The Keyword Academy

I frequent many writer forums across the Internet, and time and time again I noticed successful writers and Internet markets referring The Keyword Academy as an excellent and invaluable resource for online writers. When I discovered they were offering the first month free, I decided to check it out. What could it hurt? If I didn't like it or didn't find it useful, I would cancel after the first month.

After being a member for only 3 short days, I finally see why this resource has been so heavily recommended. The videos alone are worth the full month price. I've long known that I was no good at SEO, but now I know why. And thankfully, the videos are teaching me how to do it right! Keyword selection is crucial. Although I've used the Google Keyword Tool in the past to find high paying keywords, I never knew how to effectively use it to my advantage. The Keyword Academy teaches you a specific formula to help you find the high paying keywords and teaches you how to know which ones are more likely to be successful.

I've learned more about SEO, Keyword research and passive income in the past three days than I have in the past year alone. This is truly the resource I have been searching for all along! I can't wait to see what possibilities will open to me when I start implementing these methods!

If you're an online writer who writes for content sites, or an Internet marketer running niche sites, then you need to check out the Keyword Academy! The first month is free, with each month after that only $33. I promise you won't regret it. :-)

Suite Changes

Suite 101 recently made some changes to its contributing writers program. I was pleasantly surprised to find out 1) the 10 article quota has been done away with and 2) the restriction on voice has been removed.

What does this mean for the Suite 101 writer?

For those of us who write for Suite 101, we no longer have to figure out how many articles we've written over the last 12 weeks or worry about being fired due to not writing. This is good news for those who wish to diversify and work on some other writing site besides Suite 101, yet still retain writing privileges for Suite. I was getting tired of trying to figure out when I needed to have my articles done by and then rushing to complete them. The new rules will make the articles I do decide to write of better quality since I won't be pressed for time.

In the past, all articles for Suite 101 had to be written in the third person. Now, the use of second, and even first, person is allowed. This will make some articles flow much better since inserting the words 'he or she' all the time can make an article read awkwardly. Some writers, who previously struggled with writing in third person, might find they are able to write more articles at a faster pace than was possible before.

All in all, I think the new changes are good for writers and for Suite. I'll probably end up writing more articles there simply because I like to use the word 'you'!

What do you think of the new changes to Suite 101? How do you will it affect your writing and productivity on the site?

Helpful Resources for Freelance Writers

Here are some of my favorite books and resources for the freelance writer.

Writer's Digest - This magazine is a staple for writers everywhere. I look forward to my issue each month, and the articles get devoured almost as soon as it's out of the mailbox! The magazine is not only a wonderful source of inspiration, but it motivates me as well. Whenever I finish reading it, I feel compelled to sit down and write. Not to mention the invaluable tips and insights from accomplished authors that are included in every issue. If you don't currently subscribe to this magazine, I highly recommend you do so!

Writer's Market - This is perhaps one of the most invaluable resource for writers everywhere. For the freelance writer hoping to break into print and online publications, it provides a listing of all the bigger open markets as well as submission guidelines, pay and tips on getting published. Be sure to get the current year's edition, as submission guidelines and markets are constantly changing.

The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters - For those new to the world of querying online and print publications, this book shows you how effectively write queries that grab the editor's attention and land you the job.

Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing - Learn how to write magazine articles. This guide gives tips and suggestions on how to write one from initial research to final copy.

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments - I love this author's down-to-earth writing style! Learn how to make it as a freelance writer in today's world, written by a seasoned pro with published clips in the 'Big Ones' like Good Housekeeping.

June and July Earnings Update

I'm back! The past two months have been unusually busy with the birth of our beautiful daughter. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to update, write or even get online! Now that our family is adjusting to life with a new baby, I finally have time (during naps!) to update my readers on my earnings and writing goals.

Here are the stats for June:

Suite 101- $14.83
eHow- $9.42
Adsense- $1.56
Amazon- $1.92

Total= $27.73

June was definitely a lower than average month. I added no new articles during this month.

Here are the stats for July, which was a much better month:

Suite 101- $24.27
eHow- $20.38
Adsense- $1.56
Amazon- $1.12

Total= $47.33

I'm not sure what caused such a huge difference in earnings on Suite 101 and eHow, but I'm hoping the good trend continues.

During the month of June, I also wrote 28 articles for Demand Studios. Considering my daughter was born on the 26th, and I stopped writing a week before she was born, I think I did pretty good.

Because of the lack of articles currently available in my preferred subject (gardening) on DS, I'm not sure I will be able to write as much for them in August. I'd like to try writing in different subject areas and see if there is anything I can replace it with. So, my goal for DS in August is to just write a few articles.

Due to the earnings increase, I would like to write a few more articles on Suite 101 for August. I'd like to get to 100 by Thanksgiving (I currently have 60). Since these articles are so easy to write, I don't think I'll have any problems reaching that goal.

How did you do in the months of June and July? Did you meet your goals? What are your plans for August?