Little Steps

Monday, April 9, 2012

Writing Articles Adds To My Many Streams Of Income

As my thoughts turn to gardening, I have to make time for writing my blogs, articles, eBooks and social networking. In the summer when the sun is out almost daily, it is easier. I can get up during the early morning hours and work on my computer. We don't get enough sun to power up our system that runs on solar, that early in the morning at this time of the year. So trying to balance both is difficult.

Last week I found some new sites to submit written articles to. The idea behind these sites is that my Adsense account ads are on my article pages and that will generate some Adsense money. I hope so. For the most part though, I am not counting on that. I am just trying to get better at writing and making comments on other writer's articles. It is like an online school for writers. Studying what others write about, the comments they receive, and learn how to make my own articles and blogs better.

The first site I joined is called InfoBarrel and once you join, you just write your articles, and submit them. It was an easy process. This is the first article I have written there, Using A Pressure Canner To Can Your Food. If you go there, I'd appreciate a comment and some "likes" and shares.If you'd like to join and make some money writing articles too, join InfoBarrel now!

The second site I got interested in is called Best Reviewer. This site is very easy to write for. My first top review there is called Top 5 Items For Preparedness. I enjoyed doing that one a lot and have thought of a several topics to write about. Each site has their own individual twist, so they are not all the same. You can also link your articles, blogs and sites back to the various articles and reviews you post. With Adsense ads on all the articles with your publisher number means you will be earning a passive income from the articles without doing anything more with each one. Just keep writing! Sign up for Best Reviewer and write some top reviews to earn money like I am!

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Blogging For A Job

I have been learning how to make the black and white photos! Remember I had it on my list one blog post back? It wasn't that hard to learn and I really enjoy doing it. This is my first one. What do you think? I will work on it some more, this is just the first one.

Having a blog means you can and should be making money from it. I have been working on doing just that, especially with some of the others. This blog is mostly for telling my readers how to do that themselves. How to clean up their debt and live happily ever after. LOL Today however, I found a bunch of books that I have added to my wish list on Amazon. I ordered some, but could not order more than a few.

Building your blog means making friends with your readers. I have done that, I believe. In fact, one couple who reads my blog regularly, came to visit us twice. It is a good feeling to know you have helped someone in someway or other. Write your blog so it sounds personal. Like you are talking to your reader over a cup of coffee in your kitchen.

If you have to be home and you are a writer, you may as well write a blog. If you do that, adding some streams of income to it, won't hurt either. The key is to make your blog honest and interesting to your readers. If they come to it for information, offer them something valuable. Share your experiences with them. Of all, be truthful at all times.

All of these books are from the kindle shop on Amazon, because that is the way I buy books now. I have completely given up paper books for good. The link to them is in the photo. I hope to give you some ideas on how you can increase your streams of income by using your blog to do it. If you already do, send the the link so I can check it out.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

It's A Disaster!

Tornado in 2000

Recently, I have been reading books about preparing for disasters, natural and man made. There are many types of disasters that can overcome our world and way of living, as we know it. I am always preparing for that situation in my life. But what about your business, if it is a home based business? If the internet ceased to be, would it cause you to lose your income?

You need to prepare for that situation also. Do not put all your eggs in one basket, so to to speak. I have talked many times on this blog about having many streams of income. Make sure some of those streams of income are not dependent on the internet. Or not dependent on a physical location either. Then if one goes down, the other is still working. It may cut your income in half, but at least you'd still have something to fall back on.

Fedhealth's 282-page eBook helps families and businesses "be aware... be prepared... and have a plan" for most types of emergencies and disasters.

Try to start preparing in other ways as well, building up your supplies so you will have food and water if you get hit with a bad storm or flooding. Make a Bug Out Bag for each family member including your pets. Do it little by little as you can afford it, but do it. Standing on your own in those bad times is a good feeling. Being the one others go to for direction of how, and what to do, is a way to help others provide for themselves.

Having my own alternative energy system makes it possible for our power not to go down. We would not be able to access the internet if it didn't exist! So time to put my thinking hat on and make sure some of my incoming money does not come from internet sales only. Studying the book, It's a Disaster! and what are you going to do about it by Bill & Janet Liebsch, every day. This book is the best one out of all the books I have found on preparing for emergencies. Such details and directions for people who are preparing their families for such situations. I highly recommend it!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Try Some Giveaways To Win Cash

One way to increase your spending money is by entering giveaways on some blogs. There are so many to choose from! The best thing is to choose only the ones that offer what you really want. I like to enter ones for gift cards at stores I shop at, or want to shop at. One time I won a giveaway for Fanny Farmer candy. I actually won it accidentally by following their blog, and just happened to be the 100th follower.

I found some today on various blogs. The Frugal Free Gal is a good blog, if you are searching for giveaways and free deals, through out internet land. I entered two for Amazon gift cards, one for $10. and one for $25. I entered one for a $25. Paypal cash, which I would like as then you could spend it wherever you wish. The last one I entered was for $800. for Paypal cash, on a site called Good Steward Savers. Once you hook up with one, you will find many more! It is amazing.

Of course, winning one giveaway, even if I won the one for $800., won't pay off all my bills. It would help me to pay some though. I think the smart thing if you win money, is to put it on a bill or some expense you have, instead of blowing it. It would be hard to do, but that is the best use of it, especially since it came from somewhere unexpected.

What would you do with $800. if you won it?

Monday, March 19, 2012

Learning New Things

Moss on the forest floor

No matter what you do, no matter what it is, some people will not like it and others will love it. It doesn't matter what it is. And to top it off, many people will feel the need to announce to the world if they don't like it and exactly why. Why can't they just keep their big mouth and opinions to themselves? It is different, if you ask their opinion. The flaws of people are apparent. Some people are so busy judging others, they forget they have faults also.

I am making this year, the year of taking charge of my life and not looking back. If you look back at your life, what was, or what could have been..........it can bring you down now. Then you will never pull yourself up and prosper. Do not let that happen! Look ahead and make your list of little steps and you will be on your way.

My steps for this week is:

1. Learn how to watermark my photos.
2. Learn how to make my text so it cannot be copied and pasted.
3. Learn to make some photos in black and white.
4. Learn how to put photos on cds so they can be saved.
6. Study templates for blogs so I can change one of my blogs over to its own site.

That sounds good for a start, don't you think?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Create And Sell Your Own Products

My Kindle Fire

Sales have been strong for my ebooks. I have had a few problems trying to format them properly so they will work better on the kindle. I hope to learn more about doing that or make enough money to hire someone to do it for me. I have ideas for many more eBooks. Once you have it loaded on Amazon in the kindle store, you are finished with that book. Time to write the next one. If you can just keep writing and uploading more books, you will keep the streams of income coming in from each book.

If you have any books setting in your computer it is time to get to work on them. Start by editing it and study kindle's guidelines for adding your book there. Remember Amazon has the traffic you need. I don't see any reason for selling them on your own site or on any other site for that matter. Why bother? It is a passive stream of income which makes me like it even better.

I wrote this post, Is There An eBook In Your Future? which gives you some eBooks to read on how to learn to do this. Just because it is easy to put it together, does not mean it is a piece of cake to write. You really need to know how to write. If not, the reviewers on Amazon WILL shred you to pieces. Some of them really hate the new indie writers and do what they can to ruin their reputations as writers. Some of them I fear, work for publishers and are trying to force the indie writers to use them instead of being independent of them.

Another post I wrote is called Information For eBook Writers, which gives you even more information to write an eBook of your own. I recommend this as one of your streams of income. Especially if you are a blogger or someone who makes things. You can put together plans on how to make something, even if you are not a writer and sell the plans as an eBook. Images are a little harder to work with on formating and you may want to use a service for that to get it right. Selling the plans will make you that money back and probably rather quickly. If you already have an eBook for sale there, please leave the name of it in the comments. I will try to add it to a future post.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

People Like To Criticize Others

Apples left behind in the fall

Social Media is so important in promoting a blog or a website. That interaction with others online gets them to go to your blog or sites. They may even comment on your blog or buy something on your website. When you write something, they say, "who is this person?" "What are they about?" So off they go to check you out. Sometimes, you wish they didn't, depending on the person.

When you write something or share something on Facebook, Twitter, The Blogfrog or on various forums, you are taking a chance that someone is going to take issue with what you post. On Facebook, I see it the most. If you share something you liked or thought was cute, it makes some people to take it upon themselves to criticize what you posted. Why? Because they never heard the saying, "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all."

Some people love to prove what you posted is inaccurate. Or why you shouldn't have posted it in the first place. On Facebook, I figure, if it is my wall, I will post what I want and from now on I am deleting all those type of comments. I can. It is MY wall! Go post what you want on your wall and keep your snide remarks to yourself. I do not go to Facebook to fight with people. Some people really get off on it though.

Have you noticed this yourself? Of course, it may have to do with the fact that many of my friends on Facebook come from a popular forum I go to. They fight on there too. They get down right mean to each other. I don't go there very often due to that problem. Now they do it on Facebook too. I will be deleting those certain friends, since obviously, they are only friends to make their snide remarks about what you post on your wall. Or you can hide them so you don't see what they post anyway. Doing that with some this morning or deleting some.

My life is too busy to worry about people I do not know and probably would not be friends with in real life anyway. Facebook has been my place to connect with family and friends from school and many blogging friends. So there hasn't been that kind of thing going on with them. None of them telling each other how to do everything or what they should say or what they shouldn't post. Maybe they want you to ask their permission to post something to your wall every time? I don't think so! Won't be doing that!

I am an affiliate marketer, as well, as a blogger. This means that I receive payments or gifts from a company for writing about a product or service on this blog. Or for having a banner or button displayed along the side, such as the Amazon ones for my eBooks. If you go to those links, I receive a commission for anything you buy on Amazon by using my link. I will not endorse anything I do not think is a good product or service. Many of my affilate links are to products I use myself. My readers will always come first.

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