dry. It happens to the best of us! Here are a couple of ways to keep the ideas flowing.

1. Read news in your areas of expertise. There is no such thing as a dead topic. Even if your expertise is ancient Roman mythology, they may discover some kind of long lost explanatory text tomorrow. Read in your area of expertise, because news can lead to several kinds of articles: reporting, personal response, possible benefits, possible drawbacks and what comes next.

2. Read other people's material in your area of expertise. If you find something interesting, or downright stupid, that opens the door for you to do a response piece. Let's stick with the Roman mythology point. Let's say that you think Venus was the bee's knees, but MythologyLuver221 has a blog where they paint her as a cheap hooker. You can put up a blog post or publish an article specifically addressing the arguments that MythologyLuver221 has outlined (assuming their post meets the requirements for productive public disagreement).

3. Learn something new, but similar. Maybe, despite your undying passion for Roman Mythology, you always thought that Egyptian gods were pretty fierce. Do some research, take a class. Why? This opens two avenues of content generation: the original avenue you went down with your Roman mythology expertise on this new topic, AND an avenue filled with compare and contrast articles. Tell me- how do Ra and Zeus measure up?

4. Learn something completely new, and entirely unrelated to your current field of expertise. If Roman mythology has been your main squeeze for the past year and a half, take a break and start seeing other topics. Why not learn everything there is to know about alligators? Banking regulations in the United States? Harlequin novels? Choose a topic that's interesting to you, for sure, but it wouldn't hurt for you to find a topic that will allow you to maximize on SEO in the process.

Why bother with all this if you're already an expert? You may find your new topic, or subsequent topics that snowball from your research, the fire under your butt that you needed to start generating like a mad man or woman again. You also may find that some time away from your one true love will allow you to be inspired anew when you return, and unlike in actual relationships, "taking a break" is not a death sentence in the world of content generation. On the other hand, you may find that your old passions have been exhausted, and these new topics are what you really want to be writing about. No matter what the result, you win!

5. Conduct interviews in your area of expertise. Really, you should be doing this anyway to diversify the content and perspective in your blog, but assuming this is for articles alone, interviews can help reap many of the same benefits as reading news and other materials in your area of expertise.

6. Find inspiration in your every day life. Maybe it's the debate nerd in me, but I'm a sucker for a great analogy (just ask my old debate partner, Chad, about Great Aunt Gertrude). If you're feeling inspired by something you see or experience, talk about it, and, if you can, relate it to something you're knowledgeable about. You'll see me do it all the time on this blog. I swear, my daughter is absolutely my muse. Don't have your laptop handy? Make a note in your cell phone, or carry a pad of paper for the explicit purpose of housing ideas until you have time to bring them to fruition.

7. Watch a movie or TV show. This kind of goes hand in hand with the inspiration concept, but it's more deliberate than serendipity. You can relate media to ANYTHING. Ok, you know a lot about Roman mythology. Watch Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, and write an article identifying any mythological references therein, expanding upon their significance in the time period.

Ok, I'm not sure why I'm on such a big Roman mythology kick today, but the lesson is still salient. You'll never really run out of content ideas if you can employ some of these tactics. Writers are creative by nature; don't ignore your nature.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

You can generate over 2000 article ideas by...

2010-06-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

For many writers, the will to write and the knowledge necessary to execute upon that will are not a problem. Your mind and life are a veritable gold mine of material for making an income. However, determining an angle to take in approaching this gold mine for profitable extraction may prove difficult. To approach this problem, one need only to revisit their school aged days.

Try to remember back to your first lessons in essay writing. Teachers taught students to develop outlines of their work before they proceeded in writing their papers, so as to ensure a certain level of thought organization in their work. This concept was furthered as you learned the process of effective note taking from massive, over-priced textbooks. The idea is to take larger ideas and break them down into smaller ones, compartmentalizing the information into easier to digest chunks.

Next time you find yourself struggling to come up with a topic, or perhaps more accurately, find yourself struggling with where to start with your information, try applying these school aged concepts to your brainstorming. Start by making a list of the general topics you are knowledgeable about. Under each topic, break the idea into sub-categories. Keep breaking down the ideas until they cannot be broken down any further. After that, apply generic title lead ins to the smallest categories.

For example, say you know a whole lot about cats. Your initial topic areas might be breeds, care, and problems. Let's look at the care topic. Under here, sub-categories might include veterinary care, food, grooming and training. Under veterinary care, you might have sub-categories that include spaying/neutering, fleas, worms, shots, claws, and cancers. Under shots, you may be able to talk about Calici Virus, Chlamydia, Feline Leukemia, FIP, Panleukopenia, Rabies, and Viral rhinotracheitis. Generic lead ins for each may be advantages, disadvantages, costs, history and use.

Bear with me for a moment. That means for this one small sub-category, there are five generic lead ins for seven areas. That's 35 articles. Assuming these above numbers are average (and in my experience, this is a low ball number), that means that in this one, small area of expertise, you could theoretically generate 2520 articles from about cats.

It took me five minutes to outline this little bit of information out. And I know NOTHING about cats. Imagine if I did know a lot about cats. It would not be implausible for my list making to generate over 5000 possible articles, all from the power of outlining. Not bad, huh?

This is just one of many approaches to article content brainstorming. How do you generate your content ideas?

Singing Into Hairbrushes

2010-06-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm tired. It's not that I didn't sleep well or that I've been working all morning. It's not that I've been scrubbing the house or that Ava has been a pain. No, I'm tired because I've been dancing for the past hour. Jumping around, flailing, throwing my hair and singing at the top of my lungs into a hairbrush. For the record- I think Ava will be a tremendous swing dancer one day.

I took an hour to jump around with my daughter, singing hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Walkin' on Sunshine," "Don't Stop Believin'," and "She's a Maniac." We danced vigorously and sang at the top of our lungs. She's now down for a nap and the music is off, but my pulse is still galloping and I feel great.

What's the point of this domestic newsflash? SHE is the point. The HAIRBRUSHES are the point. Teaching her to DANCE and LAUGH and be HAPPY is the point. Moments like these are why I do what I do, and I suspect, why many of you do it as well.

The life of a freelancer is rarely glamorous. Sometimes the pay is awesome, but usually it's not. Platforms can be frustrating and clients can be maddening. On occasion, your work is appreciated, but typically, it's just another couple hundred words on the interwebs. It's easy to get frustrated and fed up and distracted by the petty differences and roadblocks you encounter along the way.

But see, then I have afternoons like this one, where I get to see my beautiful daughter giggling in mirth. I get to see her twirl ecstatically in her little pink tutu. I get to see her grin with accomplishment as she stumbles around in Mommy's flip flops. I get to laugh a laugh that goes straight down to my core, and smile in an effortless and intoxicating fashion. THAT makes all of the other crap seem more than worth it.

The point is, we all chose this rather un-glamorous life for a reason. Maybe you, too, wanted to be around your children more. Maybe you wanted to be your own boss. Maybe you wanted to be able to travel more. Maybe you started out loving writing. Maybe you wanted to be able to make a difference. Whatever your reason was, maybe it's time to remind yourself of what it was that made you choose this. Maybe it's time to sing into a hairbrush for a little while.

How to Disagree in a Comment

2010-06-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

So you've decided to publicly disagree with a blogger or forum member. After analyzing the situation, you've found that it meets the requirements for productive public disagreement. What now? It's time to effectively construct your response.

1. Point out something you appreciated in the post. Maybe the author thoroughly researched their position, or perhaps they are incredibly passionate about their argument. Highlight a strength in the post. Flattery will get you everywhere, and help to temper any defensiveness that may spring up.

2. Respectfully state the specific point you disagree with. Don't just say, "You're wrong." Say, "I disagree with x." Be as specific as possible, as this will give strength to your argument. Broad arguments, especially in the context of something as short as a mere comment, are more susceptible to attack.

3. Give a warrant. Your warrant is a reason why you believe your point of view to be correct. It is a logical explanation of your position. This helps to enhance understanding of your opinion.

4. Provide credibility for your warrant. This can be in the form of your own established expertise or data from another reputable source. This gives people a reason to consider your analysis.

5. Admit the limitations of your opinion. Does it only apply in a certain scenario? Does it only apply to certain individuals? Is your data from an earlier time period than the current topic of discussion? Are you less experienced than the original poster? Admit weaknesses as an authority to avoid the subject from becoming a silver bullet in a response to your disagreement.

6. Explain why these limitations are minor. For example, if your data is from seven years ago, explain why it is still relevant. If you are inexperienced in a specific field, explain why experience in a different field relates to the current topic of conversation.

7. Keep your tone professional. When you think you're right and someone else is wrong, it can be easy to get a little snippy. Avoid this kind of tone, as it can diminish respect for you and your opinion unnecessarily.

8. Proofread.

9. Proofread again.

10. If possible, provide a link to materials of your own that further delve into the meat of your opinion on the topic being discussed. This further establishes your credibility and helps to drive traffic to your own site.

Remember, disagreement is a part of any adult conversation. Execute your public disagreement effectively, and you will find the conversation to be very fruitful, indeed.

When to Publicly Disagree in a Comment

2010-06-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

There are going to be times where you disagree with the content of someone's post, be it on a blog or in a forum. Public disagreement is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, publicly disagreeing with someone can lead to productive debate and an enhanced reputation. However, in order for the disagreement to be worth your time, attention and effort, the situation should meet the following requirements.

First, the original poster should be someone who will be willing to engage with you. If the post is coming from someone who is very clearly making inflammatory statements with the intent to get a rise out of the community, it is unlikely that responding to them on that post will do you or anyone else any good. If anything, you will end up encouraging their irresponsible behavior. If you still feel the need to publicly disagree with them, consider doing so at a different venue, such as your own blog. This gives you the ability to make an important point without fanning the flames of conflict and driving traffic to the offender's writing space.

Second, you should only engage in the public debate if you are well armed with information. For example, if someone is doling out incorrect health advice, and you happen to be a doctor specializing in the area in question, disagreeing is not only a healthy choice for building your reputation, but nearly a moral responsibility. If you are disagreeing with someone based on your own experiences, you can still disagree publicly, but you should cite another expert to back up the experiences you're referencing, or preface your opinion with its limitations.

Third, you should only disagree if you can do so coolly, respectfully and constructively. We all have things in life that we're passionate about. However, if your passion easily turns into rage, then it might be best to abstain from commenting, as digital temper tantrums are no more appealing than physical ones.

Finally, you should be willing to continue the debate beyond your initial post. Making one contrary comment is commenting just to comment, which really limits the utility of commenting as a whole. Be willing to respond to the comments made by the original poster and other commenters. Not only does this make you a responsible commenter, but it helps to foster a healthy and active community conversation.

Now you know when to comment- but how should you execute your disagreement? More on that later today. Check back at the blog for more information!

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Poll Results- 6/23/2010

2010-06-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

This week's poll has come to a close. I asked you, the readers, what the biggest productivity blocks were for you as writers. It was a dead tie between two answers: household obligations and burn out. These are definitely understandable barriers to productivity, but they are far from insurmountable.

Household obligations are a difficult obstacle to overcome. That laundry and those dishes are not going to take care of themselves. Maybe you have kids who need to get to soccer practice, or parents you need to help out around the house. How do you balance your work and home life? If only there were a magic solution...

My advice is to try to establish a set time frame in which you can work without interruption. This doesn't mean you can't work during other times as well (often, you will), but it's your time that you know can be used for your work.

Think finding such time is impossible? Think again. Do your kids nap? Do they go to preschool? Are they participating in a summer camp? Are you up later than they are? Do you wake before them? THAT's when you need to schedule your work time.

I can hear the objections already. "But that's when I run my errands. That's when I clean the house. What about the groceries?" Here's the thing. You can do all of those things with kids around. Yes, it may not be your favorite experience, but my money's on the fact that you can fold the laundry with a screaming toddler running circles around you a lot more effectively than you could write an article under the same circumstances. I certainly understand wanting to spend time with your kids in a different capacity, but if you really need the money, you may not have another option at the moment.

If this isn't something you can do, and if you don't have a significant other willing to help you out... perhaps this gig isn't for you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again- different strokes for different folks.

What about burn out? Especially with a schedule like the one mentioned above, burn out is a real possibility. There are a couple of steps you can take to mitigate the impacts of burn out on your productivity.

First, don't take on more work than you can handle. It may be really cool to think about making $200 in a day in the beginning... but will you tear out your hair if you attempt it? Be realistic as you set up your work load.

Second, vary the kind of work you do. Writers tend to be creative by nature, so doing the same thing over and over and over and over again may be enough to make you throw in the towel. Try writing for different sites, posting on your blog and working on different projects to break up what would otherwise be tedious and to keep yourself entertained and engaged.

Finally, take breaks. Don't be afraid to take an hour, afternoon or day off. Sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries is a little bit of time and distance. Play with your kids, read a book, take a shower, or go for a walk. Do anything except work. You'll come back to the keyboard feeling refreshed and ready to rock.

Hopefully this information has been helpful. This week's poll asks you how often you use various social bookmarking sites. I can't wait to see the results!

Explanations Owed and All That Jazz

2010-06-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

Alright, I feel like I owe you guys an explanation. Not only did I miss Monday Morning Role Call, but I have disappeared from the interwebs for the past three days. Very out of character for me, and I'm sorry for that. To understand why I fell off the face of the earth, a little bit of background is required.

As I alluded to in my recent interview with Eric at My 4 Hour Work Week, my past was a little... turbulent. Truth be told, there's enough drama back there to fill at least four seasons of General Hospital. I was dating my college sweetheart for two years when we found out I was pregnant (something I had been told was impossible), and had been together for three and a half years when he proposed and I accepted. Within a month, it became very clear that the engagement wouldn't last. Simmering conflicts from beneath the surface finally came to a boil, and, determined that I would never teach my daughter to settle or sacrifice who she was for a man, I left her father.

The initial split was ugly, and we've gone back and forth on its permanence several times. I moved into an apartment I couldn't afford, moved out, moved in with a crazy, crazy, crazy roommate (did I mention she was crazy?), moved out, moved to Chicago, moved back, went to go visit my family again, and stayed for a month and a half. Talk about a roller coaster, right? However, with writing, I realized that I could, if I played my cards right, have enough money to live a far more stable life.

Well, Ava's father is working in Nashville doing a commission-based income sales job. Driving back and forth had become a tedious affair, so he made me an offer that was hard to refuse. He had kept our duplex when I left him, and it was still in my name, along with most of the bills. He suggested I take over the rent and half of the utilities. He would stay on the couch when he came in to see Ava, but the place would be mine. I was in Chicago when he made the offer, and my one condition to acceptance was that he square away all of his past due utility bills.

Well, about that.... he got the electricity squared away, alright... after it had been turned off for several weeks and all the food had gone rancid (that little gift was still here when I arrived). The internet still wasn't on when I got here. The house was trashed. I sat on the dilapidated bed the night I arrived (after a two hour flight delay with the little one, mind you), and wondered just what I had agreed to.

Carless, I walked a mile to the nearest Panera on Sunday to do a blog post and be what I had hoped would mimic productive. Silly me. The noise and bustle and repeated, "LAUREN! I didn't know you were in TOWN!" did little for my ability to write. I finally ditched my corner booth and headed home to engage in my previously referenced productivity scrub.

That productivity scrub took the rest of Sunday, all of Monday and part of Tuesday morning. I was wiping down walls, scrubbing floors on my hands and knees, and wondering how in the hell Ava's dad had lived in this place. As I began organizing the bathroom closet, I had a bit of a revelation. This was my house now. Mine. Ava's father's contributions amounted to a miniscule amount of child support in exchange for a couch to crash on when he came to town (and no, he doesn't pay child support otherwise). Suddenly my productivity scrub took on new life. Why? Because I was damned and determined to create my own new life.

Ava's father had to admit I was right as I shoved his clothes and personal effects into the hall closet and began to move my things into the dresser and bedroom closet. I rearranged the bedroom and the bathroom and the kitchen cabinets. Everything was in its proper place and the world made sense.

The internet got turned on again yesterday, but I didn't want to start working until today. I wanted to wake up, drink some coffee, and begin fresh. So... here I am. My house is clean (despite the lurking smell in the freshly scrubbed fridge- any ideas for that, by the way?), Ava and I are comfortable, and I am doing things all on my own... the right way. That's why I've been delayed- because sometimes, a productivity scrub has to go a lot deeper than you anticipated.

No Monday Morning Role Call this week, but the poll ends in two hours, so make sure to participate! Here's to more fruitful posting in the future!

Demand Studios Format Selection

2010-06-20T08:46:00.001-07:00

I have come to a conclusion. I will no longer write any articles for Demand Studios for less than $15 a pop. It's not about the pay per article. It's not about the amount of time it takes to write the article. It's about the rewrites.

When Tips and Short Answers became available to me, I was psyched. One quick Google search, a flurry of fingers on keys and clicking submit... I could make $5 in 5 minutes. It seemed like a great deal... until the copy editing process began.

Suddenly, I found myself facing a ton of rewrites- even overhauls- for stupid little articles that took me 5 minutes to write. It wasn't grammar or lack of content that was getting me attention; rather, it was a desire for different content. It didn't make my content any worse or better than what was being requested, but it was enough for a rewrite. Suddenly my $60/hour rate of writing was turning into $20 an hour with the necessary rewrites.

The problem is that with so little space to fill in these articles, you don't have enough time to cover all your bases and still be profitable with your writing. There will almost always be some unresolved issue, because for $3 and $5 a pop, you're not going to put in the time to thoroughly research your answer to the article's question.

Comparatively, my rewrite rate is fairly low with List and About articles. For example, last month, I had a healthy blend of Short Answer and About articles. My rewrite rate was 22 percent, with a 3 percent abandoned rewrite rate and a 2 percent rejection rate. That means that 27 percent of my articles needed revisions. This month, though I have not been working at Demand as much, I have focused primarily on List and About articles. My rewrite rate is at 10 percent. I have abandoned 10 percent of my rewrites and have no rejections. That's a 7 percent difference, and had I been working more, I feel confident that my numbers would be more reflective of the statistical difference in approval between $15 articles and the lower rung of assignments.

The other problem with writing these smaller articles is that if you do the smart thing and abandon the request for a total overhaul, your work is squandered. You are not about to post a 100 word "response" article on Associated Content or anywhere else. If you have a List article that a copy editor is being unreasonable about, that can generate page views and residual income for you elsewhere. With those shorter articles, you've wasted time, and time is money.

So I am done. From now on, it's $15 and not a penny less. I would advise you to do the same.

*Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Deep Cleaning: Time for a Productivity Scrub

2010-06-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I am Kentucky bound. A visit home to Chicago was extended... repeatedly... due to some family fiascoes and Kentucky based drama, but Ava and I are headed to the original Land of Lincoln this evening. I can't even begin to tell you how UNexcited I am to fly with a 23 month old, but 'tis the life and times of this mama.

Tomorrow is Father's Day (just a reminder- now go run to the store and get that card), so Ava will spend the day with her father. I think they're going to Nashville to go swimming. In the meantime, I will be home alone. What's a girl to do? Well, I like to call the concept a productivity scrub.

What's a productivity scrub? A productivity scrub is a cleaning, rearranging and work spree whose end purpose is to create a more productive environment for you to work in. You don't have to be a mom to understand the idea of there not being enough hours in a day, but it is certainly a poignant one when toddler is in tow. Chores pile up, house repairs begin to accumulate, and all those things you need to get around to clutter your mind. Maybe it's as simple as being unable to work when there's a mess in sight. Whatever it is, a productivity scrub can cure all.

Tomorrow, I will be deep cleaning the house. This means all the chores I would usually do, combined with the chores I avoid. The bathroom is going to sparkle. The living room is getting rearranged. The bedroom is being switched around. Heck- I'm cleaning out the outdoor storage unit. The house will look, smell, and feel sparkling clean. More than that- I'm further baby proofing the kitchen, as Ava's penchant for destruction has expanded since we were last home. I'm getting the groceries I need for the next week. That massive pile of laundry? Done. The pile of giveaways I've been staring at for the past several months? Gone.

I'm getting a desk and a chair. No more of this stupid sitting around and working on the couch. I'm getting a cork board where I can post visual reminders of workloads, deadlines and ambitions. Basically, I'm giving myself a makeshift office. Why? Because I'm serious about making a go of writing as a career- not just as something to do for now- and I'm committed to treating it as such.

So tomorrow, my first full day home, will be a day of work. I'm going to scrub out the clutter in my home that's getting in the way of my productivity. I'm going to exhaust myself- but it will be more than worth it. What do you do to keep your productivity up?

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Poll Results- 6/16/10

2010-06-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

The results are in for our most highly participated poll to date. The readers have spoken, and the results were interesting. This week we asked where you work. Here's the breakdown of options:

In my office

At a desk

On the couch

On a desktop

On a laptop

By hand

Where ever I can

While a blogger glitch erased the most up to date results, the breakdown was fairly even. Each result got about 34% of the vote, with the exception of writing by hand, bringing in about 14%. That seems odd until you realize that users could select multiple options, so participants could indicate that they worked in their office, at a desk, on a desktop.

So what does all of this mean? The results indicate something we've talked about all along- different things work for different people. People find ways to be productive in any setting. There is no "right" way to work. All we can do is discuss what works for us and why in hopes of providing insight for other people.

Next week's poll asks what has the largest impact on your overall productivity. Be sure to cast your vote!

Treating Your Career Like a Business

2010-06-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had the opportunity to discuss an impending business venture with several close friends. I can't really get into the details, but it got me thinking about the concept of business planning. There are so many different complicated components to the process, but realistically, parts of that same process can serve to benefit bloggers and freelancers alike. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself as your career moves forward:

What do I want to do? Do you enjoy writing snappy copy or informative content? Are you interested in entertaining, or do you have a flare for investigative reporting? Identify the kind of writing you want to do, because without a clear perspective on this, you may find yourself working on projects you hate.

What makes me different from the competition? Ask yourself what gives you an edge over the freelancer next door on the web. Are you cheaper labor? Are you fast? Are you flexible? Are you knowledgeable? Are you experienced? Do you have more awards than anyone on the face of the planet? Identify what makes you competitive, as this will help you to select the appropriate venues for your work and how you can market yourself.

What kind of money do you want to make? Are you trying to make a basic living, or do you want to make it big? Either choice is acceptable, but understanding where your priorities lie can help you to determine the proper platforms for your work.

What do you need to get started? Consider your skill base your initial investment. Do you have enough to get going? Do you need to learn more about HTML? Could you use a refresher course on AP style? Have you forgotten the difference between active and passive voice? Figure out whether you're going into a battle of wits ill-armed or well-prepared, and any steps you may need to take to remedy the situation.

What's your trajectory? Where are you starting? Where are you going? How long is it going to take you to get there? These are important questions to ask yourself to determine your direction and expectations for income and progress.

Who are my future clients? Identify the demographic you plan to target. Are you going to work for mills? Are you going to do contracted work? Are you going to publish for forums like Constant Content? If you're developing a blog, what kind of crowd do you want to attract? What do they want to see?

When you're a freelancer, your career is a business... your business. Ask yourself the questions you would ask as an entrepreneur contemplating a new venture, because that's exactly what you're doing.

*Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Revisiting Cloud Crowd

2010-06-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

I recently put up a post regarding my experiences with Cloud Crowd and opinion of the site. It was hardly a glowing review. However, in light of recent occurrences, I want to address the subject once more.

My frustrations stemmed from a lack of transparency, communication and adequate pay. The site had indicated that communication about subjects such as probation and suspension could not be addressed on a case by case basis. After a series of frustrating encounters and the ultimate suspension of my account, you can bet I was irritated.

Since then, I have been contacted by their VP of Marketing and Business Development. Initially, his feedback was in the form of a comment on the blog post I put up, and I was mulling over how I wanted to handle it. While I was considering my options, I received the following email from him:

"While I'm never happy to see negative feedback about CloudCrowd, particularly when presented in a compelling, well-written blog post, I appreciate the feedback. There are a number of things we're working on to improve the CloudCrowd platform, and constructive criticism helps us to prioritize.

Your points were all well taken. We're already communicating better to editors about how to avoid some of the issues you experienced and requiring feedback from reviewers when rejecting documents.

I sincerely hope you'll give CloudCrowd another shot. If not, I understand, and hope that you'll at least walk away understanding that while we're a work in progress we're very much willing to listen to our editor base and make the improvements we can."

After receiving this email, I made up my mind. As freelancers, whether it's odd jobs like Cloud Crowd or written work with DS, one of the things we want more than anything is to be heard by the people we're working with. Cloud Crowd addressed my concerns in the form of structural change. That's more than most companies will do.

I have decided to, tentatively, give Crowd Cloud another shot. It seems as though their managerial staff has their priorities straight, and I can respect and appreciate that. As such, I felt it was only right to issue a public statement indicating my change of heart. While it's still not really an option for generating consistent revenue, cash paid busy work ahoy!

Work Diversification Strategery and My ADD Work Ethic

2010-06-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

I enjoy writing. A lot. Obviously, I mean, I'm doing it for a living. However, if there's one thing I've realized over the years, it's that I have the attention span of a gnat. I mean, I enjoy writing and I know I can do well for myself with it, but the attention span issue has been a concern for me during this process, and I- oh, look, shiny object....

Ok, so maybe it's not that bad, but I've realized that if I don't want to get bored and give up on something that I know is good for me, I've got to develop a new strategy. I need to find a way to diversify my work.

My plan? Well, as you may remember from past posts, my typical Demand Studios goal was seven $15 articles a day, with one day off. It's not impossible, but I just don't want to do that anymore. I've revised my strategy. My daily goal from now on includes:

5 articles a day for Demand Studios

1 article a day for Constant Content

1 article a day for InfoBarrel

1 article a day for Associated Content

75 blurbs for a new client I'm working with (more on this at a later date)

1 (at least) blog post a day

Sound like a lot of work? On face, perhaps, but I'm thinking (and hoping) that it sounds like a good blend. Before or after every DS article I have one other task to complete. Each of those tasks takes about 30 minutes, with the exception of the blurbs, which I will likely divide into two chunks.

Where does this get me? Well, adjusting for my abandoned rewrite rate on Demand Studios, I will bring in about $1900 a month there. The blurb work will bring in around $400 a month. Those are the guaranteed forms of income.

The other platforms will bring in a variable amount of money. Associated Content revolves around page views and meager upfront payments (I don't reprint content there- not worth it). Infobarrel is Adsense fueled for me. Constant Content is a marketplace system, so I'll only get paid for what I sell. My blog has a myriad of potential income sources. With all of these sources, nothing is assured. However, any and all research and experience I've accumulated indicates that these are sources that can be profitable over time. It's about working smarter, right?

In any case, this is the new system I'm going to try. While I may do parts of this work today, I have a business meeting for another side project I'm helping out so I can't guarantee a full commitment. However, I will start implementing this system in earnest tomorrow, and will report back to you all on its success next Wednesday.

What about it? What strategy do you creative types use to keep yourself focused?

To Click or Not to Click?: Maintaining your Integrity

2010-06-15T11:13:00.001-07:00

Most websites or blogs you see today host some form of advertising. In the past, I had made it a practice to click on advertisements when visiting sites that I find value in. However, I recently began to consider whether or not this practice is advisable, given the debate and warnings surrounding the concept of click fraud.

According to a 2006 Business Week article, click fraud is a, "a dizzying collection of scams and deceptions that inflate advertising bills for thousands of companies of all sizes." What it really refers to is the organization of momentary ad clicks by web developers who profit from major search engine advertising networks. The search engines then charge the companies the advertisements relate to for link follow that had no customer potential associated with it. Business Week predicted that as of 2006, companies were wasting money on about a billion dollars worth of click fraud a year.

So I began to ask myself... is what I'm doing fraudulent? I'm not being paid to click on these ads, but I am clicking on them without direct intent of becoming a customer. Realistically, I very, very rarely actually become a customer anywhere. Can I still justify the behavior.

I decided I could, and for three reasons. First off, I still read the content on a lot of these sites to gain information, so in essence, I'm a consumer of their content. Second, the more visits these sites of the advertisers get, the higher their page rank has an opportunity to go, so I'm increasing their visibility. Third, these companies do not pay for customers- they pay for visibility. If a company purchases an ad in a magazine, they are going to be seen by a whole lot of people who will never become customers. They're getting what they pay for.

Then I began to consider whether I should recommend that habit to the blog readers. I mean, I preach all about community support, and this is a way to financially support the blogs we love. Is it a good thing to suggest?

Here's where things get sticky. I wish I could remember where I read this, but I was looking at a blog discussing how several other blogs had functionally been shut down because they were teaching site development for profit. Uninterested in having to rebuild a site similar to this one by getting this one shut down, I will recommend this habit, with several caveats.

There is a way to profit off of this kind of stuff with integrity in tact. First and foremost, only include advertisements for products and services you believe in. It doesn't mean that you have to be a customer of those companies, but it does mean you have to believe it would potentially help your readers. Second, click on those ads on the sites you appreciate, but only if the ad is for something that may potentially be of interest for you. If I'm reading an article about personal finance as a freelancer, and an advertisement for small business accounting comes up... I'm not going to click on it. I wish I were in a position to need such services, but I am not, so I'll keep my integrity and move on to another page.

So... last word? Support the sites you like by clicking on the ads, using their referral codes, etc., but only click if you might actually be interested in the site the ad will take you to. As a blog or website owner, be responsible about your ad selection. This last point will be something I'll be working on in the next couple of weeks. What's your point of view on the subject?

Facebook: Freelancing Friend or Foe?

2010-06-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, Facebook. I've had a love/hate affair with that site for years now. On one hand, it's a great way to stay in touch with friends and family. On the other hand, it's a great way to waste a ton of time and embarrass yourself. However, if you're serious about making a living online, understanding the utility, benefits and risks associated with a Facebook profile is important.

Your Facebook profile, unlike some of the other social networking platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, puts an emphasis on the social. You're far more likely to connect with friends and family than work colleagues initially, unless you are setting up your profile specifically for business purposes. I have to say, keeping Facebook strictly business limits your ability to enjoy the social networking experience on the site, but I can understand people's choice to do so.

The thing is, your Facebook strategy is a personal decision. For a very long time, I kept my Facebook profile completely separate from my online work life. If people found me there, I wasn't going to turn down their friend request, but it wasn't a profile I promoted for work purposes. Lately, I've changed my strategy.

One thing I've noticed is that the most successful writers are not robots. They are reliable, hard working and talented, but they have a personality and are not afraid to show it. Your Facebook profile is a part of the personality promotion equation, if you use it properly. It's a place where you can confess your love of Grey's Anatomy (though I hardly keep that a secret) or show off your fifth grade bangs (and Lord, did I have some ridiculous bangs) without looking entirely foolish. Why? Because that's the point on Facebook. It shows you as a person, as opposed to you, the business person.

However, if you decide to integrate your Facebook life with your professional life, you've got to be smart about it. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Clean up your act. There is a difference between exposure and over-exposure. Unless you're marketing yourself as a liquor aficionado, perhaps "liquor" should not be one of your interests.

2. Check those tagged pictures of yourself. Anything there you wouldn't want your boss or a potential client to see? Yeah, I thought so. Untag. Now.

3. Limit how much you talk about work on Facebook. Your college roommate who is now a 5th grade teacher probably doesn't care about writing for SEO. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't promote yourself a little bit. Good rule of thumb: Only post links to your most engaging and accessible material, and limit yourself to two of those posts a week- max.

4. If you want to use Facebook for more business purposes, consider forming a group or fan page for your website. That gives you the ability to spout about your work to the people who will care about it, while still maintaining the personality factor on your profile page.

5. Be extra careful with your status updates. As you begin to incorporate work contacts into your friend list, you might not want to continue those vague, emo, and cryptic musings, or updates on how trashed you were last night. Just a thought.

Facebook can be a great tool, but if you're blending both your personal and professional life on one site, you'll have to walk a fine line. How do you manage the blending?

Monday Morning Role Call- 6/14/2010

2010-06-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

It's Monday! You know what that means... time for the Monday Morning Role Call. Here are some of the sites you should be visiting, if you aren't already.

Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

What's to Love: From guest posting guidelines to personal branding, business case studies to marketing tips, Liz Strauss is a one woman wonder of knowledge, providing you with a one stop shop for information on effective blogging. She has a little bit of an edge to her (see her SOB program), but that makes her writing all the more delightful.

Freelance Writing Online

What's to Love: If you're looking for barebones info, this is the site to visit. They provide detailed reviews of different writing opportunities, explanations of writing for SEO, and different tips and tricks of the trade. Less opinion and more fact, this is an excellent resource for writers.

The Frugal Freelancer

What's to Love: This is a blog that is just full of information. From site reviews to marketing tips, Katrina knows what's up. She writes from the perspective of a pragmatic professional, doling out advice on how to make your freelance income work for you. I also love this blog because of Katrina's dedication to community participation. In fact, she just put up an excellent post about blog walking- you should check it out!

That's all for today! Join us next Monday for another role call (and every day in between for more juicy tidbits). Until then- Happy writing... and reading!

Framing Freelancing as a Career

2010-06-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the distinct privilege of attending my beautiful cousin's bridal shower. She is an amazing woman, and I am so excited for her. She and her fiance are madly in love, but both have great heads on their shoulder as well. As she opened her tissue paper infested gifts yesterday afternoon, the women in the room dispensed advice on marriage.

"Take care of yourself. Don't let yourself go."

"Never clean the house in sweats."

"Make sure he can cook."

"His life won't change much- but yours will. You have a man to take care of now."

Some of these statements made me cringe a little bit for obvious reasons (God help the man who tries to take my sweats away), but in the waterfall of advice that flowed from this group, there was one area that was conspicuously left unaddressed: your career.

To be fair, many of these women were not career women, but some were, and I was surprised that no one discussed the subject... at all. One woman did read a passage in Proverbs 31, which referenced how a good wife is a productive, hard-working one, but that was literally the extent of the career conversation. My cousin is incredibly bright, and just graduated with her teaching certificate. Her fiance is entering Seminary school, and she's looking for a job. They'll both be working. Hours after the party had ended, the absence of conversation regarding the role of a woman's career in married life started to get to me.

The thing is, whether you're dating, in a serious relationship or married, your career is just as much a part of your life as your significant other's job. All too often, women's careers are regarded as "dispensable," especially once talk of babies comes into the picture. However, there are very few women I know who actually regard their work in that manner. Healthily and rightfully so, they see their work as valuable.

In the freelance community, whether you're a woman or a man, the idea of work becoming dispensable is even more pronounced. Unless you have a decade of work to your name already, it can be hard to convince the people in your life that you aren't just fiddling around on your computer all day. This is particularly true of people who work on writing platforms like Demand Studios or Associated Content. I know that I, personally, have been asked on many an occasion, "So, have you found a job yet?" My response? "Yes, I'm a writer."

I'm not alone, either. If you peruse the forums on many of these sites, you'll see a wide array of comments by writers equally frustrated with how the people in their life characterize their careers. I've heard stories of spouses interrupting work to get their dry cleaning done, others who accused the writers of being too lazy to get a job, and some who questioned whether the writers were merely wasting their time. These kind of statements are enough to send most people into a rage. Could you imagine someone saying that to a CPA or insurance agent? Probably not.

The fact of the matter is that people doubt the validity of the freelancing career. Unless you're willing to engage in a dialog with those people, you may find yourself perpetually discouraged and frustrated. The best thing you can do is discuss how upset you are with the offending parties. Here are a couple of good things to say in response to common expressions of doubt.

Q: Do you have a job yet?

A: Yes, actually, I'm pursuing writing as a career full-time. After doing a good deal of research and soul searching, I've found the work to be profitable and rewarding.

Q: Can you actually make money off of that stuff?

A: Absolutely! There are cases of people who make well over a thousand a week. Some people are bringing in a six figure salary. I'm not there yet, but I'm very excited about how I'm doing so far. (If you're comfortable with it- consider showing them invoices or your earnings statements)

Q: Hey honey- could you go grab me some deodorant at the store real quick? I'm getting ready and I forgot to get some last night.

A: You know, I'm sorry you're in a rush, but I'm working right now. Maybe you can pick some up on the way to the office.

(continued)

I know, but you're just working here- can't you take a break?

A: I'm afraid I can't. I have a lot to finish today, as well as work around the house. I'll tell you what- I'll take a break, but only if I can come interrupt you at work to run an errand for me... right then.

Q: Doesn't the work take away from your time with the kids?

A: Fortunately, writing gives me the flexibility to spend a lot of time with the kids. It also allows me to work from home, which limits our need for daycare. Regardless, I find the work very fulfilling, and I think it's important to teach my kids that you should go after what you're passionate about in life. They think it's kind of cool that their parent is published.

Q: It sounds too good to be true. Aren't these kinds of things a scam?

A: You know, I was concerned about that in the beginning as well, but after doing a good amount of research, I was able to find reputable places to write and earn money. (Again, if you're comfortable with it, consider showing them your income statements.)

What do you do if you still encounter naysayers? You have two options. First, consider sitting them down to discuss your frustration at a neutral time. Explain that writing is something you're serious about, that you are well aware of the risks and benefits involved, and that their continuous doubt is hurtful, frustrating and counterproductive. Directly ask them for their support... or their silence. Most people, when confronted on this level, realize that the way they've been speaking is out of line, and will modify their behavior.

If you've tried this approach, and nothing is working, set some boundaries. You don't need to continuously expose yourself to that kind of negative behavior. Express to the individual that you are uninterested in surrounding yourself with unsupportive behavior, and then... don't. Do not knowingly place yourself in situations where doubt it going to be perpetually expressed.

What if you're married? Remind your spouse that marriage is a partnership. Point out that you have been supportive of their passionate pursuits, and that you need the same kind of support. If your spouse cannot understand your dedication, then you have deeper problems than differences over your career. It comes down to a matter of respect.

Don't get me wrong- there are some incredibly wonderful and supportive spouses out there. Even those who are not entirely supportive now will likely change their behavior if it's pointed out. However, ignoring the complications that a career can introduce into a relationship is hardly productive, especially when you're working from home. My advice for soon-to-be newlyweds? TALK. A LOT. ABOUT EVERYTHING. It is in our silence that the most important things go unsaid.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Getting the Most Out of Your Comments

2010-06-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

The other day I did a post talking about the utility of commenting on blogs and terrible commenting habits. Today, we'll talk about the other side of the coin: how to get the most out of your comments.

Remember, those little blurbs you leave at the end of a blog post represent you. They are mini-advertisements of your writing skills, knowledge and social networking prowess. There are different tactics you should use depending on whether your comment is praise or disagreement, but here are some general tips to follow regardless of the tone you take.

1. Always, always, always link your name to your website if it's an option. It's usually a good idea to put your blog as the website, but if you don't have one, your personal website will suffice. Don't have a website? Consider linking your name with your profile on a writing platform like InfoBarrel or eHow. This step associates you and your comment with a larger body of work.

2. Reference your experience on the subject you're commenting on. Even if you just started out, own up to it. For example, "I've been writing for about three months, but I learned very quickly..." would be a good lead in to expressing your opinion. This indicates that you're serious, and in some cases, can show that you've been working in this industry long enough to know what you're talking about.

3. Don't become too reliant on your credentials. You may have been writing content since the Virgin Mary's baby shower, but you should still always back up your statements with data. You want to try to get data from solid authorities on the subject, and empirical forms of proof are usually going to have the most resonance. This shows you care enough to make sure you're informed on the subject you're commenting about, and indicates your dedication to quality content.

4. Don't over sell yourself. It's one thing to reference your blog in the comment. It's another to tell everyone on the blog that they should leave the site and go over to yours because you're selling the best product in the world. It's a comment- not a commercial. While this is a form of advertising for you, it should be subtle. If not, you come off as obnoxious and rude.

Think about it like this. If someone came to a party you were throwing at your house and said, "C'mon everyone, let's leave- come to my place!"... you'd be pissed. However, a guest who says something along the lines of, "What a lovely party. You know, if you guys are interested, we could grab a drink at my place afterward, or maybe get together tomorrow night. But seriously- I love how they decorated this place...." is probably going to be received a lot more graciously.

5. Allow yourself to engage with other commenters. If someone is asking a question, don't be afraid to respond. This shows off your knowledge and willingness to help. If you can, reference the original blogger's materials in your response- not just your own. This ensures that you avoid the previously mentioned commercial effect.

6. Use CommentLuv if you have a blog. Blogs that have CommentLuv enabled have a box you can check under your comment box to turn it on before your comment is posted. This displays your latest blog post along with your comment. I helps to drive traffic to your blog, and ultimately, business to your door.

As I said before, there are several other more specific guidelines for agreeing or disagreeing with the post you read, but these are good habits to follow regardless of the content of your comment. Hope it helps!

Let's Talk Productivity

2010-06-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Real talk? The first week of June was abysmal for me. First it was Memorial Day Weekend. Then it was my brother's birthday. Then it was my birthday. The combination of these events culminated in me doing a fat lot of nothing.

Well, not nothing. I posted a good deal on this blog. I wrote some articles for residual sites. I did a lot of reading, scheming and planning. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I did a fat lot of nothing that would be immediately profitable.

Here's the deal, I enjoy my Demand Studios work. I just enjoy other projects a lot more. This blog is absolutely my baby. I feel connected to each of my readers and thoroughly enjoy interacting with them. Participating in the freelancing community is a guilty pleasure for me. Learning more about my trade is like a drug.

The problem is, despite the joy that those activities bring me, there are still bills to pay. Perhaps one day my other projects will be my main source of bacon, but as of right now, they're not. It does pose a conundrum, though, because I'll never get to those bacon days if I don't keep working and growing and learning.

I thought about it for a long time. I considered disallowing fun time until my upfront pay work was done, but that made it feel like a chore, which writing shouldn't be. I considered rationing myself only so many hours to do the fun stuff, but that's not realistic either. What if I get all my work done quickly and have extra time? Should I prohibit myself from growing because of an arbitrary limitation?

It's a headache, but it's a common one. We all struggle to find balance in our lives, whether it's balancing home and family or fun and work. We've signed ourselves up for a perpetual juggling act that we can't afford to drop the ball on. It's a hectic life, but if you're like me, you wouldn't have it any other way.

So what did I decide? Nothing, really. I put a note on my desktop screen detailing impending bills (though not my total amount of debt... see ditching the forest for the trees for more on that). My hope is that seeing those numbers will encourage me to get work done in a responsible manner so that I can get those bills paid AND participate in the fabulous community.

We'll see what happens. Do you struggle to balance your different ventures? How do you keep your focus?

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

The Intersection of the Stay at Home Mom, Writing and Feminism

2010-06-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

As a debater and citizen of the world, feminism was an unavoidable topic in college. I took my obligatory Women's Studies class, dismayed to find the rhetoric there to be a pile of disillusioned acquiescence to patriarchy combined with empty, ill-supported rages. I had grown up in a small, conservative, church heavy community. For so long, feminism, to me, was a dirty word, and it wasn't going to be easy for me to understand how the concept applied to me.

It took a long time, lots of reading and a healthy serving of real life for me to realize that these intense, inflated and often insipid characterizations of feminism were not what the movement is about. The bottom line is that feminism is about freedom of choice, regardless of gender. Freedom to use your body as you see fit. Freedom to believe in whatever God strikes your fancy. Freedom to love and be loved by the person of your choosing. Freedom to define yourself... or not. Freedom to pursue your passions in any form they may take. Freedom to be viewed as a person, and not a set of genitalia.

I have heard people try to more narrowly define the concept of feminism. Some have aruged that in order to be a feminist, you must reject marriage as a patriarchal institution. Some have argued that in order to be a feminist, you must hate men. Some have argued that you can be a feminist and still believe that women should be subservient to men. Some have argued that in order to be a feminist, the standards of the world must be altered to create equal access to all opportunities. You know what I say? Bullshit.

Feminism means that you can choose to have all or any of those viewpoints because it's your choice. It's your life. There is a difference between feminism and what certain pockets of people believe should shape the role of women in society. True feminists believe that a woman should be able to choose the path that's right for her, be that one of a stay at home mother of ten, or a single, high powered executive. There is no right way to be a feminist except to encourage a society that allows women to choose for themselves.

How does this apply to the world of writing? The fact of the matter is that freelance writing and web content development have a strong appeal to women, and especially those with families, due to its creative nature and flexibility in scheduling (not that men don't value those qualities as well). These writers have something more powerful than any weapon at the disposal of the militaries of the world: a voice, and a gift for broadcasting it. They are executing upon the tenets of true feminism every day that they put their hands to the keyboard and go after what they want. Disenfranchising these women by parametracizing them out of the conversation does nothing to foster healthy dialog and promotion of feminist ideas.

For all of you other write at home moms, I just wanted to take a moment to salute you for practicing your own form of feminism. For choosing to identify your voice and using it to pursue the things that are important to you. I just wanted to tell you that the word "feminist" is not a dirty one. It doesn't make you less of a mom or wife. It doesn't make you an extremist or man-hater. It makes you a strong woman who is unafraid of the terrifying process of self-discovery and development. It makes you a role model for your children... and everyone else, for that matter.

It took years for me to feel comfortable saying this, but I am a proud feminist. Are you?

Use Your Web Experience to Make Money with the Netsetter

2010-06-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

While perusing the Twitter feeds, I was directed to a post by Anne over at About Freelance Writing. Now, I sometimes will look at posts about freelancing opportunities, but I've been working at further developing the platforms I've got on my plate right now, so it's rare that I see something I feel like pursuing.

However, while going down this list, I noticed a company that was looking for entrepreneurial bloggers. The description on the site read as follows:

"The Netsetter is looking for great articles from fresh voices. The Netsetter provides web-entrepreneurs with the insights to start a business, market it, develop it, hire people and manage them, and overcome the many obstacles you’ll encounter along the way.

Do you have your own web-based business? Have you discovered exciting new ways to generate income from your blog, electronic resources, or digital products? Maybe you have a few tricks for improving traffic to a site, enhancing designs, tailoring products, or leveraging advertisements? If so, we want to hear from you.

We pay regular writers US$70 per article. For unsolicited submissions from writers outside of the writing team, we pay US$50."

Not a bad gig? It especially caught my eye because so many of us in the community fit their needs. We're building our brand and selling ourselves. At $50 a pop... well, you're looking at 6 cents a word for their 750 word posts- 10 cents a word if you get hired as a regular poster. Not fantastic, but certainly more than a Demand Studios article. They say they pay once a month via Paypal.

Check it out for yourself here- let me know how it goes!

Get Paid to Read with Readbud

2010-06-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Enjoy reading? Got some extra time? Why not check out Readbud? Readbud is a work for change site similar to Mechanical Turk or CloudCrowd (which as you know, I've said to AVOID), but it's far less work intensive.

You sign up, indicate areas you're interested in, and they give you articles to read and rate. The rating system is based on five stars, and is entirely subjective. The payout per article ranges from a penny to $.20 at the highest, but the majority of articles pay out $.05-.08. They payout to Paypal after you reach $50.

Legit? Well, on my end at least, so far, so good. I rated 10 articles in about 5 minutes, making $.50. It certainly won't make me a millionaire anytime soon, but it's easy busy work when my brain doesn't feel like being productive.

One of the other benefits of working for Readbud is that you get to pick your content areas. Instead of writing articles you don't care about at Demand Studios because they're the only ones left, or slaving away at Mechanical Turk for way more work than it's worth, you get to read about things you're interested in. In some cases the articles are awful, but I've read some generally informative aritcles on SEO and internet marketing. It's an easy way to expand your knowledge base AND get paid at the same time.

Finally, Readbud has a great affiliate system. According to their website, "Become our affiliate and earn $5 from every referral's first successful redemption." In other words, if you're going to give it a shot, do a sister a favor and click on one of the Readbud links in this post :)

Is it a scam? Not as far as I can tell. I've been able to find at least one posting of a Paypal payout from them, and right now they've got over 9000 members online and working. I have heard a couple of grumbles here and there about not having enough articles available all the time, but like I said- this site isn't about making millions. It's busy work.

Hope this was helpful! Happy Reading!

Commenting to do more than Comment

2010-06-10T17:42:00.001-07:00

If you've read anything on this blog at all... ever... you probably know how I feel about participating in the freelancing online community. It's just a good idea. However, with all of my ranting, raving and rambling, I've yet to touch on the less ooey-gooey-altruistic reasons to participate in the community- building your brand.

Your brand is your cultivated professional image. The development of your personal brand is dependent upon a variety of factors, including your talents, services available, and goals as a professional. Commenting on other people's blogs is a great way to advertise and further cultivate your personal brand through community networking.

Your comments are more than just a way to spew your opinions. In fact, your comments should never be the result of spew. Spew = bad. Comments can represent a well-developed point of view, expertise, and fresh perspective and voice. Spew does just the opposite. It makes you look unprofessional, hot-headed, ill-educated and amateurish. Probably not what you're looking for.

So what is spew? Spew refers to a comment that contains one or more of the following elements:

Unsupported claims- Anytime you make an assertion without backing it up, you're just throwing out slop and hoping it sticks. Most of the time, these spews are thrown out because you're getting defensive, which does nothing to help your side of the argument.

Personal attacks- We're all adults (or something like that). Act like it. You are disagreeing with the argument, and not the person who made it. Just because someone else has stooped to name calling or insults doesn't mean your response should be spew, either. You should always address the offense- not the offender.

Empty space- Any time you issue praise like, "Nice post," or "I don't think you've addressed all of the issue," and leave it at that, you're just commenting to comment. That's a waste of a comment.

Slang Filled Babble- "Lol omg ur soooo awesum 2 funnyyyy I luv u!!!" Yeah, that kind of talk has a place. It's called a preteen chatroom. It does NOT belong in your comments.

Before you get your panties in a bunch, realize that there are very simple fixes to these commenting habits. First and foremost, attach a reason to everything you say. Instead of saying, "Great post," say "I loved this post because..." This shows that you really read and appreciated the post.

Second, always run read over your comment to check for spelling and grammatical errors. Comments are supposed to be conversational, so don't stress too much about sticking to AP style, but the comment should look like you put thought into it... because you did.

Finally, ask yourself how you would view someone who made a comment like that elsewhere. Face it- you make judgments about people based on the comments they leave sometimes. On occasion, it's cause for a giggle and sigh. Other times, it irritates you to no end. However, once in awhile, it makes you respect that commenter a lot more. If you want a good example of this, look at comments left by Howie on the Smart Passive Income Blog, or Grandma on No Job for Mom. These people are regular commenters who engage with the other commenters on the blogs and have gained a lot of respect as a result.

Look, I won't lie to you. I'm absolutely guilty of these practices. I'm not trying to slam anyone who has commented on this blog, either. Trust me, I appreciate every single one. However, there are better ways to comment that accomplish the same goals as before... and then some. Effective commenting takes some time to get right, but the effort it takes pays off in the long run.

This post is part of a series on effective commenting. Stay tuned for more!

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Brick by Brick, or How to Ditch the Forest for the Trees

2010-06-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing online, I was financially in over my head. Bad choices in college had resulted in a large amount of credit card debt, looming student loans, and unpaid medical bills. I was facing raising my daughter on my own without two cents to rub together.

To be entirely honest, finances aren't much different for me now. I've still got a ton of debt to pay off, but I'm paying for rent, utilities, groceries, and my cellphone bill much more comfortably. Ava is well-fed, clothed and taken care of. Though teetering from time to time, I'm standing on my own two feet.

The other day, I looked at that mountain of debt that stands in my path. It's intimidating. Phone calls from collectors are no fun to field, and my credit sucks at this point. It's a lot. I just bought a new computer and cellphone, and I started getting upset with myself. How could I spend money on those things when I have so many bills I haven't paid? What am I doing?

You know, it's true. You don't make millions of dollars writing when you first start out. You work your butt off, and you get paid. There are days I would give my right arm to not have to touch my fingers to the keyboard, but this is how I've started to think about it.

Right now, with all of this work, experimentation, failure and success, I am laying a foundation for things to come. I am building my life, brick by brick. I started with nothing but a patch of land to build on and some very basic supplies in my arsenal of knowledge. I'm spending money on construction materials, like a better business phone and a functional computer that *gasp!* has all of its keys.

With every upfront article I write, I pay for some of the cement on which I can build this life. With every residual article I write, I invest in the frame for the walls. With every blog post and comment, I start to get the drywall up. I am building, slowly, but surely.

That debt can be viewed as the debris that has accumulated in the building process. It needs to be cleared away so I can build bigger and better. But before I can get ahead of myself, this foundation has got to be laid.

In the next month, I will be caught up on all of my bill payments. It won't be paid off, but I'll be chugging along. I will have finished the initial phase of my platform experiment, which will give me what I need to start really working on the frame of these walls. Right now, I'm setting up my basement. Soon enough, I'll be building upward.

What's the point of this ramble? The point is that life's struggles can sometimes seem insurmountable. For this reason, looking for the forest can be less fruitful than focusing on that proverbial tree. Instead, next time you get frustrated by the endless stream of bills or complications... stop. Look at the materials you're gathering and the foundation you're laying with the work you've done. Brick by brick, you're building something special. One day, you'll look at what you've built and admire the life you created where chaos once stood.

At least, that's the goal.

*Image courtesy of MorgueFile

CloudCrowd: A Clouded Perspective on Business

2010-06-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

CloudCrowd is a little bit like Amazon's Mechanical Turk. You complete small, menial tasks for small, insignificant pay. The benefit of working for them is that you get paid daily, so if you need a couple of bucks in Paypal on the double, it might be worth it. That was the appeal for me, but as I continued working there, I realized that I couldn't have been more wrong about my assessment of them.

I found CloudCrowd while reading Felicia's No Job for Mom blog. She had tested it out, been paid promptly, and, while acknowledging its pay limitations, admitted it was easy busy work with quick pay. I decided to give it a shot.

At first, the work was simple enough. I got an editor credential almost immediately. Usually, if I was working on CloudCrowd, it was because I was uninterested in putting the effort into profitable work. However, I quickly realized that this site was far from worth my time.

First off, the content you are editing there consists of poorly written, largely plagiarized, and sometimes patently offensive school papers. You're getting paid around $1.60 for editing a couple of paragraphs, which wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that you functionally need to rewrite them entirely to complete the task.

Second, there is zero consistency in expectations. I realized this quite clearly when reviewing edited documents. I rejected several on the basis of errors, only to have my evaluation rejected with zero explanation, despite my documentation of these errors with my task submission.

Finally, there is no transparency involved in any of this nonsense. My credibility got tanked after several of my assignments were rejected without explanation. Within 24 hours, my account had been suspended. You know what I say? Good riddance.

In other words, I strongly urge you to avoid CloudCrowd. They may pay reliably, but for the headache they provide, it ain't worth the change.

*As an update to this post, and for a case study of excellent freelancer relations, see my updated review here

Poll Results- 6/10/10

2010-06-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Low participation on this one, but both Constant Content and Demand Studios got a big up from my readers. Am I surprised? Not so much, and here's why.

Constant Content is a great place for people confident in their writing abilities to put their work out for purchase and make some decent money off of it. You set your prices, and you set your value. While my experiences there thus far have not been fabulous, I'm still working at getting the kinks out, and I know lots of folks make a killing on the site. Not a bad deal.

Demand Studios is probably the easiest way to make upfront cash online, and a decent amount therein. If you're accepted, you can write as much or as little as you want and get paid twice a week. They have a wide variety of topics available, and despite some frustrating aspects of the editorial process, it continues to be a popular writing venue for many people looking to make a couple of bucks.

This week's poll relates to where you write... like, physically. I want to know the setting you complete your work in. You can select multiple answers, and if you've got more to say on the subject, feel free to comment below.

Belated Monday Morning Role Call

2010-06-09T09:28:00.001-07:00

What's that? It's Wednesday, you say? I am aware. Blogger went down in the Chicago area on Monday, and Tuesday I was unavailable due to a nasty stomach flu, but I'm back, and there are a couple of blogs you should be checking out.

CarsonBrackney.com

What's to Love: Carson Brackney is an established freelancer and former debater. His blog is a must read because he really understands what the point of the freelancing community is. Carson guest posts for other blogs like it's his job, and as such, is well-connected and well-versed in all things writing. His posts are conversational, and, probably because of the debater in him, he excels at breaking things down in an understandable and easy to relate to manner.

My 4 Hour Work Week

What's to Love: Inspired by Timothy Ferris' best-seller, The Four Hour Work Week, Eric Gati's blog is devoted to working smarter- not harder. His posts include productivity and creativity tips, insight into different writing forums, and interviews with people who have made it big already. Gati is an excellent writer, and the content on his blog is informative and entertaining.

Alabaster Cow

What's to Love: Ericka is just about as irreverent as they come. If cussing, frank accounts of motherhood, or jorts offend you, you have been warned in advance. If you're interested in funny, honest and sassy writing, this blog will keep you entertained for hours on end. Ericka on occasion does post on the business aspect of Alabaster Cow, and is more than willing to share her tips and tricks of the trade.

That's all for today! Interested in being featured on next week's Monday Morning Role Call? Email me @ therealspeechmama@gmail.com

Tweet-e-lee-dee-te-lee-dee, Tweet-e-lee-dee-te-lee-dee

2010-06-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Twitter (which you should- WriteatHomeMom), you might have been befuddled by the retweets of posts from the past week with the hash tag #blog30. Well, here's the deal, guys. I have signed up for the 30 Day Blog Challenge. What is it?

The 30 Day Blog Challenge is run by internet guru Dr. Jeanette Cates. It is what it sounds like. Write one post a day for 30 days. Now, I would have been able to qualify based on my blogging last month, but I felt like joining the competition would encourage me to keep going. Plus, one of the benefits of blogging in competitions like this is that you find a new community of bloggers with which to connect. This translates into traffic for everyone involved, and maybe gaining a couple of die hard readers along the way (if not finding a blog you love too!).

In any case, I'm sorry if the retweets were obnoxious. Fair warning- you'll be seeing them again. Not a bajillion at once, but you get the picture. It's just for thirty days, though. I know we'll make it through this. You love me, right? Besides, if you're reading my blog, chances are you should be joining this challenge anyway.

Balls to the Wall Risk Taking, or How to Be Great

2010-06-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I guess you could say I was, "unique." Maybe I was weird. Either way, I lived without fear of how others would perceive me. I liked to play with dolls one minute and would run around playing Superman the next. I enjoyed poetry, science fiction and romance novels.

When Power Rangers became popular, I was all for it, until my second grade teacher told me they encouraged violence and how bad that was.... then I started putting up banners in my school that said "STOP THE VIOLENCE," and told my mother I would no longer be dressing up as Kimberly for Halloween. I was the girl in fifth grade who wore a polyester, bell-shaped mini skirt with three ponytails sticking out of my head and thought I was awesome.

It didn't occur to me that I was different. I didn't think about things that way. When my curves arrived on the scene in seventh grade (by which I mean appeared overnight), the attention of boys didn't even phase me. I was happy, and happy to be me.

Of course, as is the case for most kids, that changed. Come high school, and especially college, I became very concerned about how people viewed me. I changed the way I dressed, the way I spoke, and the things I spoke about. I wasn't trying to be popular or stand out. Quite the contrary- I was trying to blend in. Granted, there were still flashes of my ten year old self when I'd write a poem or a speech I was particularly passionate about. Those flashes never lasted long. In order to blend in, somewhere along the way, I stopped taking risks.

A little over a year ago, I started taking risks again. It was scary. Terrifying, actually, but I learned so much in a very short time frame, especially about what it takes to write quality pieces.

I don't care if you're writing poetry, short stories, a novel, a feature for a newspaper or SEO content for a website. The good stuff, the writing that matters, will take risks. You want to be great? That's what you need to do. You need to take risks. Disagree with popular opinion. Cover a controversial subject. Innovate, experiment. You're never going to get anywhere standing in place.

The best writers are the ones who find their voice and blast it through a megaphone. There is no hiding behind the walls of tradition and expectation. You don't need to know who you are or where you're going. What you need is to take a risk, and be who you are in every word you attach your name to.

I want you to think about it. Think about your favorite writers. What made them reach out and grab you? What made them inspire you? It was probably the way they wrote. It was the way they phrased things, the way they crafted their words. It was their voice.

I want you to ask yourself when the last time was that you wrote without worrying about who would read it. I want you to ask yourself when you last took a risk with the written word. Because, the thing is, your voice is just as unique and inspiring as those of the writers you have come to admire. By silencing that 10 year old risk taker inside of you, you aren't doing yourself, or anyone else, a favor. If anything, you're depriving the world of the wonders you have to offer.

CRUSH IT! Review and Giveaway

2010-06-04T06:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Eric Gati over at My 4Hour Work Week (awesome blog- you should check it out), I received the loveliest birthday surprise this morning- my own copy of CRUSH IT! by Gary Vaynerchuck. I emailed Eric to say I had received the book at 7:38 this morning. I had finished it by 8:50. Yeah, it was awesome.

CRUSH IT! is all about building your personal brand around what you're passionate about, and contains step by step instructions for capitalizing on that passion. I think part of the reason I loved the book as much as I did is that it was a form of validation for all the things I've been thinking, saying and doing. Vaynerchuk and I agree on a lot of things, and some of these conclusions he reaches are ones that I came to within a month of hitting the pavement running. Here are the big ones:

1. Your passsion and your ability to communicate that passion are the keys to success.

2. Journalism isn't dying; it's evolving.

"It's the future, and those journalists and reporters who get wise to that truth are the ones who are going to survive... News has been functioning under a communistic regime, but capitalism always wins. Critics can argue with me and say that these new models demean the training and insight and education it takes to be a great journalist, and perhaps that's true, but crying about how things should be instead of embracing how things are doesn't do anyone any good. The changes affecting the news business are permanent. Fundamental supply and demand is shifting."

Um, yes.

3. Authenticity is how you establish a killer personal brand.

4. Your family is the foundation for the rest of your life. Love them, don't leave them for your work.

I mean, preach it, brother, but what really got to me is how he laid out the steps to expanding on your personal brand. Excellent advice, I promise you, but I was more surprised and excited to see that I'm already following most of his advice.

In other words, I'm figuring it out. I'm getting there. I'm not totally delusional or misguided. Any honest blogger will tell you that there are moments of self-doubt where you question whether you're on the right path. Once in awhile, something comes along to tell you that you are. This book was that something for me.

It couldn't have been more timely. I am, as of today, 23 years old. My life has had enough drama packed into it to fill five seasons of All My Children and two of General Hospital. In fact, I was talking to a friend of mine last night who said, "Lauren, you really need to write a book called Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom: 22. People would eat it up." I laughed. Maybe eventually, but the whole experience is too close for comfort at the moment.

While I won't post a novel on the subject here today, I will tell you this. The last year of my life has solidified my understanding of some of these lessons that Vaynerkchuk talks about. I want other people to gain that understanding as well.

So, to follow in Eric's footsteps, I will be passing on this copy of CRUSH IT! to one of my readers. Leave a comment on this post detailing what you really want to be doing with your life, and on Monday, I'll select one of the commenters to send the book to. One catch: you've got to promise me you'll pass it on when you've finished reading the book.

What do you want to crush?

Rosenblatt, Steiger, and the D8: What Matters

2010-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hearing a bunch of babble about the D8 and wondering what the gaggle is about? Read on.

The D8 is the eighth installment of a digital innovation conference put on by the Wall Street Journal. According to the event's site, the point of the event is, "breaking news, highlighting innovation, and bringing you straight-up conversations with the most influential figures in media and technology." Speakers at this year's conference included Steve Jobs (CEO-Apple), James Cameron (Director, Writer, Producer- think Avatar), and Mark Zuckerburg (CEO-Facebook) among a host of other impressive names and resumes. The conference sold out, and has been dominating the blogosphere for the past few days.

The conference's speakers all had interesting things to add to the digital conversation. However, the most relevant exchange, to me at least, was the dialog with Richard Rosenblatt of Demand Media (read: Demand Studios) and Paul Steiger of ProPublica.

What is ProPublica? ProPublica is an online news source that focuses on what they consider to be a dying breed of investigative journalism. According to the ProPublica site, "ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them." (For those of you wondering, unless you're interested in an internship, their site doesn't say that they're hiring).

Anyway, the important part of what Steiger and Rosenblatt had to say is something that I've been trying to convey myself: there is a role for content creators. There is a role for citizen journalism. There is a role for this world of freelancers that are so frequently looked down upon. Here are a couple of the best parts of the interview:

For Rosenblatt: Why won’t you call your people “journalists”? Steve Jobs was full of venom for “bloggers,” too. Why not call people who write for money “journalists”?

Rosenblatt: If our writers want to call themselves journalists, great. But they’re not doing reporting from Afghanistan. We’re content creators, making things that people want.

Steiger: I just think that the labels get in the way.

(Well put.)

Rosenblatt: They may have been former journalists, and they may do journalism somewhere else. We call them freelancers, content creators.

(Yep.)

Rosenblatt: We only write content that people want….We’re not journalists, all right? The only people that call us journalists are journalists. That said, what we do is more like service journalism….There’s no piece of content made that we think is good because we only make content that people tell us they think is good.

Kara to Steiger–What do you think of all this?

Steiger: I see this as a reordering of the environment that we’re all going to have to live in. You [Demand] make stuff people want; you control costs, and it’s working. Another model is the Politico model, with a combination of tightly controlled print plus a big Web site. We do the most expensive, the most important journalism for democracy.

(Right on.)

Ok, so what can we glean from this very public exchange? There are a couple of things worth noting. First, people writing for DS are not participating in journalism. They are participating in content creation. At best, you may call it service journalism, but that form of journalism is not held to the same standards as the people writing front page stories for The New York Times. Second, there’s room enough in this world for all of us. People have different needs, and can have these needs met by different sources.

Finally, I think Steiger hit the nail on the head when he, at one point, said, “I’m the opposite of disheartened. I’m very excited.” This new world of writing... these new genres of journalism… they are not something to cry about. There are more opportunities to do what you love, make a couple of bucks and make your mark in the world today than there EVER have been before.

Even if Demand Studios isn’t your cup of tea, and even if ProPublica’s content isn’t your favorite reading material, it’s organizations like these that are helping blaze paths in this unknown territory. In the meantime, to borrow a phrase from Steiger, the debate over labels is a waste of time. Live and let live, folks.

Moral of the story? Chin up. The times are a’changin’ and the changes are good.

The Ultimate Lesson

2010-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

In fifth grade, I joined the elite ranks of one of the most prestigious programs offered at Longfellow Elementary School: The Crossing Guard Patrol. As a crossing guard, I wore a fluorescent orange vest, wielded a shiny red stop sign, and helped the other students cross one of the busiest corners surrounding our school to aid in their safe arrival home.

I was kind of a big deal.

However, as my tenure as a guard went on, I began to realize that my little sign wasn’t quite enough to stop the reckless drivers in my town. You see, the guards were only on duty during lunchtime and before and after school. The playground on our school was pretty legit, so kids were always coming and going. In a period of two months, two kids had gotten hit crossing on that corner. That, I decided, was unacceptable, and a flame grew inside of me

My ten year old self decided to take action. I passed a petition around on the playground asking for a REAL stop sign to be put up, accumulating over a hundred poorly formed signatures. At the end of my campaign, I wrote a letter and prepared to send it to the City Council. That’s when I got called to the principal’s office.

Mr. McKinney was a weasely looking man with a thin, tinny voice and a bad comb over. Pacing around his office, he informed me that I was in over my head. He said that I didn’t know enough about the situation to take any kind of action, and that I should, basically, mind my own business. He confiscated my petition and sent me on my way.

For a little while, I was inconsolable. I felt foolish and powerless. Then something miraculous happened. A week after my principal’s office scolding, stop signs were put up on the infamous corner of doom. It was then that I found out that Principal McKinney had taken my letter and petition to the City Council himself, which had pushed them to agree to the stop signs.

I learned a couple of things that day. 1) McKinney was a bigger tool than I thought, and 2) City Council actually cared what kids had to say.

There was one other lesson learned that day, one that has shaped every step of my life since. It would be years before I could articulate what that lesson was, but it was easily the most important thing I have ever learned.

We’ll get to that in a minute.

Flash forward to high school, where I was the quintessential geek. I did choir, theater, yearbook , newspaper, speech team and national honor society. One of the activities that I joined for college application purposes wound up expanding on this life changing lesson: student council.

I didn’t hold any leadership roles in the council, and you didn’t have to be elected to serve. Mostly, I helped arrange dances and benefits. My junior year, though, we received word that the school was contemplating changing its final examination procedures. I won’t bore you with all of the details, but suffice it to say that the changes were a bad idea.

It took a little while to organize, but I formed a committee of students to fight the changes. I pulled out my petitioning skills and paired them with a thoroughly researched report on the benefits and disadvantages associated with the conflicting examination procedures. I didn’t wait for my high school principal, Mr. Heatherington, to call me into his office. I walked in, gave him our 1200 signatures and report, and told him that the policy was no good. When he laughed and started a schpeel reminiscent of McKinney, I was ready for him. “If you won’t listen to reason,” I said. “I’m sure the school board will be interested.”

Long story short- I won.

I continued on as a debate geek in college, majoring in Corporate and Organizational Communication. My penchant for advocacy never died down, and as I delved deeper into the theory and research surrounding the field of communication, the lesson that had been guiding my life began to take a more tangible form.

The Point

Did you know we spend 80 percent of our waking hours engaged in some form of communication? Most of the time, we take this for granted, but during those hours, we are exercising our most powerful tool: our voice.

The lesson I learned all the way back in the fifth grade is that WE ARE POWERFUL. It doesn’t matter how old, young, educated, or experienced you are. Our ability to communicate and empathize is unparalleled in the known universe. If we can harness the supreme power of our voice, and fuel our communication with passion, we are literally unstoppable.

You may be wondering… what does this have to do with me? What does this have to do with writing? The answer, on both counts, is EVERYTHING. As writers, our voice is deliberately etched into the history books for posterity. The question becomes, will your voice be a whisper or an opera?

If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to never take your power for granted. Continuously improve your writing skills. Continuously sharpen your communication tactics. Continuously pursue your passion. The combination of those pursuits is a recipe for success.

Think about it. The most successful people on the web are those who have tapped into a niche they are passionate about, and provided fantastic content on the subject. Why do you think that happens? Passion fuels your writing, and your writing can fuel your passion. It’s a symbiotic relationship, dancing on the screen in front of you.

Obviously, I have changed a great deal since fifth grade, but there’s one thing that remains. When I log on in the morning, and I see the blinking cursor on the screen in front of me, that flame, 12 years later, continues to burn.

Does yours?

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

The Road Ahead with Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom

2010-06-02T09:32:00.001-07:00

The results of the poll are in! I asked you, the readers, what you wanted to see on Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom. There was a three way tie for first place: productivity tips and tricks, productivity and income statistics, and resources for writers. However, the margin of the win was pretty small. There seemed to be nearly equal interest in all of the different forms of content.

So what next? Well, a couple of things are coming to Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom. First, I am in the midst of executing my grand experiment, testing out a variety of different writing platforms. So far, I have published 6 articles on InfoBarrel, am awaiting review for 5 on Associated Content, and sumbitted 1 article to Constant Content. I will continue to branch out, trying other sites. At the end of June, I will begin publishing batches of reviews for those sites, as well as the income results and final rankings. I'm still waiting for the results of my Demand Studios Rev Share experiment, so stay tuned for that information after the 10th.

I will be publishing one post a week dedicated to excellent resources for writers, including books, eBooks, blogs, and websites. Look for these posts on Mondays, titled "Monday Morning Role Call."

Every month, I will publish my financial findings for the previous month on the first, revealing how much money I've made and where the income was gained. Hopefully these numbers will continue to increase, and provide insight for those just starting out.

I also plan to solicit at one to two guest posts a month for the blog, so if you're interested, let me know. In addition, I am going to interview experts from across the freelancing community to provide even more insight for our readers.

You can continue to expect productivity tips, writing advice, working from home reflections and personal accounts of working as a freelancer on a fairly regular basis. I will also be posting a poll once a week from now on. This week's poll asks what your favorite writing site is, so be sure to vote! If your favorite site is not listed in the poll, make sure to vote "other" and comment here to let me know which one you love the most.

That's what's going on in this neck of the woods. Thanks for reading! Let me know if you'd like to see anything else in the near future.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Financial Findings- May

2010-06-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

This month was my first as a fully dedicated writer. I started developing this blog, wrote for upfront pay from Demand Studios, and started working on my experiment toward the end of the month with other platforms.

Realistically, I shouldn't have made much at all. I was flitting back and forth between Kentucky and Chicago. I had very little help with the monkey. My family had some issues, so I was helping them out.

So, by the end of this month, I had made... $2078.50. Not a fortune, but enough to help me get me nearly caught up. As I continue to explore passive income opportunities and get the hang of keeping consistent productivity with my up front payment work, I hope to see those numbers go up.

My goal for the end of June is to generate at least $2500. Keep me accountable, folks!

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Yesterday's Internet Outage Survival Strategy

2010-06-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

UGH. INTERNET.

As I write this post, the internet at the house I’m staying at is out. Not my fault- just stupid AT&T. Because of the area I’m in, they won’t be able to get out here to fix this mess until Tuesday between 8 AM and 12 PM. Gotta love telecommunications folk. They’re so damn precise.

Right now, it is 10:33 PM on Monday. I’m typing in Word, which I despise, because it’s the newest version, which I have hated since it launched… Sorry, I know I sound bitter, but I am thoroughly annoyed with this entire situation. Time is money, right? And this is the SECOND TIME in the last WEEK that I’ve had to deal with crap like this.

Not. Happy.

The only potentially marginally positive thing that will come out of this ordeal is this blog post. Why? Because I’ve learned something from Internapocalypse 2010: You gotta have a survival plan.

In Illinois right now, they’ve launched a set of radio adds encouraging residents to develop a disaster survival plan in case Mother Nature strikes. The way I see it, for the average content writer today, the internet going out is like a disaster that only wreaks havoc on your ability to be productive (and the happiness of those around you as you scowl, stomp and shriek).

Unfortunately, technology is far from infallible, making the occasional outage likely. Sometimes you can go to a café, sometimes you’re awesome and have one of those cellular wireless access card thingamajigs, but most of the time, you’re stuck in the dead zone. This makes it incredibly important for freelancers to have a survival plan for times like these.

What should be the steps in your survival plan? Good question. Here are my top picks:

1) Brainstorm article ideas. Do as many as you can as fast as you can for as long as you can. Don’t think you can do it? Check out this article on generating a month’s worth of ideas. (Yes, I knew what I was referencing and couldn’t do it when the post was written… proving that the next step CAN be done).

2) Write what you know. Have a list of articles you could write with your eyes closed and save them for a rainy day… that knocks out your internet signal. You can go back and add references later, but in the meantime, you’re generating content that can earn you profit once the little symbol on the right hand side of the toolbar unlocks the world wide web once more.

3) Set goals. Think about the various projects you’re working on, figure out what you need to accomplish to complete them, prioritize the combined steps for these projects, and start making a schedule. It’s tedious, but when you can’t be getting work done, you might as well figure out how to get it done faster later.

4) Read a book. When you’ve got access to your work, you tend to want to get that done so you can get paid… and then all you really want to do when you’re done is play. However reading about our industry is a key component of succeeding in it, so since you can’t work, you might as well work at getting better at your work by reading up on it. Here’s an excellent list of recommendations.

5) Take the day off. If you can afford it, quit spinning your wheels and stop thinking about work altogether. Trust me, I’m frustrated right now, but I also know that there’s nothing I can do about the stupid telecommunications repair punks. That gives me two choices: freak or float. Once I’m done writing this post, I’m calling it in early and headed to sleep, floating into the land of nod. No use freaking over something I can’t change.

Sweet dreams! Even though I know most of you will read this in the middle of the afternoon…

UPDATE: Obviously, I'm back in working order :)

Summer Scheduling for Write-at-Home Moms

2010-05-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a different way of knowing that summer has arrived. For my mom, it was the first cranberry vodka. For my dad, it was hearing "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock (I know... bizarre). For you, it might be the first cook out, swim in the pool or parade. For work at home moms of school aged children it is the chaos that summer vacation may inflict on an otherwise comfortable writing schedule.

As kids come home from school, you'll discover you need to find new times to write to keep up with the young ones. Here are a couple of strategies for finding quiet time in the midst of a busy summer.

1) Playdates- Children running through your house may seem like the antithesis of peace and quiet, but finding a couple of moms who are willing to switch off days for playdates can be a great way to establish a couple of hours a week of quiet work time and an exhausting experience that will help your kids sleep soundly. If you can take the group of kids for three or four hours during the week, and the other moms in your group are willing to host on other days, you'll find yourself subject to blissfully quiet writing time. This can be particularly helpful with younger kids.

2) Summer Camps- If you can afford it, consider enrolling your kids in a summer camp. This doesn't have to mean they go away for a full week (tearful victims of separation anxiety can relax now); some communities have programs where kids will go to a day camp for seven to eight hours a day, playing sports, doing crafts and learning while you get to sit at home and work.

3) Encourage Employment- If your kids are a little older, keep them busy, productive and out of trouble by encouraging them to get a job. Maybe it's working at a local fast food joint, mowing yards or babysitting the neighbor kids. It doesn't matter what it is (minus drugs and prostitution, of course); jobs can teach kids about responsibility and give you time to write.

4) Establish Reading Hours- As writers, we appreciate the power of words. Help your kids learn a similar lesson by establishing reading hours. Set aside a two hour block of time where your kids will be asked to read a book. It can be their choice, your choice, or required summer reading from school, but it keeps their minds active and their mouths shut while you work. In addition, libraries and schools may be hosting competitions or offering prizes for students who read during the summer, giving the kids a reason besides your invaluable wisdom and need to be productive to crack the spine of an old favorite.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Give Your Brain a Vacation

2010-05-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, you'll be writing, and a gradual ache will settle in over your brain. Every key stroke becomes a struggle as you push yourself to squeeze out one more preposition....

Give it up. It's time for a mental vacation.

Call it writer's cramp, writer's block, burn out or whatever, it happens to all of us at one point or another. It is inevitable. You can't stop it. What you CAN do is take preemptive measures to limit its impact.

You have a choice. You can work long and hard for a long and hard time... and your burn out will be proportional. OR you can pace yourself, and take mini-mental vacations to refresh your mind on a regular basis.

What's a mini-mental vacation? It's one day of mindless entertainment. This may include a night out with the girls, a day in the pool or a marathon of your favorite TV shows. Cuddle up to a good book or a good friend. In other words- do not think about work. At. All.

Does a day sound like a lot? Well, if you're like me, it won't work. My brain is too busy to slow down that much, that quickly. I can take maybe one or two of those a month, but because of the intensity of my work throughout the rest of the month, I'm still at risk for burn out.

The solution? Mini-mini-mental vacations. Give yourself an hour or two. Take a bath. Take a nap. Take time to call up an old friend. Do. Not. Think. About. Work.

A mini-mental vacation can refresh your mind. Try this. Stand on your toes.

No, seriously. Now. Get up from in front of the computer, and get on your tippy toes.

Stay that way.

After a few minutes, you may lose your balance. After a few minutes, it may start to hurt. Eventually, you won't be able to do it anymore. How long it takes you to get to that point will largely depend on your muscle endurance. With more time, your endurance will increase, but it is highly unlikely you'll ever get to a point where you can stand on your toes for days at a time.

The longer you stand on those toes, the more of a break you'll need before you can do it again. If you take a break every other minute, it may not be as difficult.

Like the leg and foot muscles that support you in that stance, your brain is a muscle, supporting you as you write. Like the muscles in your leg and foot, your brain needs a break. It needs a mini-mental vacation.

Try it this week. Choose the option that works best for your work pace. Will it be a full day, or a couple of hours? Will you take a mini-mini mental vacation every day? Or just select one day out of the week to write off? Let me know how it goes for you.

Quote of the Day (or month.. or ever)

2010-05-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Next time you're feeling down about yourself, think of this quote I got off the blog of Tim Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week, attributed to author of Black Swan, Nassim N. Taleb:

Robustness is when you care more about the few who like your work than the multitude who hates it (artists);

fragility is when you care more about the few who hate your work than the multitude who loves it (politicians).

I think Tim hit the nail on the head when he followed this quote up by saying, "Choose to be Robust."

Yes, let's.

*Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

A Solution for Unpaid Work at Demand Studios

2010-05-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

One of the major concerns with Demand Studios has to do with the rewrite/rejection issue in the context of payout. Critics have often voiced concern about work that generates no income when rewrites take too long to execute or articles are flat out rejected.

To be entirely honest, this has been something I've been mulling over. There have been times where I was too worried about rejection to complete a rewrite, or simply uninterested in the massive overhaul the copy editor was asking for. In some cases, I really and truly disagreed with the copy editor (those instances are rare), and cringed at the thought of having to go through the mess of an appeal. Man, I would think to myself, what a waste.

As I started laying the ground work for my impending experiment, a thought occurred to me. Just because an article doesn't properly address a title or isn't in the exact format that DS wants doesn't mean that it isn't worthwhile. Why not post it elsewhere?

According to the DS Code of Ethics, "If your content has been rejected, you may republish your work on a different site, but you may not use our title. If we reject your work, the content you wrote belongs to you, but the title provided by Demand Studios is our intellectual property and may not be republished."

Well, that's simple enough. Suddenly, my work isn't for nothing. Sure, it will be (hopefully) be making money via a revenue share site, but that's better than expiring as a rewrite and being gone forever. Time is money, after all...

There are a few instances where I don't recommend this strategy:

1. If your rewrite will take minimal effort to complete. Grab that upfront payment!

2. If the rewrite is massive, and has validity. Don't put your sub par content up; it could come back to bite you.

In any case, this is going to be my new policy. We'll see how it works out!

*Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Baby-fueled Success

2010-05-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

My little one, Ava, is 22 months old as of today. She is a veritable force of nature, tearing up rooms in a way that will serve as inspiration for the impending hurricane season. She is also filled with a sense of awe that inspires me. She picked a dandelion today, and sat in the grass, marveling at its structure, color and scent before finally... trying to eat it. That's when I snapped out of my admiration and took it away.

She was a large part of my decision to stay at home and find a way to make things work. Moments like that, or the day she first told me to SHHHH, or the increasing rate of her self-induced diaper removal, or her use of kisses as a means to escape from you... that's what I didn't want to miss out on.

Fueling this intense desire to stay at home and have these experiences is the knowledge in the back of my mind that I may not have this chance again. I wasn't supposed to be able to have children, so Ava is my little miracle. I will never take that for granted.

How do I make writing work for me? I read a lot about burn out and finding time to write and frustration, so I guess I must be very lucky. Here's how I see it.

I grew up in a house full of distractions. Learning to maintain composure and focus through distraction was a part of my competitive speech training. Heck, living with Ava's dad and his Xbox360 addiction while studying, writing papers, reading and taking care of baby while managing a part-time job and a full-time competitive speech season... yeah, I'd say I'm well versed in distraction.

Because distraction is somewhat of a non-issue for me, I sit on the couch next to Ava while she plays. This is when I get my blogging and networking done. This is when I read and comment and research. I may write a few articles during this time period, but that's pretty rare. I do most of my writing in the hour or so before she wakes, the two hour naps, and the three hours after she's gone to bed and I'm still up. Granted, I'm blessed with a child who LOVES to sleep, but that's plenty of time for me to get my hundred bucks in for upfront pay work done... and more.

This is why I love my job. I love my job because I decided to randomly accompany my aunt and her kids to the local zoo today, and I didn't need to take a personal day. I love my job because in about 20 minutes, I'm getting Ava up from her nap and going swimming. I love my job because I can take Ava to Chicago to visit her extended family and not worry about taking vacation time.

I don't burn out because I don't worry about distractions, and because my little monkey punctuates my work with moments of joy. Don't get me wrong, it's not always easy. There have been days where I've wanted to hand her over to my mom and say, "All yours!" There have been days where her powers of destruction break through my distraction proof reverie with a terrifying crash. There have been days where I get so exhausted, I wonder if I have what it takes to make it as a writer. I doubt my article submissions, my blog, my plans... the whole kit and kaboodle.

But then I look at my little girl, and she'll look at me, and a wicked grin reminiscent of some of my hell-raising days will spread across her face, and I'll think, "Nah, I got this."

Everything I Need to Know About Writing I Learned From Debate

2010-05-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I recently put up a post about the importance of effective argument construction in writing.However, recent events have woken me up to the fact that the argument post was really only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, effective argumentation is important, but if you stop at developing the initial structure of the argument, evaluating it in a vacuum, you miss its role in a larger conversation, mitigating its effectiveness.

Background

I am a recovering debate junkie. I debated competitively for four years in college, and it was a life altering experience. Debate taught me to research, to understand research, to effectively construct arguments, and to understand how those arguments interacted with others. It taught me to think critically and question everything. While I still volunteer with my old team, as well as the nascent team developing at my old high school, I really thought I had left personal debating behind me.

Enter the content mill conversation. In case you didn't know, it's a fierce one. Everyone has a very passionate opinion on the subject, and I have found myself embroiled in intense discussion about mill validity at WM Freelance Writers Connection and All Freelance Writing in the past couple of days. I don't regret my debating relapse. It's eased my conscience on telling you all todefend your affiliations, but more importantly, it's served as a major wake up call.

Last night, Jenn Mattern and I wound up going deep in the content mill debate through my posthere and conversation in the comments thread on her post. We disagree vehemently on some subjects, and largely agree on others. I found the dialog to be civil and productive. While reflecting upon what made our debate so much more satisfactory than others, another former debate junkie made contact.

Carson Brackney, freelancer and blogger extraordinaire, noticed I'd made a comment about debating on my blog. We went back and forth, discussing our backgrounds, and then this morning, I found a post entitled "More on Ape Shall Never Kill Ape" on his blog, discussing the need for civility in the freelancing community. Good post, you should check it out. So good, in fact, that it caused an epiphany.

Impact Calculus

What I learned by holding Brackney's post in juxtaposition with my debate with Jenn and others (hah! Juxtaposition perm solvency!) was that we're missing a key part of the debate equation in our writing: impact calculus.

What is impact calculus? Impact calculus is a process through which we compare the impacts to arguments for and against a specific idea, establishing a reasoned hierarchy of evaluation of those impacts. Here's where we're missing the boat:

1. Impact identification- Some people are really good at making an argument, but stop short of giving it any kind of an impact. An impact is a reason to care whether the argument is good or bad. For example, if I say that content mills are great because they provide flexibility, the evaluation of whether or not that's true is kind of pointless if we don't know why that matters.

If I say that the mills provide flexibility, which helps provide income for more non-traditional workers, which in turn gives them income to support themselves with that they otherwise may not have been able to get.... well, there's an impact. It's not nuclear war, but fortunately, terminal impacts aren't required in the writing debate (debate nerds laugh here).

2. Impact comparison- Even when we do identify an impact for our arguments, we tend to let those impacts stand on their own, without providing any kind of reasoning or warrant as to why our argument should outweigh that of the individuals with an opposing view.

Say we go with the above example, and the opposing argument says that content mills don't pay as well as other freelancing gigs, impacting the pay difference out to a lack of income to take care of themselves with. On one side, we've got income enabling life, and on the other, we've got low income disabling life. How would I compare them to advance my argument? By weighing them through a couple of different lenses.

Probability- How likely is the impact to occur?

Timeframe- When is the impact likely to occur?

Magnitude- How big is the impact relative to others?

Using these ideas, I could say, "Well, the income enabling is more probable, as people who aren't making enough money tend to go else where. Moreover, the impact of the enabling is more durable, as people who benefit from the mills stay with them longer and are able to enjoy the effects of flexibility throughout that time, whereas the people making less money than they'd like will experience it for a short amount of time and make adjustments. Finally, I'd argue that more people benefit from it than not, given the high participation in the mills." Bingo. Comparison.

It can be done on both sides. I'm just advocating we do it so we can get beyond reiteration of the same arguments over... and over... and over...

3. Round Vision- My debate coach used to tell me, "You're not going to win everything in a round. Acting like you are isn't showing confidence... it's arrogant. Get over yourself." He was a fan of tough love. But he had a point. Realistically, you win some, you lose some. How do you account for this?

Don't beat a dead horse. If you've been out debated on an argument, admit that the other person may have a point, and explain why your other arguments matter even more. Pre-empt the loss. If you've still got a leg to stand on with an argument, but it's shaky, use "even if" statements to ensure that a loss on that subject doesn't mean your entire position is bunk. For example, I could say, "Even if you don't believe that the flexibility issue matters, content mills still provide work to people who need to bring in some cash on the side." Give yourself an "out" in the conversation.

Part of this is establishing a hierarchy. You're telling the audience, "this is the most important argument, and here's why."

How this Applies to Writing

Look, writing isn't all that dissimilar from debate. It's the pursuit of truth. It's an attempt to establish credibility and authority on a subject. You want people to listen to you. Dialog is an inherent component of the process, be it on comment threads or in forums. Knowing how to effectively engage in that dialog makes that pursuit of truth a lot easier.

In addition, your credibility can only be furthered by executing good round vision and impact comparison. People get pigeon holed into stereotypes because all they ever talk about is one side of the issue. The more thorough you can be in your presentation, the more likely people are to listen.

Free from passion... or not?

Exposing my true hair color, I'd like to repeat a little part of the movie Legally Blonde. On her first day at law school, Elle Wood's professor quotes Aristotle, saying, "The law is reason, free from passion." In her graduation address, Elle respectfully disagrees with Aristotle, saying, "...Passion is a key ingredient to the study and practice of law, and of life. It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world."

Well, we, as writers, are functionally attempting to construe ourselves as "law" or authority on a given subject. So who was right? Aristotle or Elle? Do we check our passion at the door?

The answer is no, you don't abandon passion... you just channel it in a productive manner. It takes passion to get to reason. No one who is dispassionate about a topic is going to take the time to develop effective argumentation on the subject.

There is a distinctive difference between using your passion and letting it use you. If you let your passion drive you to better your writing, your argument, and yourself, you're using it properly. If you let your passion drive you to post angry and dismissive comments, or rant without substance... well, my friend, you've been used and abused by a red-headed skank called a temper.

Parting Words

Look, we're all we've got. There is no supervisor to mediate any conflicts that may develop in the world of writing. We're going to disagree. How we handle these disagreements is up to us.

I have come to the realization that I will never stop being a debater. I don't think that's a bad thing. I now completely understand why my failure to execute proper impact calculus used to infuriate my judges, and for that, I apologize profusely. My hope is that I, and others, can learn from those mistakes.

I really did enjoy sparring with Jenn. Our "debate" wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than some of the interactions I've had in the community. Here's hoping that we all have more debate rounds, and less screaming matches.

*Photo courtesy of Frank Murdoch. Pictured: Frank Murdoch and Kaleb Jesse

In Response to Jenn Mattern's Demand Studios Post

2010-05-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Jenn Mattern over at AllFreelanceWriting.com recently put up a post in an attempt to knock down Demand Studios a couple of notches. Feeling as though I would be a hypocrite for calling you all to defend your respective communities if I could not, I decided to respond to the points she made in her article. Here they are for your general reading pleasure.

RE: Demand Studios misrepresents itself as journalism.

1. There are different forms of journalism, and web based service journalism is emerging as a form of personalized news, presenting information that is important to specific demographics. George Brock, head of the department of Journalism at City University in London, did an excellent job in his inaugural address of explaining how one of the downfalls of journalism in years past has been their inability to present information in a manner that mattered to enough readers, something I’ve touched on in previous posts. It comes down to personalization, which Demand’s “service journalism” attempts to deliver via title generation based on search queries. Maybe farting isn’t important to everyone, but it is to the person who is looking for that information. Note: I’m not saying bad information doesn’t get published on occasion. What I’m saying that condemning an entire platform based on a sampling of mistakes is nonsense. Should I write off all forms of professional journalism? With their corrections that get printed and broadcast on a regular basis? I think not.

2. Targeting individuals with a journalism background isn’t misconstruing the content as journalism; it’s smart business. Those people have learned to write in one of the most difficult categories of writing, so their skills would be useful to DS.

RE: Full-time Job Intention

1. Some people make it work as a full-time gig. That doesn’t mean the program was structured for full-time work, it just means that people are using it as such. If that’s what they want, we are in no position to judge.

2. Telling someone to treat an interview like it’s for a full-time job isn’t the same as saying it is a full-time job. It simply means that you should be serious about the application process. That’s good advice for any interview, be it for DS or Burger King.

RE: Health Insurance v. Benefits v. Discount

1. DS acknowledges in the information page that it is not full coverage, stating, “Demand Studios writers, copy editors and filmmakers who meet tenure and activity requirements can get access to three different limited medical plans.” They also tell DS folk to read into the policies first, stating, “As every individual's case is different, we urge you to look closely at these optional plans to determine whether one of them is right for you and your family.” It’s an option. That’s more than some can get on their own.

2. Anyone who purchases a health care policy without reading the terms of the policy isn’t making a smart decision, whether that occurs with DS or elsewhere. All of the information on the plans is available on the site. DS isn’t trying to hide anything.

RE: Emphasis on SEO instead of Quality

1. This is not an argument that says quality isn’t emphasized. It only says that says that SEO is emphasized. The two are not mutually exclusive.

2. Writing for SEO isn’t a crime. The post directly preceeding Mattern’s was about writing for SEO. Freelancers across the board encourage it.

3. Blacklisting sites in competition with your own isn’t pedagogically bankrupt. It’s economically sound. You better believe that WebMD isn’t linking back to LIVESTRONG. Writing is a business. There are plenty of other qualified, if not more qualified, sites available to use as a reference, not to mention the THOUSANDS of books one can turn to. In fact, DS encourages the use of .edu and .gov sites above all others to ensure quality of information.

RE: Too much of the same content

1. Multiple perspectives can provide different explanations of the same information that resonate with different people. Take the “teaching a dog to sit” example. There are dozens of dog training tactics out there. There are different strokes for different folks… and why shouldn’t DS capitalize on that?

2. Mattern’s own blog does this. So does every other writing blog on the market. You repackage similar information with a fresh perspective to drive traffic. Again, writing is a business. Profit is not a crime.

3. Given the referencing requirements cited with the concerns about the blacklist, it’s clear that the articles have to be reputably referenced. It shouldn’t be an issue of finding the most reputable information.

4. Some of this content is merely usurping the ranks of companies selling a service- putting information before advertising. No problem there.

RE: Hypocrisy on conflicts of interest

1. They’re a company. They advertise their services. That’s not a conflict of interest; that’s in their best interest.

2. They tailor their content to try to be informative instead of promotion-based. That directly contradicts the claim that they don’t care about quality. They’re producing a specific kind of product that doesn’t include promotions. That’s writing to specification. It’s a business move. If you don’t want to write those articles, then don’t.

RE: It doesn’t improve people’s lives.

1. Just because the farting article doesn’t help you doesn’t mean it won’t help someone else.

2. The drug test article shouldn’t have gotten past the title proofing, let alone the copy editors, as it violates the TOS. If you want to send me the link to the article, I will personally send it the powers that be to have it taken down.

3. The pregnancy example is still on point. It wasn’t titled, “How to have sex in order to get pregnant in the face of conception issues.” Want to have sex and get pregnant? Why not wear lingerie to spice things up and get things started?

4. Sure, this is partial spin. However, there's a demand for this material. Meeting demand with supply is business at its core.

RE: Salary concerns

1. The ability to set your own schedule, deadlines and income is a tradeoff for higher pay for those with degrees. Moreover, people with these advanced degrees are often selected for consistent, higher paying gigs (i.e. LIVESTRONG).

2. I write 7 articles a day, EVERY DAY on average. There are some days I don’t feel motivated and write one or two, and others where I’m on a roll and write upwards of 15. I’ve been using a program called 1DayLater to track my productivity, and one of those $15 articles takes me an average of 22 minutes to write. It’s not that far out a projection, especially since I’ve only been writing there for about 2 months. I’ve only gotten faster, more efficient and more productive with time.

3. Yes, taxes. Yes, out of pocket costs for expenses. Again, I go back to the trade off. For some people, the ability to set their own hours, be accountable to no one but themselves, and do what they enjoy is worth way more than an increase in pay grade.

4. For many of these writers, the home office expenses you’re referring to are already part of their budget. It’s not an added expense, and it is a tax break.

5. Even if writers are writing full-time for DS, many of them have other side projects as well, like websites, work on other platforms and even the freelancing gigs that so many pros recommend going after.

Real Talk

Look, I’m not saying it’s a company of saints, but I am saying that it’s reliable pay on your terms. If it works for you, then who am I, or anyone else, to tell you it can’t go for it? I will reiterate: mill work isn’t good for everyone. For more on the subject, read my posts on the subject here and here.

I probably won’t work for DS for forever, but I have no problem working for them now, and if it’s a good fit for you, you shouldn’t either.

Ooohh.... New and Shiny!

2010-05-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

WOO HOO! GET EXCITED!

A reader messaged me on Twitter, expressing interest in email subscriptions to posts. I felt like I was snapping out of a deep sleep. HELLO! If I'm serious about this blog (which I am), it is time to start adding new features.

SO, a couple of new developments. First, as you can see, BRAND NEW LAYOUT. I'm hoping this increases ease of use. Really, I just think it looks pretty. I hope you do, too.

In addition, you now can subscribe to emails of all new posts. You can also subscribe via a variety of other feeds to posts and comments, keeping you up to date on all the activity at Part-time Diva, Full-time Mom.

I've added a poll on the side to find out what YOU want to read. Take a minute to fill it out for me- pretty please? This way I can help provide content that will be beneficial to all of us. Polls are becoming a weekly feature on Part-time Diva, Full-time Mom, where I'll ask you questions about writing habits, favorite platforms, etc., and provide some analysis with the results at the end of the week.

In the future, I am considering creating a newsletter. I'd love some feedback on what you'd like to see in it. Comment below to let me know if you would be interested in the idea, and if so, what kind of content you would like to see.

Anything else you'd like to see on the blog itself? Let me know!

Thanks everyone!

Different Strokes for Different Folks

2010-05-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

On this blog and others, people do a lot of talking about the "right" way of doing things. I'm guilty, I'll admit it. However, recent experiences have pushed me to re-evaluate how the "right" way of doing things should be determined.

As you may or may not know, I recently did a guest post over at the WM Freelance Connection. This post was in response to another post put up by a contributing blogger there named Carol Tice, in which she had some not so nice things to say about mill work. Our posts were part of a larger debate about mill writing, freelancing, and the "right" way to do things. I've received a lot of feedback regarding my corner of the debate, and some of that feedback directed me to the forum at Associated Content.

I had been planning on signing up for AC as part of my experiment anyway, so, curious to see what they were spit balling about, I headed on over. Some of the comments regarding my post were glowing, some were lukewarm, and others expressed outrage at Tice's responses. One contributor commented on how my post was ok, but didn't affirm the fact that people can make a living writing for mills.

Her comment got me thinking. Sure, people can make a living on the mills. But then again, Tice and I had been going back and forth for days and seemed to agree on one thing: mills are a short term solution. How did those two ideas intersect? Well, I realized that they didn't. Those statements applied to different groups of people.

See, your outlook on mill work, or freelancing technical writing, or fiction writing, or any kind of writing for that matter, is probably shaped by what your goals and interests are. Are you interested in high exposure, high caliber and high paying work with established editor relationships? Mill work may frustrate you. Are you looking for flexible scheduling, flexible subject matter, flexible writing standards, self-controlled income, convenience of publishing and self-directed revision? Traditional freelancing may not be a good fit.

The thing is- everyone has different priorities. For me right now, that's making some money on my own terms and chasing after my little monkey of a toddler. Does that make me less talented or worthy than my more professional colleagues? Nope. Does that make my colleagues cold, obsessive and snobbish? Nope. It makes us different people at different places in our lives travelling different paths.

So let me make something clear. I don't care where you write or for how much. I don't care how frequently you write or to what standard you hold yourself. If you love writing, do it. Do it however you see fit. No one, and certainly not me, is in any position to judge you. This blog is my two cents, but, at the end of the day, you're the one calling the shots in your life. Make 'em count.

Now, as a disclaimer, if you are someone who claims to be going down one path but refuses to take into account the advice of the individuals successful in travelling that road, I'll be the first to tell you to check your ego at the door. Yes, different people operate on different levels, but if you want to accomplish your goals and are willing to complain (usually loudly) about a lack of progress, you best be taking help from those who offer it. This community can be incredibly supportive, but we have neither the time nor the patience to reach out to those who are only interested in a pity party.

I'm going back to my coffee, my articles and my scheming now. God I love my job.

Just for Laughs

2010-05-25T21:43:00.001-07:00

As someone who recently came under fire for misusing a term of art, I found this hilarious:

http://writingenglish.wordpress.com/2006/09/12/the-25-funniest-analogies-collected-by-high-school-english-teachers/

The Importance of Community Participation

2010-05-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing, I would on occasion peruse the comments on blog posts or the various writing forums, but I never participated. I found myself irritated by stupid comments and the flaming wars taking place. However, as time has gone on, I have forayed into the land of the freelancer's community, and I don't regret it. Here's why:

Education- Reading articles can go a long way towards improving your knowledge about writing and making money. At the same time, the comments going on below can give you a more in depth perspective on the subject matter at hand. People will offer their insight, provide counter-arguments, and ask the questions you've been wondering about and may not have had the guts to ask.

Participating in these comment threads is important because it's your way of advancing these same goals. Ask questions. Get answers. Provide encouragement to fellow writers. Express yourself. You'll learn more, and so will your co-workers.

Defending Yourself- No, I'm not encouraging you to pick fights or stoop to the level of petty fools throwing insults. However, in forums and comment threads, there will be people who feel the need to pass judgment on the decisions some writers make. Stand up for yourself! Provide warranted, reasoned responses about why you think certain choices are beneficial or disadvantageous.

Why does this matter? There are a couple of reasons. First, this provides a balanced perspective to people who come to the blogs, articles and forums for advice. Second, it helps to protect your reputation. Bad news tends to travel a lot faster than good news, and complainers are always the loudest. If someone is slamming the platform you work for and love, provide specific reasons as to why their complaints are ill-founded. If you don't, that platform will continue to have a bad reputation, and because you publish your work there, sadly, by proxy, you'll be tainted by the reputation as well.

Support- Writing is scary stuff. Writing is literally stripping naked, standing in front of a crowd, and telling them to hit you with their best shot... which they do. Frequently. However, writing is a truly valuable pursuit, and unfortunately, far too many potentially talented writers become disheartened by these early knocks.

This is why your participation in the community is so important. Think about those first few pieces of positive feedback you received, and how instrumental they were in building your identity as a writer. It's your turn now. Let your fellow writers know how valuable their input is.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Try, Try Those Platforms Again

2010-05-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jade Dragon over at Innovative Passive Income put up a post today that served as a gentle ego/attitude check for me. The post talked about how a lot of people just give up on Constant Content due to a less than perfect experience, when really, it's more about a lack of effort. Guilty, party of one here...

Jade makes a good point. I gave Constant Content one shot. One ill-fated shot, and I wrote off the entire opportunity. At the same time, I know that there are a bunch of people making oodles of cash on that site. As I said in my previous post, I've always planned on giving it another chance... eventually. Perhaps eventually has come.

The thing is, this line of reasoning could probably apply to any writing platform out there. There are dozens of publishing platforms available for the ambitious freelancer, and there are people who have made a killing on each of those sites. I've had a really good experience with Demand Studios, but that doesn't mean I can't make money elsewhere, too. Sure, I have my side projects, but perhaps it's time to start diversifying a little more.

I did some thinking, and decided that I'm going to give 'em a try. All of 'em. All of what? All of the writing platforms I can get my grubby little hands on. Starting June 1st, I will submit work to any and all of the sites I've seen good reviews on (except for Textbroker... but that's another post for another day). This list, as of right now, includes Associated Content, Suite101, Triond, Bukisia, Type-a-mom, Constant Content, Break Studios, Digital Journal, and Examiner.com. These are the ones I've heard rave reviews of at some time, somewhere. I'm open to suggestions, though. Any other sites you'd like me to give a shot?

At the end of the month, I'm going to evaluate my earnings and experiences on each of these sites. I'll give my recommendations, but really, these posts will mostly be about giving you information so you can make educated decisions about what sites might be a good fit for you.

See, I really believe that not every platform is for everyone. In my mind, the trick is to find one you like and blast forward, full speed ahead. If you're serious about setting up a freelance career, I would certainly recommend you keep working on increasing your marketability at the same time. Learn HTML, set up a website, build a portfolio, create an engaging blog, advertise yourself, read more by Carol Tice. However, as you increase your profit potential, these sites might be able to give you a leg up, if you choose wisely.

We'll see how this goes, but I'm thinking it's worth a try. Who knows? Maybe Demand Studios will lose it's throne.

*Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile

A Little Goes a Long Way

2010-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

When working at home, you're constantly sitting down. Whether you're writing at a desk or from the comfort of your couch, lethargy seems to be part of the package. This makes incorporating activity into your day all the more important. Here are a couple of ways work at home moms can get up and moving, quick and easy.

1. Yoga- I can already hear the moaning and groaning. I don't know anything about yoga. I don't have time for this. Hush!

Yoga is easy, and I do a little bit every morning, costing me a whole- GASP!- 15 minutes a day. I do the warrior, sun salutation, palm tree, dancer, downward facing dog, cobra, and child's position, typically, and mostly because these make me feel good.

I'm actually looking at mixing things up a bit, and the Yoga Journal website is helping me do that. They list all kinds of yoga positions with pictures and step by step instructions. Yoga is a great way to get your blood pumping as it focuses on stretching, toning, and breathing- calming your nerves in the process.

2. Dance- No, I'm not telling you to take what will amount to two hours off, what with commute and babysitters and class time for an actual dance course. What I'm telling you is to crank up your favorite music and do your best audition for Footloose. Get up, get moving.

Dancing can help you raise your heart rate, boost your metabolism, release tension, AND have fun with the little ones. This is a great way to incorporate some aerobic activity into your day.

3. Stretch- A couple of times during the day, step away from the computer. Painful though this may be at first, the few minutes you take to stretch out can help relieve tension, especially in your back, which can be a trouble spot for computer chained workaholics.

Online fitness site Hyperstrike recommends these three stretches on a daily basis. Why bother? According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching improves flexibility, range of motion for your joints, circulation and relieves stress.

4. Walk- The weather is improving, slowly but surely. Fresh air can stimulate the mind and help unclog writer's block, not to mention wear out the kids. Pop 'em in the stroller, stick in your earbuds and listen to some music as you cruise the neighborhood. You get a little exercise, kids get a little sunshine, and your work gets a fresh perspective.

* * * * *

This may seem like a hassle, but it's important. Look at the corporate world we all have run screaming from. Even there, where you end up as little more than a cog in a machine, companies are establishing wellness programs to promote active lifestyles for their employees. Why?

Probably because health has been linked to productivity a million times over. Most recently, a study by the Texas Educational Association found that physically fit students scored higher on tests, were better able to focus on work and had less disciplinary problems. So unless you're interested in landing in freelancing detention, get off of your butt and hop to it!

*Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Why the Internet Will Not Be the Obituary for Quality Writing

2010-05-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

With the expanding reach of the internet, our ability to carve out our corner of the web and blast our opinions at full volume is increasing every day. It's an attractive opportunity for the passionate and the business minded alike. However, with this augmented rate of publication, people have begun to question its value and potential detriment to the world of writing.

The basic argument is that publishing for the common man, be it via content mills, self-created websites or user generated news sites, is devaluing journalism and writing as a whole. This argument boils down to dollars and sense, reliability and inevitability. The question becomes: is this the death of journalism or professional writing?

Let me first say that, realistically, this was the result of a lot of people seizing on the potential benefits of internet readership far before newspapers realized the scope of its power. As these papers begin to make their transitions to the digital world, they seem to be frustrated with the fact that they no longer carry the clout they once did. This is both correct and incorrect.

In some ways, these papers no longer have a monopoly on the flow of information. In the stone age (read: before widespread use of the internet), dissemination of information was largely controlled by entities with enough capital to produce and deliver the information. As such, they gained the ability to control what information was let out and how it was portrayed.

Please understand me. I am not insinuating that the news titans of old had some deep seeded agenda (though there are those who say they did). What I am saying is that these giants had a limited amount of time or space to funnel news through, so they had to be selective.

In today's age, those limits are gone. Who you are, what you do, your age, your gender, your beliefs... none of these can hold you back from publishing your thoughts on the world wide web. These common man smarty pants, who started publishing online when traditional news outlets were scoffing, now have a much more established and loyal readership. Yeah, I can understand the frustration of traditional journalists.

It's not just a matter of beating traditional journalism to the punch, though. One of the reasons that online writing has taken off the way it has is because it allows for writers to use their voice in a much more fluid manner. AP guidelines, while encouraged or required by some publishing platforms, are happily ignored by self-starters and bloggers (myself included). This has produced content far more conversational and easy to relate to in tone. As traditional journalism makes the digital transition, they find themselves competing with personalized reporting, while they are only armed with the old tricks of yesteryear.

That doesn't mean there isn't still a need for the kind of reporting you get out of establishments like The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post and others. What it means is that these institutions must learn to appeal to niche communities in the same manner. People still want credible news. They still want reputable reporting. The difference now is that they want their news tailored to their interests. If these legends of journalism can find a way to combine their legacy of solid reporting with the burgeoning desires of a new generation, punctuated by effective online advertising, they will be royally successful.

This debate bleeds into my world as a freelance writer. Complaints about amateur, inexperienced, untrained writers abound within our community. The thing is, all of the professionals making these complaints were once in our shoes. At that point in time, print journalism was a bitch to break into. They started out at lower pay. They started writing articles that were hardly fun to work on. They worked their way up. Perhaps the ladder we climb has been renovated, but new writers today are headed in the same direction as seasoned professionals were years ago.

I am an amateur, inexperienced, untrained writer. But I'm smart. I was a nationally ranked public speaker for eight years. I can out-debate and out-speak most people. I've written award winning speeches. I've participated in countless hours of research. I know more about public policy, politics, international relations, human rights, environmental issues, civil rights and education than I really should.

But most importantly, I'm passionate. I want to share my knowledge. I'm willing to work so that my means of spreading this knowledge improves with time and effort. I know that I can make a valuable contribution to this world. I may not have a press badge or an impressive list of publications (yet), but that doesn't mean that I am degrading the value of well written work anymore than those first feeble writing attempts put out by now experienced professionals did.

So the short answer to my question is no, journalism and writing are not dead. They aren't even in hospice. If anything, they're going through puberty. They have new life. Don't take my word for it. Head of Journalism at City University George Brock put it best in his inaugural lecture, which you can read here.

My advice? Keep writing. Keep learning. We are the pioneers of a new frontier in writing and journalism, and now is not the time to turn back.

*Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile

Increasing Your Productivity, Bit by Bit

2010-05-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's a little late to be posting, but I'm still awake and feeling joyful. Today was a good day for productivity. I wrote $210 worth of upfront pay articles! That's a record for me. Combine this with progress on another article I'm working on for publication elsewhere, three blog posts and an impending guest post for a friendly blog, and I'd call that a successful day of work, especially when it was punctuated with keeping up with my little monkey.

Had you asked me a month ago if I thought writing that much in one day was possible, I might have laughed at you. It's not about time, and it's not about ability. For me, it's always been about motivation. Staying focused long enough to churn out this much work seemed like a distant dream.

How did I get here? Baby steps. I started writing around $60 worth of articles a day. I bumped my goal up to $100 a day. I took time where I could. When I was feeling productive, I buckled down and churned out as much quality work as my attention span would allow. I made sure not to get burnt out by spending time with the light and joy of my life, Ava.

I'm getting the hang of things. I'm writing consistently, constantly researching, updating my blog on a regular basis, and exploring new avenues of income. It's a process- not a result. It's a journey- not a destination. You take it all day by day and see where you can get. And trust me, I'm getting there. One day in the not too distant future, I will be able to generate much, much, much more income in one day. My muses in the blogosphere are living, breathing typing examples of what kind of income you can generate if you put your mind to it.

Will I repeat this performance tomorrow? Well, it's Saturday, and I'm playing in a house full of extended family, so I doubt it. But now that I know that I'm capable of these results, I know I can push myself more on a day to day basis.

What does this mean for you? It means you should take heart, keep your chin up, and persevere. Even if you're not where you want to be yet, you'll get there. In the meantime, be patient, be productive, and be present. Enjoy the ride.

*Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Snow White's Primer for Work at Home Moms

2010-05-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

My daughter Ava has recently become enamored with the film Snow White. Granted, it hasn't knocked the ruling favorite The Princess and the Frog from its lofty post, but the most homely Disney Princess and her seven crotchety old men can still put her in a trance.

Today, having finished most of my writing, I sat down to watch the end of the movie with her. Snow White had just awoken, having experienced true love's first kiss, and was perched upon the proverbial white horse. One by one, Prince Charming was lifting the eccentric old men to Snow White's lips for a goodbye kiss, as she trilled in her seemingly 12 year old voice, "Goodbye! Goodbye!"

Softly, Ava began to say the words herself. With each farewell, her bottom lip stuck out further and a quiver began to plague her little voice. Tears started to stream down her face as the lovestruck duo rode into the sunset, and she buried herself against me, crying hard.

At first, I laughed. "Silly duck," I said. "It's a happy ending! They live happily ever after!"

She settled down as I distracted her with her own shiny, plastic tiara, but I couldn't stop chuckling. That is, until I started to think about this so-called "fairy tale ending." Here was a woman who had made deep connections with a group of strangers very different from herself, forming friendships in the most unlikely of places. However, when tall and handsome shows up with his sexy steed, she up and leaves her friends in the lurch, off to supposedly greener pastures.

Suddenly, I was beginning to understand Ava's tears. It was very sad, actually. Defining your life by your relationship status, treating your friends as your last priority, making rash decisions about the rest of your life... no good.

Perhaps Ava has a point. Maybe it's important that we, as working mothers and freelancing writers, take time to make sure we aren't chasing that elusive fairy tale ending at the cost of our relationships and families. It's easy to get caught up in your work, or in the pursuit of your next big break. However, it is incredibly important to make sure you're balancing your fairy tale dreaming with the people you care about. They're the ones who provide the encouragement and support that make it all possible. From the mouths- or, er, behavior- of babes, eh?

*Photo of Ava, credit goes to Carrie Guggenmos

The Importance of Effective Argument in Writing

2010-05-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

As you browse the blogosphere, you may find yourself stumbling across passionate rants, even on professional sites. Some of these rants are well structured and well put. Too often, they are not. It's kind of unfortunate, given that a lot of these people are making money off what amounts to verbal diarrhea. Strong words? Maybe. The thing is, someone has to stand up for the integrity of good argument.

Every time you write something, you are presenting an argument. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word argument as, "A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood." Unfortunately, too often you find that individuals are skipping the "reasoning" component, and diving straight into allegations of truth.

What does a good argument look like? The most trusted format is the famous Toulmin's model. Developed in the 1960's, this baby has stood the test of time. Here's how it works:

First, you make a claim. Say I was claiming that you can improve your credit score by paying off your debt. My evidence would be that paying off your debt makes you look more stable and responsible. My warrant would be that a steadily decreasing amount of debt is typically associated with a steady income. The backing for my evidence would be citing an expert on the subject, like Credit.com.

This is the most basic form of the model. Other, more complicated forms also take into account "modality," or the limitations of your claim. In the case of our example, that might be me saying that paying off your debts can only help if you aren't accumulating more debt. Another common component is the "rebuttal." This addresses the modality aspect. In our example, I might say, however, if you are paying off more debt than you are adding, you can still see positive results.

This kind of structure is important for a variety of reasons. First, it requires you to have backing to support what you want to say. This helps to ensure the accuracy of your statements. Second, it forces you to explain why the claim and the data mean what you say they mean, which adds a level of clarity to your writing. Third, it (should) help to cut back on those emotional rants, as you have to put a fair level of thought into what you're saying.

Most importantly, it makes your writing a lot more credible. It shows that you are willing to research before you write, which is a fast fading priority for many people. It makes your messages easier to comprehend, which is something that readers value immensely. The culmination of these qualities makes your writing worth a lot more.

I'm a former debater, so you'll have to forgive my love affair with effective argumentation. My thing is, if you're going to put yourself out there with your writing, you should at least be armed with the knowledge that you put on a suit of well thought out armor before you did so.

In Defense of Content Mills

2010-05-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

The recent buyout of Associated Content by Yahoo! has generated a lot of controversy on the blogosphere. The majority of it has been regurgitation of arguments against content mills. As someone who has been relying on mills to help keep her afloat while expanding her portfolio and exploring new avenues for income generation, these allegations are frustrating at best and insulting at worst. As such, I'd like to take a moment to address some of these complaints.

It's Slave Labor. You get paid less than minimum wage.

This is one of the frequent complaints I hear about content mills. Usually, this argument is made in two veins. On one hand, people will argue that residual earnings will pay you pennies per article that may take months to accumulate. On the other hand, people will argue that the upfront pay sites are paying you a fraction of what they will make off of your content. Let's talk.

On the residuals note, you're right. It can take a long time to make money off of an article. You're also not making the full profit off of the advertisement posted along with your article. I have a couple of responses.

First, you may not be earning money fast enough on those articles because you aren't writing it properly. Online gurus will tell you that formatting your articles to be search engine friendly can get you more exposure, more views, and, consequently, more revenue.

Second, while you may have to wait to start seeing real results from your articles, make no mistake. You can earn a lot off of one article. Freelancing expert Felicia breaks this down routinely on her blog. As she points out, she's averaging over $30 of lifetime income on her residual earning articles per article. That's now. As time goes on, she'll make more per article, and she doesn't have to keep working to make that money keep coming. It may not seem like much, but if you write 3 articles a day for a year, that's over 32k of income in a year, every year that the articles receive traffic. It will only keep growing. Not a bad idea.

You're right. You aren't making ALL of the revenue you could, but this is in exchange for a whole lot of convenience. People new to writing or new to the web usually will not have the expertise needed to effectively market their material or the time it takes to do so. In these instances, residual earning sites take the hassle out of making money. Other options may be more profitable, but if you want convenience, you get what you pay for.

Now, on the issue of upfront pay, the complaints have a little bit of merit. A lot of people who sing the praises of residual earnings through content mills will defame upfront pay for the same types of sites. You're right- Demand Studios will probably make more money off of the lifetime of your upfront pay article than the $5, $7.50 or $15 they pay you. However, if you need cash in a hurry, it's not a bad deal. They pay twice a week, which is more than you can count on while free wheeling on your own. It's consistent work and income opportunities in a centralized location. For people who are writing part-time or just getting started, this is an awesome opportunity. I've said before that I can make a hundred a day working a few hours a day. That's a lot more than I can say for other starting positions in this economy.

What about arguments that say it's below minimum wage? Well, whether or not this has merit is dependent upon the writer in question. Personally, I make over $30 an hour. I'm ok with that for right now. When I'm more experienced, I'll want more, but I'm being paid well for the amount of experience I have at the moment. If it's taking you three hours to write a $15 How-to article, then you're probably not yet qualified for the position you're in. That will change with time, or maybe this job isn't for you. Only you can exploit yourself. On the residual earning's front, after five years of making $30 on an article that took you an hour to write, you're well above the minimum wage, friend.

If you don't like the pay schedule, don't do it. If you don't like working a sales gig that pays 100% on commission, don't do it. If you don't like working for a company that pays you once a month, don't do it. If you don't like a marketing job where you work 80 hours a week for $35 k a year, don't do it. It's a choice.

It's driving down income for professional writers.

Every time I hear this, it's like nails on a chalkboard. Where's the data to support this claim? Because I'm telling you, I've searched high and low for some hard numbers, and all I've heard referenced are average pay rates.

Here's why those average pay rates are bunk as a form of proof. There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of lower paying jobs available now. They far outnumber the amount of higher paying jobs. Average them all together, and you bet that the average is going to be closer to those lower paying jobs than the higher ones. It's going to make it look like the average pay for a freelancer has gone down over the years. Maybe that's right- but it doesn't mean that the AMOUNT of higher paying jobs has gone DOWN- only that the amount of lower paying jobs available has gone UP.

Those plum jobs are still out there. I read all the time about these beautifully paying jobs that these really experienced writers are getting. Fantastic. I couldn't be happier for them, really and truly. However, there are a lot of writers who have valuable things to contribute to our community who don't have the experience to demand that pay yet. Content mills give them a chance to see what works and what doesn't, build a portfolio and get to a point where they can demand higher pay. Is that what critics of content mills are really afraid of? More competition in the future?

You see a lot of fake diamonds out there, right? Look-a-likes that are really plastic or glass or some other stone. It doesn't mean that a real diamond, when you find it, has less value. It doesn't mean that there are less diamonds out there. It just means that you might have to sort through some fakes to get the real thing.

In addition, writing is a business. In any business, there are going to be people who offer lower quality, lower priced items or services and those who offer higher priced, specialized services. People are willing to shell out cash for both, depending on their needs. Sure, there are a lot of people who are willing to sell articles with less expertise for a lower amount, but there are still clients who want a piece with punch and are willing to pay.

Content mill writers only produce crap. It's devaluing journalism and professional writing.

Let's say I publish my own book. It's utter horse manure. I may sell some copies, but sitting on a shelf next to Moby Dick, yeah, my book shows for exactly what it is. Same thing here.

There is crap coming out of content mills. Crap smells. You notice it. What you may not notice is the high quality content produced by other writers. To write off (excuse the pun) these quality articles because of other things being published is discriminatory and baseless. As I said before, the newbies writing here probably have a lot of potential, and gigs with content mills can help them explore that.

It can be infuriating to see sites that claim to be there to help new writers lambasting those who are just trying to make it by. Accepting money for your work doesn't make you a bad writer or a bad person. It makes you employed. Comments like that don't help new writers- it discourages them from branching out.

None of these excuses matter. Anyone can make money if they do it the right way.

Really? You so sure about that? How about the mom with five kids, lots of insight, no formal training, who has been absent from the workforce for 10 years? How about the college kid with tons of knowledge on accounting but no time for heavy lifting due to their school schedule? Or how about the person trying to earn a couple of extra bucks with their writing ability and just isn't interested in doing things the "right" way?

You're right. You can make money the right way. It takes time, and dedication, but most of all, resources. If you send out a hundred queries in a week and land one gig that pays $200, it probably won't be enough. Sure, with enough time and effort, landing those gigs will get easier. Sure, you might capture some repeat customers. In the meantime, there are bills to pay and obligations to be met.

I'm not discouraging people from self-promotion or demanding better pay. I'm getting there myself. What I am saying is that there is no shame in working for content mills in the meantime. And I'm sick of people acting like it's a scarlet letter.

Look at the Yahoo! buyout of Associated Content! Some writers are making $5 an article, and Associated Content's owners just made $100 million! How is that fair?

It's fair because it's a business. Writing is a business. This writing platform company just made a business decision. I've heard people complaining about how writers aren't getting a payout from that $100 million. I'm sorry, when company X buys out company Y, do the CEO's cut the mail clerk a check? No. Moreover, the majority of people writing for Associated Content are FREELANCING. This means you are NOT an employee. If I have a company, and twenty years down the road, I sell it, I wouldn't pay the person I contracted out to paint my offices afterward.

Now, if Associated Content's already published material doesn't get paid for, that sucks. However, it won't be unique. In corporate buyouts today, people have contracts rendered useless and get laid off. It's an unfortunate component of capitalism.

We don't yet know what the results of the Yahoo! buyout will be. Fear mongering bloggers may be right. Associated Content writers may get screwed. Until, and even if they do, content mills shouldn't be vilified.

Bottom Line

My name is Lauren Nelson. I work for a content mill. I'm not ashamed.