For the last few weeks I’ve been slugging through code on my blogs. I have made a resolution to try and make the majority of my living from my blogs, as opposed to freelance writing clients. Easier said than done, of course, but I have talked to many freelancers who are making this work. You know how some people talk smack about making big bucks and you just can’t believe them no matter how hard you try? I’m not talking about those folks. I’m talking about people that are making a realistic living (few thousand a month) from their blogs.

Now when I say from their blogs I don’t mean a blog like the one you are currently reading! While I enjoy writing here, it’s not my money maker. I mean blogs that provide valuable info, tips, etc. Besides this blog, I have about four or five other ones. Some are new and as a result I haven’t formally rolled them out yet. Others I’m trying to clean up and make them a serious contender for “big bucks. Working Writers falls into the latter category.

Ironically, I almost sold Working Writers a few months ago. I’m so glad I didn’t. At the time I was swamped with work and thought that if I couldn’t update it as often as I wanted to, I should just sell it. But then I realized that it gives me a lot in return, so maybe I should dump a few of these writing gigs that keep me busy and don’t pay as much, and focus on my blogs instead. I’ve been on that path ever since.

You know how sometimes you are obsessed with an idea, and then you meet someone that inspires you or helps you figure out an issue? Call it the power of The Secret or kismet or whatever else. That kind of thing happened when I bumped into a writer who really encouraged me with my blog. She said she regularly reads it and didn’t want me to sell it. She encouraged me to take a break from it (as much as I ever do take a break) in order to get some distance, and so for a few weeks this summer I didn’t post daily jobs. I kept the regular articles going, however. In the meantime, I re-evaluated my schedule, and decided to make Working Writers a part of my daily work instead of just cramming it into “my free time.” You know? I’ve been on this path ever since and did tons of reading, learning, and talking with bloggers about what works for them. I really believe that when you’re on a certain path you meet people that help you figure it all out. I also interviewed a writer I have huge amounts of respect for, Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. She said she makes $3,000 a month from her blogs realistically. She talks about how, and just in listening to her I knew that with a few tweaks I could do the same. (I gush about her all the time because I adore her writing, and now she’s given me inspiration on the blogging front as well. She’s probably sick of how much I gush. I can’t help myself.)

However, you’ll remember that one of the first interviews I did was with popular blogger Yaro Starak, who now makes six figures from his blogs. I used some of his techniques a year ago, and instantly saw things turn around on my blog with income and readership. He knows what he’s talking about. The long lesson in all this is that the knowledge is out there if you want to apply it.

Back to the site. Working Writers began as a blogger site where I really just wanted to post some tidbits I knew from making my living as a freelancer. Doesn’t every freelancer have a writing blog? I know of at least twenty that do. That’s okay. My advice is to read what everyone has to say and then make the right decisions for you. At the time I started the site I had also just completed a virtual tour for one of my books, and was amazed at how many other writers helped me. Working Writers was a way that I could help give back to these kind folks who went out of their way to help me. Even today, writer interviews are a huge part of the site. Currently we have about 180 of them.

About a year ago, I moved the site from blogger to WordPress, and got serious about posting there regularly. I have about 1,000 posts to date that range from writing tips, guest posts, interviews, jobs, and news. For the last year, I’ve posted almost everyday, and sometimes as often as three times a day. My hope is to provide helpful information on everything from finding freelance writing clients to working with an editor to getting a book deal. Readership has steadily grown on Working Writers, and currently it’s my most popular blog. (It even overtook my Dating Blog, which is older and gets crazy good numbers!) I used to contact PR people and authors to try and get interviews and giveaways, and now they contact me.

Even with the growth of the site, it has remained a place where I can chat with writers of every age and in every walk of life. The more I interview writers, the more I learn. The interviews have also included agents, voice talent people, book PR folks, and more.

So what’s new over at Working Writers? I mentioned the slugging through code thing, and one thing is different (more relevant) ads and ad placement. There are two schools of thought on ads. Some writers feel that they are too good for ads, while others feel they are a part of doing business. It should be obvious which sect I fall into. I’m not bothered by ads (except for those darn pop ups – they bug the living crap out of me! I don’t have pop ups on my blogs, btw). But ads that are relevant to the things people are searching for? Sure. There are other ways to make money from blogs, of course, like ebooks and consulting work. But ads are a large part of revenue for every major site on the web, so why not for writer’s blogs? One thing that is new is better ad placement and variety of ad sources.

The other thing I did was clean up the bottom area of the site. It used to contain ads and other mishmosh. Now it looks like this:

Now, there are links to (hopefully) more helpful things rather than misc whatnot that no one is interested in. I also cleaned up the side bar area, which used to be a haven for writer’s ads, promo pieces, etc. Now, there is a large box with “what we’re chatting about” so people can see at a glance some of the more popular topics. There’s also a category button at the top right and along the top of the site to easily pick out articles. The search is great for that as well. The “latest” posts show up on the front, and the rotating “feature” box allows you to take a look at some of the popular posts from the last several months.

My intent with all these changes is to improve the site while still keeping in line with the steady growth Working Writers has seen since its inception. I hope you’ll check it out, and by all means let me know if you have any suggestions.

Ami at Muse Ink was kind enough to interview me for her fabulous blog. She asked me some very well-thought out questions. I always feel like the best interviews are the ones that really make you think, and she certainly did that! Of course it didn’t hurt that she featured a picture of my Packer tree. (She had me at hello there.)

Ami also did something very unique, in that she blogged about an interview I did with her for my Working Writers blog. While many writers mention it (and I’m always very thankful when they do!) she broke down the interview as a way to inform and teach her readers. In fact, I found myself learning a thing or two just by her critique.

Thanks again to Ami, and I hope you’ll all click over and visit Muse Ink!