$132,994.97 in Google Earnings!

It's Friday and I'm still in my writing funk. BUT, like a junkie with a drug habit, I felt the need to post today -- something I usually don't do on Friday's.

So, I'm bringing you this little missive.

What about the Google earnings you mention in the title? I'm gettin' there.

Alas, the check didn't belong to me -- it belonged to Jeremy Schoemaker, the brain behind ShoeMoney.com. Of it, he writes, "This was the bigest paper check I have ever recieved. It was way back in August of 2005 and since I have moved to wire transfers so dont look for anything bigger from me."

I ran across Jeremy's site in Paula Mooney's blog -- specifically, her post on blogger salaries, which, if you read yesterday's post, will see that I referenced. Paula -- geniously I think, compiled a list of blogger salaries.

While some moan that it's incomplete, it's a good snapshot on who's making what in the blogosphere.

For grins, giggles and "I want that" envy, click here for more Google checks featured on ShoeMoney.com. Now, does that inspire you to get going on a site!

Enjoy and be inspired.

Until Monday,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Have you checked out Inkwell Editorial's work-from-home ebooks yet? The are some great deals on this first-hand advice on how to succeed as a freelancer, and it makes great weekend reading (hint, hint: buy today).

Monday's Post: Are you making 50K or more? Do you worry about being down-sized? Have you been down-sized? Career advice for mid-level managers.

Blogs That Make You Think . . .And/Or Do Other Stuff

On April 26th, Lillie Amman awarded this blog the Thinking Blogger's Award. As described on her blog:

Iker Yoldas at The Thinking Blog* created the award and describes the award and the rules in Thinking Blogger Awards. The award recognizes blogs that make people think, and those who receive the award then pass the award on to five blogs that make them think.

*NOTE: This blog is no longer online, but the award lives on. Tres cool! {NOTE: Cartoon courtesy of www.weblogcartoons.com.}

Needless to say, I was flattered beyond belief. So, for my five picks:

1. Problogger.net: If you want to know about blogs, this is THE blog to go to. Darren (the blogmaster) is a six-figure blogger and the depth of information to be found on this site is astounding -- especially about monetizing a blog.

Other things I like about this blog -- it's professionally written; the topics are timely and relevant; and the best thing about this blog -- the information is in-depth and helpful.

Darren doesn't gloss over topics like a lot of blogs do. He really goes into detail so you always come away feeling like you got a new, better and/or different take on an issue.

2. The Golden Pencil: This blog reminds me of my own in the sense that it relays helpful information to freelance writers via articles. It also lists jobs for freelance writers and has links to other blogs on freelance writing.

3. Paula Mooney's Blog: I first encountered Paula's writing on AssociatedContent.com. A black woman who knows tech stuff -- I was jealous and incredulous all at once.

Paula writes across a broad spectrum and her pieces have great headlines that just suck you in. Eg, a recent entry is Paula's List of Blogger Salaries...Are you on the list? Who wouldn't click on that?! NYU School of Journalism, you should tag her blog to teach how to write effective headlines.

FYI Paula, I'm going to tap you to help me cowrite a book on tech stuff -- as soon as I can finish formulating the idea in my head -- this should be before the year 2020.

4. Hot Diggity: This is Jenna Glatzer's blog. She's a successful freelance writer who's collaborated on a book about Celine Dion, has authored children's books and was the founder and editor-in-chief of AbsoluteWrite.com, one of the best freelance writing sites on the web.

Even though I first ran across Jenna's writing while doing some research on freelance writing for an article a few years ago, I read her blog not because she is a fellow freelance writer, but because her sense of humor cracks me up.

On her blog, she writes about almost everything but writing -- which is the blog's purpose -- to get away from writing about and promoting writing.A sample of Jenna's humor can be found in the following missive from her 2/7/07 post:

I love my electronic toothbrush, but it seems I can't handle it. I manage to get toothpaste on myself about every other day. And toothpaste has this supernatural quality-- you can rinse it off, really rubbing the fabric so it looks like it's all gone, and when it dries, poof! The toothpaste is still there. Taunting you. Like those birthday candles you can never blow out.

5. Jason Kottke's blog: I rarely check in to Jason's blog anymore, but for a while it held me spellbound because he made a big splash in 2005 when he quit his job as a web designer to blog full time. Stories were all over the net and in newspapers about it.

Jason's been blogging almost daily since 1998 -- which is a major feat, when you consider that most bloggers give up after a few months. During the year that he blogged full-time (he gave it up as a full-time gig in 2006), he raised $39,900 from 1,450 donors. Read an update in this piece.

Jason blogs about any and everything and his blog is neat and well organized -- always a big hit with me. I check it out from time to time out of loyalty and admiration.

So, there you have it -- my picks.

I don't spend too much time reading blogs because as a full-time freelance writer, time is money and I'm usually trying to beat a deadline.

To Darren, Anne, Paula, Jenna and Jason -- continued success with your blogs.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Re the freelance writing e-books that I've been promising will be back online forever and a day now. Finally, finally got them proofed and ready to upload. BUT, what happens. Software problems -- arrgghhhh! Got the kinks worked out last night and -- fingers crossed -- just have to put in the PayPal codes for payment and back up they will be by tonight (I pray!).

P.P.S.: Look for the great discounts!

Tomorrow's Topic: What to Do When You're Tired of Writing (Advice for Freelance Writers)
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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Why is There so Much Bad Writing on the Web?

. . . And What Can Be Done About It
I owe readers of my work a big apology. Why? Because I've contributed to bad writing on the web. Now I know, to a certain degree, why this is - and what can be done about it.

If you regularly submit content to the web - whether it's for your blog, an e-zine, a newsletter, website copy, etc. - read and heed!

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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WORK-FROM-HOME E-BOOKS: Freelance from home! Inkwell Editorial's work-from-home, how-to freelance writing e-books have all been updated -- finally! They'll be uploaded later today. Thanks for your patience. Stay tuned!
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Why Is There So Much Bad Writing on the Web: Reason #1

Volume: In the last year and a half, 25-30% of my workload has become web copy. I also have a blog, a website and a newsletter - all of which require regular updates.

In short, I turn out a huge volume of text on a regular basis; it's not unusual for me to write between 3,000 and 6,000 words a day. In terms of articles, that's the equivalent of 10, 600-word articles a day.

This can take 10, 12 or 13 hours. In between, there's research, fact checking, interviews, formatting, etc., to be done.

So, what gets pushed back? What we in the publishing industry used to call QC (quality checking). This is the editing, proofreading and rewriting.

Because the web is in "real time," freelance writers are almost forced to respond in real time. There's a constant need to update content, respond to content, produce new content, etc. Again, what gets pushed to the side - copyediting, editing and proofreading.

While this is certainly no excuse, the amount of time spent on copy has a direct bearing on a freelance writer's income, which brings me to my next point - balancing time to make money.

Why Is There So Much Bad Writing on the Web: Reason #2

Money: As any freelance writer will tell you, time literally is money. Because our income is directly related to how much copy we can produce, edit, rewrite, etc., we have to maximize it to the fullest.

The writing has to get done. The interviews have to be conducted. The web pages have to be updated. What can usually slide? The copyediting, editing and proofreading.

Why IsThere So Much Bad Writing on the Web: Reason #3

Laziness: Yep, I'm going to put this right out there - plain old laziness. Many times, as freelance writers, we're just ready to get a piece off our desk. We get tired of looking at it, tired of the concept and tired of trying to make it "just right."

So, we publish it without doing a final proof, a final edit, a final rewrite.

And, while there is certainly a time when you should "let a piece go," it should never be before the quality check is complete.

Solution to Bad Writing on the Web

There's only one way to stop this - and that is to get back to good old-fashioned copyediting and proofreading.

And, while spell check is a great tool - it can't read your mind. That's why "write" for "right" will get through.

So, to readers of my work - who I value and respect immensely - my promise to you is that my work will get better. While I can't promise to never write another piece without errors, I do promise that the quality of what I put out will go up - markedly - from here on out.

Now, I'm off to proofread this before I hit "Publish."

Coming Monday: Monday will be wrap-up day. What do I mean? On 4/02, I posted about an Editor-in-Chief's job offer I received. I've made a decision on that.

AND, for my post on 4/26, Lillie Amman awarded me The Thinking Blogger's Award (yeah!). So, I have to tag five other bloggers whom I think deserve this award.

Have a good weekend,

Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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How Blogging Led to an Editor-in-Chief’s Job Offer

I’ve been blogging since 2005. I do it consistently, eg, 3-5 times a week, and dispense helpful information (at least I do my best too).

As I wrote in last Thursday's post, blogging recently led to a career-changing opportunity. A client I’d done some consulting for offered me a position as Editor-in-Chief of an industry start-up magazine.

Good for You; What’s that Got to Do With Me?

I write of this offer, not to brag, but to impart how blogging can lead to opportunities you never knew existed. BUT, for this to happen, there are some “rules” you should adhere to.

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NOTE: Rules is in quotation marks because these are just from my personal experience and the feedback I’ve received from readers and clients alike. As far as I know, there is no industry standard (although, as I type this, I’m thinking maybe I could start one).

“Rules” for Blogging that Advance Your Career

1. Longevity: What do I mean? Consider the following:Almost every society teaches that to advance, education is the key. As a recruiter, I can tell you first hand that there are many jobs that can be done without a college degree. A degree is your access card. Without it, you can’t even enter the game.

BUT, many employers will not even consider candidates without a degree. The point? A degree says that you are disciplined enough to finish a course of study over and beyond a high school education.

Spending two or four years of your time and money to acquire more knowledge proves to potential employers that you have initiative, drive and dedication – and have hopefully picked up some key knowledge along the way.

What does this have to do with blogging? My point is longevity. In my opinion, you should blog – consistently – for a year before you even think about trying to use your blog to promote yourself.

There are many blogs that have been abandoned long before the year mark. Just think how this would reflect on you if you decided to quit.

Much like getting a four-year degree, blogging consistently for at least a year tells potential employers a lot about your drive, initiative and dedication.

2. Voice: I recently picked up a new client who read my blog. He didn’t ask for samples or anything – just gave me a job. Why? He said he liked the tone of my blog – the fact that my personality got through.

This is such a subjective concept, but what I took from that is to be yourself in your blog – but adhere to rules of decency (ie, no profanity or blasphemous rants (eg, sexist, racist, etc. comments)).

What you put into the blogosphere is there forever – even if you discontinue your blog. Don’t censor yourself, but do think if this will come back to bite you in the butt 3, 5 or 10 years from now.

3. Write Coherently: I recently received an email from a potential client about writing some articles for his organization. When I asked him why he chose me above all the other freelancers who were available on the site where he found me, he wrote back:

"I contacted you because of the quality of your articles, which I think are very good."

Again, this is not to brag, but all I do is adhere to basic rules of grammar and form cohesive thought patterns. Much like writing a term paper in college, blog posts should make sense. Ideas should flow logically from one point to the next.

Some blogs appear to be written by people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). They flit from topic to topic with no thought for the reader.

Now this is fine if it’s personal and you just want to “rant space.” If this is the case, say so. However, if you are blogging to advance your career, think about potential employers/clients who may discover your posts. Will they reflect negatively or positively on your writing ability?

4. Advertise Yourself: While my job offer came out of the blue, advertise the fact that you are for hire in your blog. Do it with every blog post. This is something I need to start doing.
How to Advertise Yourself on Your Blog

Sample Blog Advert Jane Smith is a copywriter whose niche is business and finance. She produces brochures, web copy, e-books, sales letters and more. Clients include accountants, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, etc. For a full list of clients, see www.JaneSmith.com/clientlist.htm.

Ms. Smith can be contacted directly at 212-555-3456; info@JaneSmith.com; website: www.JaneSmith.com.

Blogging is not a fly-by-night trend; it’s here to stay. So, add it as a marketing weapon in your career-advancing arsenal.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging (Part II of III)

Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s post entitled, Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging. Without further ado:

6. Use Photos: This is something I very recently started doing. It makes sense as, as human beings, we are visual beings.

A photo works much like a great headline/article title – it draws readers in.

Tip for selecting photos: Of course, make it pertinent to the story. Also, make it funny if you can. Making people laugh is almost never a bad idea. (Image courtesty of ChrisAbraham.com)
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7. Don’t Be Afraid of Running Out of Things to Say: I wish I had a dollar over the last two years for everytime someone has written to me, “If I update my blog more often, I’m afraid I’ll run out of things to say.”

This is particularly true if they blog within a niche.

All I can say is, don’t be afraid of this. LIFE will provide you with topics to write about. Once you start to write regularly, strangely enough, you will have MORE to say, not less.

A prime example -- this list. When I first sat down to write about what I’d learned over the last two years of blogging, I had five initial points that I wanted to make. BUT, once I started writing, the ideas kept flowing.

And, as I’ve said elsewhere, when you write on a regular basis, you will pick up topic ideas from everywhere – eg, watching the news, talking to friends, reading other blogs, reader queries, etc.

You’ll just have to trust me on this point – you will not run out of things to say.

8. Longer Posts Fare Better: In my post, Article Marketing: Long or Short Articles -- Which Is Better?, I explain this in detail, so I won’t rehash it all here.

The gist of it is, shorter articles don’t explore a topic in enough detail to be beneficial. And, as you’ll remember from Part I of this article (Point 6), I advise all bloggers to respect their readers enough to give them useful information not found anyplace else.

Post Continued Below
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ARTICLE MARKETING E-BOOK: I conducted a month-long experiment on article marketing and published an e-book on the findings. Is article marketing profitable; how it works; which sites work best; how often to submit; what to submit; how much money will you make, results to expect; etc. All of these questions – and more – are answered! Learn more.

If article marketing is part of your promotions arsenal, this is a must-read! Click here for ordering info.
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9. Don’t Stress about Feedback: I’ve been blogging for two years now, and only get a few comments on my posts. Does it mean that my blog is not popular, or that nobody’s reading it?

Not from the amount of email I get. If your blog is but a slice of your marketing efforts, then whether or not you receive massive amounts of feedback shouldn’t bother you. That’s why I advise bloggers to figure out why they blog (Point #1 in Part I).

If your blog is your living like Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger.net, then if you know that going in, then you can start marketing it like the from the beginning.

As my blog is only a part of my marketing plan, it serves its purpose just fine. Massive amounts of feedback/interactivity is not what I need from my blog.

10. Clearly Define a Niche for Your Blog: Some may disagree with what I’m about to say, but I’m a firm believer in niche marketing. Why?

According to the CNNMoney.com article, Getting pizza coupons by text message:

The average customer is targeted with more than 3,000 marketing messages a day, so people have developed a resistance," says Erik Hauser, CEO of Swivel Media, a
creative agency which has done mobile marketing work for clients like Wells
Fargo.

We are inundated. One of the most effective ways to get through is target marketing – ie, target people who have a pre-disposition to hearing what you have to say. How do you do this?

Become an “expert” in your field (eg, niche it) and build up a relationship of trust over time with a highly targeted market. In the October 2003 article, Calling All Marketers, on FastCompany.com, Bill Blundon, chief marketing officer of Extraprise, a consulting firm in Boston says:

It's time to get back to understanding your customers . . . When I get a call
from American Express, I always listen to what they have to say. I have a
23-year relationship with them.

While some blogs achieve popularity without being niche blogs, eg, Kottke.org, these are rare. Jason Kottke, the owner of Kottke.org, had been blogging for years as a hobby before he tried to make money off his blog. According to his site, he has updated his blog almost every day since 1998 – that’s 9 years.

How many blogs do you know that have been around that long?! Most flame out after four or six months because there’s no immediate payoff. Blogging is no easy road to riches. Anyone who has a successful one will tell you that.

Blogger Makes History! Jason Kottke has quite an interesting story – in 2005, he quit his job as a web designer to blog full-time. While this may not sound like news now, it was big back then -- he was among the first to do this.

To this day, his full-time job is writing his blog. Tool around his site – interesting stuff (much of which I don’t understand or have an interest in; but, the simple breadth of material is impressive).

Tomorrow: Part III of this post.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Labels: blogging advice, monetizing your blog, tips for bloggers