Why Triond is a Good Writing Gig for 2010

If you are thinking of breaking into freelance writing in the new year or simply want to bump up your efforts to earn income online, Triond is a good opportunity for 2010. Why?

Triond has undergone changes in recent months, making Triond better than ever. Triond still pays, month after month for submittted content.

Why Triond is an even better opportunity currently is that Triond has added AdSense revenue sharing. This means that writers earn more for their content, which includes articles, photos, audio and video.

Newer writers have a greater opportunity to earn on their content; writers who have already created a number of pages will experience an instant increase in earnings across their Triond pages monetized with AdSense.

If you have been thinking about joining Triond, there's no time like the present!

I've Been Busy as a Bug

I have waist long locks, which, I might add, are now "  growing" knots in odd places Whew! Has it been busy or what? This week saw the publication of my Bedbug book, Dec. 8th, 2009, and I have been up to the wee hours attending to details related to The Bedbug Who Wouldn't Bite. 

I've been so busy, in fact, I haven't had time to brush my hair! Now, this poses problems because I have waist long locks, which, I might add, are now "growing" knots in odd places

One would think that once a book has been published, the work is done. WRONG! 

I've spent the last few days doing all that writer stuff that leaves other folks scratching their heads and wondering at the strange hours I keep. It's about so much MORE than writing, as anyone who writes (and especially online) knows.

These days there are templates and blogs and . . . sandwiched in between HTML, I created a book dummy for Bedbug and the Mouse in the House, the second story in the Bedbug Children's Book Series. I'm getting a feel for how I want the verses to appear across pages--and I must say, a book dummy makes a world of difference.

I basically folded sheets of paper for the pages and then printed off the verses and cut the text into movable blocks. I'm wishing I had a pad of sticky notes because this would make moving verses around pages so much easier. 

I like how Ann Whitford Paul mentions book dummies, in her book Writing Picture Books, "For years I tried to get away with not doing them . . . Today, I would never send out a manuscript without first making a dummy." 

I'm really enjoying this book. Now, you may be wondering why I'm reading a book about creating books for children, when I've just had a children's book published. My credo: never stop learning. Become a lifelong student and you continue to strengthen your gifts and open greater doors of opportunity.

Anne mentions something that I also encountered while working on Bedbug. FRONT MATTER. And, as she rightly shares, the ordering of these pages is not written in stone. Thank goodness!

Anne discusses factors to consider, while working on a dummy:

• The first three pages (after front matter) should let your readers know what the story is about
• Page turns--what makes the reader want to continue?
• Where does the story climax?

So much goes into planning a book, even a seemingly simple picture book.

I have to say, though, that working on a series is exciting--but I'm beginning to feel like a "sandwich person."  Everything is "sandwiched"around the writing. Housework?--a mere trifle. Cooking?--a thing of the past (nibbling and foraging would be more accurate). Friends . . . Outside interests . . . 

You get the picture . . .  

Bedbug Links
The Bedbug Books
Bedbug Products 
The Bedbug Who Wouldn't Bite

Bedbug is Here for Christmas!

Little ones the world over may wake up to find a Bedbug in their Christmas stocking or tucked under their pillow in the days before, during, and after the Christmas Season! 

The BEDBUG BOOK has been PUBLISHED Dec. 8th, 2009 and is 

NOW AVAILABLE

 The publisher has pulled out all the stops to make the BOOK and the BUG in the little BAG
available at this special time of year, when little eyes are bright and  . . . magical things happen!

And remember . . . this little BEDBUG . . .  DOESN'T BITE!

Visit Bedbug At 
World Famous Books 
Wepage

Announcement: the BEDBUG BOOK HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, as of Dec. 8th, 2009

Hello everyone! I have excitng news! As of today, Dec. 8th, 2009, the first BEDBUG BOOK has been PUBLISHED!

You'll notice the new BUY NOW buttons on this blog. The publisher and I have worked very hard to release this book for all the children out there who want their own BOOK and BUG in the BAG.

Fast Facts About the BEDBUG BOOK

• Each book is hand-bound with neat-looking fuzzy binding that matches Bedbug's fur
• Child-friendly, non-toxic glue has been used with "safety first" in mind
• Each bedbug has been lovingly handmade and because of this, each toy bug is unique 
  
• Book incluess care instructions
• The book is the approximate size of a CD case, so makes a good carry-along for young ones. The book and the bug slip into the cloth bag and can be taken in the car or elsewhere. The book and the bug can be easily seen through the filmy bag material.
  

The publication of the BEDBUG WHO WOULDN'T BITE launches the BEDBUG BOOK SERIES. Each additional story introduces a NEW TOY.

Each story contains a clue--kids can try to discover what it is!

Bedbug Links
The Bedbug Books
Bedbug Products 
The Bedbug Who Wouldn't Bite

Making Money Online--Have You Joined HubPages Yet?

In trying to make money online, many writers are turning to the Internet as a source of revenue--and with good reason.

It can be incredibly convenient to fire up your computer and use it to publish almost instantaneously.

Today, in Part II of my article series, Making Money Online, I'm going to discuss HubPages and why creating Hubs can be a legitimate way of making money online.

While you can simply create Hubs and hope for the best (you will earn a little), it is far better to have an earning strategy.

By now, most of you will have heard about keywords. Use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool BEFORE YOU WRITE YOUR ARTICLE! I can't stress this step enough. Why do I say this?

Let's crunch some numbers:

• You create an article around a keyword worth .08. Your article is viewed 100 times and say out of that 100 viewings, 10 people click on the ad. You make approximately .80
• You create an article around a keyword worth .80. 10 people click on the ad. You make approximately $8.00
• You create an article using a keyword worth $8.00. 10 people click on the related ad. You make approximately $80.00
  

Can you see why using the right keywords can make such a difference to your earnings on HubPages?

Check the other tips below that will help you to reach your goal of making money online.

Further Reading
HubPages Income: Optimizing Your HubPages to Gain Readers and Revenue
HubPages Checklist: Earn More From HubPages

What Can You Build a Hub Around? Here's a Sampling from Top Hubbers
Monopoly: Christmas Gifts for Board Fans
The Herbal Tea Garden
Blueberry Almond Biscotti and Biscuits
Why Do People Love Dogs?
Candles Make the Best Gifts--How to Choose a Candle

* Get started with this Making Money Online article series: Making Money Online: Have You Joined Xomba Yet?

Bedbugs Airborne!

I have wonderful news! The "Bedbugs" (BOOKS and BUGS in the BAGS) are in the air as I write this. The publisher has sent a box filled with BEDBUG BOOK PKGS. for those who have requested signed copies.

Interest is high, and today, in the space of an hour or two, I received 10 emails! Some letters were from people who had asked me to put their names on the SIGNED COPIES LIST and who were confirming their interest; other emails were from those who saw the announcement at Facebook and who wanted to know how they could obtain their own BEDBUG BOOK PKGSs.

* The publisher has indicated that the Bedbug book may be available FOR SALE ONLINE either tomorrow or the day after.

Bedbug is Almost Here!

A little BEDBUG is coming . . . just in time for Christmas!

* Keep checking back because I'll be posting updates.

Looking for the perfect kids' stocking stuffer? Grab the little BOOK and the BUG in the BAG! 

Pre-orders: contact: thesleepybedbug@gmail.com

Making Money Online: Have You Joined Xomba Yet?

Today marks the start of a new series of articles, entitled, Making Money Online. I will be taking a look at a number of writing opportunities and giving the real goods on same. Readers of this blog know I don't waste time with questionable opportunities, schemes or scams. At Write and Earn a Living, I share what I have done to make money online.

In line with that, The first article to kick off this series is Making Money Online: Have You Joined Xomba Yet? I will discuss Xomba and why I feel it offers one of the best ways to make money online.

Making Money Online: Have You Joined Xomba Yet?
Xomba is a newer kid out of the block, having only been around for a couple of years. If your schedule is full, this is one site you want to make time for.

• Xomba allows you to create short 50-word blurbs pointing to your own pages or pointing to good pages/sites across the Internet.
• Xomba also allows you to create bites, short 150-word articles, which you can use to send traffic to your other pages.

Basically you earn on blurbs (called Xomblurbs) and bites (called Xombites). Making money online has gotten so much easier with this blurb/bite format. Even those pressed for time can create shorter blurbs/articles.

• Not only do you earn from the Xomba site itself, but when readers click on your article links and visit your other monetized pages, you earn again.
• You also earn on your referrals.
  

To sum up, you join Xomba for free, it's not time-consuming--you work at it when you want and where you want--and via four earning channels can make a significant amount of money online.

* For writers who have already created a number of online articles Xomba is the ideal way to drive traffic to these articles and earn a higher amount.

* For newer writers, Xomba allows you to point to other sites and to write short articles. What a great way to make money online!

I see many opportunities come and go--and many of them I would not recommend because, for the most part, they are time-wasters. For all of us trying to make a living online, our time is better spent creating good quality articles at legitimate sites, over chasing every "make money online 'opportunity'" that comes down the pike.

However, that said, I recommend Xomba. There's real potential for those who are willing to submit content on a regular basis. Whether you create blurbs or bites--or both, you earn ongoing monthly royalties by joining Xomba.

Further Reading
Most Excellent Reasons for Joining Xomba