More Paid Blogging Tales

Got my first opp from the new Socialspark and I'm so relieved. Payperpost upgraded and I never received an offer from them again. My IZEA opps mostly come from Inpostlinks now. I still got good opps from Socialspark, but quite sporadically. I thought that with the leads and whatnot, the new version would go down the same road as Payperpost. Anyway, with the new Socialspark, you get to submit your post first before publishing it. They actually do the publishing for you, so I'm not sure if it simplifies things or not. It's a different way to do it anyway. With Loudlaunch, they have to approve it first before you publish it (you do the publishing yourself). I guess, that's better than publishing and then being told that the post wasn't up to par. Hope to get more opps from Socialspark!

Update on My WAH Life

Super busy. Still have to do my Christmas shopping. Need to really start making good money from home. Thinking of a good business, something that would bring in as much income for me as working outside the home would. In blogging news, corrected my submitted URL at Sponsored Reviews (surprise! surprise! mere www changes everything Page Rank-wise) and have been getting quite good opps from there... Anyway, sorry for the telegram-style sentences... Off to church! Christmas party tonight!

Promotional Posts

Being approached by marketers to help them in promoting certain websites or products makes me feel important, lol. Now, there have been those who offered me cash to do so (this type is my favorite kind, of course, hee), while others offer something (a freebie, discount or giveaway prize) to me or my readers, which usually indicates the possibility of better traffic. I don't always agree to partner with these marketers. I only pick the ones that interest me. And then there are also those who offer nothing. They just ask you to review their site or product without promising anything in return. It's just like this favor you're doing for them. In this case, I remind myself that I'm really busy writing a novel (unless it's for a cause I believe in - like the Fresh Air Fund - or I personally know them, in which case, I'm always willing to help out a friend). That's not to say that I haven't written some promotional piece in the past without compensation of any sort, because I actually have, in the naive hope of getting some real business from them at a later time. Now, I know better.

Not a Good Time in My WAH Life

Would you believe that I actually tried to fast yesterday? I guess I wanted to be more discerning of what God was telling me. Also, I just really needed (need) to have a spirit-triumphs-over-flesh experience. So anyway, it clearly didn't happen. The thing is, there is this opportunity to work outside the home - something that I mostly don't want to do and the work is not something I'd enjoy doing, but, oh, the money... It pays really, really well and well, I think I just made it sound as though I really shouldn't take the opportunity... There's no point to this post. I just need to let this out...

Page Rank Troubles

Sigh. I had some trouble with one of the paid post programs I subscribe to. They assigned me an opp and then rejected my post on account of my blog's 0 page rank. There was some confusion as to my blog's actual page rank. The change had not registered in their system in time. It had to do with getting my own domain, aargh. Sometimes I really regret doing that. Anyway, I'm working on boosting Spinning Lovely Days' page rank. I want those opps!

Speaking of moneymaking, I'm bidding on this project that involves ghostwriting an ebook. The application process is quite long with the competition quite stiff, I believe. The compensation is quite sizable, so it's all worth the hassle. I hope I get the assignment.

Less WAH, More Parenting

I need to spend less time on the computer. First, I need the time to work on Marguerite's birthday details. Second, I need to spend more time being totally present with her. I have two reviews to do for my other blog. No money in exchange, just freebies. That's better than just being approached willy-nilly for a review and being promised nothing in return. Anyway, I told them after Marguerite's birthday.

Also, absolutely no connection, but I'm just going to rant about people who are pressuring me to spank my child. They think they have such a great argument. I happen to still be witnessing (and battling)the less than desirable effects of their discipline philosophy, so no thanks. And this, coming from people who do not even believe that parents should say "sorry", "please" and "thank you" to their children.

Trying Out Prize Live

Okay. As you know, I'm doing MyLot but the money there is slow going unless you do the writing tasks and as I've said before, I'm done with that until further notice. Entrecard came up with Atokens, but when I signed up, I couldn't really see myself earning much there. We'll see though. They might do some changes to the system to improve it. In the meantime, I'm trying out Prize Live. It just struck me as easier and more interactive. Also more fun. You can go check it out for yourselves.

I Can't Write for Demand Studios

How's this for dumb? I hear about Demand Studios. I hurry to sign up for it. I accomplish the online form, attaching necessary writing samples, résumé and URL links (for which I took time to pick, edit, and update). I get to the writing authorization part and choose "None of the above". I click "submit" and am told that they do not accept my kind of writing authorization. I guess you have to be from the US, Canada, or UK to be eligible. I wish I had seen that note somewhere before I went ahead and wasted all that effort. Argh. Even my argh is weary. The energy intended for it had gone to all that signing up trouble.

Writing Woes

Jobs have been slow going lately. Mostly because I haven't been seeking them out. I better snap out of this. I need to get back in my Odesk streak. I really just haven't been checking. I guess I found it frustrating, to check everyday and not find anything that I thought to be priced well. Also, the ones I bothered applying for all expired. I would have preferred for them to just have gone with another provider instead of to have expired. With the former, at least my efforts would have been worth the while since there was an actual job... Anyway, in the meantime, I continue writing my novelette, which is seriously going nowhere fast. All those dialogues and the plot still not perceivable (it's already formed in my mind though). Sigh. At least, I like working on that.

Again, on Fortitude

I just had another piece published in Fortitude, but unfortunately it didn't make it to the Front Page. Oh well, the Front Page streak (durr, if you can call two articles a streak, lol) had to be broken sometime. Anyway, it still gets a dollar, I retain copyrights, and I can republish it somewhere else... Go check it out if you have time: You Know You're a Homemaking Newbie If You Won't Stop Yapping About That Half-burnt Bread.

OXIS Is the Premiere Provider of Ergothioneine

In this world fraught with contaminants and toxins, keeping healthy is really an uphill climb. Everyday we deal with harmful substances in seemingly innocuous objects. No matter what you do, you cannot escape them. They are everywhere. It does not do to live a very paranoid lifestyle either. That would just suck all the joy out of living. How do you go about things then? Like in most cases, balance is the key. Go ahead and live your life, but do so with enough consciousness for your health. Invest in your well-being, but do not let it be an obsession.

Businesses know that health is a persistent concern and they endeavor to come up with products that will provide answers and solutions. A company that stands out for its innovations in the field of health and medicine is OXIS International, Inc. (See http://www.oxis.com).For half a century, it has been consistent in its efforts to address various health issues. Currently, they have produced a line-up of goods that includes therapeutic nutraceutical products, cosmeceutical products, and proprietary formulations and clinical products. Now is the time more than ever to invest in OXIS, even in terms of penny stocks. OXIS is at the top of its game as the premiere provider for Ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. It targets oxidative stress, which happens when the generation of free radicals and ROS/RNS goes past the body's natural defense mechanisms and damages the body's vital molecules causing cell dysfunction and cell death. Ergothioneine has the ability to neutralize increased oxidative stress. It also supports the function of other antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and glutathione by conserving and maintaining their levels. Besides these, it also increases respiration and the oxidation of fat; protect mitochondria from damage, etc. When it comes to the matter of aging, OXIS products are known to have anti-aging properties.

How Are Things at Elance?

As you know, I've been doing Odesk for quite some time now. Things are rather slow for me at the moment, so I'm thinking about branching out. I'm also signed up with Elance, but have not taken the tests and whatnots. I just didn't want to go through that again to be eligible. However, if somebody would tell me that Elance has better jobs or something to that effect, I'll definitely consider tapping into it. Or is there another site that offers the same service. In general, however, I'm competing against other freelancers who charge much less than I do, so -- oh well, I'm not about to lower my rate just yet.

Bukisa Articles

Hey, listen. Here are my articles on Bukisa. Please show me some love and read them, so they'll start earning more than a few measly cents.

Ten Tips to Tap into the Artist Within

Tips on Diminishing Bouts of Forgetfulness

Achieving the Ultimate Chocolate Experience

Btw, if you have articles there, let me know. Maybe we can connect there and support each other. :)

Pointless Writing

I'm writing a story. I suppose it's a novella. Scratch that. I'm writing a series of really funny, witty dialogues. My intention was for them to lead to a certain point. As of now, the actual point is still missing, which makes the endeavor... I wouldn't exactly call it pointless, but close. The thing is I've already spent a lot of time on it and I don't want to just give it up. And what I've got so far is really funny (according to me), so since I tend to be attached to funny things, well, this work (if it can be called that) is not to be abandoned. I guess what I'm trying to say is I need to sit my tush down and come up with a writing process that works for me, that has me generating actual publishable drivel and not just a bunch of silly dialogues that may have myself and my sister in stitches, but are essentially POINTLESS. Gah, WAHMIvy, go get some actual work done!

Not Very Productive

Hmmm, some issues:

No work from Odesk - not really diligently applying, but I'm used to being approached for interviews by buyers (er, contractors now, I think)

No paid post opps coming my way... hate this. Just when I'm doing something to boost traffic...

Some nice available tasks on MyLot, but I'm a little leery because the task provider rejected something I had submitted in the past for no good reason... I mean it - NO GOOD REASON. It might just turn out to be a waste of time again.

Submitted something new at Bukisa... I don't know why... the last article I'd sent earned exactly 8 cents in the number of months it has been up.

I'm working on a story and I haven't completely figured out the plot yet. I can't seem to stop coming up with dialogues though. I've written so much pointless dialogue that the thing is the length of an entire story now... except the plot is still absent...

Sometimes, the WAH life really sucks.

Venting

I ignore this blog for months on end only to come back and vent. Really. The nerve of some clients. It's my usual freelance sob stuff. Demanding clients who breathe down your neck in the course of the assignment suddenly become absentee, totally elusive ones when the time comes for payment. Of course, it doesn't do to burn bridges, so short of hounding them, you just patiently "follow up" on the status of the assignment. Ah, the work at home life...

To Bid or Not to Bid

Jobs are a little slow at the moment... Okay, the reason they're slow is because I haven't been bidding at all. One of my clients promised work for me and I didn't want to bid on jobs in case that one started and I suddenly found myself with an overfilled plate. Anyway, there's some money coming in from paid blog posts and whatnots. I really should start joining discussions in MyLot again. I have about $3 with them and I won't be able to reach payout until I earn at least $10. The same with dNeero. I have about $14 with them and unless they start with the paid convos again, I won't be able to reach payout with them either. Honestly though? I just want to write stories. Why can't I earn regularly from that?

About the March Madness

Okay, here's another dNeero conversation for you. It's all about the March Madness. I'm not rabid about it, but I do follow when I can. Right now, I suppose I'm rooting for Syracuse, mainly because I have former students who go there now. Honestly, I like watching basketball, but I try not to care too much since I have the potential to get as crazy as the hardcore basketball fans out there.

dNeero's Back!

Remember when dNeero had a conversation for you to join all the time? And then suddenly they vanished into thin air? I think they're making a comeback. Here's their first convo in like forever. Uh, I didn't get to check if it was worth anything. Anyhoo, I'm just glad the convos are coming back. More please!

Another Day in the Life of This WAHM

The sky is dark. Looks like rain. That's why the ants are going berserk again.

Just submitted a writing assignment. New client. Hope it passes muster.

Was able to chat with the publisher of the anthologies my stories were included in. She asked me if I had a fantasy love story. I can make one. First time though. I've never written a fantasy story before. It's not really my genre. It'll probably be fun though.

I'm praying for something. Really fervently. If it's not meant to be, I'm sure God has something better in store. Hope I remember that in case I find myself overwhelmed by the clouds of disappointment. Ah life.