Figuring Out How Much Work

I've been working on my own writing projects lately without the benefit of private clients to boost my income. That may be about to change due to a drastic change in circumstances although it did get me thinking about things. I was wondering exactly how much work I'd have to do to earn a living now.

What I mean is how much work would I have to do for online writing venues such as Associated Content and Helium. Well, the answer was a bit surprising for me. It wasn't what I wanted to hear either. Lucky these two venues aren't the only sources of income I have or my family would starve at this point.

I figured the fixed amount of income that comes into my home against the expenses and other needs my family has to determine just how much work I would have to do. It took me a while since numbers sometimes escape me. Associated Content at the current clout level and rate that I generally receive when I manage to write an article that qualifies for the upfront payments was the first amount that I figured.

I decided that I would need a minimum of 30 articles per week accepted for upfront payments and I would have to promote at least four to five articles every day. The "pennies" from page views were not figured into the equation but they would have to go up a great deal. Even with an increase in earnings for page views, provided I was actively promoting my work that amount would be left for those tiny emergency items that come up from time to time.

My calculations for Helium put me writing anywhere from 75 to 100 articles per week for upfront payments. That was before the changes to the payment structure which made it into a competition for the possibility of being paid. Since the change there is not enough time in the day to write what I would have to write in order to survive. The ad share (money from ads on the page, views, etc) is the money that you don't count so that you have something to fall back on in an emergency. That is if you can remember to subtract from your earnings so that you leave it alone. Recent changes have seen ad revenue drop and there is no sign of it going back up without active promotion.

Keeping in mind these figures were initially to make me feel secure knowing that the lights stay on, food is on the table, and supplements are provided for my child they no longer make me feel as secure as they once did. They also leave out an important part of the equation. Therapy takes time away from working.

My little darling needs therapy. It also means that there are 91/2 hours a week that I don't work. That's not including the trips that take longer because we have to stop for groceries or other errands. I have around 8 hours a week of uninterrupted work time when the little angel is in pre-school. OK in those 8 hours I can write a lot if I do the laundry before she wakes up and use multiple tabs to work in during the day.

I have more than one window open right now to work. I also have to figure out what else I have to do to earn enough. I have an idea but I'm not really motivated to figure out the details right now. Tight deadlines alone with an Autistic toddler can be rather difficult to make.

There is more that I could put in but I'm leaving it out because it hasn't been figured out. When I do that's another article all together.