One of the worst fears of many YouTubers before the July 15, 2025 update was that YouTube would ban all videos with AI content. Now that the latest update is out, what’s the real score?

Before the update itself, YouTube has already clarified what the July changes will comprise:

“To be clear, we’re not introducing a new YPP policy. This is a minor update to our long-standing “repetitious content” guideline. We regularly update and evolve our policies based on the content on YouTube, and this update is to clarify that this policy includes content that is mass-produced or repetitive, which is content viewers often consider spam.”

Contrary to popular opinion on the issue, YouTube did not focus on AI content, but on what it called “repetitious” and “mass-produced” content.

Have you ever seen those channels releasing 3 or more videos a day that seem to be similar in content? Not only are the thumbnails almost identical. Even the videos themselves can be observed to be very similar with only a slight variation among them.

YouTube gave some specific examples of what these types of content look like:

• A channel that uploads narrated stories with only superficial differences between them

• A channel that uploads slideshows that all have the same narration

Come July 15 itself, here’s the actual summary of its latest monetization policies:

“We’re making a minor update to our ‘repetitious content’ policy to better clarify this includes content that is repetitive or mass-produced. We are also renaming this policy from ‘repetitious content’ to ‘inauthentic content.’ This type of content has always been ineligible for monetization under our existing policies, where creators are rewarded for original and authentic content. There is no change to our reused content policy which reviews content like commentary, clips, compilations, and reaction videos.”

If you continue to read what the rest of the updated policy says, you will find that the previous heading “Repetitious content” is now titled “Inauthentic content.”

Here is the section before the update:

Repetitious content refers to a channel where the content is so similar that viewers may have trouble spotting the difference between videos. This includes content that looks like it’s made with a template with little to no variation across videos, or content that’s easily replicable at scale.

And here’s how it now reads:

Inauthentic content refers to mass-produced or repetitive content. This includes content that looks like it’s made with a template with little to no variation across videos, or content that’s easily replicable at scale.

Under the section on “what’s not allowed to monetize,” there is a slight change in words.

This is how the content was worded before the update:

“Similar repetitive content, or mindless content with low educational value, commentary, or narratives”

And this is now what the policy says:

“Similar repetitive content with low educational value, commentary, narratives, or minimal variation across videos”

The phrase “mindless content” seems to have been removed, while the description “minimal variation across videos” has been emphasized.

If you want to see and compare YouTube’s monetization policies before the July 15, 2025 update, you can try to check the “Wayback Machine” website. Simply enter the URL of the page you are looking for and click on the previous date where you want to see how that page used to look like.

To make it easier for you, simply click here to see what YouTube’s monetization policies page looked like before the update.

What About AI Content?

True to its earlier clarification, there was no mention of anything about AI in the updated monetization policies. To read YouTube’s current stand on AI content, we can rely for now on the said clarification, which states this about AI:

“We welcome creators using AI tools to enhance their storytelling, and channels that use AI in their content remain eligible to monetize. All channels must follow our monetization policies and creators are required to disclose when their realistic content is altered or synthetic. More info on how to disclose altered or synthetic content in our Help Center.”

While YouTube does not prevent its content creators from using AI tools, one should disclose the use of altered or synthetic content.

The setting can be found while uploading a video. You must choose “Yes” when asked whether your video includes altered content.

Here is the actual question you will find on YouTube’s settings:

Do any of the following describe your content?

• Makes a real person appear to say or do something they didn’t say or do

• Alters footage of a real event or place

• Generates a realistic-looking scene that didn’t actually occur

YouTube does not want its videos to be misleading. This is the reason why content creators must indicate any use of synthetic or altered content. More details can be found in their Help Center.

What happens if you choose not disclose your altered/synthetic content?

YouTube warns:

“…creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information may be subject to penalties from YouTube, including removal of content or suspension from the YouTube Partner Program.”

To wrap it up, YouTube is not banning videos with AI content, but one must disclose it for videos concerned.

The latest updates mostly refer to repetitive and mass-produced content. These types are the ones you must avoid in order to comply with YouTube’s monetization policies.

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I was just about to add my newest book “Grief and Healing” on Amazon when I noticed the latest feature inviting me to add an audiobook with virtual voice. While a bit skeptical at first, I got curious enough to try it and in about ten minutes or so, my first book audiobook was available on Amazon! I never thought it would be that easy.

Of course, the first book I tried was a very short one. It was one of my earliest books titled “Beloved”, a conversational book that aims to assist the reader in realizing how much one is loved. There was an option for editing and previewing the book and you can easily find out how your audiobook would sound like. You can also choose from various voices and accents including American, British and Australian voices.

I was amazed at the ease my first audiobook had been created and I can’t help but be grateful for this opportunity. I have long wanted to offer my books in audio format but I didn’t have the time to do the recording myself. Now, it’s like a dream come true!

Here are some of my reasons why I wanted to have an audio version of my books:

1. Versatility

Some people may be too busy to sit down to read your book. But an audiobook can help them listen to it while doing something else! Some may be able to listen to your book while cooking, exercising or preparing their clothes for laundry.

As for me, I can use an audiobook before bedtime when I can easily turn on the narration and lie down as I gradually fall asleep.

2. Accessibility

Not everyone can have good eyesight. I know this from experience. Even though I can read well when I use my glasses, there are times when I prefer to rest my eyes after a day’s work and simply listen to a narration of my favorite book.

3. Enhanced engagement and emotional appeal

While some people prefer to use their eyes, some people may grasp things easier by listening. There are also some books that are more suitable for this like novels and short stories. Listening to the book’s dialogue may make the characters come to life more for some people. Books like poetry also have the potential for this. Just make sure that you use the right voice. A human voice is still preferable but a virtual voice is something that many can have access to for now.

Greater Market Exposure

When you create an audio version of your book, you also expand your market. You reach those people you may not otherwise have access to.

Did you know that when you go to YouTube, there are whole books you can already listen to on the platform? This only shows the potential for audiobooks.

Who knows? Maybe more and more people may be inclined to use this format in the future. And it is best to begin earlier than most.

Steps to Create Your Audiobook

Here are the simple steps to create your first audiobook on Amazon:

1. Click the “Add audiobook with virtual voice” tab in your KDP dashboard.

2. Select the “voice” you want to use.

Remember that you can click the button “Explore all voices” to choose from various voices and accents available. I wasn’t able to notice that at first so I just used the default voice in my first book. (You need not worry, however, because you can still edit this later.)

3. Enter the price you want for your audiobook.

Note that your audiobook will be offered in two marketplaces (Amazon and Audible). There will be a different royalty rate for each. Your readers can also purchase it as a standalone or an eBook add-on.

4. Click the button for the Amazon Virtual Voice Studio to preview and edit your audiobook.

You can also select from there where you want the book to start.

5. You can then go back to the dashboard, save your changes and publish your audiobook!

Would you like to take a look at my audiobooks?

Since I found the process very easy, I was able to create an audio version for most of my books on Amazon. You can check the list below in case you want to purchase some or simply upgrade your previous purchase by paying for the add-on price.

(You can also get the audiobooks for free with an Audible trial.)

My Audiobooks on Amazon/Audible:

Defending My Catholic Faith

To Love An Invisible God

Mend My Broken Heart

Grief and Healing

Questions to God

The Good For Nothing Boy

Poems for a Faithful Heart

Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief

Poems of Love and Letting Go

Beloved

Recent developments in technology have made my job as a writer more challenging these days.

While blogging wasn’t as competitive ten years ago, it has now become a playing field for the big influencers. If you think about the impact of artificial intelligence, then you know how it has made things even more difficult. Now, we are not just competing with other people or huge companies. We’re even competing with AI!

As a result, writers like me needed to work with double the effort to survive. We needed to update our skills and utilize even AI technologies that made things more challenging in the first place.

Writing these days no longer just meant finding the inspiration to say something amusing, moving or enlightening. We must also think about trending topics and keywords. We must format our posts to rank well when it comes to SEO. And last but not least, we must use the assistance of AI while doing our very best not to be like AI.

With all of these things keeping us busy, when was the last time you wrote something just for the sake of writing it?

I remember the time when I was young and I was still dreaming of becoming a writer.

I imagined my life to consist of creating a whole new universe in my head, visualizing characters I can relate with and devising plots that can excite my readers. I also remembered writing just because I enjoyed it.

Now, I have to intentionally set a time to go back to this mindset somehow.

Because even if I know how important all my other writing-related tasks may be, all of that wouldn’t matter if I lose the passion that brought me here in the first place.

Every now and then, I must write something just for the sake of writing it. I must write a poem or a song because I felt them in my soul. I must write a post because I wanted to share something useful to my readers. And I must write a story just because I wanted to create something beautiful.

I hope you also set aside some time to do the same.

We do need to make a living through writing. But let us not forget to do those things that make our lives worth living for.

“Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises. Sometimes that beauty is too much for me to handle. Do you know that feeling? When something is just too beautiful? When someone says something or writes something or plays something that moves you to the point of tears, maybe even changes you.” — Mark Oliver Everett

“I would like to ask you to think some time - try to imagine working for the pure love of making something beautiful - something that can’t be sold or used to help sell anything else, but that is simply a communication between man and man, a bond of understanding and human enlightenment.” — Hart Crane

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Jocelyn Soriano is a Catholic author, poet and blogger. She wrote the books Poems of Love and Letting Go, Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief and Poems for a Faithful Heart: Christian Poetry on God’s Love.

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When I was just starting to write online, all that I ever wanted was to share something valuable with people. I wanted to inspire them and let them know how they could make their lives better. I started a blog and wrote some e-books to sell.

It was not an easy path and there were many challenges along the way. In the beginning, I had to prove myself a lot and do everything I could to improve my writing skills. I wanted to let others know that doing something you believe in is possible.

I didn’t know where that would lead me, but more than a decade later, I was able to establish myself as a full-time writer online. I may not be rich, but I have accomplished more than I thought I could back then.

On Substack, I now have 2,076 subscribers (including some paid subscriptions). I also have multiple books sold on Amazon, Gumroad and other digital platforms. I was also given the opportunity to write for some websites and to have my own column “Beloved” on Patheos.

Everything finally seems to be falling into place and I should be more than happy. But sometimes, I couldn’t help but face this nagging thought at the back of my head, “What if someone sees you’re not really good enough?”

That’s when Impostor Syndrome manifests itself. The psychological condition was named by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes for that line of thinking that makes us doubt ourselves whenever we achieve something big.

“Would others see me as a fraud?”

“Am I just one day away from being exposed for my flaws?”

Being a Catholic writer only seems to make it worse. As someone who writes inspirational and religious articles, I can also be judged for not being holy enough to continue my work.

“Was I really called to do this when others are so much more qualified?”

“What right do I have to write these things when I know my weaknesses very much?”

“What if I’m not yet as spiritually mature as I should be?”

Have you also felt like that?

You may have just achieved a milestone number of subscribers. Or you may have just published a book. Suddenly, some kind of fear sets in.

“How do I do this?”

“What if I fail to meet what is being expected of me?”

Catholic writers like me may even be more prone to Impostor Syndrome because of the following:

1. The high standards we set for ourselves

We set a high expectation for ourselves. When we write because we aim to spread the Good News, we ask ourselves whether we have delivered the message well. Would reading our work bring people closer to God or offend them in such a way that they turn away?

2. Our struggle with humility

We are sometimes afraid to give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. We’re afraid of being guilty of pride when we become grateful for our success.

3. Our tendency to compare ourselves with saints and other holy people

We have a tendency to compare ourselves with the holiest people we know and thereby feel bad when we fall short of their holiness or achievements.

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome as a Catholic Writer

While God may want us to be aware of the risks of success, we must also refrain from letting impostor syndrome stop us from our ministry and calling.

Here are some ways that can help us overcome Impostor Syndrome:

1. Acceptance of our weaknesses

We must admit that we are not yet perfect. No matter how hard we try, we can still make mistakes. Let the acceptance of this truth set us free instead of paralyzing us with fear.

Our weaknesses can teach us to be humble. They can also draw us closer to God who can help us and fill whatever may be lacking in us to spread the Gospel.

“Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world.” - Pope Benedict XVI

2. Improve yourself from day to day

While we must not succumb to perfectionism, we must keep on improving ourselves each day.

Read more, attend courses, and ask the advice of fellow writers.

When it comes to the spiritual life, don’t forget the value of prayer and the sacraments. Reflect on the Scriptures and find more time to listen to God.

Offer everything to God and trust that after doing your very best, God is there to accomplish what you cannot do alone.

3. Stop comparing yourself

Free yourself from the trap of comparing yourself with others, whether your colleagues, famous personalities or even the saints.

You can let their lives inspire but don’t let useless comparisons bring you down. Each person has a gift to cultivate according to God’s plan.

4. Find support from others

Impostor syndrome gives a false signal to our minds because we feel that people don’t really know us and would disapprove of us once they do.

Gather the people who know you, believe in you and can give you honest feedback on your accomplishments.

5. Use your vulnerability

Some people seem to write from a place of know-how and strong confidence. They seem to always have a wealth of knowledge to share.

But some people write from a place of vulnerability, and that is okay. In fact, this could be the way for you to reach those people who can relate to your challenges and doubts.

Write sincerely and have the courage to let others know that you are willing to share with them your journey.

6. Have faith in God

Don’t let the opinion of others always affect your work and your mission. While it is very important to listen to people, always remember that the most important thing is to listen to God.

Did you receive a calling to write for Him? Then pursue that path even if you feel unworthy of the task. Remember that when Jesus was first building God’s kingdom, He did not choose the scholars of the law. He chose fishermen to be His apostles.

Where God points the way, He will provide a way.

“Some think it humility not to believe that God is bestowing His gifts upon them. Let us clearly understand this, and that it is perfectly clear God bestows His gifts without any merit whatever on our part; and let us be grateful to His Majesty for them; for if we do not recognize the gifts received at His hands, we shall never be moved to love Him. It is a most certain truth , that the richer we see ourselves to be, confessing at the same time our poverty, the greater will be our progress, and the more real our humility.” - St. Teresa of Avila

The Value of Humility

We must always remember the value of humility when it comes to battling Impostor Syndrome. True humility is not thinking of yourself less or creating false criticisms about yourself.

Humility rests upon truth. You simply know yourself. You know your strengths as well as your weaknesses. And you rely on God to help you through it all.

Whatever success you achieve, and whatever talents you possess, attribute them all to God. This can pave the way for simplicity, peace of mind and a grateful heart!

You may also want to read:

Just recently, I imagined how writers like me are all somewhat like superheroes.

Each one of us has a superpower that others don’t possess!

We have our own style when it comes to prioritizing our work. We also have personalities that influence the way we write.

While not everyone can be like Superman who has super strength, some can be like the Flash who has super speed. Some are more like Spiderman who has his “spider-sense”, alarming him of impending danger.

This could be why we never give the same tips when it comes to writing. While some writers recommend that we write daily, others prefer a more cautious approach. While some advise you to pick up a niche, others urge you to be more flexible.

As you can see, not all advice can apply to everyone. Even when it comes to earning more, we should keep in mind that we have our unique path of growth.

To succeed as a writer, it is very important to first discover the kind of powers that you possess!

What kind of superhero are you? And what superpowers do you need to use?

Here are just some of the possible types of superheroes that you can be when it comes to writing:

1. The Niche Master

“I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t like bullies; I don’t care where they’re from.” ― Steve Rogers

You may be the type who has a very specific niche. You definitely know your audience and you provide them with the information they need.

I have seen many online writers who specialize in giving advice about earning money from writing. Some specialize in health and wellness topics. Still others are very interested in writing about relationships or spirituality.

Have you found your niche yet? Are you the type who can focus on a particular topic without getting bored or distracted?

2. The Storyteller

“Everything doesn’t have to be about fear. There’s room in our line of work for hope, too.” ― Batgirl

There are so many good storytellers out there! They can write fiction with relatable characters or exciting plots. They can also write about their own experience in life, taking you along on their journey and revealing to you the depths of their thoughts and feelings.

If you are a good storyteller, you can also join the ranks of those who can write powerful essays. If you’re on Medium, well-written topics about human interest and self-development have a great potential for being boosted! If you’re on Vocal, you can even win in a contest. As for those writers on Substack, I read some who used it as a platform to launch their new novels.

Just make sure that you review your work well and submit it to relevant publications.

3. Captain Speed

“My name is Barry Allen. I’m the fastest man alive.”

Can you write three or more articles a day? Can you finish writing an article before your friend could even finish reading one?

Then you may have just inherited this superpower for speed!

While some people take their time and write only a few articles per month, some can churn out almost an unlimited number of posts. And it’s okay if that’s your superpower.

I must admit that sometimes, I feel like this, too. It’s as though I need to write continuously to avoid losing my momentum.

So go ahead, Flash! And carry on, Sonic!

4. Wonder Friendship

“Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever you want to do anyway.”
― Iron Man

I really admire those who can comment and engage with so many people! They have the skill and energy to continuously talk to others and share their views. Whether on Medium or Substack, they can comment up to 40 times a day and never get tired of doing so!

Do you thrive in engaging with fellow writers? Then you may just have the gift for collaboration and networking.

Use your powers well and you will always have people to support you and your work.

5. The Professor

“The greatest power on Earth is the magnificent power we all possess, the power of the human brain!” ― Professor X

These writers are very adept at researching and backing up their articles with credible information.

They are a fountain of knowledge and can always be depended upon when it comes to accuracy and logic.

While other writers may take a couple of days to finish writing a technical article, they can do so in a matter of hours.

Are you like one of these people? Does your MBTI fall under the INTJ personality type?

I’m very proud whenever I find a fellow writer who can rival Einstein or Professor X!

6. Ms. Sunshine

“Only love can save the universe. So I stay. I fight and give for the world. This is my mission in life.” ― Diana Prince

You are the type of writer who feels accomplished whenever you’re able to inspire another person.

It doesn’t matter whether you become rich or famous in your career.

What matters is that you have uplifted another human being and you have used your gift to make a difference in another person’s life.

You care about your legacy and the meaning of your work.

At the end of the day, what makes you happy is whenever you feel you’ve done your part in making this world a better place.

Final Thoughts

It’s so wonderful to be surrounded by very talented people who can inspire you to become better! While we may not have the same powers, we can help each other by using the gifts we have.

Let us continue to improve ourselves and be confident in our unique journey as a writer.

Simply be who you are and shine where others can see you in your very best light!

“You have to love who you are; hopefully, people can see what a superhero is all about.” ― Lucy Liu

I searched Substack.com using the word “Catholic” and summarized the data for the first 100 substacks that appeared in the results.

Why is this important? I felt that this was worth analyzing because readers who are searching for a particular subject can use this search feature from Substack. By entering a relevant word, one can quickly see a list of newsletters that write about a given theme.

As I proceeded with my search, I then gathered information from the list of the first 100 substacks that appeared on the list. One crucial data I got was the number of subscribers from the respective substacks.

Based on the above, here are the top 10 substacks (searched using the “Catholic keyword”) with the most number of subscribers:

1. Bailiwick News – over 39,000

2. Catholic Nutshell News – over 25,000

3. The Catholic Traveler – over 15,000

4. Letters from a Catholic Feminist – over 14,000

5. Biblical Catholic Living – over 8,000

6. Catholic Link Newsletter – over 5,000

Catholic Share Faithful Wisdom – over 5,000

Missio Dei – over 5,000

7. Mere Tradition with Kennedy Hall – over 4,000

8. Roundtable – over 3,000

9. Catholic Cravings – over 2,000

Catholic Family Business – over 2,000

100 Movies Every Catholic Should See – over 2,000

The Diary of a Single Catholic Writer – over 2,000

10. Roman Catholic Truth – over 1,000

Building Catholic Men – over 1,000

The Catholic Convert – over 1,000

Catholic Song – over 1,000

As you can see, there are substacks that placed in the same position due to a similar number of subscribers indicated. This includes my own substack “The Diary of a Single Catholic Writer” occupying the 9^th place with over 2,000 subscribers.

It should be noted that although Substack generated a list of substacks with relevant information such as the number of subscribers, not all substacks displayed a corresponding number of their subscriptions.

There are two possible reasons I could think of for the non-appearance of the number of subscriptions for some substacks. The first is that some substacks with no subscriber count may have less than 1,000 subscribers. The second one is that some of them may have simply chosen to hide it for privacy. This may include some top substacks such as “The Pillar”, which did not display any subscription count.

(Hence, the above ranking pertains only to those with visible number of subscribers.)

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The Surprising Observation About The Search

One important thing I noted was that, even if my substack placed 9^th when it comes to the number of indicated subscribers, it did not appear among the first substacks generated after my search. This is also the case for most of the substacks that garnered the top number of subscribers. As an example, Bailwick News, which has 39,000 subscribers only appeared as the 80^th substack on the list from the search. My substack even appeared above it as 64th on the list.

The conclusion here is that the result for this search is not based on the number of subscriptions but on something else.

My personal opinion is that the search results are affected by other data such as the keywords that can be seen in the substack name, description, tags or posts. This can only show the importance of placing targeted keywords on the important details of your substack newsletter.

It is also possible that some other factor such as posting frequency or engagement (likes and comments) can also be affecting the search results.

I will write a new post in case I continue this analysis later on. But I hope that this somehow gives you an idea of the power search and keywords when it comes to your substack’s exposure.

Ranking first for the initial results of the seach gives you an advantage when it comes to more viewers for your substack!

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Bonus Info

I you want to take a look at the first 100 substacks given by Substack.com, I have also written the list below. You may want to see whether your substack newsletter is included and in what position it appears.

Following is the actual list of 100 substacks I gathered based on searching Substack.com using the keyword “Catholic”:

1. Letters from a Catholic Feminist – over 14,000

2. Catholic manhood

3. Roman Catholic Truth – over 1,000

4. Catholic Nutshell News – over 25,000

5. The Catholic Traveler – over 15,000

6. Building Catholic Men – over 1,000

7. Catholic Link Newsletter – over 5,000

8. Catholic Founders

9. Catholic Frequency

10. Why Catholic?

11. The Catholic Corner

12. The Catholic Adventurer

13. Catholic Treehouse

14. How To Be Catholic

15. Biblical Catholic Living – over 8,000

16. Catholic Share Faithful Wisdom – over 5,000

17. Uncanny Catholic

18. Grub Street Catholic

19. Catholic Politics

20. Chronically Catholic

21. Catholic Stories for Children

22. Catholic Cravings – over 2,000

23. Maria Angela Catholic Devotional

24. Intentional Catholic

25. Catholic Family Business – over 2,000

26. The Pillar

27. The Catholic Observer

28. Catholic Business Buddy

29. (A)musing Catholic

30. Weird Catholic

31. The Bold Catholic

32. The Catholic Family

33. Catholic Hub

34. The Catholic Convert – over 1,000

35. Missio Dei – over 5,000

36. Catholic Apologetics International

37. Catholic Seasons

38. The Catholic/Crypto Network

39. Catholic Song – over 1,000

40. Homeless Catholic Community

41. Mission Driven Catholic

42. Catholic Tradition

43. Catholic Captions

44. Catholic Knighthood

45. Catholic Wildflower

46. The Catholic Behavior Analyst

47. Recovering Catholic

48. The Catholic Pilgrim

49. Things Catholic

50. Catholic State

51. The Catholic Compass

52. 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See – over 2,000

53. Asian Catholic Woman Substack

54. Simple Catholic Philosophy

55. The Catholic Farmer

56. My Catholic Femininity

57. The Catholic Leadership Puzzle

58. Incola ego sum in terra

59. Catholic Climate Covenant’s Substack

60. The Merry Catholic

61. CatholicSat’s Substack

62. The Uncensored Catholic

63. The Catholic Librarian

64. The Diary of a Single Catholic Writer – over 2,000

65. The Catholic Mell

66. Catholic Gemz Newsletter

67. Cuse Catholic

68. Catholic Audio Media Newsletter from Anthony Allston, MA

69. Reformed Catholicity

70. One Catholic Economist

71. The Catholic Reformation

72. Calling All Catholics

73. A New Catholic Reformation

74. Mere Tradition with Kennedy Hall – over 4,000

75. The Commonplace Catholic

76. Recusant Catholic’s Substack

77. Today’s American Catholic

78. Modern Catholic

79. The Catholic Christian

80. Bailiwick News – over 39,000

81. The Case for Catholicism

82. Analog Catholic

83. Catholic Permaculture

84. Raised Stones: Catholic, Reformed, and Baptist

85. Garden State Catholic

86. The Catholic Woman

87. Lapsed Catholic

88. Catholic Gardening

89. The Credo Catholic

90. A Fallible Catholic Family

91. catholic460

92. Catholic joe

93. CatholicaGermanica

94. This Roman Catholic Life

95. One Soul at a Time

96. Roundtable – over 3,000

97. Catholics in Ordinary Time

98. Catholic on the Edge

99. Matthew Handley – The Purple Catholic

100. cafeteria catholic

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When I was younger, my dream of being a writer meant that I wanted to become a bestselling novelist. I imagine myself writing an unforgettable love story or an epic fantasy. I enjoyed imagining stories and creating worlds inside my head. So it naturally followed that I wanted to write them all down and share them with other people.

As the years went on, however, I found it harder to reach that dream. While I tried my best to write stories and even attended training on screenplay writing, it didn’t really work for me.

On the other hand, the career path I took as a writer was that of a non-fiction freelancer. I became a blogger and succeeded in establishing a decent website. It was along the inspirational and spiritual niche. And I shared what I learned through my own experiences in life.

These days, however, with the advent of social media, more and more people are also sharing their personal experiences. As this becomes common, people naturally crave for more intimate stories. Write-ups that cater to one’s emotions have a greater chance of being viewed.

The question that now comes to mind is, “How much should you be sharing about your private life?”

Do you really need to sacrifice your privacy as a price to pay for success?

Let’s talk about the advantages of personal stories:

1. The human connection makes your articles more relatable

When your readers can relate to your struggles and victories, your articles become more relatable and appealing.

You are no longer the distant person they hardly know. You know become like a friend they know, someone who made oneself vulnerable to share their deepest thoughts and emotions.

2. It helps establish your personal branding

Your personal stories establish your authenticity and unique voice in your posts. It creates an image that people can identify and differentiate from the works of others.

3. It differentiates your posts from those written by an artificial intelligence

Sharing something personal differentiates you from those generated by AI tools. By achieving intimacy and creating human connection, you avoid talking like a robot that your readers can’t relate to.

The Risks of Sharing Too Much

When are you being relatable? And when are you already over-sharing personal information?

As much as you would like to reap the benefits of personal branding, you also want to avoid the negative consequences of sharing too much on your articles.

Here are just some of the dangers of sharing too much from your personal life:

1. Attacks on your personal safety and security

If you share your routine, habits, location and other important information, you can be vulnerable to entities that may take advantage of this type of data.

Hackers, thieves and even detractors can engage in activities that risk your belongings, reputation or even the safety of your loved ones.

2. Emotional stress

Sharing very personal stories such as recovery from abuse, trauma or mental illness can help you create a unique human connection to your readers.

However, it also exposes you to harm for those people who may not be as sensitive to the challenges you went through. This is all the more true if you are still healing and you want more supportive comments rather than negative feedback from your readers.

3. Negative reaction from family and friends

We don’t live in a vacuum. When we tell our personal stories, we consequently involve the people in our lives.

It could be that you may write a story that can offend your loved ones even if you meant them no harm. It’s also possible that even if you’re just writing about yourself, they can get upset or very worried about what you’re going through.

4. Adverse effect on your work or profession

Many writers also have day jobs or other professions. These can be affected also by the kind of information you may write.

How will your officers and colleagues react to your articles? What kind of impression will people have after reading your post?

The Balancing Act

While sharing personal stories can make your articles more appealing, you should set clear boundaries to help you avoid the negative effects of over-sharing them.

Don’t share information that can endanger you or your loved ones. Avoid stories that can affect your professional reputation. And don’t forget to ask for the consent of people you will include in your stories.

If you find it hard to set these boundaries, you may want to consider writing more technical posts rather than composing personal essays and intimate stories. You can also shift to fiction where you can use your personal experiences without sacrificing your privacy.

Find the right balance between safety and authenticity. Never sacrifice the most important things in your life.

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You may also want to read my book “How to Earn Money by Becoming a Full-time Writer” — Download on Gumroad Today!

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Have you ever considered earning passive income from Tapas or Webtoon?

If you are someone who enjoys drawing comics, this side hustle could be for you! (I will recommend something later for those who don’t enjoy drawing as much.)

I remember when I was down with a really bad flu I hardly had the strength to get out of bed. All I could do then was read, and the one thing that helped me forget my condition was reading some online comics. One series that I remember reading then was “Sweet Home”, which is now a Korean Netflix series.

I think that was the time when I started to seriously consider the idea of earning from digital comics.

If you want to earn some extra money with the possibility of one day turning this side hustle into a full-time source of passive income, I recommend two publications that could be right for you.

Webtoon

Webtoon currently enjoys being a global platform for storytelling. They are now a common source of material for films and TV, especially in South Korea. According to its website, it has now paid its creators $27,000,000 since 2020. Now how would you like to be a part of that?

If you want to be on board, you access their Creators 101 page that tells you how you can make money through this platform.

As a summary, here are the steps you need to take:

1. Sign up as a Creator with the intention of joining their Ad Revenue Sharing Program.

2. Grow your subscriber’s list and monthly page views.

3. Once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 40,000 monthly page views, apply to be reviewed for their ad-sharing program.

Once approved, you get a 50% share of the net ad revenue! Note that you need to reach a minimum of $100 before payout on your PayPal or Patreon account.

How to publish your first episode:

1. Sign up for an account.

2. Select up to two genres related to your series.

3. Pick a good title for your series.

4. Create and upload your series thumbnail.

5. Describe your series. Make sure that you write an interesting description to draw your potential readers to your plot and main characters.

6. Hit publish! Congratulate yourself on your first episode.

Share your series with your family and friends and with your social media followers so that more people can read your work.

Tapas

While waiting for your subscriber count to grow on Webtoon, you can create your series on Tapas, another publishing platform for those who enjoy creating a comic series.

But what’s more amazing is that you don’t even need to draw to join Tapas! (Now here’s the secret I was referring to above.)

In Tapas, you can create a series using only words.

Yes, this is because, in Tapas, they have a special category for “Novel”. Unlike the “Comics” category where you need to draw comic illustrations, you can quickly share your work under “Novels” just by writing words.

“Novels” don’t just include stories that are specifically like the novels we have in books. This can include other written books with different genres.

The one I shared here is a series containing a collection of my poems, and I selected the following genres: romance, slice of life and non-fiction.

As you can see, you can even include other “non-fiction” books here. Wonderful, isn’t it?

Ad Revenue Program

Their Ad Revenue Program has fewer requirements for qualification.

All you need is to accumulate 100 subscribers on one of your series. Payout is through PayPal once you reach $25 in earnings. In Tapas, you get 70% of ad revenues.

Here are the steps to join Tapas and publish your first series:

1. Sign up for an account (click here).

2. Go to your Dashboard.

3. Click the button for “New Series” and choose “Comic” or “Novel”. For illustration, I will follow the steps for the “Novel” since this was the type I chose for my series.

4. Fill out the information for your series including:

Series title

URL

Description

Thumbnail

Book cover

Genre

Tags

5. Choose how your episodes will appear on screen. If you want new readers to see your most recent episodes first, click “Descending order”.

To publish your first episode, here are the steps:

1. Locate your Series in your Dashboard and click the plus sign for a new episode.

2. Write the information for your episode:

Episode title

Date scheduled

Content

Thumbnail

Description

Tags

3. Check if for Everyone or for “Mature” readers.

(Note that mature content may not be seen on mobile devices. And some mature content is not allowed even if you mark it as such. Read the guidelines for more information. )

4. Enable/Disable comments.

5. Finish and share your work!

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, it’s good to veer out of your comfort zone and simply try something new.

Who knows? You may even discover a new talent that can allow you to earn passive income while doing something fun! Care to start today?

Despite being a freelance writer since 2006, I can’t help but be concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on my line of work.

Are we already living at a time when we need to compete with AI for a living? How many writers will be displaced with the advent of this new technology?

While some people can have a more optimistic outlook about this, I think it will do us no harm to be cautious while doing our best to secure our jobs.

Years ago, I’ve always thought that the arts would be the last thing computers can ever take away from us. But look at the proliferation of AI images today and see how AIs can generate in minutes what we human beings need to finish in hours.

We also used to identify a person by one’s unique voice. Now, anyone can be cloned and AI can easily steal your voice and scam your relatives and friends using it. Have you also seen YouTube videos using the voices of well-known singers to generate a song they never even sang? Even Amazon’s Alexa will soon be mimicking the voice of your departed relatives.

The Overall Effect on Freelance Jobs

Bloomberry’s analysis of data from Upwork revealed that among the jobs with the biggest decline from November 1, 2022, to February 14, 2024, writing jobs had the worst decrease at 33%. The other two jobs that declined the most were translation and customer service jobs at 19% and 16% respectively.

Considering that ChatGPT was launched on November 30, 2022, it doesn’t seem to be a mere coincidence that the drastic declines in the three jobs mentioned coincided with its release.

Writing jobs seem to have suffered the most, a job we all thought could only be performed well by a human being.

My Various Jobs as a Writer After the Launch of AI

After resigning from the Corporate world and working full-time as a writer, I took on various roles to earn a living from my passion.

It took me years to realize that writing is more than dreaming of becoming a best-selling author. Writing has several branches and platforms that can take us in directions we never thought we could go.

Here are just some of the different writing jobs I took on since I decided to go full-time in this career:

1. Blogger

I have been blogging for almost two decades now, and I have experienced many ups and downs in this type of writing.

I began blogging using the free blogs on Blogger.com and WordPress.com before I learned how to put up my own website.

SEO used to be easy then and I easily ranked for many keywords. As a result, I was able to make this my main source of income through the ads displayed on my blog.

Nowadays, it’s not easy to beat the bigger players when it comes to SEO. They can hire experts who specialize in making keywords rank. And they pay freelance writers for long pillar articles that would rank well in search engines like Google.

With the advent of AI, this became even more difficult. While we initially thought that AI-generated content would not make a big difference in this field, it soon becomes evident that it does.

It’s now very easy to create more posts using AI-generated content. And Google isn’t banning sites with this type of content. It merely limits the use of AI by discouraging SPAM-like behavior and sites that add no value to its readers.

Here is what Google says in its FAQ portion about AI-generated content:

“Appropriate use of AI or automation is not against our guidelines. This means that it is not used to generate content primarily to manipulate search rankings, which is against our spam policies.”

2. Freelance Writer

Since my blog earnings declined, I looked for other means to sustain my freelance career. One of the ways I found was to submit articles to various websites that are ready to pay for them.

Upwork was very helpful in introducing me to potential clients who can pay me per article of writing. I also looked for other websites and wrote articles on various topics including Business, Relationships, Personality and Spirituality.

These days, I still see many clients who are willing to pay for website content. But I cannot deny the impact of AI even in this area.

Some websites accepting posts are affected by the influx of articles being sent their way, and many seem to have been AI-generated.

As a result, some of these websites have either stopped or paused accepting content since they cannot yet filter those that actually come from human writers.

The Verge reported that AI-generated fiction is flooding literary magazines. Meanwhile, Fox Business wrote that a Sci-fi fiction magazine won’t accept submissions after surge of bot-written stories.

I currently experienced a pause in one of the websites I used to submit to. Although it didn’t mention anything about AI-generated content, it is quite possible that AI also had an impact on another lost opportunity for human writers.

3. Medium Writer

Medium is one of the platforms that has helped many writers who need an avenue for their work. Among its strengths are:

• Simplicity when it comes to publishing

• Ease of payment

• Good SEO

• A Thriving Community

I wrote on Medium since 2019 and I am happy to say that despite being on some writing breaks from time to time, my earnings here increased despite the onset of AI writing.

Just this year, Medium has not allowed AI-generated content to be put behind the Paywall. This means that although people can continue to write with AI assistance, they cannot use this content if they want to earn through Medium’s Partner Program. They also cannot expect such stories to be considered for Medium Boosting.

Here is what Medium said about AI-generated content:

“Beginning May 1, 2024, stories with AI-generated writing (disclosed as such or not) are not allowed to be paywalled as part of our Partner Program.”

“Medium is not a place for fully AI-generated stories, and 100% AI-generated stories will not be eligible for distribution beyond the writer’s personal network.”

4. Substack Writer

Another platform that has shown potential in earnings despite the proliferation of AI content is Substack.

Substack has a good community that flourishes through authentic engagement among writers. Articles generated through artificial intelligence would immediately be out of place and will not gather as much attention as posts written by human writers.

I realized that subscribers on Substack appreciate your uniqueness and your personal perspective, things that cannot be found in AI-generated posts.

My conclusion is that I can grow my following here and continue to write for the kind of people who can appreciate my uniqueness and vulnerabilities.

In an article by Hamish McKenzie on Substack, there is one thing that AI can never replace: “human-to-human relationships.”

5. Book Reviewer and Beta Reader

I think that even if more and more people use AI-generated writing, they will still need the services of human book reviewers and beta readers.

As an author myself, I want to know how people feel after reading my book. I would like to discover the things they disliked as well as the things they loved. After all, it is human beings who will eventually purchase my books, not AIs.

We will always need that human connection. To know that someone else felt what we felt. That someone was inspired after reading what we wrote.

Of course, AIs can partially work as editors just like Grammarly, a tool I also use to check my articles. But checking one’s grammar and spelling isn’t enough to receive the kind of feedback we need from human editors and reviewers.

We need another mind, just like ours, to tell us what we did right, and how we can still improve as writers.

Based on my experience, people still hire the services of book reviewers and beta readers even with the availability of artificial intelligence.

6. Book Author

Just three months after the launch of ChatGPT, Amazon was flooded with books generated from AI. According to a report from Reuters in February 2023, over 200 e-books have listed ChatGPT as author/co-author.

As a way to mitigate this, Amazon has required its KDP book publishers to disclose AI-generated content. The Guardian also reported that Amazon has limited the publication of books to only three per day.

Amazon’s Content Guidelines states:

“We require you to inform us of AI-generated content (text, images, or translations) when you publish a new book or make edits to and republish an existing book through KDP. AI-generated images include cover and interior images and artwork. You are not required to disclose AI-assisted content.”

Perhaps as a result of this quick intervention, my book sales on Amazon have not been affected. I would also like to believe that there is more to book publishing than generating some pages from ChatGPT. This also requires credibility on the part of the author and that distinct relationship between the author and one’s readers.

Final Thoughts

Having worn many hats as a writer, I have experienced the effect of AI-generated content in various ways.

As a blogger and freelance content writer, I felt how artificial intelligence can displace many from their jobs and make it more difficult to compete for their livelihood.

On the other hand, I have also realized that there are some types of writing that can still withstand the proliferation of this type of technology.

Writers are not mere machines that can churn out endless content for search engines and social media channels.

We are, first of all, human beings endowed with a heart and soul. As such, our works are spiritual bridges connecting us to our readers and our readers to us. We are all together in this journey of self-discovery, beauty and truth that no artificial intelligence can ever take away from us.

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Writer’s block can happen even to the best and most experienced ones.

When was the last time you found it hard to write something for your blog or newsletter?

In this post, I would like to share with you some questions that can serve as writing prompts in case you want to write about something more personal for your readers.

Here are 25 questions that can help you think about what to write today:

1. What was your favorite childhood memory?

2. Can you remember a person you met only briefly but left a lasting impact on your life?

3. Given the chance to change one thing in your past, what would it be?

4. Can you remember your earliest dream while growing up?

5. Who was your favorite teacher? Why?

6. What problem have you overcome that made you a wiser person today?

7. If you can leave one legacy to the world, what would it be?

8. What habits did you intentionally form or let go of to achieve a better life?

9. What role did your faith play during your most significant milestones in life?

10. Do you still remember how your idea about God has changed through the years?

11. Given the chance to talk to your younger self, what would you tell him or her?

12. Who was the friend you can remember the most? Why?

13. What words of wisdom can you remember that your parents have imparted to you while growing up?

14. Can you remember your happiest childhood moment?

15. Can you recall a difficulty that took the most courage for you to overcome?

16. When was the last time you discovered something about yourself that surprised you?

17. What was your greatest accomplishment that you can be proud of?

18. What were the kindest words you have ever received from someone?

19. What family tradition do you still keep and cherish?

20. Can you still remember the first time you fell in love?

21. What were some of your favorite movies back then?

22. What songs bring you back in time as soon as you hear them again? Which are your favorite ones?

23. When was the last time you found it so hard to forgive someone?

24. Looking back at your life, what are the things you were most thankful for?

25. What events drew you closer to God?

I hope that some of the above gave you an idea so you can start writing something today.

Let me know if any of these have inspired you by sharing your articles or posts in the comments.

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You may also want to read my book “How to Earn Money by Becoming a Full-time Writer” — Download on Gumroad Today!

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If you’re an Amazon self-published author, you probably handled much of the related work for your book’s publishing yourself. 

Aside from writing the book, you have probably edited it. You may have also designed the book cover yourself.

It is quite probable that you have also handled formatting and uploading your book on Amazon. All of that is no easy task, and you have to commend yourself for a job well done.

However, what you may learn later on is that the work of a self-published author rarely ends in publishing your book.

You still have to handle your book’s promotion. And you should be open to various improvements you can make to make your book more enticing for your niche.

One of the first things that your readers would notice is your Amazon page.

 In a way, this also serves as your book’s landing page because this is where your readers land after clicking a link to your book.

What would they see when they get there? Would they be attracted to know more about your book? Would everything there convince them to finally purchase it?

In this article, you can read some of the things you can consider improving to make your Amazon book page more appealing to potential buyers and readers of your book:

1. Book cover

One of the very first things your potential readers would see is your book cover.

Being a self-published author myself, I know how important your book cover can be. Many times, even if your book content is fabulous, you won’t get as much sales if your book cover fails to attract the attention of your target market.

I can’t remember how many times I redesigned my book covers. But each improvement made a lot of difference.

So I did my research and enhanced my skills. I tried to make it as attractive to readers as possible. I know the effort you may have already invested in your book cover. But it doesn’t hurt to take a second look and see if you can still make it a lot better!

2. Book Description

Aside from your book cover and the title of your book, your book’s description is one of the most important elements that can convince your readers to buy.

Make sure that you create a good first impression. Captivate the attention of readers by an interesting introduction then follow it up with supporting details to make your book more enticing.

Consider not only the content but the format. Highlight the important words and use headings. Use lists or bullet points where applicable.

While you may not need a long description, you should make a clear and compelling one. Also, make sure that it is free from errors in spelling and grammar.

3. Look Inside Feature (Read Sample)

As an avid reader myself, I also buy some books from Amazon. And before I do so, I often use the “look inside” or “read sample” feature.

This allows me to take a peak within the first pages of the book. I usually see the table of contents as well as the chapters that immediately follow.

If you’re a book author, you should make sure that your table of contents can further draw the readers in. They should be a suitable outline for your book, making it clear what your book has to offer them.

For e-books, Amazon only shows about 10 percent of your book for the book sample. Write your book in such a way that your potential readers can an excellent sample of the rest of your book.

4. Amazon A+ Content

Have you ever seen Amazon book pages with a very attractive layout that includes not only texts but images and even comparison tables? That’s what Amazon A+ Content can do.

This feature allows your page to stand out and grab the attention of potential readers with additional visual elements.

If you want to add this to your page, you can go to your KDP Marketing page and scroll down to the A+ section below. You can also hire me for this service so I can assist you with your A+ content. You can see samples of the A+ content I designed in the following book pages:

Poems of Love and Letting Go

366 Days of Compassion

Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief

Here is an article I wrote about how adding this element has helped me increase my book sales:

5. Editorial reviews

Unlike customer book reviews that appear at the very bottom of your Amazon book page, your Editorial Reviews appear right after your Amazon A+ Content. These reviews are usually provided by book reviewers, media outlets, editors, bloggers, authors and other experts from the same niche.

As the author, you can manage what appears in the Editorial reviews section of your book page. Include those reviews that can add more credibility to your book. Format them in such a way that people can immediately see the favorable excerpts from your book’s reviews. Also highlight famous sources that people can trust and recognize as an authority in your niche.

Adding these reviews from authoritative sources helps convince your readers that your book is “worth the buy.” This is because you provide them with proof coming from professional sources.

You can add these Editorial Reviews by going to your Amazon Author Central page.

6. Author Bio

Potential buyers of your book may also want to know the profile of the author who wrote it.

Make sure that you write a professional bio with a suitable photo to accompany it.

They must be convinced that you are knowledgeable about the topic of your book. Providing them with other titles you have written can also convince them that you are an expert when it comes to your niche.

Conclusion

Self-published authors are often very skilled and resourceful people who take the time and effort required to fulfill their passion. From writing the book itself and editing it to actually formatting, uploading and publishing the book, you need to be equipped with the tools you need to make your book appear enticing to your target market.

One way to do this is by making your Amazon Book Page stand out both in attractiveness and excellence. You can do this by utilizing the various features available and by studying the effective methods of enhancing every detail of your book page.

You must let potential readers know that your book can give them what they need. Grab their interest, draw them in, and provide them with convincing proof that your book is indeed worth reading and buying!

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Do you have a nightly routine that has helped you become a better writer?

 While not everyone may have the same set of activities that works for them, you can consider some habits that could greatly enhance your writing skills.

Writing, after all, isn’t just a job we do during the day. It’s a lifestyle that becomes a part of who we are. And forming good habits is one way of developing our capacity to write better!

Here are some bedtime routines you can consider to help you become a better writer:

1. Journaling

I have managed to keep a diary since my teenage years and I can say that this habit has helped me improve my writing.

By journaling, you give yourself the opportunity to freely express your thoughts. You can also recall the important things that happened during the day and then find the ones that had the most impact on you.

You will never run out of things to write because you will have a record of the things that could prompt a reaction or a strong opinion from you.

Journaling helps collect your thoughts and capture them for easy retrieval later on.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”- Sylvia Plath

2. Reading

Writing is an output of everything we have received and then processed within. Reading, on the other hand, is gathering substantial input that would make your inner resource richer and more powerful.

The more you read, the more you can write. By reading, you gain insight into the minds of other writers. You also get updated with the world around you.

And if you’re someone who finds relaxation while reading fictional stories, including this routine at bedtime accomplishes two things at the same time. It helps you unwind, but at the same time, it also enriches your vocabulary, imagination, knowledge and empathy.

“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book.” — Samuel Johnson

3. Listening to music

I love listening to music before I go to sleep. It relaxes me, frees my imagination, and even takes me into another world at the comfort of my home.

Music can also bring you that nostalgic mood, sending you to the past to reminisce the good old times with family and friends.

With music, you find a safe anchor to end your day while still being productive. Let the power of music nourish your heart and soul at the end of each tiring day.

4. Having a digital detox

This is the time of day when you can finally find rest from your computer screen. If you need to journal, you can do so without your mobile phone. Use an old-fashioned diary and write by hand. If you need to listen to music, you can even use an old cassette player. How about a vintage vinyl player to help set a retro mood?

Finding some time to rest from the virtual world is something that can help you breathe freely at the end of the day. It is also something that can enhance your capacity as a writer.

5. Performing some light exercise

Taking a walk or performing some other types of light exercise can help take away your stress from the day. It can also help relax your mind.

As such, they can assist you get a good night’s sleep so you can be recharged for another day of work. It can also free your mind, eventually helping you to become more creative and productive in writing.

Personally, taking a walk has often helped me find good ideas for writing.

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”- John Muir

6. Talking with family and/or friends

I always look forward to the end of the day when I can talk with my family. We’d share jokes and some trivia we learned during the day. We’d realize how time flies so fast and appreciate the moment that we have together.

Aside from helping you strengthen your relationships, talking with your family and friends can also help you become a better writer.

By using your time to bond with them, you gain the kind of insight and ideas you may never have alone. You can also validate your some of your thoughts and even gain useful feedback for your writing ideas.

“When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people, not characters. A character is a caricature.” — Ernest Hemingway

Final Thoughts

Our work as writers is never finished even after office hours. We carry our passion within wherever we may be and whatever time of day we are.

Nighttime is no exception. In fact, many writers have used this very period to write their best work!

While we need not stay up writing all night, we can form some bedtime habits that can help us become better writers instead.

Detox yourself from stress and too much screen time. Find space for other things to spark your creativity. Get in touch with real people to ground yourself back.

Do these and you will find that this time of day may be your most productive yet as a writer!

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When we think of social media marketing, we immediately think about the number of followers.

Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest, we think that we first need to gather a large following before we can promote our products there. And of course it helps if you already have many followers.

But what if the timing isn’t right? What if you already have a book and you have no time to set up your social media presence?

Some people buy accounts that have already been set up by others. And they can decide to pay for those in exchange for the sales they estimate they could get from these accounts.

However, there is no assurance that these purchased social media accounts can be effective in promoting your book. A large following doesn’t necessarily equate to big sales.

Your followers should not only be big in number. They should also be suited for the product you’re promoting. If it is a book, will these followers be suited for your niche?

If You Have Zero Social Media Followers

At first, you may think it’s impossible to promote anything with a “zero” social media following. But in this post, I will tell you how it can be done.

The first thing you would have to consider is what type of social media account you can use for this. The second thing to think about is the method you’re going to use in promotion.

Let’s look at the social media accounts below and how you can promote your book on each one with no huge number of followers:

1. Facebook

Yes, you can still use Facebook even with very few initial followers. And there are two methods that you can use to promote your book here:

a. Advertisements

Instead of using your money to buy a Facebook account from an unknown source or irrelevant niche, you can simply pay for Facebook Ads when promoting your book!

b. Promoting in Facebook Groups

You can have no followers at all and still promote your book to relevant Facebook Groups by sharing a link of your book there.

First, post your link to your Facebook Page with a photo or a description of your book that would entice your readers.

Then, share this post to numerous Facebook Groups that you think would be related to your book.

As an example, there are various groups that focus on promoting Kindle books. And if you offer your book for a discount, there are also Facebook Groups where you can share your link to your discounted book.

Just be careful in doing so because sharing your post to an unusually high number of Facebook Groups may get your account temporarily restricted by Facebook.

If your account is new (and that’s the reason you have zero following), you should limit your posts to these groups to less than 10 per day. And don’t post in multiple groups at once!

Wait for a few minutes, or even better, post at different times in a day until you have shared your link to your target number of Facebook groups.

2. Pinterest

Pinterest is unique because the lifespan of your post there will be far longer than other social media accounts.

Lifespan is defined as the duration of time when your posts can still gather active engagements and clicks. While the lifespan of your posts in other social media accounts can only last for minutes or hours, your Pinterest posts can last in a number of months!

And this is because of SEO. Think of Pinterest as another type of search engine like Google. As a search engine, it has its own algorithm and ranking system.

To rank high on certain keywords, you need to use relevant keywords in the title and description of your post. Apply those keywords as well to the name of your Pinterest board. You should also ensure that your Pin or Pinterest post is attractive visually because this is a very important element when it comes to Pinterest.

The more attractive your Pins are, the more they will be Pinned (or saved) by other users and the higher you will also rank in their algorithm.

I have sold books from Pinterest because of this. And I have received clicks to my book link even after months of posting them.

You can read more about it in this post:

When you convert your Pinterest to a business account, you can see the metrics or statistics where you can study your posts better. You can see which ones receive the most traffic and which ones have the most outbound clicks to your books.

Bonus tip:

Similar to Facebook Groups, you can also join Group Boards on Pinterest. By joining, you can share your Pins with more people. This in turn will help you in promoting your book.

Conclusion

You don’t need a very huge following to start promoting your books on the above social media channels. But you need to take advantage of some features that can help you expose your book to your relevant niche.

Study the various methods available for promoting your book and then gradually grow your following also to make the most of your Facebook and Pinterest accounts.

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When you’re starting out your career as an online writer or a blogger, you will hear many people say that one key is trying to find your niche. A niche is very important because it gives you focus. When you write something, you know that it would be for a targeted set of readers.

But trying to find that niche in itself is never easy.

How narrow would you scale down your topics? Or how wide can you possibly reach? When you try to widen your market, you risk not being focused on writing. However, when you narrow it too much, you will only be writing to very few people who would be interested in your posts. Can you possibly make a living doing that?

As you try to experiment on this, you experience many mistakes along the way.

You do this and you do that, you try to fit in but you fail. You try to be relevant to people but no one cares. And the truth is that rejection hurts.

Perhaps this is why many writers don’t think about these things anymore. They write only about topics that come from within, things they authentically want to express. For isn’t this where most writers began? From that insatiable desire to let something from within come out and turn into words. Words that can somehow represent what one has experienced up-close.

Then if by chance someone else is able to relate with that, then you find more fulfillment. When more people do so, you become more motivated in perfecting your craft.

But what if you have struggled writing for so long and you haven’t heard a good feedback from people?

What if only a few people get to read your posts and they don’t even like what you wrote?

Sometimes the writer gets tired and quits. One returns into writing in one’s journal, locking that diary so that no one else would see. Because it is never easy to reveal one’s heart and be ignored.

I must admit that I have thought about that many times. However, I return again and again into opening that lock and risking my heart all over again. Why? Because only by risking can one possibly achieve one’s dreams. And only by becoming vulnerable can you let other people in.

If you don’t let other people in, you fail to grow. If you fail to connect, you also lose something very important within you that urges you to write in the first place.

I think that a writer’s true wealth is one’s heart.

A heart that can become sad, disheartened and afraid. But a heart that can also heal, move on and try again. Because after everything is said and done, that heart is made to love. And to love means to risk even dying so you can have the fullness of life.

“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” — William Faulkner

If you’re a music lover like me, you must have watched a lot of YouTube videos on cover songs made by recent artists. You may have even liked the new version more as compared to the original! Or you may not even know that the song you’re listening to is a cover song.

What is a cover song?

Some people call it a remake. Others refer to it as a revival, or simply another version of the song. It is simply a new recording of a song by an artist other than the original one.

Have you ever wished you could also make a song cover and even earn from it?

In this article, I will let you know about two ways that can help you earn money by making cover songs.

First, let us tackle the one related to YouTube videos.

This is one of the ways that can give you access to a brand new income stream through making cover songs.

Personally, I think this one feels like a “shortcut”. Why? Because instead of directly obtaining a license from the original creators of the song, you are using YouTube’s Content ID system. Through YouTube’s database, copyright holders of a song can quickly identify videos using their song and have the option to either disallow it, track the statistics coming from that video or monetize it.

Monetization could mean earning money from the ads placed on the said video or sharing the income earned from those ads. If you are lucky, then you can have cover songs that allow you to share the video’s income with its copyright owners.

However, be warned that this can also work against you! Note how I also mentioned that the copyright owners can run ads on your video and not let you earn money from that. Also, they can just choose to exert their right to prevent you from using their original song.

In worst cases, you can even receive a copyright removal request! You can learn more about the difference between content ID claims and copyright removal requests from YouTube.

Another approach that you can use is through DistroKid.

DistroKid has a feature that lets you earn money from cover songs. You can upload a cover song and distribute it to various channels such as iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music and more!

The best thing is that DistroKid will be the one to handle all the legalities for you. You just need to pay $1 per month ($12 a year) for each cover song that you upload through their services.

(If you join Distrokid using this link, you will get 7% off and I will get a $10 commission.)

What information will you need?

DistroKid will ask you the name of the original artist and the original song title. The song must also be released previously in the US.

Note also that the song you will upload must not contain samples or remixes.

This process can take up to 14 days. If you need more information, you can visit DistroKid’s Help Center.

Personally, I prefer this second method more than the first one. Just make sure you understand the requirements and never use any audio or recording you do not own. This includes the background music from the original song.

When in doubt, consult legal experts to avoid any problems later on.

I hope that you now have an idea of how to earn money by making cover songs! This may be the right time to share your musical talent with the world!

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Even if my main job is writing, I can’t help but educate myself on the latest technology for creating and enhancing images. After all, it’s rather tedious to look for appropriate photos relevant to my posts each time. Sometimes, it’s easier to create your own with the help of Artificial Intelligence.

When it comes to doing so, my favorite tools are the ones I use on Canva. Canva has developed in such a way that it no longer just provides simple editing for your images. It is now a forerunner when it comes to AI technology when it comes to multi-media presentation.

Here are some of my favorite AI tools on Canva when it comes to creating, editing and enhancing images:

1. Creating Images, Graphics and Videos (through Magic Media)

Canva has AI tools to help you generate an appropriate media for your needs. Simply choose the Magic Media icon first on the sidebar.

You will then be presented with three tabs and you can choose whether you want to create Images, Graphics or Videos.

Images:

Let’s try to create a simple image. Simply type and describe in the box the kind of image you want it to generate for you. Here, I typed “Christmas tree with gifts underneath”. Then click the button “Generate image”.

It will give you four images and you can pick the one you like best!

Graphics:

For this exercise, I tried to create graphics for “Kids walking in a park”

Here’s the result:

Videos:

The text describing the video we want to generate for now is “A wide shot of a water lily floating in a pond”.

Here is the screenshot of the video:

Bonus Tool

While this may not be about images, Canva’s AI tool in creating music would be very useful if we want to put some music in our videos.

Let’s try to make one.

Choose the AI Music icon on the sidebar. Then choose the type of music you want to create. Here, I chose “Ambient”.

You can also set additional parameters as well as the duration of your music between 5 to 300 seconds. I chose only 10 seconds of music since the video clip rendered previously was only 4 seconds.

2. Magic Expand

I use this AI tool very often, especially after I generate a square image that I want to turn into a more panoramic size.

For this, let’s use the image of kids walking in a park that we rendered above. Click the image and then choose the Edit button above it. Next, go to Magic Studio in the sidebar and choose Magic Expand.

We will now choose “Whole Page” for the size.

Now, click the “Magic Expand” button.

Pick from the 4 images rendered and click “Done”. We now have an expanded park!

3. Background Remover

This one is very useful. Sometimes, you are happy with the main character in the image but you want to use a different background. To remove it, click the picture, choose “Edit” and go to Magic Studio again to pick BG Remover.

Here is the result:

4. Magic Grab

Sometimes, you are already happy with the background, but you want to move the other parts of the picture in another area. In this photo, you may want to move the woman to the left.

Let’s edit the photo again, go to Magic Studio and choose Magic Grab.

You will be asked to click on the parts of the photo that you want to grab.

After grabbing it, you can now move that part of the photo wherever you want. You can even delete it and the background would remain! But here, we merely move the woman to the left.

5. Magic Erase

Are there parts of the photo that you want to simply erase? Magic Eraser can help you with that. Edit the photo again, go to Magic Studio and choose Magic Eraser this time.

You can use either click on the part of the photo you want to erase or use the brush to do so. Let’s use the brush for now to erase the coffee cup.

Here is the photo without the coffee cup.

6. Magic Edit

Instead of erasing the coffee cup, while not replace it with a vase? If you want to do that, choose Magic Edit this time. Then select the object you want to edit such as the coffee cup.

Next, write what you want to replace it with such as a “flower vase”. Click the “Generate” button.

You will be given four images to choose from. If you are not happy with the results, click “Generate again”.

7. Grab Text

You may want to use this feature from time to time. Here, the photo contains text that you want to edit to better fit your needs.

From Magic Studio, choose Grab Text.

Click on the text you want to edit. Here, we want to edit the word “WORK”.

After grabbing the text, I edited it and typed “earn”. Here is the resulting image:

Choose the tool that would work best for you

Canva has more AI tools for writers such as its “Magic Write” that can help you generate content to start up your writing. But I found myself using the above tools quite often.

In addition to helping me find the appropriate images for my posts, they also shorten the time I need to create graphics and videos from time to time.

What about you? What AI tools have you found useful when it comes to your work as a writer or freelancer?

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You may want to upgrade your subscription to have full access to our Tips for Writers and Freelancers.

You may also want to check my book “How to Earn Money by Becoming a Full-time Writer”

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While the advent of artificial intelligence has brought many advantages and opportunities, many of us freelancers have also been wary of its effects on our current sources of income. How would it affect our current streams of income? Would our talents and skills be eventually replaced by AI?

I must admit that I also have my fears. But I would like to believe that instead of being a threat to our human capacities, AI can augment and improve our work so that we can explore even more opportunities.

Here are just some of the ways that freelancers can earn from using AI today:

1. AI assisted content

Instead of replacing writers, Artificial Intelligence such as ChatGPT can be used as a tool to help the writer focus more on the creative aspect of the work.

We can use AI to simply edit or check any errors or inconsitencies in our writings. We can also benefit from their research, letting them answer our questions and asking for suggestions while brainstorming and planning our work.

Doing such could tremendously cut the duration of some of our tasks and help us with more output and earnings.

2. Image generation

Images generated by AI can be a starting point for some of our other projects. We can use them as inspiration for our artistic endeavours. We can also use AI graphic tools to edit and enhance our work.

Combining our skills with AI’s capacities, we can produce more designs for custom-made orders or as a part of other products.

Tools like Microsoft Designer, MidJourney or Playground can help us generate or edit designs for client needs or even for selling products on Etsy, Redbubble and other stores.

Some even use their designs for mugs, shirts, stickers and wall arts. Others create logos, digital wallpapers, book covers and other illustrations.

3. Social media management

AI can be used in generating, analyzing and scheduling content for social media needs. Personally, I use Canva’s AI tools to generate and edit images for my personal social media channels.

You can also use AI to create catchy social media captions, repurpose your content, test your post and analyze your competitor’s performance.

Use AI tools from Buffer, Hootsuite and other sites to help you if you want to earn from social media management.

4. Podcasts

I used to have so many problems when it come to creating a podcast. The main one is noise. It’s so hard to manage recording your podcasts when you don’t have a studio or a quiet environment to begin with.

But with AI tools and sites like ElevenLabs, Speechify and Revoicer, you can now clone your own voice and let it do the talking for you. It’s easier and faster so you can also create more podcast episodes.

5. Audiobooks

Speaking of allowing AI to use your voice, why not create audio books or turn your books into audio content?

You can even experiment with creating YouTube episodes for your stories using AI for narration and providing some musical background.

Let AI work for you

We can no longer avoid the age of artificial intelligence. So instead of letting it remain as a threat for us, why not let it assist us? Use them as tools to enhance your work. Let AI serve you and work for you.

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Some of you may have already been earning extra income as a freelance voice actor or by lending your voice in various AI marketplaces. For others, this may be the first time you read about this opportunity.

Let's familiarize ourselves with some of the websites where you can earn money by lending your voice:

1. Voices.com

https://www.voices.com/talent/get-paid

This website pays through PayPal. You create a profile first and then you can offer packages or respond to client jobs.

2. Voice123

https://voice123.com/plans

They have plan tiers depending on the exposure that you prefer to find jobs. Regarding payment, they have “SurePay”, a system whereby the client’s payment is held in protection and then released to you via PayPal or check upon completion of the job.

3. ElevenLabs

https://elevenlabs.io/payouts

According to their website, the default rate of earning from which you can estimate your own rate starts at about 1.1 cents per 1,000 characters and this can reach up to 3 cents per 1000 characters.

They pay through Stripe.

Here is what they say in case you want additional control for lending your voice:

“We allow you to add extra protection like live moderation, which controls what categories of content your voice can be used for.”

You can also read more about their policy on prohibited use. Make sure to read their Terms and Voice Library addendum.

(Note: I make no guarantees regarding the above websites. You should verify and join at your own risk.)

Knowing the Risks and How to Protect Your Rights When Earning From Your Voice

Here are some of the things you need to consider before you decide to earn money by lending your voice.

1. Read the contract thoroughly

Whether this is a contract with your client or a contract from the website where you are lending your voice to, read everything and make sure you understand the terms.

If you feel uncertain or uncomfortable about anything, clarify first or consult an expert. Don’t agree to anything you might regret later on.

2. Learn the specifics of the project

What specific project is being covered by your contract? Will it be for a particular ad or video? Will it involve lending your voice to an AI chatbot? For how long will you be lending your voice and get paid for it? In which countries would your voice be used?

3. Determine how much you will be paid for your voice

How much and through what payment method will you get your payment?

If you have thoroughly reviewed the contract as well as the scope of the job covered, you will have a better idea of how much you can set your payment rate.

The larger the scope and duration of the work, the higher you should be paid for it.

4. Retain ownership of your intellectual property

While you can lend your voice for licensing, it doesn’t mean that you need to surrender all your rights to it!

5. Limit the use of your voice

Getting paid for your vocal talent for a particular project doesn’t mean that your client can also transfer the right to use your voice to other parties.

6. Avoid scams and the fraudulent use of your voice

You don’t want to be involved in deepfake scams or other fraudulent activities through the use of your voice so make sure to avoid clients/companies that can damage your reputation and cause you harm.

Let your contracts clearly indicate that your voice should not be used in such activities. You should also exclude other areas or categories that you don’t want your voice to be used in such as drug or alcohol related topics, or those involving politics and other sensitive areas.

7. Know the scope of voice cloning

If your voice will be cloned, know its usage and limits. Will it be for temporary use? Will it be for a specific project only?

If you are going to lend your voice to be used for your client’s app, make sure to have a contract that it is for that specific app only and that they will not use it for their other apps and software.

8. Protect your privacy

Set strict limits to your private information such as your name, address, email, phone number and other similar data.

Just because you have allowed your voice to be used by a particular application or AI doesn’t mean that you have to let the whole world know it’s you.

Getting Paid Properly and Protecting Yourself

As a voice talent, you have to protect your assets. Don’t sell your voice without ensuring that you get paid well for it. Limit the use and duration as much as possible and retain your intellectual rights.

Pay particular attention also to the use of your voice on ElevenLabs where you will have to lend your voice to the marketplace to earn from its use (without any specific project/client in mind). This gives you the opportunity to earn passive income just from doing so, but be aware of its implications later on.

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I think I wrote my first song when I was in high school. I still have a copy of it and it holds a special place in my heart.

Now that I’m into freelance writing, I can’t help but continue also in writing songs. It’s part of my passion and it’s one of the things that help me relieve my stress.

Recently, however, I discovered that I can also earn some extra money just from my original lyrics!

Have you also written some songs before? Have you ever thought about taking your hobby seriously and even earning some money from it?

The feeling of having your song played on the radio and recorded professionally is so satisfying, and more so if you can make a living out of it.

Here are some of the ways you can earn money by writing song lyrics:

1. Offer your services on Etsy

Did you know that you can offer writing song lyrics on Etsy and get paid for them? I have not yet tried doing so, but I already started by offering my poems.

You can also offer your lyrics on Etsy! Just make sure to read their terms and the format that you should provide your work.

I think it may not be so different from my poems where I provide a PDF copy of the poem (complete with Wall Art design) for those who would like to buy it.

2. Create a Fiverr Gig

Fiverr is very flexible when it comes to selling your services. So why not try selling your lyrics there, too?

Make a Fiverr Gig and customize your service so that other people can avail of your talent today.

3. Announce your talent to family and friends

The people closest to you may not realize your hidden talent until you let them know about it. Who knows? They may need your lyrics for a particular project or special occasion and they can even be your first clients.

4. Offer your services for brands

Include your songwriting skills in your profile and offer your services to brands for their advertising and other commercial needs. You may even be asked to compose a catchy jingle for a popoular product!

5. Write for animators and film makers

These days, there are many independent animators as well as film makers who are looking for artists and other experts to collaborate with. So why not you?

Your song can even be used in an award-winning film or animation.

6. Sell your lyrics on relevant websites

Here is one of the best ways you can earn today from your talent as a lyricist. You can go to these websites, create an account and post your lyrics or your services as a lyricist so that those who need your expertise can find you.

Just make sure to read the terms as well as each one’s membership requirements, fees and pricing plans.

a. Premium Lyrics

https://www.premiumlyrics.com/en-us/faq/application-as-lyricist

Note that they are very strict when it comes to your lyrics. You should not submit AI-Generated content once accepted as a lyricist.

After creating an account, you need to send them three lyrics that they can review.

b. Airgigs

https://help.airgigs.com/help/how-can-i-offer-my-services-on-airgigs

You need to sign up first on their website. After that, you can go to the “Start Selling” link where you can post your service listing.

Their website indicates “PayPal” as a means of payment.

c. Twine

https://www.twine.net/freelancers

Sign up as a freelancer to offer your services as a lyricist. You can create a profile where you can showcase your portfolio to potential clients.

They also have an AI Application Writer to help you write pitches, cover letters and more.

Note that while they have a Free account, they also have a Pro Plan that lets you avail more features.

d. Songbay

https://songbay.co/sell-lyrics/

Songbay has a variety of options you can choose from to sell your work. You can choose to sell and download only for personal use. You can also choose to sell for a license. You set your own price. Their website also says that payment is through PayPal.

What’s good is that according to their site, you get to keep 100% of your royalties and income!

They offer different membership options starting with £1.99 a month.

e. Lyrics.com

https://www.lyrics.com/sell-your-lyrics

You can sell your lyrics on their marketplace. But take note! You must first pay $75 for a permanent listing there.

A Challenge To Fellow Song Writers

Having read the above, here is a challenge to fellow writers out there.

Don’t let your talent go to waste. Let the world know and appreciate your work. Take the risk and reap the rewards today!

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Many bloggers and writers have later on turned to podcasting to reach a wider audience. And they are not wrong to do so. However, it is also known that podcasting is not something that you can do in the blink of an eye. I know because I have also started one. If you don’t have access to a studio, it may already be a huge problem for you to find a quiet spot where you can record without noise and other disturbances.

Having considered all these things, it makes sense to also want to earn something from your podcasts. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn this into a side hustle to give you extra income?

What are some of the ways you can earn more from your podcast?

Below are some strategies that you can use today:

1. Turn some of your episodes into a paid subscription

Why publish everything for free when your paid episodes can finance your free episodes? A subscription model can very well be the simplest way for you to earn from your podcasts.

If you are on Substack, it would be very easy for you because Substack already has a feature that lets you mark some episodes as “paid”.

Simply go to the “Podcast” tab in your dashboard and click the “New episode” button.

After uploading your podcast, click the “Settings” icon and click the option for “Paid subscribers only.”

2. Distribute your podcast on external players

Did you know that through Substack podcast settings, you can distribute your podcast episodes to Spotify, Apple, YouTube and other external players?

Simply go again to the “Podcast” tab and click “Settings”.

Scroll a little below and you will find a list of the external players where you may want to distribute your podcast.

The first in the list is “Spotify” and it is very easy to synchronize your podcast there.

Just click the “Sync to Spotify” button and this will in turn automatically include your podcast on Spotify, listing both its free and paid episodes.

For more information about integrating Substack with Spotify, here is the tutorial.

If a listener wants to listener to your paid episodes there, they need to upgrade their account to “paid”.

Click here if you want to submit a show to Apple. You can also submit your episodes to Pocket Casts and Overcast.

3. Accept donations

There are many generous people out there who can support you through donations from time to time. For this you can use “Buy me a coffee”, “Patreon” or “Ko-fi”. Create an account on these websites, get a link and share this to your podcast listeners.

Here is an example of my Ko-fi donation button.

4. Sell merchandise

Your podcast episodes are not the only items that you can offer to your followers. You can also offer them your merchandise that also represents your brand.

You can try to sell T-shirts, mugs, stickers and other items on the following:

Redbubble

Etsy

Shopify

5. Earn from Affiliates

Your podcast can be one of the best channels to promote your affiliate products.

One program that can help you with this is the Amazon Associates Programs. Sign up and earn commission from sales of just about anything from home, clothing, electronics, toys, games and other products.

If you are a writer, you can earn commissions from books sales through your affiliate link.

Earning More From Your Podcast

There are many ways to earn more from your podcast episodes to maximize its potential. It may take a little time and effort, but once you have finished the initial set up, you can reap the fruits of having extra income coming from your podcast. If you are really busy, perhaps you can begin with one or two methods that you think can best work for you.

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