We recently got an email from who want’s to start writing about Politics and also Faith Issues:

“I am an experienced unemployed radio news editor who is
just trying to write online. I want to write on various topics including politics and faith issues to start making money. Please advise what you would do in this situation.”

Given your situation, this is my best advice and it comes straight from the
heart.

You’ve already got half the battle won ~ you know exactly what it is you
want to write about. Most people flounder with this decision forever and
then give up and do nothing. Have joy in this.

Now, given your background and desire to write your own content, I would
suggest blogging as a way to create income.

Create your own blog and then write passionately (as I know you are capable
of based on our discussions).

To get started, I would recommend setting aside some time and following
these two blogs very closely…

Shut out all of the other “noise” and just focus on these two sources of
blogging related content for a while…

ProBlogger

Write To Done

Leo, who owns WriteToDone.com also owns another very successful blog called ZenHabits which is a fine example of the kind of blog you can create and you could learn a lot just by examining it as well.

To learn how to start a blog, gain loyal readers, and ultimately create
passive income from your blog, you’ll find that these two sources will
provide you with all the information you could ever need to get
started…and you won’t have to buy a thing unless you want to.

I really hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Logan

And here’s another similar question asked by a reader in much the same situation…

“Where can I find public domain material for a website? I am looking for short tips for gardening, wellness, quick recipes, pets etc.”

In your specific situation, I would be hunting for Public Domain content from books and magazines published in the U.S. between 1923-1963 because the material is more modern and less rewriting would need to be done. This kind of content would typically need to be purchased on ebay or abebooks.com, or any other site selling vintage magazines from the ’23 – ’63 timeframe.

However, I understand that budget is a major issue here so you may want to restrict yourself to free downloadable content for now.

The only issue with this is that it pretty much confines you to stuff published before 1923 (which is still ok, it just means that in many cases some rewriting needs to be done – but even so, it’s much quicker to rewrite than it is to write from scratch).

First, you need to develop a list of keywords you use in your searches. You’ve already shared a few of your broad keywords with me ~ gardening, wellness, recipes, pets, etc.

Then head to http://www.archive.org and http://books.google.com and use your keywords to locate Public Domain content that you can chop up into articles.

Also, keep in mind that the content on the following blogs has been released into the Public Domain as well…

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/ (see here for more info)

http://www.zenhabits.net (see here for more info)

I wouldn’t copy the articles word for word (there’s nothing stopping you but you should make your content as unique as possible when blogging) - instead use the articles as “templates” and inspiration for your own articles.

And don’t forget that there’s a ton of content in the form of articles and such that can be found on U.S. Government websites as well!

As you gain experience and develop your list of topics / keywords that you’ll be releasing posts about on your blog, it’ll become much easier for you to source Public Domain content because you’ll be keeping a running list of authors and publications (magazines) that contain the type of content that suits your needs.

Once you have these identified, it becomes a breeze to find more any time you need it. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you’ll discover that there really is an unlimited supply of Public Domain content out there.

Hope this helps,
Logan

Note From Debra – This was all great advice from Logan. Advice that should help these readers get started using Public Domain content to develop great blogs that will ultimately earn money.

I use Public Domain Content in my micro-niche blogs without fail. It’s so easy… and most of the content I use is the “before 1923″ online content.  It’s not anything that would be considered “New” – that’s for sure.  But… I don’t delve into political or anything “timely”.  My blogs are almost all “evergreen” topics such as the wellness, pet or gardening niches suggested above.

In all seriousness… this is not usually a matter of copy and paste. It’s tempting… but doesn’t really do any good for your blog if it reads “old”.  You really do need to edit the content to read as if “you” are saying something worthwhile and with modern vocabulary.

Plus – adding images – breaking up paragraphs – adding headlines and bold text – indenting some content… all adds to the ease of reading.

If you are creating a massive authority site – then you should have a newsletter available to keep readers coming back.

Create a free report from Public Domain content to give away in exchange for email newsletter subscriptions.  Make it very relevant and useful… your new subscribers will think you are brilliant.

Keep in constant contact with your subscribers – sending them a newsletter at least once a week.  This newsletter can be related to your latest blog posts… because you should have new content on your blog weekly.

It all may seem overwhelming when you are first starting out… but – you will never become an expert unless you get started. 

I can tell you right now that the majority of people that claim “Internet Marketing” doesn’t work… never put the effort into the beginning stages.

About The Author:

Debra Conrad is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2007. She is also co-author of "The Public Domain Treasure Hunter's Survival Kit" available here. For more info Debra, click here.

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