Crystal Clear Edits Logo - I'm Branded Now!

Crystal Clear Edits logo
by Karen Horn at Sunlitway

Check out the stellar logo Karen at Sunlitway designed for Crystal Clear Edits! Isn't it great? How clever is she to use a shining star in my name? I am so happy to have a cool logo for my new venture!

In addition to the logo and background photo on the site, Karen also designed some ads for me. One is already featured on a writer's blog and I have a couple more ad-placement plans in the works.

So, who is Karen anyway?

For those who don't know, Karen is my SIL who also happens to be a professional photographer and graphic designer. How lucky am I to have so much talent close at hand?

But guess what? You can benefit from Karen's talent, too. Logos, ads, website background photos - what do you need? Contact her through Sunlitway and I'm sure she'll be happy to discuss your website and/or project design needs.

CrystalClearEdits.com is Open for Business!

My new site went live today and I am so excited! You may remember my previous post on getting paid to read. Well, it's officially official now - I have a website and everything!

My site is CrystalClearEdits.com. How clever is that? I'd like to take credit for the name but I can't. It was Felicia over at No Job for Mom who suggested I do a play on my name. I was leaning toward Fresh Eyes until my mom said it sounded like I was selling eye drops. So Felicia's brilliant suggestion (thanks, Felicia!) came along at just the right time. Seems like life often works out that way, doesn't it?

Anyway, head on over to CrystalClearEdits.com and check it out. And if you see any typos, please let me know ASAP! I live in fear that I will have a typo on my proofreading services site, and how bad would that be for my business?

Getting Paid to Read - My Dream Has Come True!

I'm embarking on a long-awaited, new adventure this month. After three-plus decades, I am finally getting paid to read. Yes, you read that right - paid to read! Does is get any better than that?

A Little History

I love to read. I was the kid who preferred to stay inside during summer with my nose stuck in a book. I read my way through my teen years, early parenthood, my kids' teen years, and on and on. I also read in bed almost every night before I go to sleep (and researchers that say it's counterproductive and inhibits sleep obviously haven't studied me - it is THE way I fall asleep). So, of course I'd love to get paid to read. I mean, who wouldn't?

I've been wanting to get paid to read for over three decades, since my oldest child was born and I wanted to earn money working at home (was I ahead of my time, or what?). In fact, two decades ago, I bought Get Paid for Reading Books by Barbara Hensen. At the time, getting paid to read was just a dream, an ideal-sounding job. There was really no practical way, however, for me to put Ms. Hensen's experience and advice to use in my own life. But fast-forward 20 years and here I am with the opportunity to fulfill my dream. How cool is that?

So How Can I Get Paid to Read?

Let me explain. I am not just a reader. I'm also an obsessive error-finder. When I read, spelling and grammar errors seem to jump right off the page. Sometimes they even stop me cold. Well, since I've become "friends" with several authors online, I've found a way to put my innate tendencies to good use and help (as opposed to annoy) others at the same time by offering a final read-through service for eBooks and quilt/craft patterns.

One thing I know from experience to be absolutely true is that it's next to impossible to catch all your own errors when you finally get to the final draft of any written material. You will often see what is supposed to be there rather than what really is. After all, you know what you wrote, right? And that is most likely what you will read. Even if (well, especially if) you read it over and over and over again. Seriously, it's true - ask any author.

So, if you have written an eBook, let me be your fresh eyes. Let me read your final manuscript through to catch your overlooked errors. Or if you know anyone who may need a final read-through of an eBook or quilt/craft pattern, please send them my way.

Questions? For now, email me at crystal (at) hornsjewelry (dot) com or leave a comment here and I will contact you. Once I have my website live, I'll include a link in this post.

Update: CrystalClearEdits.com went live 1/30/12!

Readbud IS a Scam

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.


Ok - I’m finally tired of Readbud. Even if I eventually am paid, I’m not recommending anyone waste their time on the site. Is Readbud a scam? If you define scam as a site that never pays, I don’t know yet. If you define scam as a site that doesn’t deliver as promised? Then yes, Readbud IS a scam.

One Reason Readbud IS a Scam

The site states “readbud offers hundreds of articles daily across all our Interest Topics. On average, a readbud member will receive just over 50 relevant articles daily assuming they've chosen the maximum 50 interest topics from over 340 interest topics we provide for selection.”

I’ve chosen 50 topics and have followed all other Readbud guidelines. I’ve never received 50 articles in a day so I guess I’m not average? But 2/day for weeks on end as I approach payout? It’s obvious that Readbud would like me to give up. I’ve sent them messages and received no reply so there’s another indicator of a scam, right? In addition, my husband, mom and sister-in-law have never received 50 articles either – 15-20 has been the max. I guess none of us is average.

Dismal Readbud Earnings

Once I reached about $30 in my Readbud account, the articles for me to read dried up. Over the past several weeks, I’ve received just two articles per day and have earned $.03-.$.21/day, with an average of just over $.08/day. I am at $47.26 right now and figure at the rate I’m going, I won’t hit the $50 payout for another 25 days. Will I persevere? YES! Why? To see if they actually pay, of course. Either way, I will be posting here.

In a previous post, I had my husband and sister-in-law on board with a Readbud experiment. Due to site glitches and low earnings, we’ve abandoned the idea. At this point, if I can just hang in there to payout and see what happens, I’ll be happy.

Bottom Line – Avoid Readbud

The bottom line from my perspective is that Readbud does not live up to their end of the bargain and should be avoided if you ever want to actually be paid for your efforts as promised by the site. I did a web search and found a real person who reached payout in May and was never paid, and another real person who finally gave up in July when her articles slowed to a trickle. I’ve yet to find a real person who has actually been paid although that individual could certainly exist out there somewhere.

If you enjoy reading and don’t mind a lot of substandard writing with a few well-written articles thrown in occasionally, then Readbud may be for you. I’ve enjoyed many of the articles and have even given a few the highest rating. For the most part, however, the articles contain numerous grammar, punctuation and even spelling errors. Those receive a lower rating but who cares? Does the author ever get feedback? I don’t know. And if so, do they have a clue why they received a particular rating? No, there’s no mechanism to explain your rating.

I’ve removed all links to Readbud from my blog. If I’ve missed any, please let me know. I will continue to read articles in my most-likely futile attempt to reach payout but still recommend against Readbud – even if I'm eventually paid – as the site does not deliver as promised.

Is Readbud Legit? The Jury is Still Out . . .

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.

Update 10/8/10: Readbud links removed as I no longer recommend Readbud.

I signed up for Readbud April 26, 2010. Initially I was earning over $1 each day reading articles based on my chosen interest categories. In mid-May, the Readbud blog announced an upcoming system expansion that was to include a new way to earn money and rewards, such iPhones and Xbox. On June 24, Readbud announced an infrastructure relocation to the US. On July 27, Readbud announced that the previously touted expansion was on hold until further notice, due in part to the infrastructure relocation. On Aug 22-26, Readbud underwent an extensive server upgrade. During these months, the number of articles available to me each day decreased significantly – some days just a few, some days none at all. I stuck with the program hoping things would improve after the move. Well, guess what?

No Improvement in Sight
It’s been nearly a month since the server upgrade was finished. Instead of an increase in articles each day, I’ve dropped from three to two. Hmm. Beings you have to earn $50 to reach payout, it’s going to take a while! In my post one week ago, I estimated reaching payout in 5-6 weeks based on an earning rate of 15-20 cents/day. Well, as of Tuesday, my available articles have dropped to just two and my average earnings are now 13 cents/day. I still may make payout in 5-6 weeks since I only need $4.45 more – unless they drop the articles to one or even zero. Can this happen? It rather looks that way.

Does Readbud Purposely Delay Payment?
My family kindly calls me tenacious for not throwing in the towel. What they really mean is obsessed but I’ll take tenacious any day. Anyway, I’ve gotten a couple of them on the bandwagon here. My DH and SIL both joined when I did but grew tired of the site glitches and slow earnings within a few days or weeks. Well, they’re both now active again. What better way to test if Readbud purposely delays payment than to compare their current experience to mine? One had earned under $5 and the other under $20. Guess what? They’re both earning over $1 each day by reading 15-19 articles. Hmm. And I only get two? What’s up with that? So we’ll see how it goes. They both predict my number of articles will drop to zero so that I can never reach payout. I predict that one of them will soon see a decrease in articles (at around $25) and the other will still have many each day.

So is Readbud Legit?
Only time will tell. If I do reach payout and actually see $50 deposited into my PayPal account, we’ll know that Readbud is legit to a point. But if Readbud purposely delays payment through lack of opportunity to earn, aren’t they actually a scam? Some would argue so, myself included. Luring participants with no intention of actually paying qualifies as a scam, right? Just because the mechanism by which non-payment is achieved is through participant opt-out due to difficulty and/or frustration is irrelevant. So once again, I’ll keep you posted as time goes by. I’m keeping stats on the number of articles and total earnings each day for the three of us and am anxious to see how this unfolds over the next several weeks.

Readbud - Will I Ever Reach Payout?

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.

Update 10/8/10: Readbud banner removed as I no longer recommend Readbud.

I’ve been hanging in there with Readbud, more out of stubbornness than anything else. I was enthusiastic when I joined in April and had a great time the first few weeks. Then things got iffy. But I stuck with it through the slow times (and non-existent times) while the company promised upgrades and a better experience with more earning opportunities. Now 4+ months later, the site does seem improved but the paid articles are extremely limited. So I’m getting three articles daily and earning at the exhilarating rate of about $.15-$.20/day when I’m lucky. That’s right – a little over $1/week. Compared to the initial $1+ per day in the beginning, the current rate is a huge disappointment.

Earnings To Date
Like I said though, I’m hanging in there. My earnings now total $44.46 and I am determined to see if I actually get paid once I reach the $50 limit required for payout. And you can bet I will be posting here either way. I’ve seen a few instances online of payout “proof” but will remain somewhat skeptical until I actually see the money in my PayPal account. For all I know, Readbud planted the proof I’ve seen. Would they do that? I have no way of knowing. It does appear that the number of articles each day diminishes significantly once earnings exceed $10 or so. At the initial rate of reading, I would have reached payout in a less than two months. At the current rate, it would take almost a year. I should be there in just another 5-6 weeks, however. How many people get discouraged and give up? I know at least two personally. So why did I stay with it?

Why Bother with Readbud?
I actually enjoy reading the articles. During the painful transition period that began shortly after I joined, I often found myself gritting my teeth just to get through. How many times can I read a poorly written article about government college grants for single moms? There were many articles that didn’t even rate a single star. But lately the content has improved. I actually found all three articles today interesting and reasonably well written. And the ads have improved, as well. At least now I’m seeing ads for tankless water heaters instead of nothing but online gaming.

Bottom Line
The bottom line is I plan to stick with Readbud at least until I reach payout. If I’m actually paid, I will probably continue simply because I do enjoy many of the articles, which I read while drinking my morning tea. I also have a few people signed up under me and if they ever reach payout, I supposedly get $5. I figured out, however, that to actually receive payment, my account total would have to reach $50 again. So we’ll see how it goes and I’ll be sure to report my experience here.

Please note that the above banner is a referral link. So if you click on it and sign up, I will receive $5 once you reach payout (supposedly).

Readbud 503 Error – Temporary Glitch or Gone for Good?

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.


I was excited about the prospect of Readbud as indicated in previous posts. It was fun to read the articles and I was making about $1 each day. Not a windfall by any means but worth the time it took. Payout doesn’t happen until you but $50 but I figured I’d be there in about 2 months. Then things changed. And not for the better!

A few weeks after signing up for Readbud, the articles dried up. Instead of getting 12-14 each day, I was getting less than 5. I noticed right off that the Google Adsense ads were gone. I had wondered if Readbud was violating Google’s terms of service and had even questioned them by email. It’s unclear whether they decided to discontinue Google Adsense of whether Google pulled the plug – but I strongly suspect the latter. Anyway, things haven’t been the same since. Instead of accumulating about $1 each day, I’m lucky to make a quarter. So payout is coming much more slowly!

Well, this morning the service is unavailable. Yep – a 503 error. Never a good sign. And they supposedly just moved their service to the US for more stability. I guess that didn’t work out as intended. As I recall, they’ve been down a few times before so maybe this isn’t a dire sign but it sure makes me wonder. I’ve been giving Readbud the benefit of the doubt during their lengthy transition but maybe my optimism was misplaced.

Readbud Update

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.

Update 10/8/10: Readbud banner and links removed as I no longer recommend Readbud.

Well, I’ve been a Readbud participant for 5 days now and am having fun for the most part. I get to read and rate articles of interest and get a few cents each for doing so. Sounds like a win-win to me! So far I’ve made nearly $7 so I won’t be quitting my day job (wait! I don’t have a day job!) but it’s a little extra money piling up for a rainy day. Anyway, I’ve yet to reach payout so have no first-hand experience on how that will go but I’m optimistic based on what I’ve read online. It takes a while to hit the $50 mark so we’ll see what happens in another month or so.

I’ve discovered a work-around on what may be glitches in the system or a problem with my computer or a combo of both. Periodically the articles freeze up during download. Try refresh but if that doesn’t work, just close the browsers and open the Readbud site again. This usually works for me.

To rate articles that may have been skipped due to closing and opening browsers, just go to Article History. The titles of every article you’ve read or been offered to read are listed there. Just click on any that show as not rated and proceed as usual. Be sure to do this promptly, however – the opportunity to rate and be paid expires the same day.

All in all, my Readbud experience has been positive. There was a problem with the site a couple of days ago and it was down mostly all day. Things seem to be back to normal now, however. So happy reading!

Please note that the links in this blog post are referral links. So if you click on one and sign up, I will receive $5 once you reach payout.

More Paid to Read Online Info

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.

Update 10/8/10: Readbud links removed as I no longer recommend Readbud.

Well, I’ve done some more research on this fascinating and totally-new-to-me topic. What I’ve discovered is that there are a lot of paid to read (PTR) scams but so far, Readbud doesn’t appear to be one of them. I did happen across a couple of interesting sites, including a good article on Consumer Reports WebWatch about Online Work-at-Home Schemes. Although it was written in 2004, the info and warnings are still valid.

In my web travels over the years I’ve heard of paid to read email schemes where you click through to advertisers from email that comes to your inbox. No thank you - I don’t need more spam! With Readbud, the articles are accessed online at the site and no click through is required. So again, this seems like a legit opportunity but only time will tell. At this point, it’s fun and I’m only spending time that would likely be wasted surfing anyway, so nothing lost and a few cents gained!

Make Money Reading Articles Online

Update 12/9/10: Red Alert! Readbud IS a SCAM! It’s official - see PTC Investigations for full report.

Update 10/8/10: Readbud banner and links removed as I no longer recommend Readbud.

There’s a new online moneymaking opportunity that shows promise and appears to be legit. At Readbud you simply read and rate articles based on the areas of interest that you’ve chosen. For each article rated, you receive a few cents. While it isn’t much, the articles are short and don’t require a lot of time. This has proven to be a really enjoyable way for me to spend time while having my morning tea. Also, it's fun to read and rate articles rather than write and be rated for a change.

Here are a few tips based on my limited experience with Readbud:

• Select the maximum number of interest areas (50). The articles you receive will be based on the areas you choose but can be changed daily.
• Do not skip an offered article unless the title really holds no interest for you. I discovered that skipping an article not only decreases earnings, but shows up in the stats. I will not be skipping any more!
• Read all articles available at one sitting, when possible. So far the most I’ve gotten is 8 or 10 in a row so it doesn’t take a lot of time.
• An article to be rated opens in a new window. Once you read and rate, close that window. You cannot open the next article with a previous article still open.

I signed up yesterday and so far have earned a couple of dollars on Readbud. Payout requires a $50 balance so I’m a ways from that but my online research indicates that some folks have reached payout and been paid so I’m cautiously optimistic that I will be paid once I reach $50, as well. Anyway, if you’re interested in being paid to read articles online, check out Readbud. And if you know of any similar sites that appear to be legitimate, please leave a comment here!

Update: I've done some more checking and have written another post with additional info on avoiding scams.

Please note that the links in this blog post are affiliate links. So if you click on one and sign up, I will receive $5 once you reach payout.