Yes, I do believe that The Niche Blogger by Amy Bass is a program that works. Although, I am the first to admit that I haven’t made far enough progress to really be able to give you all some hard numbers. I still have my writing business to think about and I already have some blogs that I need to tend to.

So for now, I find that I need to revise my plan on The Niche Blogger and not start any more blogs until I have my current lineup under control. I started all but one before I became a member of The Niche Blogger and I don’t see the value of adding more blogs to my workload until the ones I DO have become profitable.

My revised plan is to sort of adapt the process and the method to include the blogs I already have. The subjects are too broad to be “niche” but they are in topics that have other benefits to my writing career. My food blogs give me credibility as a food writer. My Rebel Dieter blog is all about my weight loss journey. Stewards of the Earth is my blog about green living. I’ll be adding these links to my sidebar as soon as I have them set up to my standards.

My eating habits were terrible yesterday and I really felt it.  My energy level and concentration were both poor. I’ve been on a high protein diet because of my level of activity (some days, I exercise for three hours) and yesterday I said - forget it - I am not going to worry about protein that much.

By dinner time, I regretted it. The kitchen was a mess, I didn’t feel like cooking, andI hardly got anything done. Today is a lot better. I started the day by eating a carrot even though I didn’t feel hungry. I had a proper breakfast about thirty minutes later of cereal with walnuts, raisins, and skim milk. Then I went for a run and had some whole wheat pasta and freeze dried strawberries.

So why am I talking about this on a writing blog? Because - for the entire day I didn’t have enough energy to work on my projects due to my eating habits.  I did end up getting a few things done, but I had the whole day free aside from going to the gym - I should have been able to get more work done than I did.

The end result? I’ve realized that what you eat and whether or not you exercise really does affect productivity at work.

Do you find it hard to get everything done that you need to? Some days I do, some days I don’t. Each day I come up with a to do list for the next day. However, I’ve learned the hard way that simply having the to do list is not enough. I actually need to make time for the work.

It’s Easy to Get Distracted

As a work from home professional, I find that it is all too easy to get distracted. Even the most basic things distract me - such as cleaning the kitchen. This is the big reason why I find that having a to do list is not enough.

I do have a household to do list. Mainly I just try to make sure everything is neat. But I’ve gotten in the habit of timing my daily activities with the timer that is on the microwave. I try to work for at least 5 hours total. For housework - I do 60 minutes. This prevents me from spending hours doing something out of pure procrastination such as organize my spice cabinet.

The Timer is My Friend

I mentioned the timer in the last paragraph. I love this tool.  It gets me focused when nothing else will. It also helps me keep tabs on what I am actually accomplishing. I find that when I know the clock is ticking away I tend to work more productively and efficiently.

Don’t Stress

One of the reasons why I work from home so I can avoid stress. Worrying all the time about whether or not I will get to everything on my list is too stressful. I’ve learned to manage my deadlines (or to not take on work that has a deadline). I’ve also learned that I can’t set unrealistic expectations for myself. If my to do list contains twenty items, it’s pretty obvious that achieving all of it would be difficult.

Each item I cross off is a victory. If I didn’t get to something, I just role it over to the next day.

What are your tactics for finding time in your schedule?

I’ve written a ton of ebooks for my clients but none for myself. I KNOW I’m missing out on a very good profit generator. So my goal for the new year is to write a few eBooks and promote them on my blogs and websites. I’ll also start an affiliate program for each.

Do you want to do the same? A good place to start is to make a list of the things you know something about. Think about your hobbies, interests, etc. You can also include things on the list that you’d like to learn more about.

Once you do that, you can research the market and get a feel for whether or not it looks like the idea will sell. This can be a simple or complex process. In general you’ll want to start by researching keywords and also seeing if there are already products in the niche. If there are, what can you do better?

After you decide if the idea is worthy, just get started. An eBook is a shorter version of a nonfiction book. But because it’s for the internet audience, the writing should be different - shorter sentences and paragraphs, lots of lists, diagrams, and white space. It should be packed with content but the ideas should be expressed concisely.

I have a series on how to write an ebook . Check back often for more posts. Like I said, I have a ton of experience - it’s just that all of the eBooks I’ve written were for ghost writing.

In order to really learn how to build your writing business you need to learn and master skills such as How to Write a Query Letter. At first, these letters can seem intimidating. In truth, they’re actually pretty simple to write if you follow a set formula.

My first letters were a disaster.

I wish I have them to show you because they were a disaster. I didn’t see it at the time, but they just weren’t very good. They just didn’t have all the right information in them. Yes, I had an idea and I did share it with the editor but there were two ways that I failed.

Don’t make the same mistakes as me.

Even though I told the editor the idea, I didn’t do anything to try to convince him or her that the idea was worthy of being featured in the magazine. This isn’t the same as selling. Query letters are very matter of fact and to the point. But the good ones get the point across.

How to write a query letter.

Okay enough suspense. Here is the basic idea for writing a query letter. First of all, even if it is an email, structure the letter like a business letter. Then, follow this formula:

• First paragraph is the hook. I’ve used this paragraph as the opener to my article if I get the assignment. Give the editor just enough to lure them in.

• Second paragraph states the idea. This is where you tell the name of the article, how long it will be, who you will be interviewing, etc. Give the editor an idea of what the article will be about.

• Third paragraph lists why its a good fit in the magazine. Talk about the demographics and why the readers will find the article helpful.

• The last paragraph lists your qualifications. Talk about anything in your background that pertains to the subject of the article. List any publications, schooling, or experiences that you ahve with the topic.

This is the basic formula I use each time I write a query. The more you write, the better you’ll be.

I’ve been following Amy Bass’s progress on paying of her debt at her blog, mydebtfreegoal.com. In fact, I’ve been reading the blog since it started and I know how successful she’s been. I watched her evolve from using  GPT programs to having her very own blogging empire. So when she came out with The Niche Blogger I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

As a writer, I am mostly ruled by deadlines, especially if I do work for clients or am on assignment for a magazine. I can’t rely on this kind of income - it’s far too stressful. Niche Blogging is the perfect answer to this problem. With it, I have complete control over my salary and my career with no strings attached. No deadlines. No one telling me what to write. I have complete creative control.

I wrote a review of Niche Blogger on my Path to Success blog. Check it out.

As a business owner, I’ve learned long ago that if you don’t have multiple income streams, you won’t earn a very stable living. I also understand that it can be tough to figure out which direction you want to take things.

As writers, we are faced with many possibilities. We can write for magazines, ghost write, copywrite, blog, and everything in between. Some write solely online, others do a wide range of writing. Some specialize on things like business plans, or pick a particular niche like health to write in.

It can be overwhelming.

So, I thought I’d share with you how I make money writing. The article was published on my blog today.

When I first started my writing career, I just wanted to make money. I didn’t think about how much I wanted that to be. But I’ve since learned that it is more than possible to make a six figure salary as a writer. It’s not something I’ve achieved yet, but it tops my list of “to-do’s”. And, I believe it to be more than possible in today’s economy.

I’ve noticed that when a company downsizes, one of the first departments to experience a cut is the marketing department. If a company is going to stay afloat, they absolutely need their marketing to keep going. So what do they do? They outsource at places like oDesk and Rentacoder.

I recently purchased an eBook called Six Figure Freelancer that I’ve adopted as sort of a manual.  The author tells you exactly what you need to do to make the salary you want to make as a writer. The one downside is that the author relies on working for clients. I don’t do much of that anymore and have no immediate plans to increase my client list. However, if ghost writing and copywriting is something you enjoy, this book will help you reach your goals.

I signed up for The Niche Blogger pretty much when I learned about it. I’ve been following Amy Bass’s blog since she first started it. This month, she announced that she is debt free - she paid off $72,900 debt in just over a year mainly through internet marketing. Right now, it appears that  her main source of income is through her niche blogs. So I decided to give it a try.

Why I Signed Up for Niche Blogger

I already make a living online through writing for clients, publication, and through my other projects such as being the Herbal Medicine Expert at eHow.com. But I knew I needed some residual income. I’ve learned that I can’t rely on writing to make me consistent money. For example, I just moved from one coast in the US to the other - and for that time my income pretty much dried up.

What kind of insurance do I have to prevent my income from drying up? During the move - nothing. Now? I have the residual income that I’ve set up through the Niche Blogging System.

What I Love About Niche Blogger

I love how Amy really outlined exactly what to do through a series of easy to follow instructions and videos. As soon as I set up my first blog, I started making money. I realized after a time that my blog shows up on the first page of google for my targeted keywords. It’s currently somewhere in the middle of the page. It sometimes ends up in the top spot.

Each site utilizes several ways to make money. My blogs have ads from Ebay, Adsense, Contera, Chitika, eBooks, and other affiliate programs. And this is all done in a way that makes the blog enjoyable to read. Too often I see niche sites that are obviously in it for the money and that’s it.

How Do I Feel About the Purchase?

I am not a beginner so I found the first week or so of lessons to be tedious and repetitious because I already know the basics on how to start a blog. However, I was warned via the sales letter that it is designed for COMPLETE beginners. I bought it anyway.

Let me tell you - I’m glad that I did. I just noticed today that the course also has intermediate techniques, maybe even advanced techniques as time goes on. I purchased the lifetime membership so I can be patient.

I recommend it for everyone - not just beginners. The Niche Blogger is a complete system that will help you build your affiliate income in no time. I feel confident that with this program, I will reach my financial goals within a few months.

I am launching a PLR site in a month or two and I thought I’d hold a little giveaway contest. The site will have 50 PLR packs up for sale at the time of the launch. But in the meantime, I thought I’d hold a giveaway event.

For 50 lucky people, they will have exclusive use of the pack of their choice for at least a month, until the site launches. The details of the giveaway are here at my main blog. All you need to do is keep an eye out at the places mentioned in the post and take action when the time comes.I’ll make random announcements giving the details.