If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know that we talk off and on about the huge potential income stream you have at your fingertips… you and what you know.

With the state of the economy at the moment, or even if it wasn’t so scary, you always have the means of making a living online for yourself. This resource depends on no man (or woman) but yourself. It’s you, your keyboard, your thoughts, your knowledge, your willingness to be your own boss and work for yourself.

Let me digress for just a moment to remind you about some of the reasons why I’m revisiting this money making idea for you (trust me it’s worth the reminder):

o Everyone, even if you think I’m not talking to you, knows something about something. Plain and simple, you do know much more than you might give yourself credit for… be it a hobby, family life, society, gaming, a specific talent (work related, artistically inclined), what have you. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning or even know how to tie your own shoes. So give yourself a break, and give your brain credit for knowing about something.

o As stated in that previous “how to make money online” post, you might remember that the average reading level online ranges from the 4th to 9th grade. So, even an elementary to junior high student can be a freelance writer online. Don’t you feel a bit foolish thinking you can’t be?

o What most people lack is a step by step plan for making it happen. That was solved also in our previous post, and we have more resources for you in just a moment.

It also might be discipline that’s holding you back. You do have to really want to make money online to make it happen. You can’t just wish it were so; it doesn’t work like that.

You have to map out a plan to write - anything from small reports to full-fledging training manuals to novels and novelettes. Fact or fiction, your choice, but you must do it.

Remember above about the reading level? Of course if you’re striving to be the next Stephen King you might think, “Well this won’t work for me!” But you would be wrong.

Have you ever tried to get a publishing house interested in your work? I have. I wrote two really great children’s books only to be turned down. I was astonished, they were really good. But, I didn’t have an agent or the financial means to pursue it further. They sit dusty on a shelf somewhere to this day (I hope, I haven’t been able to locate them since our last move ).

However, nowadays anyone can be an author and make money from their work. Unless you are brand new to internet marketing, you’re sure to have heard about Clickbank - maybe you’re even an existing affiliate of it?

Well for $49.95 you can set yourself up with your very own Merchant Account with Clickbank. And the reason why you would do this is very simple:

Here’s an excerpt from Clickbank For Authors (this resource is free):

… provide a book that is of interest to potentially hundreds of affiliate marketers that already sell products within the book’s topic area. Once affiliate marketers have chosen your book, they become your sales force. They talk about your book, promote it and drive people to your Web site.

I think this is a modest statement. They say hundreds, I’m sure Clickbank has thousands (or more) people willing to promote your product (your book) for you. Clickbank is huge! Affiliate storefronts like ProfitMart and others exist. Stores filled with general to specialty items - all websites already online pulling in information from Clickbank’s databases.

Your sales force is ready made.

Here’s another excerpt from another (also free) help manual at Clickbank called, Clickbank Blog To Book:

Writers, even the most successful, have difficulties and control issues with agents and publishers. Clickbank provides you total control over your work.

Going the traditional publishing route can take 12 to 24 months… With Clickbank you get your book in front of buyers as soon as you are done writing it… The faster it gets to market, the faster you can earn money.”

There are a few factors Clickbank may or may not cover that you are going to need. after you finish that work of art:

o  A sales page (fancy isn’t necessary) for your new sales force (those Clickbank affiliates) to send other people to to read about your book, report, manual… and - of course - buy it!

o  A book cover or some type of graphic should also be on your agenda - the saying “a picture sells a thousand words” is true. Make your own or hire a (inexpensive but good) graphics artist to make one for you. They also sell software that creates ebook covers, and

o  Space to upload your sales page, graphics, and of course the book itself for downloading after the pay is a necessity. You will need a domain name and a hosting account (cost if you shop around $10 for the name for the year and $20/month to host). Don’t go to cheap on the hosting or it will be more work than it’s worth. Look for hosting with a solid cpanel (or you can come on over to Whole Hog Blogs and kill two birds with one stone).

At this point, you’re of one of two minds:

1)  I can do this! or
2)  Geez that sounds like a lot of work.

If you fall into the second category consider that if you’re going to stick around trying to find that right money making venture (read other people’s products) you will end up spending tens times over what all the above can do for you (most likely more). It could also mean that you just don’t have what it takes to make money online.

Does that second statement sound cruel? It’s not. Some people really are not cut out to be online. Their perception of what’s possible is totally distorted - and that’s not entirely their fault (but being gullible isn’t a smart thing either).

With jobs getting more scarce almost by the hour, it’s time to think creatively.The only person in this world you can depend on is yourself.

Follow the links in this post and check out your options! Put your talents to work for you, you may never look back!

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Comments, Questions, Feedback? Commenting is a great free marketing resource for yourself, plus we’d love to hear from you! So please comment!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 at 9:34 am and is filed under Freelance, Other Strategies, Publishing, Recommendations, Writing, internet marketing, making money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.