KASIA RADZKA

Romantic Suspense and Thriller Author

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August Progress Report: How I Made $234 Side Income This Month (And Spent $400!)

by | Sep 3, 2016 | Writing

Why am I sharing my income reports with you? Well, I like the transparency of the blogosphere and it’s motivating for both of us. You can see that it’s not all easy or breezy. You actually need to put in the hard work to get somewhere.

My aim eventually is to make a full time living from my writing business. That includes selling books, freelance writing, affiliate marketing, helping other writers/entrepreneurs through coaching/courses and more.

I want multiple streams of income. I don’t want to rely on just one and be screwed should something fall apart. I want to be comfortable. I want options.

I don’t like the fact that someone else decides how much I can earn. Or how much I’m worth. Working for myself means that my income possibilities are endless.

As are yours.

My question to you is: what are you going to do about it today?

In August 2016, I made $234 from my writing business. Not a fortune but enough to suggest that, yes, maybe I can do this. And I want more.

How I Made Over $200 Last MonthIn My Spare Time!

At the beginning of the month, I decided that I was going to send out 30 pitches in August. I only sent out 6. But out of those six, I received three responses and three assignments. Win!

Check out Gina’s course, 30 Days Or Less To Freelance Writing Success, if you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer. It’s a great course that will challenge you and help you start pitching and getting work in less than 30 days!

Related: So, You Want To Be A Freelance Writer?

The Metrics

TrafficScreen Shot 2016-09-03 at 6.55.01 am

 

Posts: 8
Page Views: 504
Visitors: 31.9% returning, 68.1% new
Social Media Sources: Twitter, Facebook

Pitches: 6
Responses: 3
Books sold: 1
Books given away: 0

Income:

Freelance writing: $222.88
Books: $11.12 (this is money that has come into my account from previous months sales. Amazon pays 60 days after sale)
Affiliates: $0
Adsense: $0
Total: $234.00

Expenses:

$400.05 (This includes book editing, virtual assistant, PicMonkey annual subscription and Bluehost payment for the year).

My Biggest Blogging Mistake:
Doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I decided to make a change and start putting things into practice instead of just wishing things would happen. I’ve been blogging for fun for over eight years now. It’s time to start treating it like a business.

Related posts: How To Start An Author Blog & Blogging Mistakes Even The Experts Make

September Marketing Tactics

1 – Apply for writing jobs and send out pitches (aiming 30)
2 – Create a FREE ebook for subscribers
3 – Put Lethal Series on iTunes, Nook, Kobo
4 – Make Lethal Instincts permanently free on all platforms
5 – Create an account for automatic Pinterest and Twitter promotion
6 – Join blogging networks
7 – Participate in 2 Facebook groups by commenting most days of the week

September Objectives

1 – Get at least 3 pieces published externally
2 – Enjoy a trip to Hawaii
3 – Draft the first book in a new project
4 – Publish my first non-fiction book (free for anyone who signs up for the email newsletter)
5 – Publish Lethal Attraction Book 4 in the Lexi Ryder Crime Thriller Series
6 – Publish 15 posts on Writerly Pursuits
7 – Double my average monthly page views
8 – Double my income (& halve expenses)
9 – Read two motivational books
10 – Delegate some work to my VA (you need to spend money to make money)
11 – Sign up with an ad network
12 – Improve SEO on articles

How happy are you with your performance in August? What have you planned for September?

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