AC writers check in here~July thread - Page 2

[j.lucymuses]

Hi Jessica - I guess I'll do some more research to see what works best for me for when I actually have some articles that more $ potential.

(did I mention you made my day... Thanks so much for reading - and commenting - on my fledgling blog and AC stuff.)

[Twocoolboys]

Hi AC writers - I'm working on finishing up the last 10 articles I need to have a total of 100 articles at AC, then I probably won't write for them for a bit, if at all. It's getting harder to justify with how little they pay, but for some reason, I want to have 100 articles there. I must have some OCD. But, I seriously had difficulties giving AC my article that I wrote for them tonight, knowing that it would probably fare better at Suite. I'm sticking to product reviews for the last 10. Those are a little easier to part with.

J.Lucy - I don't promote at all anymore. I used to, but the time and effort seemed to not get me too much. I also get a ton of spam now (as if I didn't get enough before) from all the social bookmarking sites I signed up for when I was doing it. I think I got put on lots of junk e-mail lists. Sigh.

Pm me your AC link. I'd be happy to read your articles!

[evies_mom]

I think promoting your work is really critical if you are not writing articles that arehighly searchable and written with strong SEO (search enging optimization) and keywording. I have found that keywording and SEO are much more important that social bookmarking sites. Most of my articles when I google them with the most relevent terms put me on the front 1-2 pages of google.

If you do not know much about how to write searchable articles, how to use keywords in titles/subtitles, then I do think social promotion is critical to increased performance. However, what I have found is that social bookmarking sites may only give me a few extra hits a month (at Suite we can actually see how people are finding us). I did use onlywire (see link for my original directions on how to set it up). It is a bookmarking site that bookmarks over 20 different other bookmarking sites at once, many of which are featured on the AC page. When I was at AC, I would onlywire and digg my stuff. That was it because I didn't want to get too involved in that process.

I do think at AC the best way to increase your PV if you do not know much about keywording is by inner-networking. Commenting on others pieces, letting them know you are subscribing to their publications, etc. Most people will return the favor. My issue was that all of that was very time consuming, and it only helped increase PV initially. An article would perform well immediately upon publishing, then flatline.

[j.lucymuses]

Originally Posted by Twocoolboys

Pm me your AC link. I'd be happy to read your articles!

If you go to my blog, there is a link at the left side to my stuff. Thanks for reading!

[j.lucymuses]

Originally Posted by evies_mom

If you do not know much about how to write searchable articles, how to use keywords in titles/subtitles, then I do think social promotion is critical to increased performance.

OK, here lies my problem... twofold:
1. I know nothing about writing searchable articles
2. I don't WANT to write searchable articles

My interest is in creative non-fiction. I have a few ideas for how-to or informational articles but in general I want to write about subjects are just for a good read or informational in a non-commercial way. If anyone is familiar with the magazine Brain, Child, that is the kind of thing... essays, I guess you would call them.

Are there ways to promote this kind of article (other than social promotion)? For example, if I wrote something on the language barrier between my British father and teenage-just-come-to-America me, who would ever search for such a thing?

[evies_mom]

Are there ways to promote this kind of article (other than social promotion)?

Hmm... Not that I know of, but my knowledge of that is really limited. Anyone else know?

I would question if web publication is the proper platform for you then. I've been taught that 90-95% of your hits should be coming from internet searches. I realize you are just beginning, and perhaps you need some confidence boost before you try print media, but honestly I think that may be the better avenue for you. JMO, but you write beautifully and I think it is a shame to share your rights with AC if you will not get significant profit from them. You could literally be working for pennies, and your writing deserves so very much more than that. The other possibility would be to be a site that pays for you to blog. Lisarussell may have more info on that than I can share with you though.

Best of luck to you!

Also - just as a heads up, I was told when I asked admin if I could link to a blog that contained a link to my publications that I profit from by page views, I was not allowed to do so. I also know that other writers who had those links removed from their siggies. The only way you can do that is if you pay for an advertising package. I guess the rule is you may only link to non-profit sites that contain no links to other sites from which you profit. It's a bummer. They might not catch it for a while, but if they do they will reprimand you for it.

[j.lucymuses]

Jenny,
Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll just go ahead and remove it just in case.

Thanks for the compliment. I have been beginning to think that maybe I am heading down the wrong road with online stuff. But maybe I could get some ideas rolling for searchable stuff and keep trying for print with the other.

Something serendipitous happened today - we had a festival in our downtown and the very magazine that I had been tearing my house a part to find yesterday so I could get an email address to query them (they don't have a website) had a booth there and THE editor was too. I introduced myself (unfortunately with ice cream dripping down my hand) and she told me how she likes to get freelancers on board. I'm going to write to her right now. I've heard local mags are a very good in. Wish me luck.

[rainbowmoon]

I never promote and am happy with my AC page. I do use it as a sort of resume at times and it works for me! :

I totally think a link to your blog is acceptable. I had mine up for years and my AC link is there.

[j.lucymuses]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

I never promote and am happy with my AC page. I do use it as a sort of resume at times and it works for me! :

Are you just found through keywords then?

[rainbowmoon]

yup!! though i don't really care about page views much. oh and I rarely spend more than 15 min on an article for there. I am considering rewriting and expanding many of them for print though,

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

Are you just found through keywords then?

[evies_mom]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

I totally think a link to your blog is acceptable. I had mine up for years and my AC link is there.

Actually, linking to a blog that links to for-profit sites is against board policy. However, I do not think they patrol that much, especially on this forum which is more slow moving.

I was specifically told we were not allowed to when asked, and I know that Lisarussell was told she had to remove her links. The only instance when you can post links to sites or blogs that contain links to profit sites is when you have an advertising package.

I am sure you would get a warning before they would consider banning you from the board though.

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by evies_mom

Actually, linking to a blog that links to for-profit sites is against board policy. However, I do not think they patrol that much, especially on this forum which is more slow moving.

I was specifically told we were not allowed to when asked, and I know that Lisarussell was told she had to remove her links. The only instance when you can post links to sites or blogs that contain links to profit sites is when you have an advertising package.

I am sure you would get a warning before they would consider banning you from the board though.

I thought this only applied if the blog was specifically a platform for making you $? I swear I was told linking to my blog which has my AC page on my profile page was acceptable? (but it's also not on the blog front page or any posts, just my profile, so maybe that's why?)

in any case you'll just get a warning. you won't be banned unless you are blatantly promoting. don't worry! :

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

If you go to my blog, there is a link at the left side to my stuff. Thanks for reading!

this would be considered promoting I think.

[evies_mom]

This is what I was told by administration directly. I specifically asked admin if I would be allowed to link to my blog at livejournal. It is simply reflections of parenting, but it does have a link on the my profile to my Suite articles. I was told by administration that it was not allowed and was profided information on how to buy an advertising package (not financially viable for what I earn, IMO). Lisa also simply had a link to her personal blog in her siggie which linked to her articles and was told the same.

Again, I don't think it gets policed as much, but if it does get noticed you will be told to remove it.

Adding: At one point, admin ruled in on one of these threads that they would also shut entire threads down that contained links to for profit sites. So there is a small risk not only to yourself, but the threads that contain links.

[rainbowmoon]

I put up a new thread for August!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...1#post11858228

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by evies_mom

I am a just telling you what I was told and relating to what happened to Lisa. I specifically asked admin if I would be allowed to link to my blog at livejournal. It is simply reflections of parenting, but it does have a link on the my profile to my Suite articles. I was told by administration that it was not allowed and was profided information on how to buy an advertising package (not financially viable for what I earn, IMO). Lisa also simply had a link to her personal blog in her siggie which linked to her articles and was told the same.

Again, I don't think it gets policed as much, but if it does get noticed you will be told to remove it.

wow that's over the top! I bet two different mods told us different things. yeah it's not like we're making anything (well I don't from my blog that I get a handful of hits on a day from here when it was up!!)

[j.lucymuses]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

yeah it's not like we're making anything

Hey, maybe you're not making anything but I made 4 cents last week - thank heaven, I can pay my mortgage now

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

Hey, maybe you're not making anything but I made 4 cents last week - thank heaven, I can pay my mortgage now

[evies_mom]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

wow that's over the top! I bet two different mods told us different things. yeah it's not like we're making anything (well I don't from my blog that I get a handful of hits on a day from here when it was up!!)

I didn't take it badly. They were very nice about it. Honestly, I assumed it was a no-no based on policies on other boards, but thought it couldn't hurt to check. There is information about it on the board policy somewhere. I will try and dig it up after I post this.

I tend to be very much a rule-follower, so that was why I asked first. It does make sense if other mamas who have on-line shops and stores have to take out advertising packages, then so should everyone. It would be very hard for them to allow this free form of advertising to only those who make less than X amount of money. I don't even know how they could do that.

You mentioned you had yours in your siggie a long time ago- perhaps that is the difference. I asked around October of 2007. Perhaps a change in policy since you inquired about it?

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

Hey, maybe you're not making anything but I made 4 cents last week - thank heaven, I can pay my mortgage now

[evies_mom]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...864&highlight=

That's where I asked. Not that it matters, but it was in December, not November.