How to Earn Regular Income Writing for Associated Content

I've recently started attempting to work full-time for Associated Content after being here for over two years. I'm learning as I go, but I'm finding that there is a lot of valuable information I can share with other writers who want to know how it's going and whether or not the same thing would work for them. Here are the top ten most important things I've learned so far.

1.) Know your specific financial goals. Just thinking, "I want to make money on AC." can become frustrating over time, because there will always be someone making more money than you. Don't compare yourself to others, have your own goals for how much you want to make. When you meet your first goal, create your next one, and so on.

2.) Also, know that reaching those goals is not an exact science when it comes to writing for Associated Content, so give yourself a little wiggle room. For example, I decided that I wanted to try to reach the goal of making $300.00 from this website alone during the month of March. So far, I'm on track, not even counting a performance payment. But if I make a little less or a little more, so be it. I see a lot of people and new sources on the forums asking others exactly how to make money here. There is no "exact" formula for anyone, that's why so many get discouraged in the beginning and quit. You have to be willing to put the work in to discover what works for you!

3.) Learn what earns you money instead of focusing on what earns for others. I looked back over my library of articles in the "My Content" section of my home profile. I saw what articles had earned me an average of three to four dollars for the upfront fee. I started experimenting by writing three articles a day in the categories that had earned me roughly that in the past. My goal this month is to write 21 articles per week. It sounds overwhelming. But I'm finding that it's far easier than I initially thought. This is what you will have to do as well. Some focus on health articles or beauty. Others do product reviews or opinion articles. Everyone is different.

4.) If you're not passionate about something, don't write about it. It's not about racking your brain for ideas; it's all about sharing what you already know. In my case, that's travel writing, product reviews, and anything having to do with film or television. That works for me because it's what I love and I want to help people in those areas. You have to find what works for you. Don't try to be something you're not or your writing will slow down and your monetary goals will be tougher to reach.

5.) Do submit for upfront payment review and know the submission guidelines for what will be accepted. I used to just publish for performance pays, this is still a viable option if I have an opinion article lying around that I don't have a home for. But don't waste your time submitting for upfront payment if you don't know the rules of doing so. Learn about AC's length requirements, rules, and policies. Your time as a work-at-home writer is valuable, use it wisely by knowing the rules.

6.) Ask for help and try to improve yourself. Email other Content Producers (or sources) with specific questions, not just, "How do I make money?" That question is too individual for anyone else to be able to answer for you. I visit the forums to learn about what works for others and read advice of people who are successful here at Associated Content. It's sort of like in grade school when people used to say, "If you are thinking of a question, chances are, so is someone else." So don't be shy about asking. Also, I've recently started visiting other writer's profiles who write a high volume of articles or who have a clout level of 10 or an awards badge. You have to learn from those who are successful. Is it their tenacity? Is it that they write every day, choose popular topics, or have high quality writing? Perhaps it's a combination of all of the above. You have to learn what makes this site tick in order to spin it into a working income for yourself.

7.) Answer calls for content. Even if that's from time to time and not every day. Follow the instructions of your "assignment" and that's guaranteed money. Too many people ignore this option, I ignored it for almost a year thinking that I didn't want to do what everyone else was doing. But if you want to be rebellious, do it with your content, not your behavior on the site. This is the wrong place to be if you hate structure, because at AC the structure works in your favor.

8.) Look at everything as a chance to write an article. If I visit a new restaurant, try a new product, or want to share something with people, I turn it into an article. I often think to myself in life, "I wish somebody would've told me that." Now I can be that person, telling people what to try, what to avoid, where they might enjoy a meal, or what hotels to avoid. AC is a naturally great place for anyone who wants to help others! Making money is the side-effect. If writing or helping people is your calling in life, then AC will be a great fit for you and a good place to make a decent income. If it feels tedious to you or you don't enjoy writing, then it might be best to seek outside employment. Working at home has to be something you are passionate about, otherwise, it won't matter how much money you "could" make, because you need to be self-motivated.

9.) Remember, AC as a service doesn't owe you anything. Writing for a living and writing for Associated Content is just like any other job, it requires hard work, long hours, and quality efforts. There are no short-cuts, easy answers, or low-effort formulas. It's not magic, it's a job! I used to get so discouraged so easily here. Now instead of feeling sorry for myself for not making thousands of dollars a month, I put in the work, and what do you know...it makes a big difference in the money I earn!

10.) Be kind to your AC community. If you want to offer constructive criticism, consider doing it in the form of a message, not a comment. Criticism is good, but being rude or crude to other writers here can end up isolating you. Remember, performance views are important. You should treat other writers with respect, whether you agree with them or not. Just like in the real world, the internet is all about networking. So try not to burn any virtual bridges.