Is it worth it to write for other's blogs for a commission only?

[givitup]

Could you advise me on something. I've been reading Yaro's emails and
> blogs and one of the things he suggested was the blog networks. I
> looked up the 3 mentioned and ended up sending the following to
> Orble (actually I sent the same thing to b5.media, but haven't heard
> back from them.)
>
> Is this something I want to do? It doesn't seem like much money and
I'd
> really like my blogs to pay on their own, but maybe if I come up with
a
> new idea and use Orble it would be a learning experience (?)
>
> I never really found on their sites how to just list myself in their
> rings. One of the 3 recommended said they announce periodically
when
> they have openings. Anyway, when anyone has a minute - here is the correspondance. My application so to speak is below their reply:
>
> Hi Nancy,
>
> Thank you for your application. We all liked your blog and would be
> happy for you to write a blog with Orble as a commission blogger. We
> will purchase the Domain name for you hand set up your blog as well
as
> host it. On each blog we display pay-per-click advertising.
Everytime
> someone clicks on one of these ads the advertiser pays Orble an
amount
> which varies from 1 cent up to 50 cents or more. 50% of the revenue
> generated by your blog will be paid to you. The other half is spent
on
> our servers and support staff. As a commission blogger you will be
paid
> 50% of any revenue your blog generates. How much can you expect to
> make? Orble blogs make anything from 10 cents to $100 or more per
week
> with with an average of around $12 USD. The amount varies with the
> frequency of posting the subject of the blog, how entertaining or
> informative a writer is, along with a number of other factors. We
will
> provide all the training, help, and advice you require short of
actually
> writing your blog for you.
>
> The next step is to decide on a topic for your blog. All Orble blogs
> are based around a unifying theme. Having a blog which focuses on
> particular subject as opposed to a new topic every day or a "diary"
or
> "thought for the day" format makes it much easier to promote and
attract
> a regular readership. Do you have any specific hobbies or interests
you
> feel you could base a blog around? If you would like some help
choosing
> a topic let me know. Some topics also typically generate more
revenue
> than others the important factor being the existence of a competitive
> advertising market.
>
> Once you have chosen a topic you need to decide on a domain name for
> your blog. You can use www.telivo.com <http://www.telivo.com/> to
find
> a name which has not been
> registered yet. Once you have found one you like let me know and I
will
> register it for you and set up your blog.
>
> When choosing a domain name keep in mind that it helps if it contains
an
> appropriate keyword and reflects on the topic you are writing about.
> Also shorter domain names are generally preferable to longer ones and
> try not to use dashes.
>
> Let me know how you go with the Domain name. I lokk forwrad to
hearing
> from youi.
>
> Kind reagrds,
>
> Jasmine
>
> Orble Weblog Community
>
> On Topic Media PTY LTD
------------------------------------------------------------- My letter to them is next-

I already have one blog about the trials and adventures of
starting my
> > online store. I started it Jan. 1 and post at least 5 times a week
> > average. Below is a link to that blog to give you a sample of my
writing.
> > http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com
> <http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com/>
> >
> > I am also a contract writer for The Hickory Daily Record's
Business to
> > Business paper and have a monthly column in 2 other papers about
> > Parenting Long Distance (about my college age daughter and being
an
> > empty nester.)
> >
> > My idea for a 2nd blog I plan on starting (and feel if I get the
paid
> > position with you would get me to start sooner!) is from a
cookbook I
> > wrote and self-published when I first got married about 24 years
ago
> > called, "The Bride's Cookbook or Surviving the First Year" - tips
and
> > hints, little stories about my first attempts at entertaining and
of
> > course recipes.
> >
> > I look forward to hearing from you.
> > Sincerely,

>

[Yaro]

I have never heard of Orble so I can't comment on that, but to respond to your question about whether you want to blog for money - that all depends what you want from blogging?

What would you like to receive in return for writing on a regular basis to your blog?

Answer that question and the solutions become much easier.

[givitup]

I have never heard of Orble so I can't comment on that, but to respond to your question about whether you want to blog for money - that all depends what you want from blogging?

What would you like to receive in return for writing on a regular basis to your blog?

Answer that question and the solutions become much easier.
[/b]

I'm out of town and on my husband's laptop, so doing this without my folders/noters- but you were the one who suggested Orgle in the newsletters I've been getting over for the summer from you. It was in the one where you listed 3 to join - one was b something media.

My question really was when I got on this particular site, they didn't have just a submit your blog to our network section, but a pitch to have you write a blog and they would either pay you x amount of dollars per post or a commission.

So I sent them my blog plus the other 2 blog ideas I had - they came back to me with they all liked my blog and if I wanted to do one for me they'd set it up on their system and give a a commission - to me - it feels like they are telling people they will pay you to blog and then almost a switch and bait - offer me a commission (I'm sure from the ads they would put on it - and something I could do my self on blogger like the one I already have) - am I not seeing something? Do they provide so much traffic it would be worth it to put my blog on a system like that because the commission they would give me would most likely be more then getting all the AdSense, etc I could get myself on a blog that only gets a couple dozen hits a day?

Does that make sense?
Nancy
http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com

[Yaro]

Hi Nancy,

The three blog networks I mention in my newsletter are:

1. b5media
2. Weblogsinc
3. 9rules

I don't know anything about Orble, however what you describe sounds a bit like what b5media offer - a chunk of the money your blog generates using a 60/40 split (I think that was it - it may have changed).

When it comes to signing up for these kinds of deals you need to find out whether you get to keep ownership of your blog content or not so you know whether you can use your writing in other ways, including if you decide to leave the network.

The idea is the network provides the tools to blog and make money from it so you just focus on writing great content. In exchange for that service you loose some control over your content but you don't need to worry about hosting or blog software upgrades or testing advertising methods etc etc.

You also get the benefits of extra traffic coming from the other blogs in the network. This can be significant, it might not be. I think I described all this in my newsletter.

My blogs are part of 9rules.com. In exchange for helping them with exposure they help me with exposure. I can also participate in the community of 9rules. However there is no money or ownership exchange in that network. b5media and weblogsinc are different.

Can you actually refine your question a bit more? Are you asking whether you should join the network? If you are then again I ask what do you want from your blogging? Answering that questions can help you decide whether a blog network is a good way to go for you and which network is best.

[givitup]

Hi Nancy,

The three blog networks I mention in my newsletter are:

1. b5media
2. Weblogsinc
3. 9rules

I don't know anything about Orble, however what you describe sounds a bit like what b5media offer - a chunk of the money your blog generates using a 60/40 split (I think that was it - it may have changed).

When it comes to signing up for these kinds of deals you need to find out whether you get to keep ownership of your blog content or not so you know whether you can use your writing in other ways, including if you decide to leave the network.

The idea is the network provides the tools to blog and make money from it so you just focus on writing great content. In exchange for that service you loose some control over your content but you don't need to worry about hosting or blog software upgrades or testing advertising methods etc etc.

You also get the benefits of extra traffic coming from the other blogs in the network. This can be significant, it might not be. I think I described all this in my newsletter.

My blogs are part of 9rules.com. In exchange for helping them with exposure they help me with exposure. I can also participate in the community of 9rules. However there is no money or ownership exchange in that network. b5media and weblogsinc are different.

Can you actually refine your question a bit more? Are you asking whether you should join the network? If you are then again I ask what do you want from your blogging? Answering that questions can help you decide whether a blog network is a good way to go for you and which network is best.
[/b]

Hi Yaro,

Wow! I wish some of my local friends got back to me as fast as some one half way around the world does!

I am still out of town - on my husband's laptop - I don't like typing on laptops! - I wonder if somehow I got redirected to Orgle when I was looking around the 3 sites you mentioned.

I think you've answered my question - I have my blog on several networks - strictly for exposure - what had caught my eye on this one and caused my question was the "we will pay you to post".

I have seen other places on freelance sites looking for bloggers and wondered if that's what this is - but it seems they are pushing the we'll set you up, you write and we'll split ad revenue....in which case I think I'll keep plugging along and retain all rights myself...at least for now.

Thanks for all your help - I enjoy your newsletters a great deal! I even put one of your articles on my blog a couple weeks ago - giving you all the credit and contact info of course!

Nancy
http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com