Hi everyone,
Another well-known online resource bites the dust, with the closing of Themestream today. I guess writers should be getting used to it by now ... what with Inkspot and eBookNet falling recently.
But I don't think writers should see this as anything but a sign of better things to come. Themestream was a great place to share ideas and hone your writing skills (40,000 contributors couldn't be wrong). But there's plenty of other opportunities out there for enterprising writers.
Here's a few that spring to mind:
1. You can start your own web site.
This is the best way I know to take control of your e-destiny. Almost a year ago, I sign up for Ken Silver's Ezi-Site system and it has made an amazing difference to my ebusiness at
http://www.meanwellstore.com. I wasn't a stranger to Web sites, having built my own 54-page site from scratch a few years ago, but Ken's expertise and inbuilt features made it easy for me, and it's become the foundation for my present and future online. Check out this great system at
http://www.kensilver.com
If you want to put your toe in the water before investing in a Web site, simply sign up for a free Web site at
http://www.homestead.com. They offer a generous 16MB size and a range of online tools. Best of all, it's dead easy to build with the simple-to-use online editor. And, if you want to brand your site with your own domain name at a later stage, it's easy to redirect. This is a great site for those who want to put their toe in the water, without spending a fortune.
2. You can become a contributor for Suite101.com or About.com.
Both offer writer/editor positions for specific categories. Suite101 pays a monthly fee depending on how often you write for them. About gives you a percentage of revenues earned. You probably won't earn a fortunate to begin with, but both sites have a loyal following, so you should see solid traffic coming your way, which you can then direct to your own ebookstore or other sites that make you a profit.
3. You can get the best of all Web worlds.
Sign up for a Webseed Web site, as I did recently with
http://www.enterprisingwriter.com. I don't make anything out of telling you this, I just want to share with you what I have found. Webseed hosts more than 400 Web sites on a variety of subjects. They pay for the domain and the hosting fees, and they create easy-to-use templates so that you can get a professional-looking site up and running in no time. I got mine to a professional stage in a few hours.
In addition, you can sell your products, like ebooks, and they'll even split the advertising revenues they earn from sponsors. If you're interested, check out my site, and click on the Webseed link at the bottom of my home page.
Themestream was good for freelancers and ebook authors alike. It allowed all writers a chance to be heard and to earn a bit of money, if that was important to you. Most important to me, it opened my eyes to other online opportunities. I hope you see this as well, and act on it.
regards
Michael
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Michael Meanwell
michael@meanwellstore.com
Author of the e-books
~ 'The Enterprising Writer'
~ 'Writers on Writing'
~ 'Quote Unquote'
Download my ebooks at:
http://www.meanwellstore.com
Visit my new freelance writers resource:
http://www.enterprisingwriter.com
Visit my online eWriter and ePublisher Forum:
http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/72583