Lesson's Learned After My First Month on Associated Content

I think it is safe to assume that most content providers contributing to http://www.associatedcontent.com started out with high hopes of turning this writing gig into something a little more lucrative than it turns out it actually is. Not to worry my fellow dreamers. Like anything, it's all about perspective.

Before I stumbled on Associated Content's website, I spent months researching ways to make extra money from home. Like most people, I have a full time job and could use some extra money to supplement my income. The thought of standing at a drive through window and asking, "would you like fries with that" isn't exactly my idea of a fun time after I get off work from my other job.

Unfortunately, most of my research only served to prove the old adage, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Still, it seemed unbelievable to me that there wasn't some opportunity out there perfectly suited for my skills, most of which I've developed outside of learning institutions, long after I escaped the haunted walls of my high school hell existence. Who knew I would look back on those times as the good old days?

The reality is, in spite of all of my attempts to remain optimistic most of the opportunities online are indeed too good to be true. What Associated Content offers is a doorway to something more rewarding than money. Readership.

Most writers don't start writing to make money. In fact, if I remember correctly, my high school guidance counselor aggressively tried to talk me into having a backup plan should I persue a career as a writer. It never occurred to me that maybe she just thought I was a bad writer, and for all I know at the time, maybe I was. It was my first rejection as a writer, as far as I was concerned.

Over the years, I've honed my skills and become a better writer, but I've only had a very small audience of people who were pretty much required to lie to me to spare my feelings. What else are family and friends for? It wasn't until I started spewing my opinions on website message boards that anyone expressed any interest in my writing.

Associated Content has turned out to be a great place to fulfill the need for readership. One of my articles recently ran on the front page. My page views tripled quickly and I started receiving my first comments from other content providers.

When I saw the numbers, my first thought was not of dollar signs, but of the people that were reading what I wrote. I have no college education and I've managed to make a little bit of money as a writer, but more importantly, people are reading what I have to say. While it may not be financially lucrative at this stage of the game, it's personally rewarding and I learn something new every single day I log onto the website. The challenge here is figuring out what to write, and Associated Content's policy of reviewing all submissions, and not just calls for content, means the possibilities are endless.