Is this in any way spammy for google?

Gleaned from what I think some SEOs do

[Clark]

It took me a while to understand what SEOs do. I finally realized that a lot of sites use affiliate programs and build sites with lots of content as google bait and when a sale is made they earn a commission. They build lots of sites and carefully link to each other's site, for PR or to help make a sale. But they don't link all sites to each other because that could make them into a link farm. Am I correct so far?

Now what if you aren't an SEO? What if you have one site that earns money but you enjoy building sites on different topics. And so you build them regularly and on each site you link to your money making site, which after all brings home the bacon. Would G view that negatively at all? It isn't a link farm, right? And all the sites are "legitimate", so it shouldn't be a problem. Should it?

[SEOtop10]

If you don't cross link, where will the other sites get their incoming links from?

You might avoid cross-linking the sites to all others. Instead, make a chain where each one links to one information site and also to the "get the bacon" site :-)

Arun

[Clark]

If you don't cross link, where will the other sites get their incoming links from?

The old Fashioned way. Eeeeeeaaaaarrrrrrnnnn it! (heh heh. Just loved Houseman)

Edited to add. Hobby sites, no need for cross linking or cross promotion. I don't view this as SEO. Just doing what comes naturally and verifying that G doesn't think it IS seo.