Oct 08 2007
Talking About My New ‘Job’
As you can probably tell due to my lack of posting I haven’t had much success getting anything done. I’ve been doing lots of visiting and family stuff and have had to recover from several whiskey-induced hangovers so really haven’t had the time or been in the mood. I’m definitely giving myself a true to life test of what it’ll be like once I start travelling but it looks like I’m failing miserably!
Anyway… on to the post. Because I’ve been catching up with people I haven’t seen in awhile I’ve found myself doing a lot of talking about my travel plans and the question about whether I plan to work on the road usually pops up at some point and that’s when I mention my websites. I think I’ve explained the ways of Adsense and affiliate programs to about 14,563 people so far.
I’m kind of to the point now that I’m a bit sick of explaining everything, not because I don’t like talking about it, but because I assume that people really don’t care. The strange thing is that most people seem really fascinated by the whole thing. They’re surprised that someone can actually earn money from websites and they want to know more and the questions keep flowing my way. Either that or they’re being polite!
It got me thinking about how many times I’m going to find myself explaining what I do to people I meet during my travels. As much as I love talking about earning money with my websites and encouraging people to do the same, I really think that explaining the ins and outs of the business to everyone I meet will start to suck the life out of me.
I’m thinking that I might be better off just saying I plan to teach English in China and moving on to the next topic of conversation. Who wants to talk about work anyway?
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I've been travelling since January 2008 living off earnings from the web. Follow me as I bum around Asia and beyond, getting up to mischief and working online as I go. 
A lot of people don’t have a clue about how you can earn money from websites, either that or they think you do something shady. I’ll admit I was pretty clueless myself until recently.
You could have a lot of fun making up stories about what you do for a living. Then again, you never know when you might bump into someone who can give you ideas/advice on stuff you may be working on the web, or give you an idea for a website that is the best thing since sliced bread.
This hasn’t been a real life travel test, on the road you’ll see mostly strangers and not family members and you won’t be drinking 50 % alcoholic beverages much on the road.
Could you do a test run to f.eks. Shetland to practice the practicalities of working via keyboards while on the move?
Ha ha. I know the feeling. I find it really hard to explain to people what I do. Most people just don’t get it. Or maybe it’s because I don’t explain myself well. Definitely people in my family don’t think it is a real “job”. I think sometimes I put in more hours than a regular 9-5.
Now I just say to people I meet that I am on a (very) long vacation. If the discussion goes a bit further I start talking about making money online. It is good to have the WN forum - just knowing that there are other people like me keeps my sanity.
Kirsty, maybe you should make up business cards with simple words and pictograms illustrating how you make money on the web. While you’re on the road, if you start to feel a conversation drifting towards the same tired Q&A, just stop them and hand them a card.
I have the same problem at the moment - my partner is looking for a job I already have one! I feel it might be easier when I actually start earning some money from this “job” though!
Oh I love that confused look that people get when they learn that we “work” on our blogs but don’t get a “paycheck” from some employer.
There’s just something creepy about the business card idea but it’d be pretty funny to see the look on people’s faces. Making up stories could be a winner!
I’m not terribly new to the blogging world but I’ve just never understood how people make money off of it. I guess its because I’ve never tried…I should probably move my blog off of wordpress.com to my own domain so I can get some Google Adwords up!
I too have found it frustrating to tell people about what I do. Eyes tend to gaze over as soon as I mention anything to do with the web to non webby people.
I have started to call myself an online publisher or even an online salesman.
Unfortunately this often results in a glazed look as well!
So you´ve decided that this blog is not to be so popular, you’re gonna do as workingnomad, have your updates few and far between. Perhaps you are afraid of giving away your secrets, or you’re just not sure if there is any future in this blog or even if you want to travel the world working online or be safe in an office and bedsit in London.
I’m going to continue checking for updates (hell, I even click on comments if I see there is a new one) but many, tens or hundreds of potentual readers (and possible referers) have already been here twice and are not coming back.
So, yeah, I’m complaining. No hangover lasts this long, update or go offline, that’s the best course for both you and x many readers. And you realize I would only be typing this if I gave a damn.
I guess it was a week between posts… that sort of snuck up on me. Your comments are a bit harsh though… I wouldn’t say the decision is for me to ‘update or go offline’ but more for you to ‘hang tight or stop reading’. The whole point of being a part of this earning money online thing is freedom and while I really value everyone’s comments and feedback I’m not going to be guilted into writing when I’m super busy or just having nothing to say. I like blogging so I’m going to keep at it and if I lose readers because I don’t write for a few days well then that sucks but life goes on.
Glad to see you’ve missed me!
Yeah youre right, it’s more about us readers to hang tight or stop reading, not you to update or go offline. Inevitably that’s allway’s how it is.
I got frustrated after checking for the 21 time, probably there are people with more tolerance thanme.
Still, how many of use, readers are there and how many are there of you? Just saying, you got a promising blog here but you’re pissing it away by being lazy. It´s you who are making (perhaps) money by updating but none of us readers. .
That may be harsh, but it’s truth none the less.
As I see it the difference between blogs and websites is that blogs must be updated regularly, if not why aren’t they a website?
Yep and that’s while I’ll tell anyone who’s willing to listen to my mad rants that websites are the way forward. I would think that running a collection of blogs that need constant updating would start to feel like a part time job after awhile. Passive income is the key for me.
I’ve just taken a week off because I was doing the family thing… I’d hardly say I’m pissing it away. You’re a tough critic, WJM!
This blog doesn’t make me any money and that’s not my motivation anyways. I write in my blog because I enjoy it and I like sharing ideas and hearing people’s feedback. I intend on writing regularly but if that doesn’t happen from time to time I’m not going to make any apologies for it.
While I do like to see continual updates, there are always going to be gaps and time lapses, not much can be done about that. You are most certainly going to run into times where you cannot/don’t feel like posting in your travels (family is usually harder to blow off than people you have just met). I would rather see substantial posts with a few days lapse in between than constant posts every day that are trivial. If you are constantly under pressure to post a new entry then the whole thing becomes a drag and very soon you’ll hate the thing entirely.
Glad to see you are back! Sounds like it was a good test run and opened your eyes to some challenges you will face.
Travel as light as possible - less stuff to worry about and lug around with you. Sounds like you’ll have some pretty strong shoulders after a month or so of carrying the stuff
Plus, with everything else I try to do in a 24 hour period, it is easier to keep up on things when there are not updates every day.
Whew, what a relief on how well you’re taking this. I woke up this morning with a shade of a hangover and thought, what the f*** was I commenting last night, I appologize for harsh words, I couldn’t myself update a blog on a daily basis myself and gave up on it.
I’m also thinking websites not blogs, except it might be possible to use the timestamp feature of wordpress and post six or seven short posts a week in advance. Then if one does not feel up to it, they go online at preset dates as is, or short.
If inspiration visits then one can allways log in and work on them a bit. Far easier than logging on every day, putting the writers hat on every day, etc. If it was a travelog then one could insert some info on the country to be published next 30 days, then visit from netcafes and give reports from the road also, as often as possible.
Have a nice one and I’ll try not to CUI (Comment while under the influence) around here again
My thoughts exactly Steve!
No worries WJM. I’m impressed to see you getting boozed on a Monday!