Associated Content:
Associated Content is a well respected site for writers to publish content on virtually any topic they choose. I have been searching for a new site to submit content to that I can share knowledge on just about any subject. I'm always looking to diversify my residual income, and this will give me a chance to write about other subjects I'm interested in. I am able to write on any topic on Infobarrel and Xomba, but the earnings are based on Google ad clicks which come and go.
Upfront Payments and Residual Income:
I need a site such as Associated Content where I know my efforts will be rewarded no matter how small the earnings may be. They offer upfront payments for approved articles, and then $1.50 per 1,000 page views as an ongoing royalty. Upfront payments can range anywhere from $2 to $15 per approved article.
The residual income seems low but it will be consistent and I will be guaranteed to receive an upfront payment. I have a feeling the upfront payment will give me the motivation I need to create new content outside of my usual residual income sites. The Examiner used to be good for an initial boost in income, but now when I create a new article I'm lucky if my earnings spike by $1.
Most Writers Seem Pleased With Their Earnings at Associated Content:
I checked out some other bloggers who write for Associated Content, and most of them are pretty pleased with their results. They seem to agree that the residual income is low, yet reliable. For instance, Melanie at Howtonotworkathome is consistently earnings about $.15 per article per month on about 150 articles. Your earnings potential also increases with the amount of articles you write and their success level. Depending on your success, your clout level will rise and Associated Content will offer you higher upfront payments for new content.
Share Your Success Story:
It seems like a winner, and I am excited to add it to my residual income opportunities. I'll be sure to update as soon as I see some results. For you current Associated Content writers, on average how many views does each of your articles get per month? Feel free to share your success stories and tips for increasing page views.
January 2010 Earnings:
Earnings for the eighth month of The Residual Income Challenge were down to extremely low levels. I really lost focus the second half of the month as I worked over time at work nearly every day. Because of this, the amount of total hours spent writing for the month was the lowest ever. None of this is a good enough excuse since my motto is "doing a little bit of something is better than nothing". I needed to average $9.79 per day in residual income to stay on pace, but I only managed to earn exactly $1.03 per day. That's a big difference of $8.79 per day, or $272.49 for the entire month.
January Vs. December:
For the month of January, I earned $31.93. This now takes the place of November as my worst month of residual income. eHow earnings failed to keep pace with my increase in articles. I increased my article base by about 30% over the past two months, but my earnings have stayed at the same level. Examiner earnings also took a huge dive, but I only wrote 2 new articles in January.
Current Residual Income Opportunities:
I haven't added any new opportunities lately. I definitely need to get on this. For my next opportunity, I want to find a place that I can write about anything without it being stock market related or how to related. I might check out Bukisa or Associated Content next. If you have any suggestions or thoughts on these sites please let me know.
Residual Income Breakdown:
Like I said, my residual income was extremely low for the month. eHow is the only site that seemed to maintain, but it was low considering I have increased my article base significantly. I have written 5 of the 10 articles I planned to write on Infobarrel. My blog was the biggest surprise this month as it earned $1.87 even with my recent neglect.
Here is a breakdown of my January 2010 earnings:
The Examiner: $13.91 (97 Articles)
eHow: $14.51 (47 Articles)
Xomba: $1.52 (83 Xomblurbs, 1 Xombyte)
Residual Income Challenge Blog: $1.87
FireHow: $0.12 (3 Articles)
Total: $31.93
February Goals:
To get back on track! I only spent about 8.5 hours writing last month which is far below my average; and 1/3 the amount of time I should be spending. I need to start writing a couple of articles at The Examiner each week. I don't think the residual income is great there, but I do think it gives great back links to my other articles on other sites. This month I will finish my 10 articles at Infobarrel, write consistently at The Examiner, add a few eHow articles, and find a new writing site to write about other things.
December 2009 Earnings:
Earnings for the seventh month for The Residual Income Challenge picked up from last month. Especially considering the amount of time I put into writing this month. I was so busy with holiday shopping and visiting with family members that I found it very hard to fit in writing time. Anyway, I needed to average $7.46 per day in residual income to stay on pace, but I only earned $1.87 per day. That's a difference of a $5.59 per day, or $173.29 for the month.
December Vs. November:
For the month of December, I earned $58.06. It falls somewhere in between the other months. Not my worst month, and definitely not my best month. eHow earnings fell off a cliff the last two weeks of the month. Not sure if it is a seasonal thing, or the fact that most of my articles deal with the stock market, or maybe eHow is behind on updating earnings.
Current Residual Income Opportunities:
Once again I was unable to add any additional residual income opportunities this month, but I will definitely be on that so I can meet one of my 2010 goals of 20 consistent residual income sources. I still have 16 ways of making residual income online.
Residual Income Breakdown:
My residual income was average for just about every source for the month, but one source sticks out like a sore thumb. I have 1 article on Infobarrel, and that 1 article earned $6.36 for the month of December. To put that in perspective, this 1 article accounted for 11% of my total December residual income. That is pretty exciting, and you can bet I will be shifting my focus to Infobarrel. I have had a writing idea that will allow me to create 10 articles on Infobarrel, but I have been putting it off. Enough of the procrastination, I plan to finish these 10 articles by the end of January.
Here is a breakdown of my December earnings:
The Examiner: $33.77 (95 Articles)
eHow: $15.22 (45 Articles)
Infobarrel: $6.36 (1 Article)
Xomba: $1.52 (82 Xomblurbs, 1 Xombyte)
Residual Income Challenge Blog: $1.00
FireHow: $0.17 (3 Articles)
RedGage: $0.02 (25 Uploads)
Total: $58.06
Daily Earnings Chart:
Here is a chart of my daily earnings for the month of December. This chart is much different than all of the other months. The earnings spike at the start of the month was huge, and then earnings slowly trailed off for the rest of the month. The $7 day can be attributed to one of my eHow articles that earned over $5 in 1 day. The earnings swings were huge this month, and they dipped quite frequently below the $1 level. My goal all along has been to continue to build a higher earnings base. 
2009 Monthly Residual Income Chart:
The next chart is a chart of my 2009 monthly residual income plotted against the monthly hours I spent writing. It's clear there was a correlation to the amount of time I spent writing each month to the amount of residual income I earned. The good news is I cut my writing time in half in November and December but my earnings didn't drop by an equal amount. Either way, I'm trying to get rid of the correlation which is the whole idea of residual income.
January Goals:
My goal to start the 2010 year is to increase the amount of time I spend writing. I need to get back up to writing for 25-30 hours per month. My main focus this month will be to add new eHow articles and finish the 10 Infobarrel articles that I have been brushing to the side. In addition, I will focus on making my 2010 New Years' resolutions and goals a reality.
Happy New Year!
It's a new year and a new decade to make money online. Over the holidays I have been sidetracked and have hardly been able to contribute to my residual income challenge. There was so much going on and so many family members to visit with, not to mention I turned 25 on Christmas Day. Now that we are entering a new year, I thought I would create some new year's resolutions and goals for the 2010 year.
2010 Residual Income Challenge Goals:
1) To author 200 eHow articles. (Currently have 45 articles)
2) To receive consistent monthly residual income from 20 different websites.
3) To make The Residual Income Challenge a significant earnings source for the challenge.
4) To spend a minimum of 30 hours per month writing new content.
These goals should be realistic and attainable for the 2010 year. I just have to keep focused and chip away at it day by day. The most challenging goal may be making this blog a significant source of residual income. Who knows, maybe this year it will take off and new writers will follow my lead. I try my best to provide new and unique information for writers seeking residual income online.
What Are Your Goals?
What are some of your goals and resolutions for the 2010 year? I would love to hear them and follow your progress. If you haven't thought about it, sit down and think about what you need to do to make your residual income goals happen this year. Cheers to a new year and higher residual income!
The Power of 1 eHow Article:
One eHow article has the power to pay off a substantial amount of credit card debt over the years. For those of you who are trying to write and earn residual income to help pay off debt, this article should help you get motivated. I'm always trying to find ways to justify my writing online. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to sit down and writing an eHow article for an hour knowing it will only earn you a penny or two per day.
eHow Earnings Have a Huge Impact on Credit Card Debt:
Most people would agree that for each eHow article you write, you can expect to earn $0.30 - $1.00 per month, $3.60-$12.00 for the year. If you use this money to pay off credit card debt, then the benefit you get per article increases substantially. As long as your article stays up on eHow, the residual income can have a significant impact on your credit card debt.
Residual Income Pays Off in the Long Run:
For example, assume you have a $1,000 balance on a credit card with a 15% interest rate. Also assume that you save up your eHow earnings all year and apply it towards this balance. If your article averages $0.50 per month or $6.00 per year, then you would earn $30 over 5 years, and $60 in 10 years. Yes, that 1 article you write today could earn $60 over a 10 year period. That's a nice hourly rate! 
1 eHow Article Can Save you $140 in 10 Years:
Now consider if you applied this $6.00 per year to a credit card with a 15% interest rate. After 5 years you would have paid $45 towards principal and finance charges. After 10 years you would have paid $140 towards principal and interest for just writing 1 eHow article! Now just imagine how much principal and interest you could pay off with 100 or even 200 eHow articles.
November Earnings:
The sixth month for The Residual Income Challenge not only failed to meet the daily profit goal, it was my lowest full month of earnings ever. I needed to average $5.47 per day in residual income to stay on pace, but I only earned $1.44 per day. That's a difference of a $4.03 per day, or $120.90 for the month.
November Vs. October
For the month of November, I earned $43.12. That is a 41% drop from the month of October. October was my highest residual income month so far, but a 41% drop is still huge. Let's hope November was just a bad month, and things get back on track.
Current Residual Income Opportunities
Unfortunately I was unable to add any additional residual income opportunities this month, but I have quite a few in mind that I still want to try out. So, as of now I still have 16 ways of making residual income online.
Residual Income Breakdown:
My residual income from various sources was weak across the board except for this blog. Examiner earnings were weak, eHow earnings were about average, and the rest of my sources earned a few pennies. My blog however, really stepped up this month and made a significant contribution to my total residual income for the month. The Residual Income Challenge made $2.63 which represented 6% of my total income for the month and was a staggering 574% gain over October's earnings. I don't think that trend will continue though, because I had one huge earnings day off of just 1 click.
Here is a breakdown of my November earnings:
The Examiner: $24.69 (89 Articles)
eHow: $15.63 (39 Articles)
Residual Income Challenge Blog: $2.63
RedGage: $0.06 (25 Uploads)
FireHow: $0.11 (2 Article)
Total: $43.12
What's With the Low Earnings?
For the month of November, I was very busy at work and I wasn't able to create as much new content as I wanted. It's obvious my Examiner earnings are what really dragged down my residual income from the month. I only created 8 new Examiner articles, when I normally average at least 20 each month.
Daily Earnings Chart
Here is a chart of my daily earnings for the month of November. Nothing too interesting to note this time; except that the spike in earnings continues to come around the middle of the month. It's very possible eHow gets backed up at the beginning of the month and then pays several days worth of earnings towards the middle of the month. Other than that, the chart looks kind of depressing as the daily earnings hovered near the $1 level whereas the earnings in October gravitated towards the $2 level.
December Goal
Examiner earnings have started to come back around the past week or two so I will keep writing as usual. My main goal for this month is to create about 10 new eHow articles. I have about 30 on reserve that I just need to start writing. I did an eHow poll in November, and the results indicated that members who have a couple hundred eHow articles tend to earn more per article than those who have less than 100. Very interest results, so quite simply my plan is to build my way to 200 eHow articles as soon as possible.
