Broadcasting Brain

Catch the Brainwaves is our ongoing series of interviews with a variety of folks participating in blogging and social media. I ask them ten questions and they respond with their brilliant answers and insights! Today’s Q&A features the mastermind behind The Writers Manifesto blog - Monika Mundell!

1. How long have you been a freelance writer? What percentage of your time does it entail?

I started seeing freelance writing as a serious business opportunity in May 2007 when I got my first paid gig. But I didn’t start writing from a sudden inspiration, it was more so a gradual journey from my very first blogging step in late 2005. Since then it has evolved from a combination of finding my calling (writing) and my passion for Internet marketing.

In terms of percentage of my time that is taken up with writing, it would be around 50%. Those 50% are the times I’m actually working on clients projects. The rest is taken up with all other aspects of building my own blogs and niche sites including more writing. Overall I probably write 80% of my day.

2. Let’s go back even further: did you write much in childhood? Can you relate a little bit of your writing history?

No, not really, I actually hated writing by hand as I found it a tedious way to relay information. Back on those days we didn’t have computers and the Internet. Despite this I have always been an active scribbler, forever doodling on any paper surface that I could find. I believe that my passion for writing has stemmed from being a serious book worm. I always have and always will love reading and now that I have the chance to carefully craft my own words into written content it gives me the opportunity to play with them.

3. Have many people taken advantage of your Blogging Help service?

I’m forever helping others with blog issues. There is hardly a day where I don’t receive some questions from my readers and as long as my time permits I’m happy to help with small issues. As for paid gigs, I’ve had a few already and look forward to build on this in the future.

4. Can you briefly describe what niche marketing is? It seems to be your newest passion?

You bet, I’m hooked on building niches right now and I try to keep some time aside on my weekly schedule to indulge into this. But if I have client work, my niches will have to wait since my clients do come first every time.

The concept of niche marketing is to take a specific keyword (topic) and build a blog/website around it. By using highly targeted keywords and SEO the aim is to rank high in Google and make it to the first 3 positions and then use this to leverage with Google Adsense or affiliate products to earn income depending on the niche.

The reason I’m so passionate about niches has a main reason and that is residual income. Since I’m a freelance writer I won’t get paid if I’m sick or on holidays. Therefore I also need an income source that pays me every day regardless of what I do. I intend to achieve this with my niches as part of my plan.

5. Is E-Mail your main communications method with other bloggers these days? Are there any other methods that you use frequently?

Email and Skype are both favoured by me to stay in touch and communicate. I find them easy and fast and ideal to bridge time zones.

6. I believe that you’ve stated previously that English is your second language (it’s hard to tell!) Do you think in English as well or do you still think in your native tongue?

Yes, my main language is Swiss German which is a German slang in some ways. I also speak and write German (that’s how I was schooled) and speak a little French and Italian. I’ve always had a passion for languages since I was a little girl. Traveling to exotic locations and speaking the local lingo was always a dream for me which I have been lucky enough to indugle into extensively since.

I actually have trouble speaking to my family on the phone in my native language now, since I have been thinking in English since 18 years. See, it was essential for me to think in English from the moment I met my husband in England (since he couldn’t speak one word of German). It also helped me to learn the language much faster and reading tons of books in English over the years has helped me with my grammar. On a side note, my husband has since learned to speak Swiss German very well and we often switch between the two just to keep him practising (and me).

7. Do you prefer the freelancing life to holding a steady, well paying writing job?

I’m not good with fitting into a template, I think that is why freelancing has so much appeal to me. Having the freedom to choose whom I work with and when is a powerful motivation to keep doing what I do. I’m not opposed to having a steady freelance job that takes up parts of my time if it is flexible enough. And the more money I earn with individual jobs, the better I can choose and select.

8. Some experts think that blogging is hitting a maturity stage and will start to decline. Do you think that this is a possibility?

No way, we have barely touched the surface with blogs. Just look at all the mainstreet business owners who have no idea what a blog is. More and more offline businesses will take up blogging in the years to come once they realize the potential of blogging.

9. Pretend the Internet is destroyed overnight. What do you do the next morning?

I think I retire, LOL. Oh wait, maybe I’ll just build my own Internet to get going again.

10. What one piece of knowledge, advice, or wisdom do you have to share with our readers?

Passion is essential to being successful!

Thanks to Monika for sharing her brainwaves!

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