Greetings and Salutations -

My editor to-do box is empty, so if you have a request pending for me, please re-send it!

Now that I'm caught up in that area, I'm going to dedicate some time to helping editors with polishing suggestions for their sites. I will try to get to everyone, but it might take me a while :). Together we can all help each other thrive and succeed!

Earning An Income

Especially during the holidays, there can be demands on our finances which strain our budgets. One of the topics at our Gathering was ideas for earning an income that didn't involve an affiliate account. Many editors now live in areas which won't allow affiliate accounts, so we made a specific focus on non-affiliate-account ideas. Here are just a few!

CRAIGSLIST
Most areas have either Craigslist or a Craigslist-like equivalent. In essence this is a local sales site. You list something, someone comes to meet you, and you get paid. Quick, easy. You can meet in a public place if you don't want them at your house. The downside is that for "odd" items you might not have a local buyer interested, but for many things this is a quick, easy way to sell items. I have used Craigslist numerous times to sell dressers, cat fountains, cell phones, and other things, and it's gone well.


EBAY
Yes, I've had problems with ebay in the past and swore off them :). But in the end they are helpful to examine. You list something, wait a fairly short while, and get money. You have an international audience so you can sell things that might not have a buyer locally. If you're careful you can avoid scam activity. You can get oodles of help on ebay in our Online Auctions forum -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=27

So ask any questions if you haven't used them before.


ETSY
If you're selling handmade items or vintage items, Etsy is a good bet. They have low costs and attract a friendly group. I've sold origami there and just sold a necklace on there as well. Again post in the online auctions forum and we'll lend a hand.


AMAZON
You can sell actual items on Amazon, for example old books, CDs, DVDs, and so on. You simply find the item you want to sell and then click the "sell" button on the right. Amazon handles all the money side and then deposits your earnings in your bank account. They do take a fairly large chunk out of the payment compared with other sites, but it is very quick and easy. There are millions and millions of people buying on Amazon every day, so if you post there at a low price the item can often get snapped up in hours. Post in the forum and we can help. I've sold a *ton* of books, CDs, and video games via Amazon.


FIVERR
Note the two Rs. At Fiverr.com you offer to do something quick and easy for $5. You get $4 of that. So it's quick, easy, and it can add up.


CAFEPRESS / ZAZZLE
If you can wait a little while for the money, look into loading some of your favorite photos / drawings / etc. onto CafePress or Zazzle. Both let you make mugs, tshirts, mousepads, and all sorts of other items for no setup cost. You load up your image and then millions of people around the world can find and buy it. So it can take a little while to get the word out, but once you do this can work well. The key of course is to find a beautiful image that people want to buy :).

Let us know in the forums what other ideas you have to share!



Lisa Shea, owner
BellaOnline.com

--------------------

Archive of Past Emails -
http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/editorassistance

Editor Assistance Site - full of helpful articles and tips!
http://editorassistance.bellaonline.com/

Editor Forum - for community help 24 hours a day
http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=10

All correspondence between BellaOnline editors is confidential and should not be forwarded or distributed.