How to make money with your blog and what it costs

Blogging for money and reputation

In their short existence, blogs have come a long way. Blogs (a contraction for “web logs”) began simply as an individual’s online journal and have grown into a more mainstream form of web culture and then into journalism; consequently, professional syndicated writers, journalists, entertainers maintain blogs.

Blogs were responsible for capturing and making public former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott’s (R-TN) comments at a party held in honor of Senator Strom Thurmond. Bloggers were likewise responsible for identifying forged documents used in a 60 Minutes piece.

Blogs have also risen to notoriety because of their ability to attract visitors, readers and the web traffic that come with it.

Because of their popularity, blogs have also become revenue streams for vendors, search engines advertisers, and in turn, blogger themselves. In a matter of minutes, an individual can set-up a blog, customize its layout, monetize it and begin blogging.

Establishment media journalists, pundits and talking heads have cautioned the public (particularly their audiences) that bloggers aren’t subject to the same standards and as such, should not be given credibility. They assert bloggers don’t have a professional team in place and are therefore bush-league.

And that brings us to segue – if you’re looking to blog for money, you’re going to have to be cut-above. As a blogger you must decide on the marketplace(s) you intend to be a part of (e.g. parenting, lifestyles, sports, finance, tech, gaming, entertainment, fashion, politics, DIY, law, real estate, religion).

This juncture brings us to how to make money blogging…

The best advice is to write what you know, subject material you can draw on personally or professionally. Visit other blogs and look over print and electronic publications that cover the same thing(s) to better focus and to help you polish your writing.

Next, begin posting your blog, but don’t go off half-cocked: the above point about not having a professional team to publish your work is true, which means it’s not only your style, but your integrity that’s subject to scrutiny.

A blogger doesn’t have copy writers, copy editors, fact checkers, photographers, researchers and the like at their disposal. So the blogger is responsible not only to write the content, but must credit their sources, quotes, and research. It’s also up to the blogger to pick the subject material, proofread and edit their copy, format it, and perhaps code HTML. A blogger’s additional work is to take, crop, and upload photos; plus, it is up to the blogger to promote and drive traffic to their blog.

All of these tasks matter, that is, if you want to make money with your blog. Your blog should be seen as a means to an end, even a loss-leader in that you may not make any money with it but still contribute time and effort/sweat equity.

The goal is to build traffic and credibility in order to generate a steady stream of revenue. Granted the revenue won’t be that much, but all these things are building blocks for bigger and better things.

–Owen E. Richason IV

Contact:

owenedward4@aol.com

The world of a freelance writer

What it really takes to be a freelance writer...

When I’m asked what I do for a living, I often reply, “I’m a business consultant and writer”. No matter the person who inquired, the former is all but ignored and the later followed-up.

Typically, I’m then asked what I write, who I write for, how long I’ve been doing it, and of course, am treated to some anecdote personal or otherwise about being an aspiring writer. After the yarn has been spun comes the sooner-or-later question about getting into writing for a living.

Before I go any further, allow me to pour a cold, bubble-bursting dose of reality – the money isn’t very good; what’s more, it isn’t easy.

What it really takes to be a freelance writer are two things – cockeyed optimism (otherwise known as hard work) and readable writing (otherwise known as skilled writing). In order to write for a living (if you’d like to call it a living) you’ll need to be disciplined and be able to write interesting, cogent pieces…along with this, willingness to network.

The best way about being a freelance writer is to be consistent; consistent in looking for work, consistent in networking, consistent in honing your skills, consistent in research, oh and consistent in writing daily. (Notice the last and first items on the list; it begins with looking for work and ends with writing – get the hint?)

Having this list in mind, where does one find work?

Start with your local and regional print and online publications. They are often trying to grow, keep relevant, or in need of content. You may not get paid, but getting published and building a name on which to trade is important.

There are a plethora of websites in which to find writing gigs, but you’ll have to qualify them yourself. Some are go-betweens, linking publishers with writers, some are directories. For instance, Helium allows writers to create a profile and bid for publication by writing a piece following the publisher’s guidelines. Guru works much the same way, but actually matches writers with gigs (though you have to be established).

The Writer’s Market is a well respected directory, and you need a paid subscription to access the markets, but it’s worth it.

Then there’s Craigslist, you can find writing gigs there, but you have to be discerning because there are a number of scams; while site like Freelance Writing Gigs offer both searchable writing gigs and support/advice for all types of writer and genres.

If you’re looking to make a little extra pocket change, Blogger.com and HubPages.com are a great place to self-publish. They’ll not only provide you with free space, they also provide you a monetization tool with Google AdSense and other affiliate programs. But you’ll have to drive traffic, something you can do by letting friends and family know about your blog and building a following.

Sites like Windows Live Spaces don’t offer the same incentive but they are part of the Microsoft search universe, so the only real benefit is making yourself as ubiquitous as possible.

All in all, you can make money writing but it takes a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears to really begin to see a return on your investment.

-- Owen E. Richason IV

Contact:

owenedward4@aol.com

Getting into writing

So you want to be a writer eh?

If you’ve entertained the idea of being a writer, you probably have a preconception as to what that means: yucking it up on the set of the next hit TV sitcom or sitting in a park banging out pages of romance and mystery or perhaps, writing the next smash Broadway musical. Maybe you’d like to write a biography or the most complete how-to on your favorite hobby.

Whatever the genre, whether fiction or non-fiction, whether the topic be sports, fashion, music, DIY, politics, relationships, comedy, restaurant reviews, travel there is going to one similarity – rejection.

But with rejection comes experience and if you persist, you’ll be light years ahead of those that drop in and out of the game. It also hones your skills, leads you to your voice and allows you the time to get to know the ropes.

Writing for a living isn’t going to be much of a living, especially early on. There are a lot of dues to be paid and lessons to be learned; some are costly (in respect to time and effort) others are necessary so not to repeat.

Having qualified the difficulties; now comes the how:

1) Write what you know

2) Write what you know (yes, it’s a repeat because it’s that important)

3) Learn to write a query letter tailored to your subject material

4) Start with your market and small publications that publish similar material

5) Have something original ready to go with each query

6) If relevant, have photographs to submit

7) Document your queries so not to saturate publishers

8) Once given the chance, FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES and DO NOT MISS DEADLINES

These bullet points are necessary for the fledging writer and some will become less relevant with time. Once you’ve have some notches in your belt, you can reconnect as a known quantity. There’s even a possibility you will become a regular contributor to one or more outlets.

What about the money you may ask? What money? A sarcastic answer, but quite often true. If you’ve read or been told that you might have to forego money in order to get published, you have not been misinformed. It is certainly not always the case, but even paying markets are deluged with queries and the alternative is to seek non-paying markets.

The important thing to keep in mind is there are countless blogs, websites and print publications out there…your material is wanted and is needed, it is up to you to identify them and build a relationship.

–Owen E. Richason IV

Contact:

owenedward4@aol.com

Blogs and profiles:

http://owenerichasonswritingblog.blogspot.com

http://facebook.com/owenerichasonIV

http://balancefordads.blogspot.com

Can you work at home?

Work at home is a phrase as sweet as the siren's song.

We all want to work at home; we all would like to fire our boss and set our own schedule. But how do you generate an income from home?

To make money at home, one must, well, work at home. And with all those work at home scams bouncing around the internet and in your spam box, chances are you don’t believe them because you well know if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Putting aside the work at home scams and the traditional brick and mortar small business owner avenue, what are you left with, what can you offer others, and can I make a living? Great questions to seriously entertain and answer before you actually march into your boss’s office and quit your day job.

Foremost, determine your skills. Maybe you’re an aspiring writer seeking publication of your first novel or a real green thumb. The point is to decide what you can offer others and then act to establish your credibility.

For instance, I have a friend that had an interest in Rolex watches. When eBay was new, he would see fakes being sold as genuine articles, so he would warn the buyer. After a few very grateful thank-yous, it occurred he could write an ebook and sell it to would-be Rolex buyers. Sure enough, his twenty-eight page guide sold well enough that he had to expand it. Eventually, it became a book known as the world famous Rolex Report.

Once you’ve identified your talents, the next thing to do is begin to market yourself and start making in-roads in that field. But you don’t want to be too small a fish in too big a pond, so you’ll need to carve out a niche with an appropriate twist.

If you’re going the writing route, start with your own blog. Blogging won’t necessarily pay for your next vacation, but it will put some extra dollars in your pocket.

Publish your own blog and work on marketing it to your target audience. Once you have followers, monetize your blog with Google Adsense. But in order to make an income, you’ll have to be disciplined, set your own schedule may sound great, but it’s a must to keep you not only earning money, but relevant.

If you’re not the writer type, then set your sights on what your talents and skill sets are and go from there. An acquaintance of mine from years ago used to cook dozens of empanadas at home and bring them to her place of work. Coworkers tired of the same-old would buy them for a nominal price. After a few months, she began catering and eventually, quit her nine-to-five to cater full time.

The examples might be a bit different, but the outcomes were similar. The other similarity they share was patience and work ethic. Combine confidence with persistence a twist of originality and you too can work at home.

-- Owen E. Richason IV

owenedward4@aol.com