Helium, Part 2

There are too many things I really don't like, about Helium.

For one, I don't like that I can't edit my articles. I realize you don't get to edit newspaper or magazine articles either... but it's just annoying.

I don't care for the whole "ratings game," either. In order to earn, you have to rate articles. I can see the point of that-- to a degree-- but it sets up the site to be "internally sourced." What I mean is... where is the traffic from search engines? Besides... the site really doesn't "make sense." I mean, who exactly is going to be interested in reading 43 articles on the same topic? It seems a bit weird, to me.

Then there's the inflexible titles. I can't just write about things I want to write about... on Helium, you have to write to a writing prompt. It feels very "high school," to me.

I just don't think I have it in me to write a bunch of prose about things I am really not that interested in. I've been on Helium since late 2007, and my enthusiasm is definitely waning.

Helium, Part 1

Nothing is "easy."

I now have about 25 articles posted to the Helium site, but I don't really get the impression that anyone ever looks at them... or at least not enough people that it's ever going to turn into a revenue stream of any significance.

I was enthusiastic for a while, somewhat spurred on by posts in the "Success Stories" area of the Helium user forums, where some people were reporting making "quite a bit." But-- in retrospect-- they were relentlessly entering "contests" and some seemed to have over 1000 articles posted. I just don't feel like I have the ability to write that much.

For the most part, I don't even know were they get the time.

As I continue examining my efforts, it seems increasingly evident that I am far more (or perhaps "too" is a better word) concerned with creating really high quality content than most online writers. I struggle with this feeling that these "high volume" writers are producing (what feels to me) like pretty mediocre work, and yet they are considered by many as being "among the BEST."

Of course, I must publicly confess that I have struggled with perfectionism, for about as long as I have lived. I'm almost 40 years into my writing "career" and I have NEVER received a rejection slip on account of my work "not being up to our writing standards." Lots of other reasons, but not that one. And I do know lots of writers who are primarily rejected because their work is crap.

Something to think about.

Monthly Report: April 2008

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel."
~Steve Furtick

I have always related to the above quote because it reminds me of the way we compare ourselves to-- and typically fall short of-- other people's success stories. We learn about "writing online for money" and then read about someone who has monetized their blog to the tune of $10,000.00 a month and we go "oh wow!"

I've already been doing this gig for about 10 years, and whereas these grand result may be true... they are only true for 1-in-50,000 who start down this road.

Most almost all writers' results are more modest negligible.

And for that same reason, they stop.

"Well, I thought at least I'd be able to make $1,000 a month!" they say, at the end of their 6th month of making $8.77.

Anyway, this being "The Lazy Writer's Blog," I thought I would start publishing candid monthly updates, neither hiding anything nor "exaggerating,"

You know, "just the facts, ma'am."

So, without further ado, the results from the month of April 2008 were as follows:

Ad revenue from Google Adsense: $0.59.

No, I'm being dead serious, here. This is the sum total from last month. I guess there's no place to go but "up," from here. Stay tuned for future reports!

Of course, as I start expanding my horizons and writing on other "revenue sites," those will be added in.