The following post was written by Andrea at So Over Debt.
I’m very excited to be participating in the $30k Challenge! Next month will mark 1 year since I started blogging at So Over Debt, so this seems like the perfect time to kick things up a notch.
As my blogger friends and regular readers already know, I left my career as a psychotherapist in mid-December to pursue blogging and freelancing full-time. A lot of extenuating circumstances led to this decision – normally I would never take such a huge risk when I’m still a newborn in the blogging world. But it seemed like the right thing to do, and I’m very much at peace with my decision. Especially since the $30k Challenge presented itself – this gives me a chance to see if I can succeed in a much more measurable way than “not getting a real job in 2012.”
My Plan
Based on my 2011 income from So Over Debt, I’m expecting (optimistically yet cautiously) to make $10,000 of online money in 2012 from Adsense and direct ads. Of course I hope I’ll make more than that, but I don’t want to depend too much on projections. I’m crossing my fingers for a PageRank update in the first few months of the year, which will allow me to command higher ad rates and reach a larger audience.
I’m also building a new site, completely unrelated to personal finance, that I hope will bring income through Adsense, affiliate programs, and possibly direct ads (though I haven’t decided if I’ll allow them yet). At this point, I’m not quite ready to reveal the details of the new site, but I’m hoping to launch in the next few weeks. This site will take up the majority of my time for the first few months of the year, but I feel confident that I can bring in $6,000 by the end of December.
Another source of my income is freelance writing – staff posting, SEO copywriting, and various online writing projects. I only dipped my toes in the freelancing waters in 2011 due to having a full-time job, so I’ll be increasing the number of writing assignments I accept. I should be able to reach at least $8,000 in freelance income this year, though again I’m hoping for more.
As for the other $6,000 needed to reach my $30k goal, I’ll be honest – I haven’t firmly decided what I want to do. I’ve bounced several ideas off my friends and family, such as creating niche sites or a third flagship site/blog. I’ve also considered building websites and managing social media for local businesses in my area.
The Question Remains
Can I make $30k in 2012? I sure hope so, considering I’m depending on it to pay my bills! I feel very pressured to succeed in this challenge, not only because I don’t want to look like an idiot, but because the alternative means going back to work for someone else.
I look forward to learning from my fellow challengers and keeping all of you informed of my progress throughout the year. Wish me luck!
Good luck, Andrea. I am sure that you will do well in 2012. Your personality suggests the tenacity to get the job done.
It sounds like you have a decent base for your $30k Andrea. I’d say make sure you work your butt off this month before that Page Rank comes. If you miss that, then you’re looking at summer before the next one (which probably means you’d forfeit about $3,000 in revenue during that time). It’s extremely important to be ready.
Good luck, Andrea. It certainly is a big risk to go full time blogging and hopefully it works out for you. You seem to have to started off well. Keep up the good work and I’m sure you’ll get there.
Derek- I’m curious as to how we can improve our PR other than getting links? From what I’ve heard Google’s choosins for that are quite mystical so if you have any tips to implement, please know I’ll do them!
and yes, I know she’ll hit it!
Shannyn – The best explanation I’ve seen about the Page Rank is here: http://www.webworkshop.net/pagerank.html
But you’re right. As far as we know, links are incredibly important (especially those that are from high-PR sites), but we don’t know Google’s equation. So, the best bet is just to get a bunch of sites linking into you, and then hoping for the best. Incredibly scientific huh?
I have no doubt you will hit the mark this year Andrea!
I am interested in your other project, sounds kind of exciting.
I have a feeling, with your content, you’ll be able to reach 30k and more. Good luck to you this year.
Good Luck Andrea
Thanks, all! I’m busting butt to get content on the new site before the rumored PR update, but I’m not sure I’ll get there in time. The problem with it is that it’s mostly static pages (with a blog component) and all the pages interlink, so I have to get big chunks of them written before I publish. Or I guess I could spend hours linking them after the fact. It’s hard to know where to focus my energy!
Good Luck Andrea. You are an amazing writer. I know you can do it!!
Your situation fascinates me Andrea, because you differ from the others I’ve read about in this challenge so far. Everybody else have day jobs (I think), and you quit yours to pursue this full time. Failure will be nearly impossible for you with the time you will have to devote to this. Good luck!
You can do it! It seems like you have a plan for most of the goal anyway, which means it’s not “actually” $30,000 it’s more like a goal to earn the missing $6,000
see it’s all perspective
I wish you the best of luck, Andrea! Being able to work for yourself is a dream, and I hope that you make it there. With your persistence and sense of justice in fighting for others, I think you will.
Good luck Andrea! I can’t wait to see what this new site is. You’ve got me in suspense.
@Matt – See, now I feel all this pressure. How will it look if I don’t make it with all the time I have to accomplish things? =P
@Shaun – It’s really not exciting. I don’t know if I’ll ever reveal it here, since it’s not at all PF related.
@ everyone else – Thanks for the supportive comments! Hopefully I can get there, but I’m not sweating it. It’s more important to pay my bills, and if I can do both, that’s great! If not, I’m not going to punish myself.
Good luck. I am excited to see what your new site it. I am sure it will be great. Wishing you all of the best.
You will do awesome Andrea! I love reading your posts and can’t wait to see your new blog!
“Online money making ideas” is personally one of my favorite topics of discussions with friends. I have always been interested in money making ideas since before I was in school. When I was five and I found out my mom had to go to work to “make money” I decided to make money by using a green crayon and paper. (Needless to say it didn’t work too well.) But since that day I have always found the prospect of new ideas of making money exciting.
Good Luck Andrea! Looking forward to your other site! I’m sure the extra media exposure should help you get to your goal!
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