Bargain Babe on Media Bistro!

Exciting news! I’m featured in a story on Media Bistro, a Web site for writers and content producers, about monetizing your Web site. Unfortunately the site requires a paid membership to read the entire story, but here’s a snippet.

Breaking Into Web Journalism: The Basics – by Lin Grensing-Pophal

Julia Scott is a print reporter turned online journalist who left a steady gig at a newspaper to launch her blog BargainBabe.com in January 2009. She began turning a profit in her first month. “Monetizing a blog is possible, but it’s a ton of work,” says Scott. She spends 10-12 hours a day working, plus a few hours over the weekend, but says: “I’ve been able to make money off of my passion, and it’s really rewarding.” Scott doesn’t charge for content (“although I’ve toyed with the idea”) — but rather makes money from advertising, freelancing and self-syndicating her content. “News outlets are desperate for great content and, in exchange for a very low fee, I negotiate a non-exclusive contract,” she says.

While those with a writing background are well-suited to monetizing content they create, blogging requires some additional skills, says Scott. Making money online means becoming more than “just a writer.” You need to become, in essence, an entrepreneur. “You have to be so much more entrepreneurial than you ever had to be as a reporter or editor in a newsroom,” she says. “You really have to learn to be a self-promoter.”

Scott’s story is not unique. In fact, she is one of many journalists who are making a good — sometimes exceptional — living by monetizing Web content…