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British Expat Newsletter: January 2013

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Hello, and welcome to those of you who have recently signed up.

In this issue

This month

Belated Happy New Year to you all! Sorry we didn’t send a newsletter out at the end of December. Our excuse is that we were on holiday at the time. Well, if you can’t have a bit of time off at Hogmanay, when can you?

It’s been a bit of a hectic two months behind the scenes. Nevertheless, we’ve still managed to add a bit of content.

If you’re one of those people that can’t stop browsing the Web from your mobile, even on your travels abroad, then the chances are you’ve been stung for exorbitant roaming data charges at one time or another. If you’re keen to avoid that but don’t fancy the idea of paying in advance for data transfers you may never use, then roamline’s SIM card may be just what you need!

Dave’s had a go at compiling a Quick Quiz, and has decided to put together five questions about walls. Yes, walls. Have a go and see how many you can get right!

Meanwhile, our latest Pic of the Week is from Morocco – a striking photo of a massive red cliff and sea arch on Legzira Beach near Sidi Ifni.

Editorial: How to make money online (and how not to)

This month I decided to write about making money online because I think it’s a subject of interest to many expats and would-be expats.

Some people want to escape from Blighty. They dream of earning their living whilst sitting on a tropical beach. Others can’t find work and wish to create their own employment. And others want to have portable careers so they can earn while they move country or travel around. Where better than on the Internet?

It is possible to earn a living online, but there are lots of pitfalls to watch out for. There are so many myths and scams to trap and trick people who want to earn a living online. I was going to say I could write a book on this subject. But I already have! Two books, in fact.

Let me tell you about them, not just because I’d like you to buy my books but because if you’re new to this game then it will help you to be aware of some of the newbie traps and shady shenanigans in this industry.

The first one is in Making Money Online (MMO). Most people, when they decide to work from home by making money online, will go straight to their favourite search engine and type in suitable keywords and phrases. These will inevitably result in links to scams. These days MMO doesn’t simply mean “earning money online” (which is a perfectly legitimate way to earn a living). MMO has come to mean “make money online by telling other people how to make money online” – in other words, by selling snake oil. The conmen who sell these “get rich quick” products have very convincing spiels to entice people to sign up for their courses, recipes, and blueprints. They invariably follow the same patterns – and you know what? THEY DON’T WORK!

Why should you take my word for it? Well, because researching and writing about these things is a big part of what I’ve been doing for years in addition to running websites such as BE. I recently published a book called Snake Oil! How “Make Money Online” scams work …and how to avoid them. If you have any interest in learning more about making some cash on the Internet, then it could be worthwhile to read this book.

The Snake Oil! book is about the nasties of the online world and aims to protect you from falling into the traps set by the scammers. However, the good news is that there are plenty of decent ways to earn a living online too. My second book, WWWordsmith: Forging a living from online writing, describes in detail how you can earn an income online by writing.

The first part of the book describes how to earn money as a freelance writer. The second part discusses how writers can create an online business. The book concludes with information about self-publishing.

It used to be the case that self-publishing had a stigma attached to it. After all, if you couldn’t find a publisher to print, publish and distribute your work, then it’s probably no good. Right? No, actually, because everything has changed and with the huge popularity of eBooks (they now sell more than traditional books) there has been a shift in the publishing industry towards self-publishing.

Needless to say, there are plenty of scams involved in this business too. While talking you through the process of starting to earn online, WWWordsmith gives a factual account of the scams and pitfalls you’re likely to encounter in that process, and how to avoid falling victim to them.

If you’re interested in making some extra dosh, either by writing articles for other people or by creating your own online business as a writer, then I believe my book will help you.

These eBooks are for sale via Amazon’s Kindle Store, so if you don’t think they’re useful then just ask for a refund. (You don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle eBooks – you can download a free app from Amazon and read them on your computer.) Also, if you’re interested in self-publishing there’s a lot of free information about that on my personal blog at kaymcmahon.com.

I hope you don’t see this as being a big self-promotion fest. It’s just that, as an expat without a job, the subject fascinates me and I thought it would be of interest to other expats, would-be expats, or even those who just want to make an extra few bob by doing something enjoyable such as writing. Anyway, if you’re interested, here’s a link to our ErgoGuides site.

If you have any comments or questions about earning money online, please feel free to ask on the forum and I’ll do my best to answer.

Got any questions about earning a living online? Why not ask on our discussion forum?

Do you miss the news from “back home”? Or does it warm the cockles of your heart to read about the old place and realise you’ve escaped from it? Either way, British Newspapers Online is the site for you – it’s the most comprehensive directory of the British press, with links to all the UK national newspapers and over 1,400 local and regional papers’ websites, so why not pop over and find your old local rag?
British Newspapers Online

Write for British Expat

Would you like to write for British Expat? Sorry, we don’t pay for articles but if you have a website we’ll link to it in the author’s blurb below any of your articles we publish. We use all sorts of content as long as it’s useful and/or interesting to our readership.

Besides articles, we also publish quick trivia quizzes – five questions about any subject. So, if you’d like to write for us but don’t feel like producing a literary masterpiece, then why not try writing a quickie quiz about your city, country, or even your hobby? Please use our contact form to get in touch.

British Expat Amazon Shopping

Amazon don’t just do books, you know. We’ve teamed up with them to bring you the ultimate in online shopping – from a micro SD card to a garden shed! A great way to do your shopping online, especially if the shops aren’t up to much in your part of the world.
BE Amazon Shop: UK & EU | BE Amazon Shop: non-EU

And now for something completely different…

Those of you who are real ale aficionados may have sampled the fare from the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire, set up in 1992 by Paul Theakston (yes, a member of that family, whose original brewery got taken over by Scottish & Newcastle in 1987). The website itself is great anyway, but they’ve got a whole page full of fun stuff. Have a look!
Black Sheep Brewery: Fun Stuff

So there’s a round-up of all that’s been going on. Come on over and see for yourself! Don’t forget…
Visit the BE website and join in with our lively community!

Till next time…

Happy surfing!

Kay & Dave
Editor & Deputy Editor
British Expat – the definitive home for British expats

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