Don't Overthink!

The best way that I can describe overthinking is; your brain freezes.  You want to write an article about a subject that you are quite knowledgeable, but the words won't come and the fingers can't type.  I published an article on Xomba (one of my favorite writing sites by the way).  Take a look at my Overthinking Your Writing article and maybe the words will come easy for you too.
If you would like to earn a residual income by writing online, join Xomba now!

'Red' Adair

 I submitted an article to Bukisa and it was published just a few hours later.  I was quite surprised.  Usually the editorial review takes 24 - 48 hours.  That was a pleasant surprise.  The article profiles the life of Red Adair; oil well capper and firefighter.  You can join Bukisa to earn residual income.

Demand Studios Bio

Three weeks have passed but I finally received my email from Demand Studios advising that my bio has been approved and I can start writing.  Woohoo!  I'm apprehensive though because their requirements are so demanding.  I'm going to do it anyway.  You know, give it a shot.  So what if my article gets rejected or returned for a rewrite.

Demand Studios Bio

I took the plunge and submitted a bio for Demand Studios.  I did that 4 days ago and still haven't heard back from them.  I'm not surprised tho.  DS requires a bio written in the third person.  OK, I did that.  But they want your journalistic credentials and education.  Hah!  I don't have any!  So now I'm waiting for the email rejecting my bio.  I hope they include suggestions and perhaps a rewrite.  I know I'm in good company though.  One eHow turned DS member asked, tongue in cheek, should I include the year that I got my GED!

Demand Studios

I received my follow-up email from Demand Studios with my transition info.  I haven't logged in yet but I've been following comments written by eHow members who made the switch.  It seems that Demand Studios' practices are the same as eHow.  As one eHow member (RossTheBoss) so eloquently put it when comparing both sites, and I quote:  "It's hard to tell which pile of crap is higher, and both smell the same when you're standing on them."  If you would like to read more by RossTheBoss, here is one of my favorite articles...How To Bring Back Happiness.  I'll post again after I get set up on Demand Studios.

The Big Bang

As you probably know by now, there have been some big changes on eHow.  The parent company, Demand Media, has instituted a new writing platform for eHow.  It isn't actually new, DM has always had another writing site called Demand Studios.  To write for DS you have to be accepted.  They want accomplished writers, they want a resume, they want to see examples of your work.  It's like applying for a writing job.  DM has now adopted those same requirements for eHow.  If you don't meet those requirements, you can't write for eHow anymore.  Some eHow members were automatically accepted to write for DS, some were not but they can apply.  I was automatically accepted.  I haven't received my transition info yet, the email that I received told me that I was accepted and that I should wait for a follow-up email.
I need to brush up on sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and all that sort of thing.  DS only accepts articles that are written in AP style.  (Associated Press).  The AP Stylebook is the bible for this type of writing.
I'm going to miss all my eHow forum friends.  They helped me so much, and made me laugh out loud!
If you are looking for new places to write to earn money, here is a referral link for BUKISA.
And here is a referral for XOMBA.   
I hope to see you there!!!
 

Who's In Control?

eHow is now completely out of control.  They're taking members copyrighted photos, resizing them then linking them to another members' article.  The worst part is when they resize they're cropping off the copyright watermark.  It's gotten so bad that Julie (the Community Manager) posted the name and address of eHow's legal team and suggested that we contact them directly.  Maybe eHow should have contacted their legal team before they started messing around with removing copyright information.