Every Legitimate Paid and Reward Website I Know

I've been wanting to do a post like this for awhile and have honestly just procrastinated on doing it. This is mainly for people I know so I can give them one link instead of listing a bunch each time, but if you just happened upon this you're welcome to the information as well.

My qualifications for a legitimate site is 1) It's not a scam and 2) The reward or payment is worth the effort involved--some things are legal but a waste of your time when you could be doing something else.

Here is my list so far--if you have any questions about any of them, leave a comment and I'll try to answer it if I can.

First, the sites that will pay you through PayPal and/or Direct Deposit:

1. eHow.com--If you enjoy creating how-to articles, this site pays really well and has a very user-friendly format.
2. Helium.com--This is a paying website for articles of all types. Focus on contests and the marketplace sections first, since those tend to pay the most.
   
3. Hubpages.com--Create your own webpages and then sign up as an affiliate with Google Adsense, Amazon, and eBay. Input your affiliate IDs, and Hubpages displays ads with your information 50% of the time. It's a way of staring off with webpage design and earning through affiliates without paying anything out of pocket.
   
4. Blogger.com--You can use the same affiliate accounts you created for Hubpages for your blog, keeping 100% of the profits. Google Adsense has it's own selection box, and use the "Third-Party" box for Amazon and eBay.
5. Associated Content.com--I personally stick to non-exclusive rights (pays less, but you can make more money having an article on more than one website rather than only being able to have it on one), but they're overall a good site.
6. Gather.com--You can earn either gift cards or cash through PayPal through a points system. You get points for posting photos, articles, and possibly by giving comments and creating groups. (They don't share the exact formula--just that being active on the site will get you points.)
7. Lulu.com--This is a self-publishing website where you can create books, ebooks, and a lot of other items. You can cash you through PayPal with only $5 in sales.
8. Cafepress.com--With the right idea, you can make an income from this site with no out of pocket expense, using the free store option. If you have a blog, consider creating a store related to what you blog about.
   
9. Bukisa--This is a newer website, also for How-to articles. You can cash out through PayPal at $50. It's a great option if you have a lot of articles already written or plan to write a lot. There is also going to be a photo option, which as of the time of this article is not up yet.
10. PineCone Research--This is a great survey company to work with, but you have to do a search to find a link to get access to their application. I've worked with them for over 2 years now--I can't go into what we review, but if you come across them it's worth signing up.
    

Reward-Only Websites:

1. Writing.com--This website will mainly be of interest to writers. The site has a system called GPs (stands for gift points) that you can earn through reviewing people and winning writing contests and spend for reviews for yourself, buy raffle tickets for prizes, and use for merchandise in the site's store. It's a really fun website and has a great community--I've been with them for 2 years. You can see an example of my portfolio by clicking here.
   
2. Swagbucks.com--This website has evolved dramatically (for the better) since I first joined it. It's a reward-based search engine that gives you their version of currency (called Swagbucks) for searching with them. You can redeem swagbucks for everything from mp3 downloads to gift cards to video games. I personally focus on the $5 Amazon.com electronic gift cards for 45 Swagbucks each.
   
3. MyPoints.com--Just sticking to the surveys, opening e-mails (you have to click on a "Get Points" button within the e-mail), coupons for stuff you're going to buy anyway, and other things that don't cost you anything out of pocket, you can earn enough points for a $10 gift card every once in awhile. This one is kind of borderline on the "worthwhile" scale, but I can see someone doing well with it if they're more organized with coupons than me.

This is all I can think of at the moment--there are a few others that are potentially good, but I want to test them out prior to recommending them to other people. As with anything that seems good, be sure to check them out with the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org). I also have an article on eHow on avoiding work-at-home job scams by clicking here.

I hope all of the sites are able to help you. Best wishes to you!

Tricia

New Book Now Available

My latest book, The Web Writer, has now been released on Lulu.com. You can view it directly here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/2532341

Everything has been going great for me lately. I just celebrated my 100th article published on Ehow.com a few weeks ago and am shooting for 200 now. From a business standpoint I'm amazed by how much I've been able to get done the past few months. I'm looking forward to what's going to happen the rest of this year.

I've also recently joined Gather.com, which seems to be an interesting site so far. I like the layout of it, and the people are friendly. You can talk about anything on there, but I've been mainly hanging out in the money and politics sections.

Have a wonderful day! Take care,

Tricia

How I View the Business Side of Writing

Writing can be an art and a business, and I've been trying to improve my knowledge of both sides of it.

I was thinking the other day about highly-paid professions--take a doctor, for instance. They have to go to school for 8+ years past high school. Then after all of that effort, they get through their residency just to get swamped by huge student loans and malpractice insurance fees. It probably takes several more years to get that sorted out, not to mention the social pressures and built-up stress telling them they should have the big house and nice car immediately after they start practicing. Dave Ramsey calls it "Docitis."

The stereotypical vision most of us have of doctors playing golf all the time is probably far from the truth today. They have to keep working, or their income goes away. There's nothing wrong with sacrificing that much if that's a person's dream--eventually they do get out of debt and prosper by helping other people. I admire their determination.

I look at that in comparison to going into writing full-time professionally. I'm seriously thinking about it right now. I know it's still difficult, and I haven't been at this long enough to say, "See, I have this book deal and that published..." What I do know however is that the odds are in our favor today probably more than any other time in history.

Look at what the Internet has done and continues to do. People couldn't have imagined a site like this 20 or 30 years ago. We have nearly unlimited outlets and markets, and that is exciting to me. Just by the numbers alone, it's possible to find a niche. It's just a matter of just trying and gaining more knowledge about the industry.

Writing is one of those fun professions where if you do the work right once, you can get paid over and over again for that same work. Intellectual property is still property. You can't make a $100,000 yearly income magically appear from thin air, but you can use your imagination to earn it. People do it all the time, so we can't say it's impossible for us.

What some people don't understand is they don't have to be the smartest or the best writer out there. I keep noticing just from the shelves in bookstores that it's often the persistent writers that really are winning. A lot of writing is more about the heart and soul than just pure intellect. It was hard to get my mind around that at first, especially growing up in a school environment where IQ and SAT scores seem to determine your financial value in society if you're not a great athlete or auditioning for Hollywood.

People want knowledge, and they want to know that they're not alone in what they're facing in life. Most of us have something to offer in one area or the other.Don't let the fear of rejection keep you from trying. I get rejected hundreds of times a day and don't even know it--my husband and I own Internet businesses. We just don't get piled down with letters saying, "We like your products and services, but we do not have a need for them at this time..."

I'm just going to be flattered to have publishers at least spend 5 cents worth of paper and ink on me, lol! In the middle of a lot of rejection can come great sales. You never know that the next day will bring...

Plus look at our overhead as writers--a computer, printer, envelopes, postage--maybe a couple of hundred dollars worth of books to help improve the art side of things. Compare that to what it takes to be a doctor, starting a traditional business, or even just going to a 4-year college! I'm going a little longer than normal with this entry, but what I'm trying to say as a fellow writer is Don't Give Up! We're all unique, and we can all win in our own way.

Introduction

Half the world is on the wrong scent in the pursuit of happiness. They think it's in having and getting. On the contrary, it consists of giving and serving."--Henry Drummond.

In life, people have a choice when it comes to their circumstances--either to succomb to them or overcome them. I'm a living example that a "poor" kid can make it and find happiness in America--with education (inside and outside a classroom), mentorship from successful people, and a lot of help from God.

I'm a Christian, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a business owner, a college graduate, a writer, a broadcast camera operator, and a video editor--and I'm just beginning to realize how awesome life can be when I quit getting so wrapped up in me and start looking at ways I can help other people.

I want to use my writing to make a positive difference in an environment where the focus is too often on the negative. I want to share what got me out of poverty-level thinking as well as help people younger than me from making some of the mistakes I made. In short, I want to share with other people and have fun in the process.

Thank you for stopping by, and there will be more soon.