One way a writer can make some money on her website is to add Google Adsense. That is my task for today in addition to completing some writing assignments I have due in the next few days so I won't be able to spend too much time on it. 

The way it works is that you post a banner somewhere on your page and you get paid when people click on the ads. I think you also get paid for page views but I am still learning about it. I'll let you know when I find out for sure. I also remember reading some really great blogs about creating revenue as a writer. I will try to post them here as a resource over the next week. Well I'd better get to it today, busy, busy, busy!

The biggest challenge for any artist whether it be visual arts, writing or music is the same as it has been over the centuries. How do you make money at it? Where the very lucky have patrons or wealth from other avenues that they can use to support themselves while they hone their craft many of us do not. However there are many who do make a decent living writing and it is my goal to be one of those people. 

I am writing now for Associated Content and Helium. com. They are both awesome venues to learn my craft in a hands-on manner and it brings in a few bucks now and then. The name of that game is volume and choosing content that is timely that the public is hungry for. 

I liken it to a game of Hungry Hippos where many writers are out there trying to grab those hot titles and write to them before the topic is too saturated or the fickle public has already moved on to its next distraction. At first it seemed a little frustrating however over time it became exciting and fun. 

It is easy to get your work accepted for what is called PPV- paid per view. You get paid based on the number of people who click on your page and view it, easy enough. This has driven the industry I feel to move toward the controversial, at time damaging, titles  some which are more than a little misleading.

By mentioning a hot button word that gets folks fired up examples like abortion, gun control (they are taking our guns), or things like Jersey Shore you can get clicks. If you mention Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck you can get some clicks.  Gay rights, immigration and drug legalization generate some clicks as well depending on the way the title is worded. The thing people do is to make people irate so they click, comment and share. It is good for getting paid but in my opinion it is not very healthy for society.



One of the challenges as I transition from hobby writing to professional is how to bring in the clicks without feeding the monster that media has become. That which the Rally to Restore Sanity spoke out about.  I have a lot of moralistic ideals and not much money. That is one thing I wrestle with on my journey. Can I keep my ideals and my identity and still make money in this trade? We'll see. 

The goal is to crack the code that will allow me to obtain larger up front payments for stories. I have not as of this moment cracked that code. One thing I know about myself though is I am very analytical and tenacious. In addition my kid's futures depend on my success. And as a mother that is more than enough incentive for me to figure this out. I'll leave it at that for today.  

This blog is a field guide. A map of my journey from "just for fun" writer to  a professional. I have been story telling since I could talk and writing came naturally to me as a small child. I loved the control I had over the page in a world that I had very little control over. My journal was my friend an a release as time went on.

As I grew up I learned the power of words, in a love letter, a letter to the editor, and in business. I grew addicted to that feeling when someone reads your work and  a change is made, an impact is imprinted. I also love creating a literary or cyber escape world where devoid of fiscal challenges much beauty and peace can be created. That is why I do what I do. It is a calling. 

Now I find myself almost 40 years old and like many in America in a harsh financial reality the worst of  it is it doesn't reflect who I am as a person. I don't want to be behind on bills and other financial responsibilities. It is not who  I am and I feel that. I feel that my expression of myself in the world isn't genuine right now. I think taking my words to the marketplace and making a living with them will allow me to be more of myself. If that makes any sense to anyone. It makes sense to me :o)

So I will continue to document my journey. It is a career journey and a next phase of life journey. I hope to find others who can relate and share with me on this journey. It's better to take a journey of this magnitude with friends.