Grabbing at Straws and Spinning My Brain

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Charles Yallowitz

So, people know that I’m stepping back to work out the financial and personal issues going on over here.  I’ve been writing, deleting, and rewriting this post since it keeps coming close to what I should save for Saturday.  This post isn’t about the future of my blog, writing, and emotions.  It’s about bringing money in, which has been driving me to the point of losing sleep.

First, I keep bouncing between full and part time being the initial target.  My son still has a few weeks of summer break, which makes going on hunts and interviews difficult.  When school starts, we would need to depend on my parents or a babysitter for when he comes home unless I find a job that puts me on the same schedule as him.  Retail and supermarkets can be flexible, but this falls under part-time.  So, this has caused me to leap down so many rabbit holes that I’m pretty sure I passed Wonderland a few possibilities again.

One thing I’m looking into that I can start once I finish researching is work-from-home with data entry, proofreading, and other typing-based jobs.  This can be a good supplemental alongside whatever the books trickle in and it might be a great way to step into the working world again.  I get used to having a boss once more and my son gets used to daddy ‘working’.  Another benefit of this is that I can adjust the schedule as I see fit, which helps a lot when he has school.  I can do a part-time job in the morning or night then this in the morning or night.  It means writing takes an extra hit, but I can always make that a weekend’s night thing.

All of that being said, this post is mostly due to a few people pointing out that I have a decent platform here.  It was suggested that I find a way to make some money helping authors, which had me doing some research.  Honestly, I could only think of doing interviews or creative consultant.  The first feels weird to do for money while the second is harder to explain.  I’ve always had a knack for helping other authors work through blocks or obstacles.  I just listen, ask questions, and give input when requested.  Again, this is a weird thing to charge for in my mind.

The other issues that were pointed out by several people are:

  1. I’d have to set up all the tax stuff for such a business, which already makes my head spin.  Can’t even figure out how to make receipts.  I’ve always been more artist than businessman, so this is a nightmarish hurdle.
  2. WordPress doesn’t always celebrate someone making that kind of money off their platform.  That’s what I’ve been told and I’m not sure how to look into it.  So, I might have to make a different site.
  3. Even with my current platform/reputation, it could take a few years to start making any real money on this.  It would be the author career all over again, but this time with less patience by the people around me.  This could be a supplemental thing too, but I can only do so many of those things.  I’m sure 3-4 small jobs can equal one, but I’d be exhausted jumping from data entry to book promos to chatting with other authors about their stories.  So, as appealing as the idea is, there are a lot of downsides.

Still, I figure there’s no harm in opening the floor to people who might have an idea that I haven’t considered.  Maybe I missed a factor or option.  Maybe I’m working entirely out of a fear, desperation, and sorrow.  The wound of saying even a slight good-bye is still a little raw and I probably should be taking time to get my head together.  Yet, I really don’t feel like I have time to drag my feet.  Thanks to anyone who can suggest anything.

P.S.-  I did have a conversation about ghostwriting, but I’m not sure.  I write in a rather distinct style that I naturally gravitate towards, so I fear that I’d be unable to do what the client wants.

About Charles Yallowitz

Charles E. Yallowitz was born, raised, and educated in New York. Then he spent a few years in Florida, realized his fear of alligators, and moved back to the Empire State. When he isn't working hard on his epic fantasy stories, Charles can be found cooking or going on whatever adventure his son has planned for the day. 'Legends of Windemere' is his first series, but it certainly won't be his last.
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32 Responses to Grabbing at Straws and Spinning My Brain

  1. Darcy Branwyn says:
    August 16, 2018 at 7:37 am

    Erg… I feel your pain in that I don’t make money off books these days. I’ve been thinking about starting an Etsy and an E-bay shop to sell fur and yarn from my angora rabbits. I’d make more money that way, sadly. I have a background in herbs too, and have considered making some of my herbal recipes to sell online. (With all the typical warnings that it doesn’t replace a real doctor, etc.…)
    Then there’s the whole tax bracket thing. My husband has assured me it hardly matters because we’d lose everything I make to taxes anyway so there’s hardly any point, other than my self-esteem, as my kids get older and mommy isn’t supposed to be at home any more. Or some stupid thing like that.

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  2. The Story Reading Ape says:
    August 16, 2018 at 7:39 am

    Depending on which WP format you use, Charles, you could show sponsored ads – e.g., I use a free WP theme (I pay WP for my .com domain name) and agreed for WP Ads to show under my posts & pages – they don’t make me a fortune, but they help bring some money in.
    Check out the WP premium options and see which allow Affiliate Ads to show (you can always opt to keep the word ads as well I think) – Amazon, Smashwords, etc, pay for affiliate ads to show on blogs. 😎

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  3. coldhandboyack says:
    August 16, 2018 at 9:05 am

    I’m kind of interested in what your fans come up with. I’ll surf back through sometime today to check it out.

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  4. Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler) says:
    August 16, 2018 at 10:41 am

    It’s actually a difficult one. You need to consider your skills and capabilities, your son’s needs and schedule, the issues that caused you to make this choice to start with, and your own physical and emotional needs. Dont’ spread yourself too thin just to bring in extra cash. Also, don’t try to please everyone who has been criticising you, because you never will anyhow. Figure out what you not only can do, but also won’t be totally miserable doing. Figure out how you can work that with your son’s schedule and needs, or how you can make sure his needs are met while doing it. Then go from there.

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    • Charles Yallowitz says:
      August 16, 2018 at 11:26 am

      Good point on spreading too thin and trying to please everyone. If I go too wild grabbing jobs then I’ll destroy myself. The reason I’m looking at stuff I can do with the blog is because it’s already been established, but it’s looking like the best I can do is allow ads that will net me enough money to buy a pack of gum each month. I don’t even have my son’s schedule right now either because we don’t know where he is on the bus pick-up or if he’s going to be on it. Last year, he was too scared to ride in the morning. With any luck, I can find a job with very flexible hours and an understanding towards family.

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      • Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler) says:
        August 17, 2018 at 4:34 am

        Yes, that would be the best option for your circumstances. I hope you can find something like that.

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      • Charles Yallowitz says:
        August 17, 2018 at 4:40 am

        I hope so too. Another issue is that I need to start preparing my son for school. Due to his difficulty with transitions, adding me not being around could cause a problem. Last year, he was doing well until the last day of summer break where he got scared of going on the bus. It started a long period of him freaking out about it and a few vomiting episodes that caused him to stay home. I’d like to avoid that, which puts me in a bad spot.

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  5. Don Massenzio says:
    August 17, 2018 at 6:28 am

    Charles, I’m not sure if you’ve checked this avenue, but sites like Upwork and Fiverr allow you to freelance in many different areas. I generated some income doing this when I was between jobs. It meant working on a lot of little things in order to assemble some kind of income, but it could be something to hold you over until you find something more definitive. It got me through six months of no steady income. It’s all 1099 work so the taxes aren’t complicated.

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  6. Nicholas C. Rossis says:
    August 23, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    How about teaching? You can certainly do a class on creative writing, and it might even be an evening class, so it doesn’t have to impact your mornings too much. Any colleges or other community centers around you which offer continuing education to adults?

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