Telecommuting

The following is my list of New Year’s resolutions.  While they may not actually help, a guy can dream, right?

• Use rejection letters to wallpaper my chicken coop
• Intersperse actual work with a few rounds of Chuzzle on Shockwave
• Find a job writing about Wii games, so I the time I use playing the games can be written off as a business expense
• Create an author website- might actually help
• Learn to network more- and not just with friends and family
• Purchase a cell phone so I’m more accessible- then I can follow myself on Twitter!
• Avoid get rich quick schemes on the Internet
• Get a job on Second Life- it may be the only one I can actually can land in 2009

Have a Happy New Year!

~~Gregg

If you’re a blog writer, you should twitter… and I don’t mean act like a twit or tweet like a bird.  Twitter is considered one of the best ways to get your blog out in the blogosophere, and if you’re blogging for a living, Twitter is the way to go.

It really isn’t like other social networking sites.  Forget adding a bunch of information about yourself that no one really cares about unless your a young teenager.  This is probably the one social networking site that can help promote you with your online business (writing or otherwise) and help you make connections with people who are interested in what you’re doing.  All they have to do is twitter you - they’ll have access to your RSS feeds and voila- you’re being followed on Twitter! Friends and fans can follow you on their cell phones or online.

Get more information and sign up at Twitter.com . today!

Follow me on Twitter:  GreggGerber

Here’s the latest crop of blogging jobs I’ve found across the Internet, including Problogger.com.  If you love to blog and want to do more than just one (or two!), consider the following blogger jobs:

Women’s and Men’s Fashion Blogger

Personal Finance Blogger

Gadgetell Contributor

Personal Finance/Credit Card Blogger

TV Industry Writer

As of today, these jobs were still open, so if you want to increase your income for the New Year, here’s your chance.  Also, if you have the option to add a second blog to your Today.com account, why not take the opportunity?  A few extra bucks each month could add up to a weekend vacation or perhaps, in my case, a new set of tires!

~~Gregg

I know I didn’t invent this wheel- of course many telecommuters know that social networking can help their business.  However, if you’re reading this you either hadn’t thought of doing this or you want to visit me on Facebook (Gregg Gerber- come visit!).

I just joined 2 days ago and I’m amazed who has visited and joined my friends list!  People I hadn’t heard from since high school and college magically appeared on my friends page.  Now I don’t feel so lonely living here in a rural area!

Now, to the networking part.  It is a good idea to create profiles on facebook and other networking sites.  People can visit and drop you lines, hopefully a few will also be job offers too.  However, one BIG caution about social networking sites- never post pictures you wouldn’t want your mom to see and don’t write things that could come back to haunt you.  While you may not be the next White House Press Secretary, writing nasty things about your ex-boss, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend or a political rant could come back to haunt you.  Try to keep things neutral and not petty.  Remember, once you put something out on the Internet, it is pretty much there to stay.  People looking for employees are now checking out potential employee’s social networking profiles and it could be the reason you are either chosen for a job or disqualified for one.

Well, I’m off to update what I’m doing on my facebook page.  See ya there!

~~Gregg

I’ve recently joined Sologig and I’m not sure whether it is going to work for me or not.  On the one hand they have some pretty good jobs listed each week, however, not all of them are telecommuting jobs.  Obviously, I’m shooting to work from home, or at the very least, temp jobs within driving distance.

They are always actively seeking translators of many different languages.  If you can speak Italian, French and even Romanian, the sky may be the limit.  For the average writer, the pickins may be slim.  However, I don’t discount them- in my case, I need more experience to apply for many of the jobs available and/or the jobs I’m interested are too far away to commute even on a temp basis.

If you live in or near a big city, your chances may be pretty good.  Check them out at:  Sologig.com

Yep, it is true, I can make cupcakes fly!  My kids got the most amazing toy of all for Christmas- the GirlGourmet Cupcake Maker and Icer.  You make the cupcakes in the microwave (nice and easy), then load icing in this interesting contraption, put the cupcake in the bottom of said contraption, then press on a lever.  This is supposed to frost the cupcake like magic.

What really happens:

First, it takes a few minutes to load the frosting into the little frosting mechanism.  It should be able to hold 3 times the capacity it does.  Second, the cupcake sits on this moving cup that rotates.  It would be better if the icing tube rotates, because… if you press the lever down too quickly when you begin the icing process it actually launches the cupcake into the air and shoots it across the room (think skeet shooting)!

I don’t think my wife ever laughed so hard in her life!  The first chocolate cupcake was finally cool enough to frost,  my son carefully loads it into the cup, presses down on the lever like any little boy would do, then zip!  Off it flew, at least 5 feet, then PLOP on the floor.  After about 2 seconds of shock, we all burst into laughter.  Who knew?  It turned out to be the funniest, and most memorable, Christmas gift of the year.

Now, I didn’t forget about listing a job for today… and since this blog is largely about creative writing, here goes.  Check out Lulu.com .  It is a self-publishing website where you can upload any book, short stories, photos and more that you’ve written to their website, then publish them (paperback or hardback and more!).  You can then sell your creations on your free store front and create a free forum to talk with others about your books or join someone else’s with similar interests.  Cost per copy varies, depending upon what type of publishing option you choose.  There are other options that you can add, such as copyrights, European publishing options and more.  Check it out and perhaps you’ll be in print in 2009!

~~Gregg

Tired of the self-publishing grind?  Not sure where to put out that book you’ve written?  Consider Public Bookshelf .  This fairly new site offers writers a chance to put out their “babies” and make a profit at the same time.  You have a choice whether to upload your book to their site and make AdSense bucks, or receive and up-front payment for your hardwork (usually a few hundred bucks my friends).

If you’re not in the mood to sign up right away, there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of books to read.  Everything is free on this website, including uploading and publishing your book.

If you’ve had experience with this particular site, be sure to leave a comment for other readers.  I would love to hear if anyone has had success with this or not!

Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

~~Gregg

I know that my blog will be effectively in limbo for the next two days, so I’m going to share a fun site to visit for the next two days.  If and when anyone reads these blogs, perhaps they’ll have fun visiting these writer sites.

FanStory is one such site.  It gives writers a place to display their work and get (usually) helpful information regarding how their stories flow, grammar and editing tips.  Not everyone likes to get constructive criticism, but if you don’t mind it, check out this site!  My wife has been writing there for about a year now and she has had fun and much success there.  (If you’d like to read a little about her book in progress, City Slicker Farmer , click this link).

This site offers places to show off your poetry, scripts, short stories and novels.  If you’d like to be part of a supportive writing community and you’d like a breatk from writing ho-hum content, check it out!

Until tomorrow,

~~Gregg

Honestly, I haven’t posted my blog in two days because I got the flu, along with my 8-year old daughter.  Why did this have to happen right before the holidays?  I suppose a little stress may have something to do with it.  Hopefully my wife and son will dodge the bullet.

Am I the only one who hasn’t wrapped Christmas gifts yet?  As I was laying on the couch, feeling sick and sorry for myself, I wondered why I put off wrapping the gifts.  I knew it was my job this year (my wife has rhemuatoid arthritis), yet I procrastinated.  I’m not even working full time- I feel like such a schmuck.  At least I’m keeping things going with this blog and a little wishful thinking.

As for job hunting, not finding much, but I’m hopeful come early January.  I know many places, including online businesses, aren’t hiring much this time of year.  With new budgets at the start of the new year, there may be hope for someone like me!

I did come across a place to search for jobs though before the flu bug hit me:

Self-Growth.com - they’re looking for an anger management guide who either has an existing website, professional experience or has written a book on the subject.  This link should take you directly to the anger management page where you can click on a link to apply.  There are probably other guides needed on this site, but I can’t locate a link to a “guides wanted” page.

Hopefully someone reading this can fit the bill!

Good luck and God bless!

~~Gregg

I really hate filling out a lot of forms for little in return, but I have to admit, O Desk seems to deliver, both in number and quality of job leads being sent my way.  At first I was a little skeptical, since there were a bunch of forms and a rather lengthy “entrance exam” I had to get through, but after that, I’ve had good job leads in my email box each day.

The only draw back some people may not like is the use of their software, which keeps track of the time spent on each project.  It is akin to “punching in” at a real job, which of course I’m not terribly keen about.  The software takes screen shots and keeps track of the time you spend on each job for a client.  You sign in for each project, which keeps track of the work for you.  At the end of the week, you electronically sign and send in your time sheets to be paid.

Users of this site can take proficiency tests for a variety of job titles, from IT to graphics and freelance writing.  Odds are you’ll find something that you’re interested in.  If you have the time, check out their site: O Desk .

Good luck!

~~Gregg

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