Make Your Own Breaks as an Internet Writer

As internet writers, we do all we can to get our internet articles read by as many people as possible. We add our links every place we can think of. We tweet them. We post them to Facebook. We add them to similar work by other internet writers. Sometimes, it feels like we aren't getting anywhere. Seeing I don't believe really believe in luck, I am a firm believer we must make our own breaks as internet writer. Sometimes, those breaks we make come from the most unlikely places. This is an example of how I stepped out on a limb (and maybe "into it") and made my own break...

On March 4th, I wrote and published "The Westboro Baptist Church is Right" on Associated Content. Don't panic and think I've "gone to the dark side." Remember, I write teasers. I wanted as many people to know the truth about the Westboro Baptist Church as possible. I was getting page views, but I wanted more. What internet writer doesn't?

Just for fun or maybe from boredom, I decided to tweet the link to that particular article to Margie J. Phelps. I added "Thought you and your church would like this one! The Westboro Baptist Church is Right." I was expecting a nasty response from her and nothing more. I was so wrong about that!

For the record, Margie J. Phelps is the daughter of Fred Phelps, the founder of Westboro Baptist Church. The Westboro Baptist Church is that group of hate-spreading wackos from Topeka, Kansas that protest funerals all over the country. They hate everything, except themselves and their hatred.

She didn't respond to me directly. Instead, Margie J. Phelps retweeted my link, adding "best" to it. Obviously, she never read it. I quickly retweeted her retweet of my original tweet (that is a mouthful!), in case she caught her mistake. I also sent a "thank you tweet" for retweeting me.

After all the hate tweets had almost calmed down, some were even deleted and apologies sent out, I had another idea. I started sending Margie J. Phelps retweet to news organizations around the country. I sent it to MSNBC, FOX News and CNN. I even created a CNN iReport, telling the story of Margie J. Phelps major mistake on Twitter.

I was far from being finished. I wrote a follow-up article on Associated Content. This particular article was entitled "Westboro Baptist Church Member Makes Major Mistake on Twitter." It outlined the mistake made by "Mensa Margie."

My page views were increasing. After tweeting Margie J. Phelps and creating the CNN iReport, "The Westboro Baptist Church is Right" page views more than tripled in one night. They have been steadily increasing since then.

For those of you who know how tenacious I can be, you will not be the least bit surprised to learn I wasn't finished. I continued sending out all my links to all my Westboro Baptist Church articles to anyone and everyone I could think of. I was a woman on a mission - a multi-purpose mission. First, I wanted to spread the truth about the hate-spewing Westboro Baptist Church. Secondly, I wanted to increase my page views.

I wrote an additional article for Associated Content - "Is Westboro Baptist Church Avoiding Oklahoma?" Seeing I had to be relatively nice about the situation with the Westboro Baptist Church, I was not satisfied with the "nice" slant I had to use. The series of articles I was writing, that I'm still writing, were too politically correct for me.. I wanted to find a way to really "let it rip" and share what was really in my heart. That is when I was struck by what I consider a brainstorm...

I created a highly focused blog on Blogger that is devoted to my true feelings about the Westboro Baptist Church. I carefully created a URL that would be well-searched - "The Westboro Baptist Church." I entitled the blog "Westboro Baptist Church News." I wasn't too crazy about add the word "the" to my URL, but just "Westboro Baptist Church" was already taken.

Since this whole thing started, I haven't felt this energized to write in quite while. As you can tell I haven't been posting here as much as I should be. I haven't felt like it. My brief hospital stay didn't help matters either. I had been neglecting all of my blogs and my writing other places as well. With my failing health, it was easy to stop writing as much as I should have.

I've always known that I write my best when I am mad and something came along that "charged my battery." I created my own break. Not only are my page views increasing and I'm sharing the truth about the Westboro Baptist Church, I have my passion for writing back.

I want to encourage all of you to make your own breaks. Try new things. Mix it up. Step out on a limb and do something you never thought you would or could do. It certainly worked for me. I may not get rich with my Westboro Baptist  Church articles, but I am writing. With a smile on my face and ideas flowing. That is what all writers should be doing!

Page Rank Factors

Internet writers are always seeking a higher page rank. Page rank is the elusive dream that slips through the fingers of many internet writers. With all the internet articles, websites and blogs, it is hard to obtain the page rank we all need to be successful - truly successful, not just making "some money." These are a few factors that determine page rank of your blogs and websites:

• Internal Links - By using internal links, you can increase your page rank. Link the pages of your blog (or website) together to help with your page rank. This will also help to keep your readers on your work and not elsewhere.

• External Links - Link your blogs and websites to other blogs and websites. Check into the page rank of the sites you will be linking your work to. The higher the page rank that they have will help increase your page rank. Be careful not to add to many external links. Not only will this take your visitors away from your work, it can also "drain" your page rank - allowing it to leak onto the sites your linking your blogs or websites to.

• Number of Pages - The number of pages that your blogs and websites have can also increase your page rank. The more the pages you have, the higher your page rank will be. Never add pages only for the sake of increasing your page rank. Your additional pages should always be relevant and contain excellent copy.

Increasing page rank is something that every internet writer should be conscience of and constantly working to increase. It isn't easy because of all the competition on the internet, but it is possible - with hard work and diligence. Keep these factors in mind as you create and update your blogs and websites so you can watch your page rank increase over time.

Blogs or Websites - Which is Best?

Internet writers have several different ways to present their internet articles to the world. I've mentioned different writing websites in the past that will publish your work and pay you for it. However, they take "their cut" of your earnings. That is the main reason I prefer having blogs and website. Of those two, blogs and websites, which is best for the internet writer?

The answer to that depends on the writer and the purpose of the blog and/or website of the internet writer. There are pros and cons to both that much be weighed carefully before making a decision. As with everything here, I really on my experience and the experience of other internet writers that I trust. This is my take on the blogs or websites debate:

Blogs work well for niche writers who have narrowed down their niche to something quite small. My standard example is gardening...A blog works great for a niche writer who writes about their garden. It is a small topic that can be written about for years. Pages are limited on blogs so the internet writer can dedicate specific pages to their flower garden, their vegetable garden and their herb garden. Links can be added to your niche blog that will take your readers to your internet articles on writing sites.

Websites work well for niche writers who have a broader niche. An internet writer who writes about rose gardens or gardens that do well in certain areas would benefit from having a website instead of a blog. There is more "room" to expand on the topic. Pages can be created for specific types of roses and then "sub-pages" can be created for the care of each of those roses, where they grow best and other information. Links can be added that will take your visitors to other internet articles you have written.

Blogs work well for non-niche internet writers, especially those wanting to promote their internet articles on writing sites. The "Day In the Life of" blogs are excellent for building links to the internet articles you want to promote. Websites are difficult for non-niche internet writers to write copy for. Don't even think of copy - try to find a URL and title for your non-niche website. It is probably hard to even know where to begin.

Websites and blogs work well together. My website, Travels Oklahoma, has a "companion blog" that goes with it. My website is the "business side." I write about all the wonderful places to visit in Oklahoma. My blog, which has the same name, is the "personal side." I write about my personal experiences as I travel Oklahoma. I provide links between my website and blog to my readers can see both the business and personal sides of traveling in Oklahoma.

Blogs are a full-time job. You must post several times each week to attract more followers and readers. You must also do this to stay on the first page of search engines and increase your page rank. Do you have the time every week to devote to a blog? A blogger's job is never done. There is always another post to write and more links to create.

Website can be difficult to create, much harder than many blogs. You must decided if you will have the skills to create a website. I recommend OfficeLive. They are economical (an annual fee instead of monthly) and their support staff is great if you have problems creating your website. The good news is that once your create your website, it is done. You will need to go back to add information and tweaking, but the website is finished. You will need to create links to your website to increase traffic and it's page rank.


Do you want to know about the money? I know that money is often deciding factors in whether to go with a blog or website. There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to the money you could potentially make.

Blogs can be more difficult to monetize. There is limited space and you don't want your blog to be covered in ads. Blog hosting sites may limit the type of ads or number of ads you can place on your blog. Some do not allow you to monetize your blog. Be sure to read all the fine print before you decide which blog host to go with.

Websites can be easier to monetize. You have several pages where you can place ads. Usually, you can use as many different ad programs as you like. Of course, you want to make sure those ads do not interfere with your copy. Affiliate programs, such as LinkShare, have large, bold ads that looks best on websites.

Blogs are usually free and websites come with a monthly or annual fee. I suggest that you start with a free blog. If your blog earns enough to cover the fees of having website, you can always create a website based on your blog.


Once again, I have made things as clear as mud. There are so many variables to consider that each internet writer must think long and hard before making a decision between having a blog or a website. They both have wonderful attributes and disheartening drawbacks. Decide which is best for you and run with it.

ClickBank - Keyword Experimentation

As an internet writer, I am always looking for new ways to improve my internet writing, my blogs and my income. Because of this, I have tried all sorts of things. Some worked and some have failed miserably. That is why I say I have a "Ph.D from the School of Hard Knocks." I am currently doing some keyword experimentation now that may help and I wanted to share it with you.

As I hope you didn't notice, I have added ClickBank ads to Keyword Crazy. I had heard of it and even did a little research a while back, but never did anything with it. I revisited ClickBank and decided now was the time to give it a try. There are a few reasons I felt this was the best time for me to add ClickBank to my blogs:

• Keywords - I love that fact that ClickBank lets you select the keywords for your ads. Unlike other ad programs whose ads "follows" my readers, ClickBank has ads that are based on my keywords instead of the habits of my readers. It makes a great mix, in my opinion. I love that ads my readers are interested in will show up on my blogs and I also love that ads about what I am writing about also will appear on my blog. I truly believe by mixing those two ways of advertising, my earnings will increase.

• Easy to Add - Adding the ClickBank ads to my blogs was fairly easy. I didn't worry about colors or sizes when I created the ads on the Clickbank website. I copied and pasted the code "as is" directly to the blogs. I then tweaked the colors and sizes to match my blogs and the columns. I tried making the codes perfect on their website, but fixing them on my blogs was easier for me. Hey - whatever works for best the individual is the only way to go. I also "labeled" my ClickBank ads and made them appear different from the ads I have on my blogs That is due to the terms of service of the other ad programs I use.

• Earning Potential - From the information on ClickBank's website, the commission for a sale can be as high as 75%. That exact percentage will vary from product to product, but I like the idea of 75% being a possibility. I also love the "payment threshold." You can chose a payout amount that ranges from $10 to $1,000,000. Seeing I am new to this, I chose a lower payout amount. Once the money starts pouring in (the power of positive thinking), I will raise my payout amount. I would prefer ClickBank deposited my earnings directly into my PayPal account, but a check will work almost as well.

I am giving this new ad program a three to six month "trial period." That should be enough time for me to know if my readers are interested in the ClickBank ads and if the ad program is profitable for me. During this trial period, I will be "swapping out" old ads with new ads with different keywords and rearranging them on my page to match the post they are closest to.

We will see how this works. It sounds great to me, but shoulder pads in the 1980s sounded good as well. As with everything I do - if something better comes along, I will go with that. As much as I would love to find "the perfect formula" to monetizing blogs and websites that will make all of us the most amount of money, I don't know what that formula is or if it even exists. Should I ever find it, I will be sure to pass it on to you.

Sharing Goals as Internet Writers

I am quite pleased with how well my website, ad/traffic revenue online articles and my blogs are doing so far this year. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much more money I am earning compared to this time last year. In fact, I am so pleased that I am setting goals for myself that I never thought of before. These are just a few of the goals that I have set for myself as an internet writer:

For my website, I want add new content every other week. Perhaps go as far as to add another page. I want to double the amount of traffic and Adsense revenue from the previous month, January. I want to maintain those "doubled" amounts for three months - until the last of May. Starting in May, I want to double the average amount of the previous months.  I will continue that pattern until the end of the year - every three months doubling my previous monthly average Adsense revenue. In December, I will start setting goals for the next year.

For my ad/traffic revenue online articles, I have different goals. I want to continue to write one list per day at List My Five until I have reached, at least, a total of 500 lists. At Helium, Associated Content and Factoidz, I want to find new ways to promote my online articles there (which I will share with my readers) and promote the work I have there on a daily basis. I want to add new content at least once per month.

As you have probably have guessed, the majority of my time will be spent on my blogs - this blog in particular. I want to continue posting every day for, at least, the next three months here. I want to post at least three times per week on my other blogs. I want to incorporate the "double every three months" goal I have for TravelsOklahoma to each of my blogs. I also want to increase my followers on a weekly basis.

Of course, I want to continue helping internet writers with all of their writing needs. I want to make this blog more interactive. I want to pull out the stops to ensure that my readers are getting the best information possible from me. I want to encourage everyone to continue with their online writing and never get discouraged, despite those lest than wonderful spells that will happen. I want to read comments such as "my earnings increased X% since..." and "My traffic is increasing and I have more followers than before."

Getting started with my "interactive" goal...What are your goals as internet writers? Do your prefer to make monetary goals or content goals? Do you make "emotional" goals - such as having more fun or writing about your favorite topics? Please feel free to share. I know that as an internet writer, I want to know what your goals are and I am sure other readers are interested as I am.

My Blog Hopping Adventure

I decided to go "blog hopping." I visited over 100 blogs. I am now suffering from a massive migraine. I was surprised by what I saw. Shocked is more like it. I had no idea that blogs like the ones I just saw even existed. I noticed all sorts of things that made me cringe. Not just as an online writer or online reader, but as a person. I found so many mistakes that all online writers should avoid:

• Lack of Focus - I read blogs that lacked focus. They were all over the place. One post the blogger was trying to selling shoes. The next post was about the blogger's daughter and the cold she was suffering from. The next one was about blogging tips. Pick a topic and stick with it. That blogger had three potentially successful blogs in one. Sell shoes on one blog. Blog about the daughter in another and give blogging advice in the third. "A Day in the Life" blogs are great and tend to be all over the place without getting away from the focus of the blog which is the blogger's daily life.

• Too Many Ads - I tried to read a blog about dogs. I love dogs and really wanted to learn about this blogger's legged babies. I couldn't. There was an ad of some sort everywhere. The blogger would write a sentence or two and then there was an ad - an image ad the interrupted the post. The text was almost all hyperlinked to some product or service. (By the way, the products and services had nothing to do with dogs.) My mouse was touching all sorts of things that would pop up and cover the text I was trying to read. I gave up and moved on to the next blog.

• Slang - I was shocked by the slang I was reading. I believe it is called "text speak," but I call it "tacky." This is one example: "OMG! Just got back 2 blogging. I C 2 comments. Way kewl! I had 2 LOL." Yes, that was the entire post. Save that for Twitter, Facebook and emails between friends! Remember that you are an online writer (a professional); respect yourself and your online work enough not to use these abbreviations.

• Layout - The layouts I saw were unbelievable. One blog had six columns that could not have been more than 100 pixels wide. Entire posts were in those tiny columns. There were only a few words on each line because the font was so large, making it difficult to read. The next column over had tiny fonts and I couldn't find my magnifying glass to read it. I moved on. It might have been the blog of the century, but I couldn't read it. The ads were cut off and I was unable to see if I might be interested in any of them.

• Errors - I noticed all sorts of spelling errors. The grammar was also seriously lacking. In one of the "Day In the Life" blogs, nothing was capitalized and there were no periods until the very end of the post. The story was interesting, but I couldn't get past the mistakes to truly enjoy it. Another blog was written in all capitals, in both both and italics. Every few sentences ended with "!!!!"

• No Content - I also noticed that many blogs lacked content. Individual posts were just a few sentences longs. One post was simply "BRB." It was the latest post and it was dated 2009. I envisioned Elvis dying on the toilet for some reason. When posting to your blog, make your post long enough to "say something." Cover the topic thoroughly. Concise is great as long you make your point. Remember that search engines pick up online articles that are at least 300 words long faster than "BRB" and nothing else.

• Colors - The reason for my blog hopping headache is probably due to the colors used on the blogs. Many were difficult to read. Some were impossible to read; the words were fuzzy and they moved around on my computer screen. Some colors do not mix well. Be very careful with bright colors, especially if you are mixing them together. Make sure the same colors are in different hues and shades so your readers can see your work.

Please do not do these things! Not only do they make your blogs look bad, they make you look bad. "You are only as good as the worst article/post you publish." Always remember that. Live by it. Write by it. It will make a difference in you success as an online writer.

I will address some of these issues in future posts and give you some ideas on how to avoid these mistakes. Getting your blog to look and read in a way that is reader friendly is important. You do not want to be losing readers because of the way your blog looks.

Where Online Writers Make Money

There are so many different writing websites available to online writers it can be hard to choose where to write. Thankfully, as online writers we don't have to chose. We can publish our online articles on as many writing sites as we like. In fact, I recommend being active at as many different writing sites as possible. You don't want all of your eggs in one basket. Writing online is much like buying stock. Do you just buy stock from one company or do you diversify? These are just a few I write for. For the record, I wouldn't mention them if they weren't profitable for me.

• Helium - Helium, by far, is the most profitable writing website I have ever used. When I first started writing there, I had no idea the ad/traffic revenue I would earn would eventually be enough to pay my rent on a monthly basis. I made "penny jokes" for months, until I learned about promoting my online articles, keywords and SEO. Online writers can write about almost any topic they are interested in. The contests can be quite profitable and rather easy to win. The upfront money for online articles isn't that great, but the ad/traffic revenue more than makes up for it.

• List My Five - List My Five is new writing website is that quickly became a money-maker for me. The format is easy and the money flows in regularly. Almost no topic is off limits (no porn, violence, etc.) and you are only limited by your imagination. When you use keywords and links properly, it is almost impossible not to meet the minimum payout ($10) each month. My earnings are coming in much faster than they did when I started at Helium and I can't wait to see how much I'm making within the next three months.

• Associated Content - Associated Content isn't exactly my cup of tea. I do make money there, but not as much as I do at other writing sites. Most online writers swear by it and are making money. I'm sure if I wrote there regularly, I'd do much better. I can't complain about the money; I forgot I even wrote there, but I'm still making money.

• HubPages - HubPages is a fun writing website. There you can use both Adsense and Amazon to make money. I have several "hubs" and they are doing well. As with all the writing sites, I should publish more online articles there. The page views are constant and other "hubbers" are constantly giving feedback.

• Factoidz - I've only written one online article for Factoidz, but it is making consistent money for being up a such a short time. The tips and hints Factoidz give their writers about keywords and SEO are a big help to new writers and us "old" writers, too. SEO is important to Factoidz, so be sure to research keywords and get the right keyword density before submitting your online articles there.

• Xomba - My Xomba earnings are getting better each month. They are certainly starting to add up. The format they use for publishing online articles is easy to use and the page views can be significant. As with any writing website, the more online articles you publish, the more you will earn.

• Bukisa - Bukisa is a great place to publish your "re-worked" online articles. Now that Bukisa has added Adsense, the potential has greatly increased. It is also a great "starter site" for online writers who want to test the waters of an online writing career.

• Yuwie -I love using Yuwie as a place to publish "teasers." I will copy/paste the introduction of my other online articles and then the link. Not only do I earn money from readers visiting there, but my earnings increase at the other writing sites when my links are followed.

• Blogs -Blogging, in my opinion, has the greatest long-term potential for online writers. You aren't having to share your ad revenue with a website. However, you aren't paid for page views. It can take some time to get the page rank needed for the world to visit your blog, but a little promotion and constant, quality writing will speed up that process.

Obviously, there are more writing websites where you can make publishing your online articles. I mentioned these because I have used them personally and they are profitable for me. Online writers must find the writing websites that work best for them and their specific writing site. With so many available, online writers are sure to find several different writing websites that will work well for them and make them money.

How Online Writers Make Money

I receive emails from online writers on a weekly basis, asking how they (we) make money. It can be confusing with so many writing sites and blogs available to writers. These are just some of the ways writers make money writing online:

• Upfront Payments - Some writing sites offer their writers "upfront money" for their work. These payments start at just a few dollars and can go well over $200.

• Traffic Revenue -Other writing sites offer "traffic revenue." This is when the online writer is paid for the number of page views their work gets. Sometimes the page views are limited to "unique visitors," meaning if the same IP address visits the article more than once, the writer is only paid for the first visit.

• Ad Revenue -Many writing sites offer "ad revenue." The writer is only paid if the reader clicks on an ad on their work. Sometimes the reader has to perform an "action" such as signing up for something or agreeing to get more information about the subject of the ad. The sites use an "Albert Einstein-type" mathematical equation to figure out exactly how the writer is paid.

• Ad/Traffic Revenue -Writing sites also offer "ad/traffic revenue." Writers are paid for both "clicked ads" and page views. Another "Albert Einstein-type" equation is used to figure out the payments.

• Affiliate Programs -A few writing sites allows the writer to add links to products the affiliate program have for sale. Amazon is just one of the many affiliate programs writers can use.  Affiliate programs will pay the writer a percentage of the sales price for the items that are purchased through their links.

Writers who have their own blogs or websites only receive ad revenue unless they are members of an affiliate program. They do not receive traffic revenue for the page views they have.

When the goal of online writing is to make money (no matter the way they make that money), writers must come up with ways to increase their traffic. Without traffic, it doesn't matter if you have the best paying ads or the most popular affiliate program products; no one will see them. You must drive traffic to you online writing sites. The more traffic you have, the more page views you are paid for and the more likely it will be be that your readers will click on the ads or purchase your affiliate program products. That is another can of worms to be addressed at a later date.

Who Are You to Give Advice?

I received an email today from a fellow online writer who asked the question, "Who are you to give advice to online writers?" This writer was much more polite than that, but it did bring up an obvious issue. Who am I? How am I qualified to offer anyone any type advice on writing? This is a little background information about me.

I graduated from Smith College with two degrees, one B.A. in English and another B.A. in Public Relations. I began writing professionally in high school. I was "stringer" for a local newspaper. I had several articles published in national magazines before I started college.

After graduation, I officially started my freelance writing business. I wrote anything and everything someone would pay me to write. As a struggling freelancer, I didn't always make the money I needed to survive, so I started doing fund raising and event planning on the side. Because of this, I fell into working as a home stager as well. As my freelancing career began to take off, I concentrated on it and soon my other jobs were practically non-existent.

Well, DUH! That certainly doesn't qualify me to give any advice to online writers. When I graduated from college, the internet was fairly new and I didn't know a thing about it. Nothing about writing in "the real world" or planning events and home staging has anything to do with writing online. This is where there is an odd twist in the road...

My health began to fail and keeping up with clients, deadlines and the everyday grind of owning a business became impossible. I gave it up and concentrated on getting better. I accidentally found a writing website and knew I had to write. I missed it too much. I could write in my pajamas at two in the morning if I wanted and didn't have to worry about anything. It never occurred to me I could make money writing online. That was early in 2008.

Pennies trickled in. Then nickles and dimes. Eventually, it was up to dollars. I got to thinking that this might be a way to support my family. I had met other writers at this website and they were willing to share what they knew about online writing. I asked questions and picked their brains. I learned about all sorts of other writing sites. And, this really cool thing called "blogs." My online writing career was born.

Still don't see how this qualifies me to give advice about online writing? Well, I do it every day. I pay the bills writing online. I've made more mistakes than I can remember or care to remember. Better yet, I learned from those mistakes. I still have a lot to learn, like everyone else. The things that I feel qualifies me to give advice about online writing is the fact that I do it, I am constantly learning more about online writing and, after all the mistakes I've made, I'm more than qualified to suggest to other online writers what not to do. That last one is about half the battle.