Webupon

So, writing and publishing on Triond – is it going to  make me money? So far it’s made me a massive $0.05 and that’s mainly by posting a collection of photos and a couple of articles. One of the articles is about the dreaded Swine and Flu and seems to be getting a few hits every day, a fact that seems to bear out one theory: write about topical issues, things that people really  want to know about. But, the fact still remains, 5 cents over three weeks is hardly setting the world alight. So where am I going wrong, or rather what do I need to change to make things better?

I did some research today and from what I read, opinion  is split between the importance of cross merchandising your goods – i.e., spreading your material between as many social networking and bookmarking sites as possible (Delicious, Fark, Stumbleupon, etc) – and writing copious amounts of copy.

From what I know of publish to earn websites, content is king. The more you write the more you earn. The only problem is: your material is limited to one site. Triond is different.

Triond not only publishes your material to relevant sites, it also gives you the opportunity to advertise your wares all over the web to ensure maximum hits.

That’s all very nice, but if you don’t produce the goods you have nothing to sell. Which is why even with Triond’s network of mixed media sites, content is still king. I’ve recently made is my mission to produce as much collateral for my Triond portfolio as possible. I carry a camera on me everywhere I go and I keep a notepad in my pocket for fiction, non-fiction, poetry. Everything is an opportunity. If I can write about it or a take a photo of  it then it’s viable, good for posting and carrying web ads.

I’ve always been a keen writer. My desk is littered with notes and used up pads. If you search my pockets you will always find a scrap of paper with ponderings and ramblings on it – some of which gets developed further, some of which gets screwed up and tossed in the garbage. I sit at my desk every day in the evening or morning and write purely for the exercise. Like a runner who goes for a jog every morning, writing practise is like an exercise  routine that keeps my imagination fit and trim. What’s great is that Triond gives somewhere to publish my ideas and notions.

For Triond to work for me I simply have to keep up the commitment of turning up to the page every day. I think for most people this will be the case. It’s no good writing a few pieces, posting them and then expecting them to be a cash-cow. You have to keep your portfolio healthy by feeding it at least 2-3 times a week. Like I said earlier, spread your bets. The more you publish and the more wide your range of subject matter the better, the better your chance of income. Once you have a collection of work you can promote it by way of a bit of cross-merchandising.

Spread the word. Advertise your work to friends, colleagues, and family. Throw links on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Newsvine, MySpace, etc. The hit rate is everything at this point. The more people you can get to open pages containing your writing or photos the better.

I’m hoping that in time my $0.05 will grow and I’ll be able to make quite a nice side income from on-line writing, but there’s a lot of work to be done and it’s going to take commitment and a sense of reality.

Write the words, post the words, repeat.