Interview with Amy Brantley, Popular CP and Foodie

Amy Brantley is one of the most prolific and talented writers for Associated Content. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and part-time college student who makes her living writing for AC. She writes about many topics ranging from gift guides to creative recipes and cooking tips. She's not only an excellent writer and teacher but she's a sweet southern girl with a humble personality and a unique point of view. I was privileged to interview her and here's what she had to say about her interests and articles.

Q: Your profile says that you're in college. What is your ultimate career goal?

Amy: I want to either become a full-time writer or teach Literature courses.

Q: How did you find AC and what was your original intent in writing for the site?

Amy: I found AC through a work-at-home website. I wanted to find a place where I could have a flexible schedule and make enough money to work-from-home while attending college.

Q: You've been a CP for a year now, on June 29^th. Happy Anniversary! Do you feel like your writing has evolved since you began? Is there a difference in how you approach writing for AC now? Has AC changed much in the last year?

Amy: Oh good Lord yes. My first articles are an embarrassment. I don't know how I ever got published. Now I approach writing with a different attitude. I brainstorm my article first and I have a set schedule. There have been a lot of changes on AC in the past year. Most of them have been really good changes though.

Q: You've had a lot of jobs you describe as unpleasant and have written about the myths and fallacies associated with them, i.e. "Grocery Store Myths: Are You Really Saving Money?" How has AC affected your life, employment-wise? Do you still have to work at other jobs on top of college and AC?

Amy: AC has allowed me to do what I've always wanted to do and that's work from home. I am able to make a living working from AC and thankfully don't have any other jobs.

Q: Many of your articles are how-to and instructional. What do you hope to teach your readers?

Amy: I hope to teach my readers what I know. What I mean by that is, I want people who are interested in the same things I am to learn something new. Whether they learn a new cooking technique or a new way to use a household item they already have, I want them to learn something useful

Q: What have been some of your most popular and/or controversial articles/topics?

Amy: Believe it or not, an article I did about virtual pet websites has been extremely popular. Another popular article was a comparison of Tide and Gain laundry detergents. But, one article I wrote got a lot of negative attention. I wrote an article about why people shouldn't buy breast implants. I wish I'd never written it.

Q: Are your articles based on your own experience and first hand knowledge or do you do a lot of research?

Amy: 99% of my articles are based on what I know. I don't like to do research. It takes too long and that cuts into the amount of articles I can get done each day.

Q: You write about food a lot and are a self-described foodie. You have written about growing up in a family that loved to cook. Could you share a couple of family memories that fueled your passion for cooking?

Amy: I remember my great grandmother cooking fried chicken, biscuits, and gravy every Sunday. That was a wonderful tradition. The whole family would gather and enjoy a delicious meal. I also remember my mom and Granny cooking huge meals for the holidays. They would start days, sometimes a weeks, in advance. Thanksgiving and Christmas were always a huge deal in our family.

Q: What's your favorite meal to cook and/or eat?

Amy: I love to cook two meals. I love to cook chicken casserole and a turkey dinner with all the fixings because those are both meals that my boyfriend loves. As a Southern girl, one of the things I enjoy most about cooking is seeing people enjoy my food. Plus these are both delicious meals.

Q: What is your favorite cookbook?

Amy: I can't really pick one, but I love Paula Deen and have all of her cookbooks.

Q: Do you have a favorite cooking show or TV chef?

Amy: I have two actually. I love Paula Deen and Alton Brown.

Q: One of my favorite articles of yours was "Creative Uses for Pudding." Could you tell us how you get your ideas?

Amy: I consider myself to be a very creative person. I brainstorm and sometimes ideas just hit me. Other times I think about different products and how I use them.

Q: You're also an animal lover and have the sweetest dog, Precious. Is she an inspiration for some of your work?

Amy: Yes, Precious has been an inspiration for many of my articles. When I wrote the article "How to Care for a Dog Diagnosed with Breast Cancer" I wanted to help people deal with this condition should their dog ever get breast cancer like Precious did. After writing that article I realized that many pet owners didn't realize the diseases and conditions dogs could get so I then followed up with the article "Diseases in Dogs that Are Similar to Those Found in Humans."

Q: You write a lot of articles updating readers about the Harry Potter series, such as the "How To Throw a Harry Potter Theme Party." Are you a HP fan? What else do you enjoy reading?

Amy: I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. I enjoy reading a variety of different genres. One of my favorite series is by Jan Karon and called The Mitford Years. I also enjoy reading cookbooks and coming up with my own ideas for recipes.

Q: You also write a lot of articles about how to give unique gifts, such as "Gifts for Jimmy Neutron Fans." How do you come up with these ideas? Maybe we should just read your article, "How to Write a Successful Gift Guide," but let's hear it from you in the interview.

Amy: I've always been passionate about picking out the best gift, but many of my gift guide ideas come from topics that I enjoy. For example, I'm a Jimmy Neutron fan. I also think about topics that my friends and family enjoy and think about the gifts I would buy them.

Q: Amy, you're so prolific, how and when do you find the time to write all of your articles?

Amy: As I mentioned above, I do this as my only job, so that means I write for AC 5 days a week. I have a set schedule so that I always have time to write articles. A schedule is essential if you want to write for AC full-time. Working at home can lead to procrastination, so a schedule is important to keep you on track.

Q: Finally, please give all of us CP producers your advice. How do we get better offers, more page views and keep fresh and inspired?

Amy: For better offers I suggest choosing popular keywords and making sure there are enough of them throughout your article. Also write about seasonal events 1-2 months before they take place. Many people are shocked that I get around 2,000 page views a day, especially when I tell them my promotion strategy. All I do is bookmark my articles on Digg and Netscape and I also make sure to read other people's content and comment on it. I receive most of my page views from CPs. If I see someone commenting on several of my articles, I subscribe to their content and do the same. CPs should be aware that this does take around 5 hours each week, but it's worth it. To stay fresh and inspired, I schedule breaks into my day. I write 3 articles take a break, write three more and take lunch, etc. If you try to write 10 articles at once you will get burnt out. I also take two days off to let my brain rest.

Thanks for the interview and the advice Amy. It's part of the AC spirit that CP's support, learn, and teach each other in our freelance careers. Amy Brantley is a great example of how to accomplish this with class.