Sunday, June 21, 2015

New Construction Underway

By Mr.Conan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know you can make money on the internet? Okay, not worded correctly, but I did not know that people on YouTube actually could make money (and good money) running into walls and seeing what they can eat as a taco. When I learned this, I immediately wanted in. The problem is that writing does not translate well into a YouTube video. 

The ability to make money off the internet is only part of my reason to make a change. I have had a webpage for about 18 months. My few faithful followers will all likely say the same thing, "You have a webpage?" At least, judging from the Google analytics, that is what seems to be happening. It is time for me to join the rest of the world, herein after called Google. 

I am a big supporter of Google's attempt to take over the world. If they will hurry up with their self-driving cars I'll buy one. If Google Glass did more than put words in the air I'd be all in. My main interest now are the ads you will start seeing on my blog posts. All of this is part of a plan 

1. GROW the BRAND

By LDMerriam (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This phrase is mathematically impossible: It means less than the sum of its parts. Often it is thrown out alongside "Change the Paradigm" or "Think Outside the Box." It is time to leverage dynamic synergy to empower myself within my swim-lane. If you want more meaningless buzzwords, Click Here to use the WSJ Buzzwords Generator.

Those phrases aren't entirely meaningless, except in the strict rhetorical sense of course. Basically, my strategy to get recognized hasn't been working. This graphic is trite but instructive. I focus on quality work in my stories, but I haven't built a reputation of excellence. More importantly, I haven't given anyone much to argue about.

2. BUILD a NETWORK

For a writer, this means devoted readers. Unfortunately, there is very little available for free to devoted readers. If my books were selling, that would actually work in my favor. My new plan involves getting people in to read my posts. Offer the readers something.

A major part of growing a network of fans will be to make access easier. I will, therefore, be changing my web hosting service. I will not name the old company, but I have become less than enamored with them. Though I initially liked having essentially a sand-table web design, I found that it cost more than it is worth. I will be moving my domain to Google and using a Blogger-based site to manage my content starting soon.

3. MAKE MONEY

This has been the sticking point. Learning what is available to me to make money has let me see beyond simply selling copies of my books. For that reason, you will see ads on my site. If they don't interest you, ignore them. Chances are, if you were led to my page, they match your recent search activity. It's that whole taking over the world thing. The four areas my blog will focus on are:
  1. Literary Theory: Many people think literature classes in college are about taking all the fun out of reading. This is because you don't learn the true role of literary theory and analysis unless you move on to a master's program. You can analyze any item produced by a human using cultural/literary analysis.
  2. Travel Log: I am currently living in Germany. Though I cannot discuss my professional role here, I can talk about living in Germany. This will be handled on a different blog at http://1kDaysInGermany.blogger.com.
  3. Continuing Education: This project will not appear as posts, but rather additions to a page on this site. I will be analyzing the role of English language study in society as well as the growing opportunities in online education.
  4. Inspiration: As I grow as an individual, I have found that I draw inspiration from many sources outside traditional religion, but fully compatible with religious belief. I would like a place to share my thoughts on where the human fits into humanity. Again, this will be handled through a separate blog which has not been launched yet.
As you see, there are many exciting changes for my followers. Keep following for release dates.