I currently write for about five blogs, some more frequently than others, and get paid in different ways for my efforts.

On the blogs that I own outright, I generally use advertising like Google AdSense to generate revenue whenever someone clicks on an advert.

Effectively, I’m revenue-sharing with Google. I’m also (generally) earning more based upon traffic and writing levels. It’s often the case that the more you put in, and the more traffic you attract, the better the generated revenue will be.

On the other hand, I also write for another blog where I am paid a fixed sum of money each month, in return for an agreed number of posts.

With this fixed-fee model, it doesn’t matter how much traffic my articles generate, or how many times those visitors click through – I get paid the same.

I know some people that work on a combination of these – they’ll get paid a certain monthly rate, plus a share of any revenue that ads bring in.

So which is best?

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Are you planning to blog professionally?

Then beware of the following curses:

• Being half-hearted
• Having a part-time attitude
• Getting distracted by anything and everything else that looks interesting
• Procrastination
• Lack of motivation
• Apathy
• Loss of passion, drive and determination to succeed

These are just a handful of afflictions that can be waiting around every corner to trip the unwary ‘just-turned-pro’.

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It’s been a tough week with some highlights that have stopped me going totally mad.

Life

Last week we finally got around to planting some flowers in our front garden (after wrestling with a particularly vicious, spiky plant). The seeds are already shooting, showing yet again the miracle that is nature in Spring time.

Death

Sadly, one of our cats died this week. She probably had a stroke and her body stopped behaving properly. We’re still feeling quite sad about this – she was lovely companion, always loving human attention.

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Just as I’m writing about aspiring to full-time blogging, the Taorist (who has a site in the Blue Fish Network) has written about failing at problogging.

I can understand where he’s coming from.

What the aspiring pro-blogger has to juggle with:

1. Holding down a full-time job, and continuing to work ethically and responsibly for your employer.
2. Finding time to research your niches, write competently and professionally, manage and promote your blogs.
3. Maintain quality time with your family and friends, and keeping involved with activities away from the computer.

It’s not an easy path to take.

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Take a look over to the right of this post, and in the sidebar you’ll see Problogger Percentage and then a figure.

As I write this, it’s set at 26%.

That means that I am currently earning 26% of what I need in order to be a full-time problogger (online journalist, as I like to call myself)

Until last week I was probably at about 2-3%, but then I landed a writing job at HDTV.

This is all very good, but I’m reaching a plateau in terms of the time I can devote to writing. Any more and the quality of my writing will suffer.

So, am I stuck?

Well, yes and no.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, it’s version three of Andy Merrett Online, and I hope you’ll find it interesting, informative and useful.

I’ll be covering my journey towards problogging, talking about the Internet, life, news, current affairs, technology, ethics, writing, and whatever else crosses my mind, along the way.

I hope you’ll sign up and follow my journey.

Some would say this is a complete long-shot, but I find that if you never ask, you never get. I’m asking…

Turbo charge your blog!

Do you want to accelerate your blog’s growth and income potential?

Do you want to dedicate significant time and effort to your project:

• writing quality content;
• interacting with visitors;
• handling spam;
• maintaining all technical aspects of your software;

but don’t have the resources?

Do you want your blog to become the definitive place on the web for your niche?

Hire your own professional online journalist and technical consultant for a year

Imagine what your blog would look like in just 12 months’ time, after receiving the following treatment:

• 15-20 quality posts every business day (that’s 300-400 per month) on your niche subjects: news, reviews, opinion, discussion starters, humour� from reliable online and offline information sources.
• Courteous, professional, timely interaction with your readers.
• Legitimate, ethical online marketing and promotion in search engines and directories.
• Compete management and maintenance of your blog software and server, including version upgrades, plugins, custom coding, spam prevention.
• Advice and implementation of monetisation strategy.
• Fast client communication and turnaround of requests and problems.

One year contract � flat-rate fee: you keep all advertising revenue.

Why Hire Andy? Summary of Qualifications

• Worked for over 10 years in IT and administration roles.
• Excellent working knowledge of web and database technologies:
  • MySQL / PHP / XHTML / CSS
  • MS SQL Server 2000
  • Blogging platforms including WordPress, Typepad
  • Apache server
  • Photoshop
• Experience in revenue-generation services including
  • Google AdSense
  • Amazon
  • Affiliate programs
• Online writing experience includes
  • Editor, HDTV blog (Shiny Media)
  • Owner/Editor, Piano and Synth, Family Relationships
• Online technical experience
  • Owner and Senior Technical Consultant, Blue Fish Network
  • Designer, implementer, and webmaster of a number of company and organisational web sites

Areas of knowledge and interest

• Consumer technology, gadgets, Apple
• Music, instruments
• Computers, software, hardware, databases
• Media and communications
• Social issues
• Environmental issues
• Local interest
• Other? Let’s talk!

Rates

My fee for providing this service for one year is GBP £18,000 (approx US $33,000 at current* exchange rates), payable either immediately or monthly in arrears.

* at 5th May 2006

Why should I pay you that?

You get:

• A complete package:
  • technical support
  • guaranteed, consistent content
  • visitor interaction
  • marketing and promotion
• A massive post rate that (on a single blog) rivals giants like Engadget.
• A major boost in profile, visitors, and earnings potential, for an easy-to-budget flat fee.
• Guaranteed, consistent content for a whole year.

Can I vary the terms?

• The fee I have calculated is what I require in order to provide a full-time, professional service – this will not be reduced.
• Content and services may be split across more than one blog, if desired, up to a maximum of 3.
• Other aspects of the contract can be discussed as required.

When can you start?

Upon successfully securing a contract, I would be available to start within one calendar month, with goodwill pre-contract communication included.

I want to talk to you!

Great! Please send serious enquiries and offers to me via my contact form.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Andy Merrett