Sunday, August 19, 2012

Getting Closer To Catching Riley

*Sigh*. No, I'm not yet close to getting my music out yet, but a way to become financially independent is. Well, one good thing is that I do have a publishing contract for a series. My first book will be out in October. Instead of endlessly searching for things to do to make money, I have focused on three things:
  • Writing(my publisher+ Kindle, Smashwords and other websites like them)
  • Teaching(online)
  • Crowdfunding
 So, I am hoping by the end of next month to be debt free, and therefore able to purchase the software and equipment I need to get my music online and heard by millions of people. So, you will hear from me once more this month, and will hear the final verdict next month. Will I have caught Riley? Will I finally be able to just wake up every day and work at home? Stay tuned and find out....

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Riley Update

Well, trying to raise the money on our own is taking a long time, so we've decided to try crowdfunding to get the equipment that we need. I've read a lot of stories in my local newspaper about people having success with it, so I believe crowdfunding will get us there faster.
Still working on my contracted books, and books for Kindle and other platforms. I'm trying to teach myself to write fast, but distractions are everywhere and it's hard to focus. If I want to reach my goal this year, I must try harder, and I will.
Then, I am also trying other ways to earn money, but as I said it is slow. I hope to make a breakthrough this month so I can finally relax and do what I've always wanted to do. So, since I'm so busy, I can't promise another post in June. I'll post once a month to let you know of my progress. I'm getting closer to catching Riley, I can feel it!

Monday, April 09, 2012

One Step Closer To Riley.....

There is so much confusion about earning money online. That is why people scream scams and don't believe that you can make anything on the Internet. Those people are wrong. I have made money online, not enough to quit my  j.o.b. but,  I have a plan to get me past the first step on to the next. What is my plan?   Kindle Publishing. I've read a lot about it, have made a little money with it, but there are so many things I need(music supplies and equipment) not to mention the basics. I've listened to at least six if not more Kindle publishing webinars. I've read ebooks, and listened to a video course. So this month I'm finally putting this plan into action. If I succeed, then I will be one step closer to Riley. Will I be the next Amanda Hocking? I don't know, maybe. I'm not that silly to think I could achieve that within a month. All I'm looking for is some financial relief and that's nowhere near what Amanda Hocking has. I'll let you know in May....and then, when I make it,  I will reach for the stars.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

New Years Resolutions

Okay! It's been a few years since I've started this blog, and although I have not yet caught Riley, I am one step closer to doing it. I've had one success last year, and that is I have found a publisher that will publish three of my books. One this year, two next year.
Even though that is part of my dream coming true, it still does not allow me to just work from home, and all(as far as I know) digital publishers do not give advances, just royalties. The debt I spoke on in earlier posts is still there. It's gone way down since then, though, but it is not gone like I want it to be. So I've found a few ways to make money, but it's very slow going.
One thing I want to duplicate, that I know would get rid of all the debt, is publishing on Kindle. I have twenty titles on there now, and only six are consistently selling. None of them are fiction titles, though. So, right now I am working on writing fiction for Kindle. It would be nice to reach the success that Amanda Hocking has, but even if I have just a fraction of her success now, that would mean I would be at least debt free.
So! In the next three months, this is what I want to accomplish:
1. Become debt free
2. Have enough money to quit my day job
3. Make a consistent $5,000+ a month
4.Jump Start My Music Career
My plan is just to write, write, write until the following is accomplished. If John Locke can sell a million books in just five months, I figure I can do at least have as good as he did when I put some effort into it. I do have
another trick up my sleeve that will help get rid of the burden of debt, but I will only mention it in April when I will report the results of my New Years' resolution.
As for music, it still all boils down to getting software. I'm kind of afraid to use other peoples "free" royalty free music, or public domain music. I did a video for Youtube, and I get an email from them saying that the song I used belonged to some company! I didn't dispute it, but I checked the song on my hard drive. The person who gave me the music called it 'PLR' or something like that, and said that I could put my name on it
and use it as I wished. So, I am going to have to buy my royalty free music and I just don't have the cash now. So, this plan has got to work for my New Years' Resolutions to come true.
As I continually say, I will try to post at least once a month, so at least let you know I am still actively working.
3.