Promotional ideas?

I'm having exactly the same problem - I'm promoting and blogging and networking so much that I never seem to sit still and write any more. I've been avoiding MySpace like the plague, but I'm getting so curious that I may just have to check it out. The last thing I need is another place to write, though!

I'll check out your blog later today. Thanks! I have two Myspace profiles actually... one for me and my friends, and another one for my AC work. My friends are also on my friends list at the AC profile, but I also have more random people on there. I don't blog a lot on it, only because I don't have a whole lot of time, but I do post in groups and take part in discussions other than just those related to my work. I was on a roll a while back writing two articles a day (on average... I'd write 4 or 5 in one day and then skip a day or two), but now I'm lucky to get one a week. I've been spending so much time on promoting, and I only have so much spare time between taking care of my daughter and doing things around the house. I'm hoping to get some promotional tools in place so that all I'll have to do is some maintenance here and there, and it won't take so much time.

When you submit an article for payment, they can either make an offer or reject the article for payment, and you can publish for free. A lot of writers on the site had been writing like 20 articles a day, and getting a lot of good initial offers, but nobody was reading their work, meaning that AC was basically losing money on them. So they implemented a pageview bonus system, where you get paid $1.50 for every 1000 views you get, trying to encourage people to promote their work. But people still weren't doing it, so a few writers who had extremely low average pageviews per article (like around 50 per article) were being told that they would not receive any more initial offers until they started promoting and getting more pageviews. From what I understand, they won't do that until it becomes obvious that people aren't promoting -- like if it's been months and the pageviews are still crazy low. New writers will get offers on their work, as long as it's good and searchable and not too common of a topic... that kind of thing is explained at length in the forums and FAQs at the site. They still want to pay us for our work, but they want some effort in return at bringing an audience to the site. I'll send you a message with a link to my content now. Thanks for the interest! :-)

I have been trying to read and comment as much as I can. I'm subscribed to a LOT of CPs who write work similar to my own, as well as some others, and each day I pick at least one article (more if I can) from someone that I'm not subscribed to, and I read and comment on it.

I try and read others' stuff as well. Do you have any other ideas for promotion? I joined a social bookmarking site, but I don't think that has made any difference. It's a real challenge getting folks to read your stuff on Associated Content!

Well, like I said, I'm still looking for some ideas... but there are a few things that have worked for me a little. I started a Myspace profile just for my work at AC. (www.myspace.com/acamyweekley) A lot of my work centers around parenting concerns, so I went around in search of parenting groups on Myspace and joined them, and I participate in them at least a few times a week... some of them every day. When someone asks a question that I've answered in an article, I'll give a brief intro and then link my article for them. I sent friend requests to people who I thought might be interested in my work, and I post blogs and bulletins to update my friends on my work. That's been the most successful tool for me so far. I wish some other folks would respond to this thread, because I could use some more ideas!

Thanks for the tip! I do have some Squidoo lenses with links to my content, and they seem to be helping a little. That's awesome that your lodge posted your link on their site! I bet that drives a little traffic your way. :-)