The Grapevine: For Writers

Yes, I've been pretty busy writing articles for different online venues. I did some work for Demand Studios, which by the way is paying quite steadily. I've also written several articles for other online writing sites, and I am very interested to see if I'll be able to make a decent amount of money. It's nice to see that Google AdSense amount increasing daily!

Here are some of my most recent articles:
Common Causes and Treatment of Acne
Finding a Great Contractor
Safety for Kids on Halloween While They Trick or Treat
Last Minute Tax Tips
Make Extra Money with Xomba
Get Paid to Write & Answering Questions for Cash
Fruit Cobbler Makes a Delicious Dessert - Easy Recipe
Easy Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Use Xomba to Promote Online Articles

The age-old advice is true: write what you know. When you speak about familiar topics, an air of expertise shines through. So examine your life, and focus on your interests. Your topics will find you.

It goes without saying (and yet I'll say it anyway), that you need to pick your genre first. Now my genre focuses on non-fiction articles. In particular, I am fond of the how-to article. I find that I enjoy hands-on experiences, and thus I'm able to guide my reader more easily.

(Now don't panic if you write in several genres, just apply this advice to each genre separately.) There's no long-term commitment involved.

You, of course, have a bevy of genres from which to choose. First, do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? What particular sub-category? What are your interests? Do you prefer first person or third person? Do you prefer writing articles, short stories, books, or something else? Do you prefer working for online editors, traditional publishers, or businesses? The choices are endless.

Once you've decided upon a genre, brainstorm about your ideas. Sometimes, they will come in fits and starts; sometimes they will flow freely; and sometimes they just won't flow at all. But THAT'S OKAY!!! Work through the pain, and keep going. Write every single day, even if you don't have much to say.

Here's a different approach: Every single time a new idea springs to mind, start a new Word file. Use keywords in the filename, so you can find it later. If you have five ideas in five minutes, then save five different Word files. Is it annoying? It can be. But when a new idea emerges, you can pop it into a new or existing file. Keep it up and you'll have an incredible brainstorming list for each topic. You never know when you'll want to open the file, rework it, and turn it into something remarkable.

I have a kazillion Word files on my computer (filed under "articles"). Some are merely flimsy ideas---they are only one sentence long. Others are full of pages and pages of material. Many articles are duplicated from a different point of view (POV). I may have the same article written in first person, and then rewritten in third person. Since every editor has a different style preference, I figure I'll cover all bases: I'm as flexible as possible when I'm "in the zone."

My topics also reflect my life's current events. When I was planning my wedding, I wrote numerous articles on wedding invitations, reception planning, and wedding decor. As my first child was born, I focused on pregnancy, childhood, and potty training. As my life reached the next stage, my writing evolved with me. Luckily, this works well for me: New ideas constantly emerge.

So now you're ready to go, but you don't know where to start? Just look around! Consider each aspect of your life. Did you hear a funny joke? Did you spend the afternoon stuck in traffic? Did your boss give you grief at work? Did your grocery bill shock you? Did your children argue about a trivial event? Turn each event into an article, and breathe life into your work. Your emotions will shine through.

There's been a lot of chatter about Constant Content and Associated Content. Are they legitimate companies? Are they worth the effort? Will I get paid?

Eager to learn more, I jumped into the arena and joined each one. What the heck, I figured. I have all these articles just sitting around my computer. Who knows if they're worth anything or not. But I haven't used them in a few years anyway.

So first I jumped onto Constant Content, and uploaded a few articles. I had forgotten that I had submitted a movie review a few years ago. I mean, how long ago did Star Trek: Nemeesis come out in the theatre?

I was shocked to see that I had actually sold this article, and had a $5 commission sitting in my account. But wait, you say, big deal, it's only $5. Maybe so, but it was just sitting on my computer, not going anywhere. It's not like people are fighting for that particular review. It's old news.

Anywho, so I reworked several of my articles and submitted them. As it turns out, Constant Content is a little picky about formatting and things like that, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad. So far, I have six test articles accepted by their editors. Let's see whether it works or not.

Eager to try for more, I buzzed over to Associated Content. I signed up quickly and submitted several articles for their review. Their replies were extremely quick, although I'm not sure whether I'm pleased with the results yet.

Here's the info on my submitted articles:

Article 1: They liked the article, but had too many similar ones. They asked me to submit for no pay, which I did.

Article 2: They said it was interesting and well written, but it wouldn't appear in search engines. They asked to submit for no pay, which I did.

Article 3: This article was immediately accepted for an immediate payment of $3.69. I thought that it was $3.69 per download, but I think that it's just a flat fee. But there is some kind of bonus.

My other articles: They said they have similar content and asked me to submit for no payment. I don't want to start a trend here, so I'm leaving them alone for now (and not submitting them).

In my case, the jury's still out on these two sites. I've heard a lot of people say that there's money to be made, but I'm still a little leary. I've made a lot more money off small freelance articles; even my fillers bring in more cash. But on the other hand, it's like a bank account that's slowly earning interest. Someone else is doing the reselling, and I can focus on more important activities.

I'll let you know how it works for me!

Creating this blog has renewed my energy, and I can feel the ideas flowing freely. At first, I simply typed the first entry into this blog. Then I decided to move onto my site and add as much information as I could provide.

The new site is coming along nicely. I has quite a bit of information, and I'm constantly adding new articles. While I hope to add some of my own soon, I've included articles written by others to spice it up a little bit. As things quiet down, I'll put the pen to paper, so to speak.

In the meantime, I'll see you at the website. Feel free to submit your articles, too.

Mdonnadesigns
http://www.mdonnadesigns.com/TipsAndTricks/default.asp