How has going to college full time affected my earnings? So far I'm doing okay but I need to step it up a little. Going back to school brings not only less time, but more need for cash and paying work. So here's how I've done this month:
Divorce articles: $52 + $26 pending not counted
Private copywriting jobs: $426.76
Elance: $210-$10 for monthly membership = $200
ChaCha: $13.60
Google Ads: $13.32
Suite 101: $3.65
Other blog and website advertising: $61.97
Total: $798.56
I also have $200 in jobs from elance to complete, minus the approx $18.00 they'll take out, and I plan to find another $50 or so in miscellaneous work. That should leave me not getting ahead, but not getting behind either.
Happy writing!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
AffiliateBot
I keep a website at http://www.sagemommy.com/ as a online writing sample as well as a resource for work-at-home parents. No one is going to pay me to run my website, but I do expect to earn enough to pay the web hosting fees and maybe get minimum wage for the time I put in.
Like most web admins, I do this through affiliate links. There are two ways to find reputable affiliates. The first is to search the internet and hope that the ones you find a reputable companies that will pay you for your services and not spam the people who sign up. The second, and easiest, way is to go through AffiliateBot. I'm all about easy!
Like most web admins, I do this through affiliate links. There are two ways to find reputable affiliates. The first is to search the internet and hope that the ones you find a reputable companies that will pay you for your services and not spam the people who sign up. The second, and easiest, way is to go through AffiliateBot. I'm all about easy!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
ChaChaCha
ChaCha is a website that pays you 10 to 20 cents each to answer easy trivia questions. It's not great money, but it is more than the nothing I usually earn while cleaning my bedroom. I log on and do other things in the room while it runs in the background. When I hear the 'doorbell' sound, I know there's a question waiting for me.
A few thoughts about ChaCha:
A few thoughts about ChaCha:
- The sign up was a bit of a hassle, but entirely worth it. When you sign up, tell them emmiedahl sent you so I get my brownie points.
- You make 10 to 20 cents per answer each trivia question. Because they take about a minute each if you are on the ball, that will translate into six to twelve dollars an hour. It's not a great wage, but did I mention it is usually fun to answer the questions?
- It IS fun. Time flies when you are chachaing.
What to Do When You're Swamped
It seems that it is always feast or famine in the writing world. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was suddenly swamped with writing jobs. I'm not complaining; quite to the contrary, I am thrilled, and I'm slowly working my way through my assignments. I haven't calculated earnings yet--been too busy between kids, homeschooling, and gearing up for college classes--but I really hope I can make up for the first half of this month and get my college expenses paid for.
So here are a few ways I deal with having a lot of work.
1. I thank God. So many people tell me they have tried to write for a living and failed. Work is a blessing.
2. I back off from other activities. We eat quicker, easier meals and back off from housework. The kids do more independent schoolwork and anything requiring intensive parental involvement is scheduled for another day.
3. I sleep less and watch television less. I don't get a lot of either, but they are both easy to cut out for a while.
4. If necessary, extra work may be farmed out to friends. I haven't done this, but I've been on the receiving end of extra work from other writers. Make sure your friend can write well.
Busy periods are usually followed by slow periods because I temporarily stop applying for new work. This gives me time to catch up on laundry, do chemistry experiments, and fill my freezer with ready-to-warm meals for the next time I'm swamped with work.
Happy writing!
So here are a few ways I deal with having a lot of work.
1. I thank God. So many people tell me they have tried to write for a living and failed. Work is a blessing.
2. I back off from other activities. We eat quicker, easier meals and back off from housework. The kids do more independent schoolwork and anything requiring intensive parental involvement is scheduled for another day.
3. I sleep less and watch television less. I don't get a lot of either, but they are both easy to cut out for a while.
4. If necessary, extra work may be farmed out to friends. I haven't done this, but I've been on the receiving end of extra work from other writers. Make sure your friend can write well.
Busy periods are usually followed by slow periods because I temporarily stop applying for new work. This gives me time to catch up on laundry, do chemistry experiments, and fill my freezer with ready-to-warm meals for the next time I'm swamped with work.
Happy writing!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Work, work, work... or not
Today was profoundly unsuccessful. My husband is going on a trip, so I spent much of the day helping him prepare and driving him to the airport (which is only 15 minutes away, so why did it seem to take all day?). I made a whopping $16 I think. It would be funny if I wasn't needing money. Better days tomorrow, hopefully.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Conquering a Lack of Motivation
Do you ever find yourself just not wanting to work?
Few people understand what an issue this can be for work at home people. There's no one who will be mad at me if I slack off a little. No one is hanging over my shoulder demanding that I stop blogging and get back to work immediately. This is one of the main reasons I work at home, but it leaves me with only self discipline as a driving force. And the problem with self discipline is that it comes and goes. Here are my secrets to getting motivated and getting back to work.
1. Switch to a different activity. I usually have several writing gigs at anytime. If I start getting tired of one, I can switch to another, stay productive, and feel re-engaged in my work.
2. Reward yourself. Tell yourself, after I finish this paragraph I am going to take a break. Or get more coffee. Whatever motivated you, use that as a reward the same way a good supervisor would.
3. Take a break to pay bills or balance your checkbook. This can be a wake up call. Suddenly you realize that you urgently need money, and that boring job sounds like a fun way to spend the afternoon.
4. Reduce distractions. This is most important (and next to impossible) for those of us with children at home while we are trying to work.
Happy writing!
Few people understand what an issue this can be for work at home people. There's no one who will be mad at me if I slack off a little. No one is hanging over my shoulder demanding that I stop blogging and get back to work immediately. This is one of the main reasons I work at home, but it leaves me with only self discipline as a driving force. And the problem with self discipline is that it comes and goes. Here are my secrets to getting motivated and getting back to work.
1. Switch to a different activity. I usually have several writing gigs at anytime. If I start getting tired of one, I can switch to another, stay productive, and feel re-engaged in my work.
2. Reward yourself. Tell yourself, after I finish this paragraph I am going to take a break. Or get more coffee. Whatever motivated you, use that as a reward the same way a good supervisor would.
3. Take a break to pay bills or balance your checkbook. This can be a wake up call. Suddenly you realize that you urgently need money, and that boring job sounds like a fun way to spend the afternoon.
4. Reduce distractions. This is most important (and next to impossible) for those of us with children at home while we are trying to work.
Happy writing!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Weekend update
I will be officially halfway through the month in less than three minutes. Here is what I've earned so far.
Divorce articles: $52
Private copywriting jobs: $235.26
Elance: $135-$10 for monthly membership = $125
ChaCha: $12.70
Google Ads: $4.98
Suite 101: $1.14
Other blog and website advertising: $35.30
Total: $466.38
Yikes! I'm over 500 behind. Here's how I plan to catch up this week:
I have two more divorce articles to write (easy money, plus they're fun in a warped way). I have put in five bids on eLance and hopefully I'll get one or two. I have a decent source of low paying copywriting jobs that has been my 'fill in' work, but the pay is so abysmal and the topics so random that I try to avoid it unless necessary.
My husband is going away for the next two weeks, so I won't feel pressured to keep normal hours. Therefore, I am setting my daily goal at a lofty $150 per day.
I also plan to send out queries for 'real' writing jobs--you know, the kind where the printed word actually gets printed.
Happy writing!
Divorce articles: $52
Private copywriting jobs: $235.26
Elance: $135-$10 for monthly membership = $125
ChaCha: $12.70
Google Ads: $4.98
Suite 101: $1.14
Other blog and website advertising: $35.30
Total: $466.38
Yikes! I'm over 500 behind. Here's how I plan to catch up this week:
I have two more divorce articles to write (easy money, plus they're fun in a warped way). I have put in five bids on eLance and hopefully I'll get one or two. I have a decent source of low paying copywriting jobs that has been my 'fill in' work, but the pay is so abysmal and the topics so random that I try to avoid it unless necessary.
My husband is going away for the next two weeks, so I won't feel pressured to keep normal hours. Therefore, I am setting my daily goal at a lofty $150 per day.
I also plan to send out queries for 'real' writing jobs--you know, the kind where the printed word actually gets printed.
Happy writing!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Organization
Organization is one of the keys to keeping a freelance writing career rolling. If you are a good or even decent writer and systematically search for work, it will start coming. Even the low-paying crap work brings in enough money to be worth your time. You must research and finish things on time, and send the assignment in the correct format to the correct person. And, meanwhile, a writer should be always looking for more and better work. Most of us are running lives in the meantime.
Unfortunately, the brain action that makes us creative thinkers makes us less organized. Most writers must work at developing the skills we need to keep our non-writing lives in order. Here, in a too-small-to-be-adequate nutshell, is how I manage certain aspects of my life.
Household: Every Saturday, I make a detailed to-do list of everything that needs done around the house that week.I try to do as much as possible on the weekend, then squeeze in the rest or delegate where I have the chance.
Writing: I add it to my household list. I also start a word document with the article's name and leave it on my computer desktop, where I will see it whenever I start up the project. I usually set a personal deadline that is about halfway through the actual project timeline. This way, even if I am a day or two late, I am actually several days early. I add writing goals such as "Query three online publications" to my list and try to keep up with them.
Children: They come first, so I plan for aproximately half my time to be spent in various interruptions. Therefore, I plan, for example, to get five hours worth of work done (max) in a ten hour workday.
Meals: I plan them when I get the grocery flyers and every morning take out what I need for dinner that night. For breakfast and lunch, I have a repertoire of healthy and easy to prepare meals. Often my children know how to make these as well and can chip in if I am under a time crunch.
School: I am returning to school after five years off, but so far my plan is to attend classes and complete all assignments and papers as they are assigned. I have a large binder with dividers, and I will keep a folder for each class with one side dedicated to assignments and the other to finished work. (cross fingers)
It's much simpler and much more complicated than that, but I am actually writing an ebook on the subject. I'll let you all in on the deal when its finished.
Happy Writing!
Emily
Unfortunately, the brain action that makes us creative thinkers makes us less organized. Most writers must work at developing the skills we need to keep our non-writing lives in order. Here, in a too-small-to-be-adequate nutshell, is how I manage certain aspects of my life.
Household: Every Saturday, I make a detailed to-do list of everything that needs done around the house that week.I try to do as much as possible on the weekend, then squeeze in the rest or delegate where I have the chance.
Writing: I add it to my household list. I also start a word document with the article's name and leave it on my computer desktop, where I will see it whenever I start up the project. I usually set a personal deadline that is about halfway through the actual project timeline. This way, even if I am a day or two late, I am actually several days early. I add writing goals such as "Query three online publications" to my list and try to keep up with them.
Children: They come first, so I plan for aproximately half my time to be spent in various interruptions. Therefore, I plan, for example, to get five hours worth of work done (max) in a ten hour workday.
Meals: I plan them when I get the grocery flyers and every morning take out what I need for dinner that night. For breakfast and lunch, I have a repertoire of healthy and easy to prepare meals. Often my children know how to make these as well and can chip in if I am under a time crunch.
School: I am returning to school after five years off, but so far my plan is to attend classes and complete all assignments and papers as they are assigned. I have a large binder with dividers, and I will keep a folder for each class with one side dedicated to assignments and the other to finished work. (cross fingers)
It's much simpler and much more complicated than that, but I am actually writing an ebook on the subject. I'll let you all in on the deal when its finished.
Happy Writing!
Emily
Friday, September 12, 2008
September Goals
This month, my goal is to make $2000. Spread out over the ten week quarter, this will be enough to cover my college expenses, including tuition, books, and childcare. Here are my stats so far:
Divorce articles: $52
Private copywriting jobs: $191.35 (what an odd number...)
Elance: $90
ChaCha: $12.70
Google Ads: $4.98 (ouch)
Suite 101: $1.14
Other blog and website advertising: $35.30
Total: $387.47
Divorce articles: $52
Private copywriting jobs: $191.35 (what an odd number...)
Elance: $90
ChaCha: $12.70
Google Ads: $4.98 (ouch)
Suite 101: $1.14
Other blog and website advertising: $35.30
Total: $387.47
I am currently doing another elance job for $45, so that would bring me to a whopping, almost half month total of $432.47. In order to meet my ambitious and entirely necessary goal, I have to have a super-duper writing weekend. I'll report in when I get my head above water.
As you can see, my income is varied and, well, low.
Back on the Ball
I'm back in the blogging business, and I swear this will be the last time I bail on my loyal readers. So here, as a make-up gift, is a lead to a paying writing gig. I couldn't post it before because the person who gave me the lead was still doing it, but now we're both tired of it.
Hotels By City needs hotel review writers. They pay $5 per review and, no, you don't have to have stayed in the hotel. They are very clear about what they want and it's a 'fill in the blank' kinda deal. When I was going a lot of them, I reached a point where I could do five per hour. That would be around $50,000 per year if you did it full time.
Hotels By City needs hotel review writers. They pay $5 per review and, no, you don't have to have stayed in the hotel. They are very clear about what they want and it's a 'fill in the blank' kinda deal. When I was going a lot of them, I reached a point where I could do five per hour. That would be around $50,000 per year if you did it full time.
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