Robbi Hess

Have something to say? Why not get paid for it

Do you have articles sitting in a desk drawer (figuratively, of course, because you've likely stored everything on your computer)? If you have articles written or have ideas for articles that could be written -- by you -- here are some ideas of places to submit your writing; and perhaps even make money.

1. Examiner.com (of course I am a bit partial to this site. Check out the "Write for us" section. (mention that you heard it from me)
2. Associatedcontent.com This site accepts articles and videos on myriad subjects. See if you have something that fits.
3. Constant-content.com This site sells your articles to publishers. Be advised they have stringent quality controls in place before they will accept your work.
4. Suite101.com It calls itself the "most comprehensive online magazine" and offers many sections in which to prove your expertise and perhaps earn some income
5. Helium.com offers upfront payment for articles -- you won't get rich but you could make steady income that could add up

Whatever work you post -- make certain it is your own. These sites, as with all reputable sites, frown on plagiarism. What are you waiting for? Get writing -- and selling!

Getting trendy and topical

Do you ever sit down and want to write but just never know what to write about? I find I am running into that problem when I work on my Examiner page. I want to supply readers with information that will help them grow their writing careers but still remain topical. If you find yourself struggling with the same thing -- wanting to be topical and searchable but still needing to convey your particular message, go to Google Trends to see what everyone is talking about. (for instance recently it's been Michael Jackson, Cash for Clunkers and the freed journalists)

I found a way, recently to work the journalists into my writing pages (http://bit.ly/RobbiExaminer) My friend, Joanne, who is a Christian Examiner wrote about the Cash for Clunkers program by tying it into basic common sense lessons on spending and saving. I could certainly write about the Clunkers program by telling readers to pitch an article on car repair and maintenance (keeping that clunker running), going green in general (whether by trading in a car for a more fuel efficient one or with lower cost options) You see the trend?

It's pretty easy to find a trending topic and put your own spin on it to get your message across and bring your readers in.

What lengths for a scoop?

If you were a journalist, how far would you go for a story? Would you travel into hostile territory like Laura Ling and Euna Lee did? Would you go to North Korea or anywhere close to it in pursuit of a story? If you did, wouldn't you keep track of border issues so that you didn't accidentally step into enemy lands?

If you worked for a newspaper or television station, how far would you go for a story? How far would you to go to protect a source? Certainly not every -- or likely -- many journalists (whether television or newspaper) find themselves in this situation, it could be an interesting self-examination to think about what you'd do if faced with such a situation.

Even covering small town politics can bring with it some moral and ethical dilemmas such as off the record comments which could lead to an additional story idea, lead or angle. It's sometimes a wrestling match to ascertain what to do with information given in "confidence."

What would you do?

Traveling to Pennsylvania

I went to Scranton, PA over the weekend to watch Alexa (my daughter) perform with the Hawthorne Caballeros. I'd only been to one DCA show before and this one (even though it was outside at night -- two things that should never go together! lol) was more fun than I'd imagined.

I will be the first to admit that I know nothing about music and couldn't tell a good drum line from a not-so-good-one, I enjoyed the pageantry of the event. It's easy to see now why she spends her weekends traveling to and from New Jersey for practices. Once the corp is out there on the field, it all seems to come together -- at least in my eyes.

The trip wasn't bad other than the rain on the way home. But, word to the wise, if you read a hotel review and the hotel is given bad commentary -- believe it, and choose a different site. I imagined that people posting reviews simply had an axe to grind. Well, in this instance, they did not.