Smutlancer Monthly Income Report: October 2018
October was a lot like September, as you’ll see in how close the numbers are from one month to the next. But this was also the month that I started extra projects for a long-term client which means that next month will look much different. It’s not always easy to work extra hard and have a payment delayed by 30 days or so, but that’s the nature of the way I bill.
It also reminded me why I prefer to have a really structured work-life. By the end of October, I was working 16 hour days to finish up the work so I could bill the full amount. Fingers-crossed that pays off in November’s income report.
For now, this is what October looked like — and this is a month when I was very grateful for freelance clients because my websites produced very little income.
October 2018 Income
My October income is primarily based on work completed in September. I bill clients on the last day of every month, and they have 10 days to pay. Affiliate sales tend to pay quarterly, but some pay monthly. I break down my freelance writing between vanilla and sex content because I want to show what’s possible in either category.
Business and income are beginning to pick up. In my experience, the last quarter of the year tends to be my busiest. Clients are finishing up projects, using up the last of their budget, and finally starting new things they spent all year thinking about. I anticipate this year being busy, and my income should reflect that increase in work.
- Freelance Writing
- Vanilla Content: $2920.00
- Sex/Adult Content: $2425.00
- Affiliate Sales: $62.30
- Podcast Sponsorship: —
- Sponsored Blog Posts: —
- Website Sponsorship: —
- Banner Ads: —
- Book Sales: $31.51
- Patreon: $191.00
- Consulting: —
- Donations — $150.00
Total Income: $5,779.81 (down $$63.17 from September)
October 2018 Expenses
Some expenses are monthly, some quarterly, and some annual. Taxes are something I pay both monthly (a 2017 tax bill) and save for monthly to be paid quarterly.
- Web Hosting: $42.98
- Domain Renewals: —
- Podcast Hosting: $32.00
- Canva —
- Buffer: $10.00
- InLinkz: $2.99 (linky tool for Masturbation Monday)
- Blog Contributors: $21.20
- Taxes: $1000.00
- Payment Fees (PayPal, Stripe): $107.04
- Shipping/Postage: $7.20
- Tech Support: —
- Patreon: $25.00 (creators I support)
- Copyscape (playgerism checker): $10.00
- TinyPNG (image compression): $7.24
Total Expenses: $1,265.65 (down $69.44 over September)
When my income goes down, I do my best to keep my expenses down, but I don’t always have that choice. I’m glad a few annual purchases didn’t come through in October.
October 2018 Net Income: $4,514,16 (↑ $6.27 from September)
This month was a reminder about why it’s good to have steady work and steady clients. I can count on a certain amount of work and cash each month thanks to them. Because the amount I earn each month can (and does) fluctuate, I also have to be really good with budgeting and need to know well ahead of time what I can expect to earn in a given month. If I see a shortfall, like we did for a couple of months, we have to adjust our spending. But ultimately, what I care about most is that my income will pay the bills. And this does.
My Personal Income Goals
Every day, John Brownstone and I discuss our personal income goals — selling products, building an audience, affiliate marketing, you name it. But talking is never enough. You have to have a plan, a strategy. So far, I’ve been focused on minute details that are part of the big picture — cleaning up the websites so the Google gods (and users) are happier. But there has to be more to it than that.
The big plan includes:
- Longer blog content on Loving BDSM and here
- Guides (epically long content) for Loving BDSM, the Kinky Fuckery Shop, and the Wood Dom (John Brownstone’s site). Example: How to Build a Sex Blog That Makes Money
- Better quality and more vIdeo content
- More audio content
- Books (nonfiction and fiction)
- Strategically partnering with adult brands we really like
If it sounds like a big list, it is. And it’s all being done at a slow pace — because that’s the reality. Nothing happens as fast as we want it to. But if you don’t have a plan, you don’t know where you’re going. And while I don’t know how long this particular “trip” will take or what detours I’ll have to make in the middle, this particular roadmap (hopefully) gets me to where I want to be.
Now it’s your turn. Is there anything you wish you knew that I’m not sharing in these reports? I can’t guarantee I’ll share every detail requested, but I also want to make this useful for you. Share in the comments below or talk to me on Twitter!
