My First Year as a Content Producer

I have had the best experience with Associated Content during my first year as a content producer. My spirit is renewed with more page views than with any other previous blog or forum page that I have ever had. The best thing is getting paid.

At first, never expected to be paid for anything. Most websites pay-out only after 20,000 views, nearly impossible, unless it went viral. I have yet to get any paid for views from Metacafe which does not pay out unless the video has had at least 20,000 views. My "Bouncing Betty" added in November 2007, about two months ago, now has 17,789 hits. During the first year as a content producer, my initial debut, "Chinese New Year" has had over 6,000 page views and was never matched again for the rest of the year.

Overjoyed with the initial page views, my bolstered ego now also felt guilty for getting, as in the 1984 Dire Straights' rock classic, "money for nothing."

Before Associated Content, had to promote URL's using search engine submissions, but now don't have to because it's automatically done with Associated Content. If your news item has just been published, then able to google one's own news title and it will be the top hit - if sorted by date. The news article is promoted automatically by news readers, local browsers, or automatic news alerts, but the interest is short lived - unless it is entertainment news.

When I first earned money for writing entertainment news, I felt that I was part of the craparazzi. Then slowly began to have a better opinion of my work, only to be deflated again with the "Pearls Before Swine" newspaper cartoon where Rat says to Goat, "(blogging), provides their frustrated creator with the delusional outlet of being a published author. Sort of like how the prison warden lets the psychotic inmate scribble 'poetry' on the cell wall so he doesn't beat his bunkmate with a toilet seat."

This is true. I am a lot more calmer now writing for money instead of complaining to city hall. For some reason, it's more satisfying to get a monetary response from writing rather than a generic government form letter about how important my view point is with a xeroxed or stamped signature.

Although my total page views aren't huge at 30,000, it is enormously satisfying to look back at the numbers and learning what is popular and long lasting in page views versus short lived news. Longevity of articles pays out in page views over time.

On my first year anniversary with Associated Content I have seventy-six submissions of articles and videos. I would like to do more videos, but unable to with such a small limitation on file size at Associated Content.

I would much rather like to embed videos into AC written articles but unsure if it's still allowed. Perhaps the television writer's strike changed policy of embedded videos from My Space or You Tube.

ptosis, "Chinese New Year" Associated Content
ptosis, "Bouncing Betty" Metacafe
Stephan Pastis, "Pearls Before Swine" Comics