Ok, ok, I guess some explanation is needed.

A friend of mine contacted me the other day and said “Hey Tony, do you know just how fabulous your writing is?”  I blushed and replied, “Thank you you’re too kind…”  (while secretly wishing she would pay me more compliments…duh!)

She went on to say that a lot of the article s that I’ve done here on my blog actually could make me some money!  And since she knew that I’m currently unemployed as a librarian and trying hard to turn my passion for dancing and writing into a real live “make enough to pay the bills” kind of endeavor, she suggested that  I create an account at Squidoo.com.

Which I did and voila…  I’m a writer!  An unpaid writer as of this moment, but I’m following in a time-honored tradition…  😉

For those who are not familiar with Squidoo, the basic concept is that it combines the social media aspects of the Internet with the traditional aspects of the informative article.

Face it we all know stuff.  All of us have topics on which we canfill the role of instructor, teacher, or expert.  So, here’s your chance to share what you know and make money!  Squidoo, puts ads in and around the articles you create.  They call the articles “Lenses”  — as in you are focusing on a specific topic.   You can create as many as many articles/lenses as you like.  And Squidoo shares the revenue from the ads with you!

Coolness!   Right!

So, just below there are links to my first two articles on Squidoo.com.  Long time readers of this blog will realize that these articles have appeared here on my blog.   Yes, dearest readers, my Inner Domestic Diva has convinced me to undertake an evil plan.  [Bwah haah aaa — imagine me wringing my hands and twirling my mustache!]   Yes, dear readers, all twelve of you actually reading this, I’m going to recycle the articles I’ve already written here on my blog to build up the number of my lenses/articles on Squidoo quickly.  Then I’ll write new ones.

However before you roll your eyes dearest readers, at my evilness, I beg you to go ahead and click on the links, go over to Squidoo.com and hit “like” and leave some comments and help me out by generally taking a peek at the lenses.  Doing so will move me up in the rankings which means that I actually might succeed in my quest to become a self-employed dancer writer type person.  See I’m not evil.  I’m desperate.  😉  And unemployed.  Basically, in Texas unemployed = desperate.  *sigh*

Alas, My evil plan has been foiled!  Update added 5/8/2012  SIGH

Apparently, publishing exactly the same article both here on my blog and on Squidoo violates their “Terms of Service”  So the “What is a Healthy Body Fat Article?” has been “unpublished”  SIGH   I can do a lens/article on the same subject but I can’t just copy what I did here and publish it there.   So that’s what I’ll do…rewrite articles on the same topic for Squidoo.

Actually when you give it some thought it does make sense.  If I were writing an article for a magazine, while I could submit it to lots of places, I couldn’t sell it to say both the New York Times and to the Washington Post.

Stay tuned dear readers (all five of you reading this) I shall be a paid writer yet!

What is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?   <<< No longer there 5/8/12

In addition to the information which I’ve previously published here on the blog there are a couple of fun “Insta-Polls” where you can cast a vote  and see what others are saying  🙂

Enjoy!  And remember to “like” and “vote” and “comment” when you get there!
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Music to Dance By: Triple Two Step

For the record, I actually wrote this article over at Squidoo.com first.  Then I posted it here on the blog.

Enjoy!  And remember to “like” and “vote” and “comment” when you get there!
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Want to start a Lens of your own?

Have I got you thinking of all the cool things you know about?  Want to write about them?  Want to make some money?  Then hop on over and get started.  It is pretty easy.  Tell them I sent you.  🙂

See ya on the dance floor!

Related Links / Articles:

• I lost my job…and turned into a bear…kinda, sorta (txcowboydancer.com)
• I’ve turned Pro (txcowboydancer.com)
• “As the Boots Turn” #1, A Disaster or Opportunity? Glass Half Full or Half Empty? (txcowboydancer.com)
• “As the Boots Turn” #2, Sleep, Stress, and Number Two (txcowboydancer.com)
• “As the Boots Turn” #3: An Episode of Road Rage, almost (txcowboydancer.com)
• “As the Boots Turn” Episode #4, Depression, Drugs and Medical Varmits! (txcowboydancer.com)
• Getting Started With Squidoo (The official overview, FAQ and TOS)  (squidoo.com)
• Start a lens of your own  (squidoo.com)
• Is Squidoo Profitable? (happilyeverafter71011.wordpress.com)
• Are you looking for a Squid Angel Blessing? (bdkz.typepad.com)