The Secret to Great Photography is to Take Enough Photos

Today, I was thinking about a photojournalism class I took in college, way back in the day when we used to use film in our cameras. Part of our requirements for that class was to take a roll of film a day. It didn't matter what we shot, as long as we used the entire roll of film and shot throughout the day.

The reason that this practice was stressed is because the true secret to great photography is taking enough photos to increase your odds of having a great one. Sure, you need to learn how to properly work your camera and how to manipulate your images with your shutter speed and f-stop settings, but great photographs are about capturing the moment. You can't do that while calculating your next shot in your head.

I think that online writers can also benefit from this philosophy. How many times do we online writers research techniques, chat in the forums and obsessively check our stats. Though it is important to know techniques and proper writing practices, too many writers spend too much time thinking about writing.

Instead of planning, just write. Write as many well-written articles as you can. Your writing skills will advance and you will increase your chances of writing an article that banks the big bucks. Instead of scouring the internet for trade secrets, write what you know, write it well and write it in as many articles as you can.

Sometimes we in the writing community just need more "do" than "think". This is not to discourage research and planning, but the more articles you publish, the greater your chances of hitting the residual earnings goldmine. So commit to writing at least one article a day and see where it takes you.

eHow's Writer Compensation Program is Over

I can't really say that I'm surprised that eHow decided to end their WCP. Though administrators continually told eHow members that nothing was changing, they announced this Monday that articles could no longer be published through the eHow publishing tool. Instead, all future articles must be written through Demand Studios.

Though I am a Demand Studios member, I am upset that eHow publishing tools are no longer available. Publishing with Demand Studios can be so much more arduous due to the inconsistent editors and the time it takes to find a title. Ofcourse you can create your own assignment, but it is still not as simple as eHow.

I also think that the closing of the WCP will only logically lead to mass article sweeps. It only makes sense that Demand Media would want to flush out old content in favor of flat fee articles that would make them more money over time. Because of this, I strongly encourage all eHow writers to back up their articles as soon as possible. If the articles get removed, you can post them to AC or Bukisa.

Anyway, I'm hoping that the transition to the Demand Studios publishing model for eHow content will be relatively simple. I guess only time will tell. I do know that I will continue to diversify my content over a number of sites to protect myself from any future sweeps or problems.

How do you feel about eHow's decision to drop the WCP?

Diversify Without Spreading Yourself Too Thin

Online freelance writers or SEO writers can easily find themselves spread thin trying to write for the many residual and up-front payment sites available. Freelance writing is as much about being a multitasker and time manager as it is about being a skilled writer and researcher. So how do you know where and how to spend your time?

Originally, I thought that I would spend most of my time writing for up-front payment sites like DemandStudios because it seemed like I could make the most money from those sites. After I thought about it though, I realized that they couldn't pay me what they were offering for my articles if they weren't making money off of them. That's when I realized that writing for residual pay had the most potential for long-term money making. That's not to say that I didn't still write an occasional up-front payment article. It's always nice to have immediate money. I just figured that I wasn't going to spend much more time with up-front payment sites than I needed to.

So, I am currently trying to add as much quality content as I can to two residual sites: E-how and Suite101. I think that these two sites have the greatest money-making potential. Suite101 even offers a 10% bonus once you reach 50 articles. I am also slowly sprinkling in articles to sites like Bukisa and Associated Content. I am working hard at producing high-quality articles with optimized keyword usage. By honing the majority of my focus on two specific sites, I am able to be more productive and feel less like I am spreading myself thin.

Making the Most of a Layoff

As many of you out there, I have been hit hard by the recession. I thought that I was one of the lucky few who had a job that was recession proof. As a teacher, I thought that I would certainly have a job next year. So when I was called into the principal's office and told that I was being let go due to financial and staffing issues, I was shocked. It turns out even public education has been hit hard by the recent economic downturn.

So, after allowing myself to be shell-shocked for a couple days, I decided to devise a plan of action that would allow me to make money even if I couldn't find another teaching job. I earned my first degree in journalism and I remembered my professors talking about freelance writing. I thought that I might as well give it a try. Little did I know that the Internet had made freelance writing extremely convenient and endlessly profitable.

I did a couple of searches for freelance writing sites and read a few blogs about freelance writing on the Internet. I started with a website called Ehow.com. Ehow allows writers to post articles about how to do just about anything. The articles earn residuals, that is to say that they earn money based on how many people read the articles and find them useful. The more articles you write, the more money you earn, and Ehow articles continue to make money as long as they are posted online.

I eventually went on to find more residual-based sites such as Bukisa and Suite101. These sites allow you to write about whatever you want. Writers earn more at Bukisa when they build their network by asking friends to sign up. Suite101 also pays residuals and a bonus of 10% once you publish 50 articles. The site provides excellent editor advice as well. By writing for these different sites, I am able to improve my skills and enhance my monthly earnings.

I also found some sites that pay up-front payments for articles. Demand Studios pays $15 for every article accepted. They also have a stringent editing process and many times they will ask for a rewrite of your article. If you have strong writing skills though, you will be able to make fairly decent money with Demand Studios. Demand Studios also provides a residual program but, in my opinion, I don't think you make as much money with residuals on Demand Studios as with other sites like Ehow. I also just signed up for Helium, but I haven't written any articles yet. I will report back once I see how that site works.

Anyway, I'm also starting this blog to let others know about online freelance writing. I will try to keep you posted of my trials and successes. If you are a freelance writer, I would love to hear your stories too.