Write it!

Today I received my first payment from Today.com and wanted to spread the word to others who are blogging here. Once I reached the payment threshold, payment was prompt. Thank you Today.com!

So, blogging for Today.com is a viable undertaking. For those of you who are just getting started with blogging, Today.com offers the opportunity for you to brush up on your blogging skills, navigate your way around WordPress and earn for your efforts.

I know for myself, I had heard about WordPress and wanted to become familiar with this blogging platform. Having a Today.com blog has allowed me to experiment with this particular blogging medium.

So, Today.com bloggers, keep plugging away because this is the real deal and you do get paid.

Now that the signed contract for my picture book is in the mail and on its way to the publisher, I must work on the second story in the series. I have the verses written, it’s just a matter of deciding on placement. I’m letting it sit because this usually aids in the writing process. When you come at something with fresh eyes, inspiration usually follows.

I have other exciting news! The publisher likes the third story. We are discussing some tweaks but matters look promising. This one I wrote in two days!! Unbelievable, considering that I worked on the first story in my head for over a year, playing with the stanzas and word choices.

Writing is always so exciting. Each day brings something different–and for those who do not like being confined by routine, the writing life is ideal. I am truly living my bliss!

Anyway, I will keep readers posted.

Credo: live your bliss, love unconditionally, be your own best friend and advocate.

Have you ever wondered what questions Internet searchers type into their browsers? For keyword optimization, it’s helpful to get a handle on hot keyword terms and to incorporate these into your articles.

Now you can do so using the Keywords Labs Keyword Questions Research Tool . Simply type a word into the box to see what searchers are looking for. The keyword tool helps to target questions that searchers type into their browsers.

You can see at a glace 100 results and create articles that answer questions searchers are asking.

Today’s tip: the Google Adwords Keyword Tool

A crucial part of online writing involves the use of keywords. Using the Google Adwords Keyword Tool is an important step in creating content that is assigned relevance by search engines.

I save the Google Adwords Keyword Tool as a shortcut to my desktop.  This way, when I need to generate keywords for an article or choose popular keywords, I have the handy tool readily available with one click.

Starting today, I’m offering a “tip of the day”series at this blog. I’ll be offering short usable tips for readers, to help them to build their brand, increase exposure, and earn online income.

Today’s Tip: OnlyWire

If you bookmark your articles across multiple sites, you can save time using OnlyWire . Once you’ve registered with Onlywire, you submit your article URL and it is automatically entered at top bookmarking sites.

• Using OnlyWire can be a real time-saver for busy writers.

My recent contest over at Triond was a success.

The author contest was held to determine the Triond author with the highest page views for a given article.

Many authors submitted their article URL’s and I was very impressed with the stats.

A number of Triond authors create good quality content and then do the necessary legwork to market it so that they receive stellar page views, which ultimately leads to  decent earnings, at present and down the road.

One author has really grasped the concept of how to write articles that appeal to the masses–but above that, he writes what he calls compiling articles–articles with many links so that readers can bookmark one article and use it to access multiple sites/sources for information.

This author, Nelson Doyle, won King of Content with his winning article, which  pulled in over 100,000 page views. I found  interviewing Nelson interesting and informative.

• I may hold future contests and welcome suggestions for the type of contests authors would like to see.

We are living in hard economic times. It really helps to have a resume prepared ahead of time so that if you need to apply for a job, you have a resume at the ready.

If you face a sudden job loss, you’ll have enough to worry about. Preparing a resume ahead of time can ease some of the pressure.

I’ve included a listing of helpful resume resources over at Write and Earn a Living, which gives the job seeker important information to help in preparing a resume.

As well, I’ve created an article entitled: How to Write a Resume Using Free Online Tools for those who don’t necessarily have the resources to pay to have a resume created for them. I checked out current resume prices and saw figures that ran from $99.00-$200.00, which may not be feasible for someone who is unemployed.

Resumes have changed in recent years and many market competitive resumes now include keywords. Computers now scan resumes and those that include relevant keywords have a better chance of making the grade.

It is my hope that this information will be of help to those facing challenging times.

If you want to get on the bandwagon with Twitter, I’ve written a series of articles that will help to walk you through Twitter.

• Why You Should be Using Twitter –Twitter is a great tool used to network and gain followers for your blogs or articles or simply to make friends and fritter away time instead of working or doing necessary tasks.

• Where You Can Get the Twitter Bird – The Twitter bird is appearing all over the place–and the cute looking bird is a great way to gain followers! You may have seen the Twitter bird on different sites. Where do you get your own Twitter bird?

• Adding Twitter to Your Website –Add Twitter to your site so that readers can keep abreast of your Twitter updates or your articles and follow you.

• How to Add Your Website or Blog to Twitter –How many people are following you on Twitter? If you haven’t included your site or blog, you may be leaving viewers behind and revenue on the table.

Twitter is easy to use and is a valuable tool to get the word out about your site or blog offerings, increasing exposure for your online content.

If you haven’t started to use Twitter, these Twitter articles will walk you through the whole process.

* Did you find this information helpful? Please Stumble it and get the word out. And leave a comment! *

Hello Everyone,

In today’s post, I’m going to take a hiatus from the blogging lessons. I have a couple of things I want to discuss with you, my readers!

Thank You!

First on the list: I want to thank everyone who has swung by this blog and taken the time to comment. You are helping to shape this blog and it is very much appreciated.

E-mail Subscription to This Blog!

Second: I feedburned this blog so now it’s easier than ever to receive updates. Simply locate the box, enter your e-mail and, viola! No more having to snoop through feed readers or bookmarks to get the latest updates.

New Look

Third: You may be wondering about the picture above and where it was taken. (Just a side-note: I loved my other blog design with the woods, path, and bridge but opted for a new layout because I wanted to play with two columns.)

I took this picture down at Two Islands. This is a special place in the Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. If you are familiar with Parrsboro, you will have a better idea of the local.

Two Islands is a special spot because the nearby Wasson’s Bluff is the site where the world’s smallest dinosaur footprints were discovered by Parrsboro resident Eldon George.

This place is breathtaking at any time but a friend and I were treated to an almost magical sight. We visited Two Islands late in the evening (our day ran out on us!). We weren’t sure if we wanted to navigate down the steep path to the beach below in the darkness but, in the end, decided to go for it. What we saw was truly awe inspiring!

The tide was out (incidentally, this is an area of the world’s highest tides) so the tidal flats stretched for miles. A full moon illuminated the heavens–and there stood the two islands, silent, mysterious, beautiful in their timelessness, silhouetted in the moonlight. Further off, we could see a band of water caught in a tidal pool–a moon-path over the flats.

I snapped the pic. above on another visit and hope you enjoy it as this blog’s header.

Please let me know what you think.

It’s beginning to feel alot like Christmas . . .

As the days count down to Christmas, I find it interesting to watch what’s happening in cyberspace. For writers, the Christmas season offers benefits and possible drawbacks.

I notice that this month, my earnings are way up via some of the online opps. I submit articles to. As well, my affiliate commissions have jumped over at HubPages. Interestingly, my AdSense earnings are down from last month. I guess people are too busy out and about shopping to be clicking on ads.

I find actually that December is always a different month from an earnings standpoint–depending on what you are writing about and where you are submitting to, it can be either one of the most lucrative months or a time when things slow down to a standstill.

I don’t know about you but my writing has gone on hiatus. I find it hard to concentrate when my thoughts are filled with Christmas.

This is a time to be good to others but don’t forget to be good to yourself. Take some time off and enjoy the holidays!

If you’ve heard the word “vlogging,” you may be wondering what it is exactly. This is a combo of the words “video” and “blogging,” which form the word vlogging.

Vlogging is an innovative method of blogging where bloggers make their own videos and upload these to their blogs, so that blog visitors are treated to a movie, over simply looking at lines of text.

Why Video Blogging Offers Distinct Advantages

•  Interactivity with readers
• A personal touch
• For the blogger who isn’t a fan of typing, vlogging may be the perfect “hands-off” medium
• Vlogging engages readers with visuals and sound

Today.com blogggers also have the option of vlogging. They can upload their video blogs to post on Today.com via the Today.com video upload page.

Vlogging is a neat tool in the ever-changing arena of blogging. Truly, video blogging’s time has arrived.

I mentioned in my last post that I would discuss my experiences earning AdSense income.

When I first got started with online writing, transitioning from hard copy over to the Internet, I stumbled across AdSense and realized that I wanted to make my writing efforts do double and triple duty by writing for sites that compensated me for my efforts via AdSense income.

Why Was I so Excited About Earning AdSense Income?                                                                                                                                       Earning AdSense income was immediately appealing to me because I saw the potential in a system that allowed me to earn month after month from my efforts. In essence, I would do the work once but get paid over and over.

Did my AdSense Income Expectations Materialize?                                                                                                                                                                 Yes! What started out as a couple of pennies, occasionally, soon became a couple of dollars each month, which grew, morphing into daily AdSense income.

Now, there is never a month that goes by where I’m not earning AdSense income. In fact, I now consider my AdSense income to be another income stream.

Is online writing worth it? Definitely. Is writing for online sites worth it? Yes! AdSense income just keeps growing over time.

“Build it and they will come.” 

$                         $$                                     $$$     

                                             $$$$$           

             $$$$$$$$

                       $$$$$$$ 

If you’ve gotten started creating online content and are wondering when you’ll see actual money coming in, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• First, it takes time to build an income writing online.
• Second, if you’ve created pages that include AdSense, your earnings will grow over time.
• Third, if you are writing for revenue share sites, initial earnings may be small but will continue to come in month after month.

Where the Heck is the Money?

The money will come but you’ll need to produce as much content as possible. This may sound obvious but newer writers often start out with a bang, then become discouraged when they see a trickle of pennies coming back at them.

Writing is a business and those who work hard at it will net results.

Just keep writing and submitting–daily, if possible. Over time, your efforts will pay off and the money will come.

• Check back soon. I’ll be discussing what’s happening with my AdSense.

If you enjoy this blog, please share it with others.

Readers of this blog will have noticed the small blue Twitter button over on the right, which shows the number of my followers.

The Twitter button allows those who click on it to follow you, so it works in the background, wherever you install it.

Twitter is a fast and easy little tool that you can use to increase your article exposure and your earnings.

Today’s post is designed to help you to get the most out of Twitter. Please see the Twitter links below so that you can use Twitter to gain a wider readership for your sites, blogs, and articles.

• How to Use Twitter
• Adding Twitter to your Website
• How to Add your Website or Blog to Twitter
• Using Twitter to Gain a Following for Your Triond Articles
• Twitter Gadgets

Hands down, Twitter is probably one of the easiest tools to network and increase your online presence, which ultimately leads to greater earnings.

Once you’ve learned about Twitter, install the Twitter button and watch the numbers grow!

If you are getting into blogging, there are a couple of free blogging platforms you can choose from.

Today I want to discuss Blogger. Blogger is a good blogging platform because you can monetize the blog you create.

If you are looking to set up a free blog and want to make money from same, Blogger allows you to do both.

One of the first actions I would suggest is that you create an AdSense account with Google and set up AdSense for Content on your Blogger blog.

Once AdSense is up and running, your Blogger blog has the potential to make money for you for years to come.

Blogger allows bloggers to get in the blogging loop quickly and at zero cost.

Photo credit: imelenchon

Wordtracker offers a free keyword suggestion tool. Are you using it to plan which keywords to incorporate into your articles?

The other day I discussed planning and using keywords as you write your articles. There are a number of free keyword tools that you can use to help you to plan articles that searchers will find.

This can really make a difference to views and earnings. For example I wrote two articles over at Triond.

* One I entitled: Treatments for Depression. It has received 96 views and has earned under $.30. Not impressive at all. So, I did some tweaking.
* I wrote another article entitled Natural Treatments for Depression. Now, it was like I had used a magic bullet! This article has garnered 5,830 views and has earned over $14.00 so far.

Can you see the difference? The keyword phrase “natural treatments for depression” made all the difference.

The good news is that you don’t have to purchase a keyword suggestion tool. Wordtracker offers their free keyword suggestion tool. You can generate effective keywords with the Wordtracker keyword tool.

Once you have an idea for an article, jot down the phrases you think searchers would type into their browsers, then use these phrases to conduct a keyword search. You’ll be surprised at the additional terms that come up and that you can use in your article.

Keywords help search engines to nail down what your content is about and to index it accordingly. Use free keyword tools such as the Google Adwords keyword tool or Wordtracker.

In a future article, we’ll discuss why you should be specific when creating your titles, subheadings, and when using keywords throughout your article.

Stumble It!

Hello Everyone,

In today’s post we will be discussing writing for content sites. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll have a good working knowledge of some different content sites you can join as a writer to increase your earnings.

If you haven’t done so already, go to the tab up top entitled “work from home” and check out the different online content site opportunities. Click on the links to go to the actual content sites.

Tips for Writing for Content Sites

1) Nail down your subject matter: babies
2) Determine the slant: premature babies
3) Online writing is different from hard copy. Use short paragraphs, subheadings, lists and bullets. Conclude with a closing paragraph that sums up your article’s thrust
4) Include pictures, where applicable, to make your content visually appealing

Think “volume” when writing for content sites. The more articles you produce, the more you will make.

Goals for Content Site Writing
Commit to a certain number of articles each day. For newer writers, this may only be one or two, for seasoned writers, this could be five to ten.

You’ll also want to use keywords when writing for content sites. I’ll discuss this in a future post.

That’s it for today!

Hello Everyone,

The morning is bright and sunny in this part of Canada. I hope you are enjoying similar weather and that you’ve been enjoying reading this blog and have been motivated to start on your freelance writing journey.

Writing Resources
Today I’m going to discuss writing resources and where to find same. Whatever your preference, whether for information on writing jobs or writing markets, links to content sites, insights about hard copy or online writing, where to locate book publishers, etc, one site I would recommend is Web Lens.

Web Lens Hint:
* Bookmark Web Lens
* Save Web Lens as a shortcut on your desktop so that with one click you can access it

Web Lens is a launching pad to all things writing, giving you the goods on a mind boggling array of writing resources.

Web Lens Writing Resources
* Writing Jobs
* Writing Markets
* Writer’s Organizations
* Writing How-to’s
* Book Publishers
* Literary Agents
* Publishing Industry

Let’s take a look at Web Lens’ first heading. When you visit the site, after the intro, you’ll notice “Online Writing Opportunities (& Pitfalls).” You’ll see “Freelance Writing Projects” and then a listing. Click on the second link “Articles Wanted.”

What Do You See?
You are taken to Elance and a host of article writing jobs.

Knowing where to find applicable writing resources is key to finding wriing jobs and writing-related information.

* If you found this article helpful, please spread the word by Stumbling it.