Write for Money on a Writing Site or on Your Own Site?

When trying to make money with Google Adsense, by being an Adsense publisher, is it best to add pages of your writing to online writing sites or to add those pages of your writing to your own sites? Which is better, why, and which will make you more money?

I do both - I publish articles, I've written, on writing sites as well as on my own sites.

I prefer to publish articles on my own sites, but publishing articles on writing sites has it's advantages too.

Why do I prefer to publish articles on my own sites when trying to make money with Google Adsense?

Disadvantages:
(of writing on my own site, and, thereby, highlighting the advantages of writing on an online writing site.)

- If I'm not using a totally free site like Blogger (like this site) where I don't even have to pay for hosting and domain registration, then using one of my own sites to publish my articles costs me a bit - yearly hosting and domain registration. (Most writing sites are free to join.)

- If my site is a website and not a blog that allows comments, it can take more time getting people interested in coming back to the site often.

- If the only writing on a site is mine, and I don't write about too many different topics, there will be fewer people automatically being on my site and seeing my articles - or links to them in the sidebar or elsewhere - than on an online writing site.

- It can get lonely - I have to often comment on blogs posts on other more active sites to feel more a part of a community and to communicate with other bloggers, if I don't yet have too many comments on my own blog (that I could then just reply to on my own site.)

- Advertising my site (using free methods or methods that are not free) takes quite a bit more time than it takes simply being active on an online writing site (being active on an online writing site involves being interested in other people's posts, leaving comments, making new friends, etc.) Being active on an online writing site often easily generates interest in your articles you have published on that site.

Advantages:
(of writing on my own site, and, thereby, highlighting the disadvantages of writing on an online writing site.)

- I don't have to share my Adsense earnings with the owner/s of the writing site. The site is my own, so I get all the Adsense earnings.

- I don't have to worry about getting banned from a writing site for making a mistake.

- I don't have to worry about getting banned from a writing site for lack of activity.

- I don't have to worry that my articles need to be a minimum amount - or maximum amount - of words.

- I don't have to worry too much about the quality of my writing having to pass certain standards before it is allowed to be published.

- I can write on virtually any topic I please to write on (within Adsense terms and conditions, but generally any topic, instead of some writing sites possibly limiting what or how I write.)

- I don't have to worry about understanding all the rules of a writing site, because the site is my own and I make my own rules, or, there are no rules.

- I can use affiliate and referral links in articles on my own site, as much as I please to.

- I can link to my other articles or even other sites as much as I please to, in articles on my own sites.

- I can advertise a product I sell or a service I offer, as much as I please to.

- I don't need to worry about if I can include images or not in my article, or how big or small these images should be.

- I feel more important, unique and/or professional writing for my very own site - it improves my self-confidence.

Bottom line:

It's for you to decide:

if you'd prefer to publish your articles on only online writing sites;
if you'd prefer to publish your articles on only your own site/s;
if you'd prefer to publish your articles on both online writing sites and your own site/s;
if publishing articles on both online writing sites and your own site/s, which should get more of your articles;
if publishing articles on your own site/s, if you should use a totally free site like Blogger, or a site where you pay for domain registration and hosting, or if you should use both kinds of sites.

I currently have more articles on my own sites (than I have articles on online writing sites) but started my sites before I joined too many writing sites.

I add more new articles to my own sites than I add new articles to online writing sites.

My Adsense earnings from my own sites are currently much higher than my Adsense earnings from online writing sites that I belong to.

Disclaimer:
What works for me may not also work for you - you may make more money with Google Adsense than I do, you may make less - it may take you longer, it may take you not so long - it's usually the kind of topics that you write on, the style in which you write, the frequency of publishing new articles, the placing, sizes and colours of your Adsense ads, and the amount of SEO and/or marketing of your site/s or articles on online writing sites that you do, that can help your income from Adsense grow. (The more you put in the more you get out.)

SOUTH AFRICANS: Have a look at our WordPress site package that costs just R420 per year, and includes .co.za domain registration, hosting, upload of site and chosen free WordPress theme, and more. The hosting package of our small package (we do have a larger package too) is big enough for 30 to 60 or more pages of writing, especially if you do not add too many images. Write and add content to your own site, often, add Adsense ads to your site, and then also regularly use at least 40 different free ways to get visitors to your site.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011