I am not sure how I missed this. Anyone who writes or visits the Suite101 website has noticed the large range of changes they have made. As a writer there, it has taken me some time adapt to the new formats. I usually read through every announcement and at times, the forum posts, regarding it change. However, there is one area of recent Suite101 changes that somehow escaped my knowledge. I lost my feature writer title, along with all the other feature writer and topic editors.
Since I obviously missed the announcement, it came as a huge shock to me today to check out my Suite101 profile and notice that the sweet "Feature Writer" title by my name has been changed back to "Contributing Writer." After investigating what happened (read: send an email asking when in the world did THIS happen), I learned that although my title and obligations had changed, my bonus would remain intact. This should make me happy, right? Keep the bonus without the required contributions. But I am actually a little sad.
I enjoyed seeing the title by my name, evidence is right here in this Freelancing Mommie post. I liked having the monthly writing obligations associated with being a featured writer. Alas, I didn't complain. It's not that big of a deal, in the grand scheme of things. I initially was shocked, thinking I had done something wrong. Now that I have learned that wasn't the case, it doesn't really matter one way or another. I guess I just liked the title! How silly I sound! LOL
Showing posts with label freelance writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freelance writing. Show all posts
Writing For Print: Query Letters
After focusing on what each magazine was looking for in freelance writing submissions, I moved on to query letters. A majority of any print publications from newspapers to magazines to books required the author submit a query letter. I knew my query writing skills were not up to par so I made this Step Two in my attack plan.
The query letter is the first thing the submission editor sees. It works as an introduction not only to the author but to the article you are selling. If the query letter is the deciding factor between acceptance and rejection, then I figured the query letter better be top form.
There literally thousands upon thousands of websites that give information on writing the perfect query letter. After spending a day or two reading and making notes on the different viewpoints on a great query letter, I realized that all of the information I had been reading was based on opinions only. Every article seemed to contradict each other. I decided to compose a list that included only the important points that five or more articles seemed to agree on. Here is my initial list:
Being the romance novel lover and aspiring author, I was well aware of the writer's section on the Harlequin website. I knew that writing a query letter for a magazine article was much different than writing one detailing a fictional novel. But I was also well aware that the format for the query letter would be very similar. If you haven't visited this writer's section, I suggest you do. There are tons of informative posts and links there for all aspects of writing, publishing and submitting. This includes a large bank of information on query letters, including a entire online course from a submission editor on writing a great query letter. Instead of detailing all the information here, just click the link and check it out!
Once I had made yet another large folder of information, I went to work. Yes, I am a little fanatical. I wrote a generalized query letter. Then, I went back over said query letter using the information in my folder, tweaking each and every section until I felt my query letter is at its top form.
Of course, for each and every submission, the information on my query letter will vary. But the format and tone will remain the same. Now, I have a great query letter sample that is of my own creation to use as a guideline for all future query letters!!
The query letter is the first thing the submission editor sees. It works as an introduction not only to the author but to the article you are selling. If the query letter is the deciding factor between acceptance and rejection, then I figured the query letter better be top form.
There literally thousands upon thousands of websites that give information on writing the perfect query letter. After spending a day or two reading and making notes on the different viewpoints on a great query letter, I realized that all of the information I had been reading was based on opinions only. Every article seemed to contradict each other. I decided to compose a list that included only the important points that five or more articles seemed to agree on. Here is my initial list:
- Query letters are the first view of your writing skill that an editor will have. Make each query letter as top quality as you would your articles, including spelling, grammar, tone, etc.
- Remain professional at all times. Even if it sounds cute to address your query letter to "Dear Fellow Mommies, this article is for you!", don't do it. Editors expect professionalism, no matter how relaxed or fun the magazine's tone may be. If you did the research on the magazine, you will know the submission editor's name and address the query letter accordingly.
- Keep query letters straight to the point. Introduce yourself, including a brief listing of any experience you may have and any experience with the magazine publication itself, introduce the article you are seeking publication for, including why it would be an excellent addition to said magazine and close out the query letter professionally by including any important details such as "the article is enclosed", "At your request, I would be happy to send in the article immediately", etc and end it by thanking the editor for his/her time.
Being the romance novel lover and aspiring author, I was well aware of the writer's section on the Harlequin website. I knew that writing a query letter for a magazine article was much different than writing one detailing a fictional novel. But I was also well aware that the format for the query letter would be very similar. If you haven't visited this writer's section, I suggest you do. There are tons of informative posts and links there for all aspects of writing, publishing and submitting. This includes a large bank of information on query letters, including a entire online course from a submission editor on writing a great query letter. Instead of detailing all the information here, just click the link and check it out!
Once I had made yet another large folder of information, I went to work. Yes, I am a little fanatical. I wrote a generalized query letter. Then, I went back over said query letter using the information in my folder, tweaking each and every section until I felt my query letter is at its top form.
Of course, for each and every submission, the information on my query letter will vary. But the format and tone will remain the same. Now, I have a great query letter sample that is of my own creation to use as a guideline for all future query letters!!
Print Submissions: Where Do I Start?
Warning: I tend to use the Freelancing Mommie as a way to gather my thoughts and monitor my progress while sharing my knowledge with readers. This may be a very long post! My sincere apologies!
I have been published in print several times before but never really made it the sole focus of my writing career. When I decided to give this aspect of writing 6 months of serious hard work and dedication, I knew I would be dealing in an unknown domain, full of rejections. But I also knew it would be worth it in the end.
No, I am not giving up online writing. I still love every second of it. I just decided to give the print world a go. If you are heading in this same direction, you are probably wondering where to begin. In the beginning, I made two huge mistakes that resulted in thirty formal rejection letters in about two weeks time. Who says it takes six months or more to receive a response from magazines? My file of rejections letters begs to differ.
1- I wrote about what I wanted. I created a large amount of (40+) articles that covered either topics I was very educated in or topics that had recently caught my attention and I wanted to give my view on. Then, I did several searches online to find magazines that focused on these topics, located their addresses and I sent in my articles. Big mistake. I figured sending out random articles in large amounts was swaying the odds in my favor that at least a few of them would be published. Wrong!
2- I spent the few weeks wallowing in self-pity, doubting my skill and knowledge and almost giving up. I make decent money as an online writer and almost convinced myself during my pity party that I would leave the print world to the real writers. Big Mistake Number Two. I had suffered rejections before- maybe not thirty in two weeks times with NO acceptances- but why did these specific rejections hurt so much?
After my pity party concluded and I located my confidence again, I decided to start completely over with a new method. I made a detailed plan of attack for the printing publication world.Writing this plan led me to see that I skipped a crucial part: planning and researching.
Actually, let me backtrack and say I started with the 'Write What You Know' mentality. Instead of focusing on new topics, I decided to stick with topics I could write from my own knowledge and that required little to no research at all. Then, I made a list of about 10-12 well-known magazines that I felt confident that my topics would fit nicely with. Then, I began my research.
I printed off the submission guidelines for each magazine on my list. It never crossed my mind that each different publication would have a specific set of guidelines for freelance submissions. When I realized this, I had a huge DUH moment. Some magazines want query letters only. Some what email submissions. Some want standard mail submissions. Some don't accept freelance submissions without an agent. Some require a query letter, a short synopsis and a resume. Every single print publication on my list was different. After learning this, I realized a large portion of my rejections probably stemmed from not following these guidelines.
After learning what each magazine required for submissions, I researched each magazine's content. I made note on the various topics each magazine covered, the tone of each magazine, a list of regular featured topics/columns, the average amount of words per article, etc. At the week end, I felt I had a much better grasp on about every single one of these magazines and what they wanted/expected from freelance writers. My notes and print offs resulted in a fairly large file for each magazine.
Once I had completed this research, I felt more confident to move forward with my plan. I have rambled on enough today so I'll save step two for the next post. But I will share just a little bit of the outcome with you.
Recipe Writing and Recreating
I love cooking and creating new recipes. At Suite101 I have included several recipes for traditional, holiday and party cooking. When the opportunity presented itself to recreate 30 recipes for a print edition holiday cookbook, I jumped at the opportunity. But this was a whole new writing experience!
Delayed Absence
It's been awhile since I last posted. As usual, things have been pretty hectic and a lot of things have happened. I am sorry for the delay in posting. I have made a lot of changes in my freelance writing career, most of which have been both positive and profitable.
Would YOU Work For Free?
Yesterday, I was helping a friend of mine set herself up with a few of the mass hiring websites. She is a writer as well as was looking for a few short-term positions to get her through Christmas with her 4 small children. I was shocked at the rates that were posted for jobs. And not in a good way either.
Backup Plans
As freelance writers, our income depends solely on ourselves. What happens when the unexpected occurs, as it often does with freelancing/self-employed careers? I recently had a similar discussion with Felicia from NoJobForMom. As she pointed out, freelance writers need a solid backup plan? I learned this little lesson about 11 months ago.
Rearranging Plans and Goals
After becoming a feature writer at Suite101 and landing my first big magazine column (more about that later!), I decided to once again cut my upfront paying obligations for a more passive focus. I cut out five active income articles per week and was writing five passive articles instead. Every two weeks, I would cut out an additional five upfront articles and add five passive articles.
Panda, You Got Me Again!
The return of Google's Panda resembled having a flashback. I went to bed one night, proud of the stats for the day. Suite101 was steadily climbing higher in both page views and earnings. My sites, especially FM, was growing in page views and revenue.
Where Do You Write?
I recently have been doing some rearranging, turning my room into an office/studio. I have mentioned before that part of my freelance writing career pertains to beauty topics. I have loved makeup since I was old enough to smear my face in my mom's Avon lipstick. I have a cosmetology diploma and recently completed my degree in makeup artist mastery, which was always a goal of mine.
Suite101 Feature Writer!!
I am so excited to share with you guys that I was recently promoted to Feature Writer at Suite101. At a website that has since closed down and resolved its domain, I was the feature writer for Parenting-Inc.org, with no upfront or rev share at all. I was the SAHM feature writer and loved it! For 12 months, I was the feature writer for Ready Hair print magazine, making a .07 cents per word. But both of these jobs were temporary, gained through ads, with one writing sample. Anyone could have landed the positions.
At Suite, there is a 15 article minimum plus your writing style is evaluated before being promoted to feature writer. In other words, I really feel like I EARNED this promotion instead of being randomly accepted.
I know Panda had a huge impact on content sites. My Suite101 revenue took a nose dive and I had to focus more on upfront pay sites to make ends meet. This last month, I have watched my Suite earnings shoot up, exceeding what they were before Panda. Because most of my articles pertain to the holidays from Halloween to Easter, these months always shows a much higher revenue than normal. Today, my revenue earnings exceeded last years by almost 42%, with only 4 new articles added so far.
All and all, I am happy writing at Suite101. The topic editors are friendly and polite, always complimenting my articles and writing style even when improvements are requested. Making feature writer gives me such a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence, too!
**photo labeled licensed for reuse via Google search performed 10/11/11 courtesy of targetaustralia.blogspot.com**
At Suite, there is a 15 article minimum plus your writing style is evaluated before being promoted to feature writer. In other words, I really feel like I EARNED this promotion instead of being randomly accepted.
I know Panda had a huge impact on content sites. My Suite101 revenue took a nose dive and I had to focus more on upfront pay sites to make ends meet. This last month, I have watched my Suite earnings shoot up, exceeding what they were before Panda. Because most of my articles pertain to the holidays from Halloween to Easter, these months always shows a much higher revenue than normal. Today, my revenue earnings exceeded last years by almost 42%, with only 4 new articles added so far.
All and all, I am happy writing at Suite101. The topic editors are friendly and polite, always complimenting my articles and writing style even when improvements are requested. Making feature writer gives me such a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence, too!
Hi Guys!
Whew! It's been awhile! It has been so super busy around here. The kids went back to school, the hubby back to work, my classes started back up and I took on a few offline writing obligations, including two fiction writing opportunities which thrilled me to no end. I love creative writing. In fact, I got my start by writing poetry (which I do not enjoy now but used to love to write) and short stories for The Old Red Kimono, a local fiction magazine.
I'll get back into the swing of things soon. So many new things I want to share with you guys! Including information I learned during my classes about fiction writing. I am so sorry about the gap in writing. See you soon guys!
I'll get back into the swing of things soon. So many new things I want to share with you guys! Including information I learned during my classes about fiction writing. I am so sorry about the gap in writing. See you soon guys!
Just Had To Share!
Hi guys! This will be a quick post...not really informative but a first for me and I just had to share.
This past week has been downright frustrating. Not really having to do with freelance writing but more on the normal, every day life type side. Among other things, my husband, and his entire crew, have been laid off for 3 weeks without pay. My middle daughter is having some issues with her school work. And AT&T talked me into signing up for auto-pay where they promptly hit my account back to back to back for three transactions, totaling more than $900 (when I only owed one bill that wasn't even due until 9/13!!!). My bank account has been frozen for fraudulent activity, my debit card too. UGH! Then, I logged on this morning to find a sweet email from a wonderful topic editor on Suite 101.
My recent article (click HERE to check it out) made the front page of that particular section! I have never had a featured article there before and was so excited, I started showing everybody! Not such a huge thing to many people, but an accomplishment that I am very proud of. It was the start of my new holiday articles (after I took a short break from Suite 101) that I mentioned in my last post about seasonal articles.
If only I could get somewhere with AT&T and the bank, I think this headache might go away! LOL
Just had to share! Thanks for reading!
This past week has been downright frustrating. Not really having to do with freelance writing but more on the normal, every day life type side. Among other things, my husband, and his entire crew, have been laid off for 3 weeks without pay. My middle daughter is having some issues with her school work. And AT&T talked me into signing up for auto-pay where they promptly hit my account back to back to back for three transactions, totaling more than $900 (when I only owed one bill that wasn't even due until 9/13!!!). My bank account has been frozen for fraudulent activity, my debit card too. UGH! Then, I logged on this morning to find a sweet email from a wonderful topic editor on Suite 101.
My recent article (click HERE to check it out) made the front page of that particular section! I have never had a featured article there before and was so excited, I started showing everybody! Not such a huge thing to many people, but an accomplishment that I am very proud of. It was the start of my new holiday articles (after I took a short break from Suite 101) that I mentioned in my last post about seasonal articles.
If only I could get somewhere with AT&T and the bank, I think this headache might go away! LOL
Just had to share! Thanks for reading!
Seasonal Articles
At Suite 101, I contribute mostly holiday and special occasion crafts for kids and am one of the top three contributors for Holiday Kids Crafts. The most popular holidays include Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have mostly crafts and kid friendly recipes for these particular holidays. Why would I focus on a specific topic with specific time frames, knowing that the rest of the year those articles might not get read at all?
Believe it or not, I planned it this way purposely. Let me give you a little insight to why I would make this decision:
Because I have three children under the age of 9. This means Halloween costumes, Santa presents, stuffed stockings, classroom parties to fund, two birthdays in December, etc. Since I already know I need to increase my income for these months to afford the added expenses, I publish articles that I know will be profitable during the same months. In other words, I write throughout the year so I can see the benefits during the more expensive months. And I chose to write passive income articles instead of increasing my direct pay articles so I could continue to make the extra income each year, without having to slam out many low-pay articles during the holiday months EVERY year. My revenue crafting articles will continue to pay, whether I actively contribute more or not.
Here's an example of my income increase from Suite 101.
August 2011: $99.56
November 2010: $301.22
That's a $200 jump. And believe me, that $200 increase goes a long way toward funding the holidays for my girls. When I caught on to how profitable these holiday articles would be, I made a plan to continue contributing them, even though I knew I would only see the pay off for the last four months of the year.
But what about Panda? Will this effect my passive income that I have become dependent upon for these higher cost months? Only time will tell!
Believe it or not, I planned it this way purposely. Let me give you a little insight to why I would make this decision:
- Halloween, Christmas & Thanksgiving kids crafts gain more than a million search inquiries per day from September to the end of December.
- In my experience, my holiday crafting articles receive more views and revenue at Suite 101 than any other place I have published them.
Because I have three children under the age of 9. This means Halloween costumes, Santa presents, stuffed stockings, classroom parties to fund, two birthdays in December, etc. Since I already know I need to increase my income for these months to afford the added expenses, I publish articles that I know will be profitable during the same months. In other words, I write throughout the year so I can see the benefits during the more expensive months. And I chose to write passive income articles instead of increasing my direct pay articles so I could continue to make the extra income each year, without having to slam out many low-pay articles during the holiday months EVERY year. My revenue crafting articles will continue to pay, whether I actively contribute more or not.
Here's an example of my income increase from Suite 101.
August 2011: $99.56
November 2010: $301.22
That's a $200 jump. And believe me, that $200 increase goes a long way toward funding the holidays for my girls. When I caught on to how profitable these holiday articles would be, I made a plan to continue contributing them, even though I knew I would only see the pay off for the last four months of the year.
But what about Panda? Will this effect my passive income that I have become dependent upon for these higher cost months? Only time will tell!
Moving Forward
As I was checking out my stats for the month of August so far, I realized just how much time I spent writing for direct pay sites/clients versus my own sites/revenue sites. Before I get into that, let me give you a little run down of what I was trying to do and how I ended up spending an hour making calculations & catching up my spreadsheets.
I recently posted about earning a full passive income from my own blogs and sites. Today, I had some time to kill so I decided to calculate the percentage of increase or decrease my sites were averaging. When I entered last weeks daily income amounts, I didn't like the way things were looking and I decided I had to dig further. I needed to know exactly where I stood so I could put my plan into action. I am determined to receive all of my income from revenue, specifically my own sites.
I use the income spreadsheet from No Job For Mom, but I tailored it to fit my needs. Here are my total earnings for the month of August.
This means passive income was only 45% of my total income. Not too bad considering my totals at the end of 2010 showed only around 20% of my income was revenue. But then, I asked myself how much of that was from my own sites? It ended up being a tiny, barely there 7%. I realized what a lonnnnnng way I had to go. Here's the breakdown:
Google AdSense, Amazon Associates and Info Links are the residential outlets for all four of my sites which comes to a total of $54.51, of which $12.22 belongs to my sub domain at HubPages. I include my HubPage earnings with my own blogs because the AdSense, Amazon, etc on my sub domain there is directly reported to my accounts at the revenye outlets.
The figures do not lie. 55% of my monthly income comes from direct pay opportunities. The problem is I need the direct income to support my family. Right now, I cannot drop my active income sources. Baby steps is the key to change. Jumping into something head first usually leaves you with a painful knot! I knew what changes I wanted to make so I mapped out a game plan and a time frame. If I do not reach my goals in the time I set for myself, I will be confident in knowing that I am actively working toward them, getting closer day by day.
I am a 'write what you know' kind of writer. Whether I am writing for direct or residential pay, 99% of the time it is about the same 5 or 6 topics that I am passionate and knowledgeable of. Each of my four blogs covers these topics as well. By keeping my writing focused on just a handful of topics, I gain a broader knowledge of the subjects which leads to more ideas which in turn leads to more articles. No matter what type of income I earn, these articles can be published at any of the sites a regularly contribute to.
I won't go into all the details right now. I am creating a spreadsheet to detail my goals and my plan of action. When the "100% Residential Income (from my own sites)" spreadsheet is complete, I will post it and explain. Do you keep spreadsheets of daily, monthly or yearly totals? Do you add all of your income together or do you keep them separate and calculate percentages?
I recently posted about earning a full passive income from my own blogs and sites. Today, I had some time to kill so I decided to calculate the percentage of increase or decrease my sites were averaging. When I entered last weeks daily income amounts, I didn't like the way things were looking and I decided I had to dig further. I needed to know exactly where I stood so I could put my plan into action. I am determined to receive all of my income from revenue, specifically my own sites.
I use the income spreadsheet from No Job For Mom, but I tailored it to fit my needs. Here are my total earnings for the month of August.
| Residential Income | Direct Pay | TOTAL | |
| August-11 | $ 778.81 | $ 950.50 | $ 1,729.31 |
This means passive income was only 45% of my total income. Not too bad considering my totals at the end of 2010 showed only around 20% of my income was revenue. But then, I asked myself how much of that was from my own sites? It ended up being a tiny, barely there 7%. I realized what a lonnnnnng way I had to go. Here's the breakdown:
| August | Google Adsense | Suite101 | Amazon Associates | Info Links |
| $ 21.33 | $ 94.27 | $ 7.17 | $ 26.02 | |
| Print &eBook Revenue | Examiner | Guest Blog Posts | Associated Content | Direct Pay |
| $ 429.33 | $ 18.80 | $ 99.99 | $ 81.90 | $ 950.50 |
Google AdSense, Amazon Associates and Info Links are the residential outlets for all four of my sites which comes to a total of $54.51, of which $12.22 belongs to my sub domain at HubPages. I include my HubPage earnings with my own blogs because the AdSense, Amazon, etc on my sub domain there is directly reported to my accounts at the revenye outlets.
The figures do not lie. 55% of my monthly income comes from direct pay opportunities. The problem is I need the direct income to support my family. Right now, I cannot drop my active income sources. Baby steps is the key to change. Jumping into something head first usually leaves you with a painful knot! I knew what changes I wanted to make so I mapped out a game plan and a time frame. If I do not reach my goals in the time I set for myself, I will be confident in knowing that I am actively working toward them, getting closer day by day.
I am a 'write what you know' kind of writer. Whether I am writing for direct or residential pay, 99% of the time it is about the same 5 or 6 topics that I am passionate and knowledgeable of. Each of my four blogs covers these topics as well. By keeping my writing focused on just a handful of topics, I gain a broader knowledge of the subjects which leads to more ideas which in turn leads to more articles. No matter what type of income I earn, these articles can be published at any of the sites a regularly contribute to.
I won't go into all the details right now. I am creating a spreadsheet to detail my goals and my plan of action. When the "100% Residential Income (from my own sites)" spreadsheet is complete, I will post it and explain. Do you keep spreadsheets of daily, monthly or yearly totals? Do you add all of your income together or do you keep them separate and calculate percentages?
Lesson Learned: Why Give Them a Cut of Your Cash?
Nearing two years now, I have published articles at a large variety of sites including Suite 101, Hubpages, Examiner and several others as well as several smaller sites, guest blog posts and etc. This is where earned all of my passive earnings until one day, almost a year ago, that I stumbled upon No Job For Mom and read Felicia's post about earning revenue from your own blogs and sites. Like a light bulb, the realization of what this actually meant flashed in my head.
By creating a blog or purchasing a domain, I create a site where all the profits from Google AdSense (the most common revenue program used by large content sites), Amazon Associates and Info Links, among others, come straight into my pocket. Nobody gets a cut of my cash. Well, except maybe the company behind the ads. Nobody takes a percentage of each ad click into their pocket. There are no pesky "How much do I actually make" formulas to figure out. You already know if someone clicks an ad, the entire profit from that click goes to your account.
Did I immediately jump on the band wagon and create a mass of well written, great producing blogs/sites to increase my revenue earnings? Not exactly. Yes, I created the Freelancing Mommie and when it had only earned about $10 in six months, I left it alone for awhile. I justified it by thinking "I didn't really know what I was doing anyways." I returned to content sites to post revenue articles. Then it HIT.
What hit you may ask? But if you are a residual writer, then you know the big bang that depleted our revenue earnings on these content sites was none other than Panda.
Did I let this get me down? Did I give up? Nope! I watched my earnings continue to drop while organizing and creating new sites and improving Freelancing Mommie. I wasn't angry at the Google slam down. I was upset with myself that I allowed myself to give up on my site to place my articles on other people's sites. If nothing else, Felicia from No Job For Mom is my inspiration as a freelance writer and I should have taken her advice long before the elusive Panda came crashing into my passive income.
Today, I have four functioning, income earning blogs and two more in the works, some receive better views than others...some make more revenue than others. Am I saying this isn't hard, time consuming work? Nope, I have had many sleepless nights working on my sites and researching tricks of the trade. But the more high quality articles I write, the more revenue income I earn.
Do I still publish articles at content type sites? Yes, I do. My earnings have continued to rise at several of these sites and I feel the more passive income articles I have online, the higher my earnings will be. Writing is writing...if you have a passion for it, it doesn't matter where you post it. Good quality, well written pieces will earn money.
By creating a blog or purchasing a domain, I create a site where all the profits from Google AdSense (the most common revenue program used by large content sites), Amazon Associates and Info Links, among others, come straight into my pocket. Nobody gets a cut of my cash. Well, except maybe the company behind the ads. Nobody takes a percentage of each ad click into their pocket. There are no pesky "How much do I actually make" formulas to figure out. You already know if someone clicks an ad, the entire profit from that click goes to your account.
Did I immediately jump on the band wagon and create a mass of well written, great producing blogs/sites to increase my revenue earnings? Not exactly. Yes, I created the Freelancing Mommie and when it had only earned about $10 in six months, I left it alone for awhile. I justified it by thinking "I didn't really know what I was doing anyways." I returned to content sites to post revenue articles. Then it HIT.
What hit you may ask? But if you are a residual writer, then you know the big bang that depleted our revenue earnings on these content sites was none other than Panda. For those that may not know, Google changed their algorithm which resulted in any site that offered a large variety of topics by an even larger amount of writers with articles being published in the thousands each day being labeled a content farm...content mill...content factory. I heard all the terms, didn't like none of them.
The simplest way to look at this algorithm change is to understand that these types of sites lost their page index with Google, resulting on being knocked to the bottom of the list on search results when they previously were frequent first pagers. When the page index dropped, so did our page views and earnings. It was then I realized I should have been more focused on Freelancing Mommie as well as other ideas I have for blogs and sites and less focused on providing content for sites who only give my a small portion of my articles earnings.
Did I let this get me down? Did I give up? Nope! I watched my earnings continue to drop while organizing and creating new sites and improving Freelancing Mommie. I wasn't angry at the Google slam down. I was upset with myself that I allowed myself to give up on my site to place my articles on other people's sites. If nothing else, Felicia from No Job For Mom is my inspiration as a freelance writer and I should have taken her advice long before the elusive Panda came crashing into my passive income.
Today, I have four functioning, income earning blogs and two more in the works, some receive better views than others...some make more revenue than others. Am I saying this isn't hard, time consuming work? Nope, I have had many sleepless nights working on my sites and researching tricks of the trade. But the more high quality articles I write, the more revenue income I earn.
Do I still publish articles at content type sites? Yes, I do. My earnings have continued to rise at several of these sites and I feel the more passive income articles I have online, the higher my earnings will be. Writing is writing...if you have a passion for it, it doesn't matter where you post it. Good quality, well written pieces will earn money.
My Passive Writing Retirement Plan
I recently responded to my fellow writer Joni's comment (Go check out her site on the history of American women...it's great!) mentioning my 'retirement plan' as a freelance writer. I immediately received an email asking for more details. Instead of responding to an individual email, I decided to address my writing retirement plan in a short post, so other writer's who may not have thought about it this way could benefit as well.
Most freelance writers agree that passive income is the way to go. Passive income, also known as revenue or residual earnings, are not made in one lump sum with publishing your articles but comes from different revenue outlets like Google AdSense or Info Links. These revenue based payments increase with the more articles you publish. Its a slow and steady pace to create a decent revenue income but since this type of compensation continues as long as your content is available online, it is well worth the time and effort.
The first year and a half as a freelance writer, I focused solely on upfront, direct pay jobs although I did write for Suite 101 sometimes because it was the first site I was hired to. When I really researched passive income, I knew immediately that was the way I wanted to go. My first revenue payout was $23 in November 2010. In July 2011, my payout was $738. And it increases daily.
Because passive income increases with the amount of articles you publish, I try to focus on this type of articles one day per week. After all, I still rely on direct paying gigs to pay the bills. Working for yourself doesn't offer a 401k. I decided passive income would be my retirement plan. The way you contribute each pay period to your retirement fund through an employer, I contribute weekly to increase my amount of published passive income articles, which increases the likelihood of ad clicks which in turn increases my income. It's my weekly contribution to my retirement fund. Because one day, I will retire from writing and will have a substantial monthly income from various places across the web through passive income sources. This income will come even when I am not actively writing a single word. When I am too old, eat up in arthritis from hours of typing at the computer. When I spend my days relaxing on the porch with my husband, rocking side by side in comfortable rocking chairs and sipping chocolate milkshakes, this income will still come in.
I write revenue based articles on websites as well as my own sites. I am in control how often and how many articles I publish. And I am building my retirement slowly but surely, in a similar manner as one pays weekly/bi-weekly/monthly to their retirement fund! Except my retirement doesn't take a percentage of my income, it only takes an hour or two of my time. And the best bonus is, I don't have to wait until I am 62/65 years old to draw my retirement income...mine already comes monthly. :-)
Most freelance writers agree that passive income is the way to go. Passive income, also known as revenue or residual earnings, are not made in one lump sum with publishing your articles but comes from different revenue outlets like Google AdSense or Info Links. These revenue based payments increase with the more articles you publish. Its a slow and steady pace to create a decent revenue income but since this type of compensation continues as long as your content is available online, it is well worth the time and effort.
The first year and a half as a freelance writer, I focused solely on upfront, direct pay jobs although I did write for Suite 101 sometimes because it was the first site I was hired to. When I really researched passive income, I knew immediately that was the way I wanted to go. My first revenue payout was $23 in November 2010. In July 2011, my payout was $738. And it increases daily.
Because passive income increases with the amount of articles you publish, I try to focus on this type of articles one day per week. After all, I still rely on direct paying gigs to pay the bills. Working for yourself doesn't offer a 401k. I decided passive income would be my retirement plan. The way you contribute each pay period to your retirement fund through an employer, I contribute weekly to increase my amount of published passive income articles, which increases the likelihood of ad clicks which in turn increases my income. It's my weekly contribution to my retirement fund. Because one day, I will retire from writing and will have a substantial monthly income from various places across the web through passive income sources. This income will come even when I am not actively writing a single word. When I am too old, eat up in arthritis from hours of typing at the computer. When I spend my days relaxing on the porch with my husband, rocking side by side in comfortable rocking chairs and sipping chocolate milkshakes, this income will still come in.
I write revenue based articles on websites as well as my own sites. I am in control how often and how many articles I publish. And I am building my retirement slowly but surely, in a similar manner as one pays weekly/bi-weekly/monthly to their retirement fund! Except my retirement doesn't take a percentage of my income, it only takes an hour or two of my time. And the best bonus is, I don't have to wait until I am 62/65 years old to draw my retirement income...mine already comes monthly. :-)
Beating Writer's Block
On Friday, I sat at my computer for literally two hours writing a few words...hitting delete...writing another sentence or two...hitting delete and so on. My goal for the day was two revenue articles, one for Suite 101 and another for Hubpages. Unfortunately, my normal "Ah ha" moment where a great writing idea hits me and I bang out an article with lightening speed never came.
Write What You KNOW!
I think the most valuable piece of advice for those just beginning their freelance writing careers is to WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW! I receive emails and questions all the time regarding this very topic, with some focused on specific sites such as Suite 101 and Demand Media Studios.
I've posted about this topic before and answered many emails with this same piece of advice. There are several reasons I believe this is most important, both for your own sanity and for monetary gain.
The first reason is obvious. It is easiest to write about a subject that you already understand and have knowledge of. When writing for revenue sites such as Suite 101, you can take your basic knowledge and spin it into several easy to create articles. This builds your online writing portfolio while increasing your revenue pay.
The same rings true for DMS. If you select titles that you are already familiar with, the time it takes to create the article and locate references will be reduced and therefore, increase your pay scale. For active income sites like DMS, the amount of articles you complete in a specific amount of time determines your pay scale. For example, if you spend 20 minutes writing a 'how to' article on a subject that you are familiar with, then you can produce 3 articles per hour. On an average, this will result in $45/per hour pay scale. However, if you spend 45 minutes researching and writing a 'how to' article on a subject you know nothing about, your pay scale will be $15/hr. In my opinion, active income sites are pretty much all about the $$$. Your pay scale is an important factor.
If you are writing for pure enjoyment, choose subjects that you WANT to learn more about. The research, time and writing will be fun, if you cover topics that you are interested in. I began my online writing career focusing on crafts, parenting, cooking and beauty. Those were 4 topics that I could write thousands of articles on with little research and without getting bored.
The less you know about a subject, the less you WANT to know about a subject, the longer it will take you to produce an article. It will become a chore...something you feel you have to do, not something you want to do. Many writers never make it past the 'beginning' stage because they lose their love for writing...lost in topics and subjects that bore them stiff. Writing is about free creativity. Write what you love and love what you write!
I've posted about this topic before and answered many emails with this same piece of advice. There are several reasons I believe this is most important, both for your own sanity and for monetary gain.
The first reason is obvious. It is easiest to write about a subject that you already understand and have knowledge of. When writing for revenue sites such as Suite 101, you can take your basic knowledge and spin it into several easy to create articles. This builds your online writing portfolio while increasing your revenue pay.
The same rings true for DMS. If you select titles that you are already familiar with, the time it takes to create the article and locate references will be reduced and therefore, increase your pay scale. For active income sites like DMS, the amount of articles you complete in a specific amount of time determines your pay scale. For example, if you spend 20 minutes writing a 'how to' article on a subject that you are familiar with, then you can produce 3 articles per hour. On an average, this will result in $45/per hour pay scale. However, if you spend 45 minutes researching and writing a 'how to' article on a subject you know nothing about, your pay scale will be $15/hr. In my opinion, active income sites are pretty much all about the $$$. Your pay scale is an important factor.
If you are writing for pure enjoyment, choose subjects that you WANT to learn more about. The research, time and writing will be fun, if you cover topics that you are interested in. I began my online writing career focusing on crafts, parenting, cooking and beauty. Those were 4 topics that I could write thousands of articles on with little research and without getting bored.
The less you know about a subject, the less you WANT to know about a subject, the longer it will take you to produce an article. It will become a chore...something you feel you have to do, not something you want to do. Many writers never make it past the 'beginning' stage because they lose their love for writing...lost in topics and subjects that bore them stiff. Writing is about free creativity. Write what you love and love what you write!
Writing Quality, Not Quantity
Wow, I am amazed at the relief and lightness I feel today. I spent a better part of the morning recreating my income spreadsheets (compliments of Felicia at No Job For Mom.) If you want a detailed spreadsheet that automatically completes total, calculations, completions and statistics for your writing career and income, visit the No Job For Mom link above. Felicia did a terrific job of creating a working spreadsheet and it is a huge value to us freelancing writers!
Then, I created a more workable, less exhausting daily schedule, daily goal, monthly goal and yearly goal spreadsheets. Ahhh, sweet relief! Now, I can retain my sense of accomplishment, maintain an active income, work on my own 3 sites and build my passive income. Although, I cut out many daily work hours I still found a workable way to continue earning a substantial income and building my revenue based income to reach my goal of a total passive income.
Then, I created a more workable, less exhausting daily schedule, daily goal, monthly goal and yearly goal spreadsheets. Ahhh, sweet relief! Now, I can retain my sense of accomplishment, maintain an active income, work on my own 3 sites and build my passive income. Although, I cut out many daily work hours I still found a workable way to continue earning a substantial income and building my revenue based income to reach my goal of a total passive income.
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