213 of 216 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blogging for bucks is just another small business. Think it, plan it, do it, and benefit from it., May 20, 2008
This review is from: ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (Paperback)
I loved this book. It is the first one I have read that actually explains how blogging can be used to make money directly. Most books I have read, and what I have experienced, indicate that blogging is not something to be done to make money directly.
In this book the author explains that there are direct ways to make money from one's blog, and there are indirect ways.
Direct Monetization:
>>Advertising
>>Sponsorships
>>Affiliate commissions
>>Paid reviews
Indirect Monetization:
>>Freelance writing contracts
>>Book deals
>>Speaking engagements
>>Consulting opportunities
>>Service contracts
>>Sell your own products
After reading this book I am still a believer that blogs are not something to consider if you want to make money from them directly. However, it can be done! But probably not the way you would think. It's not done by creating a blog, i.e., one blog and making it popular online. It's done by creating many blogs. Creating an empire of blogs and getting well connected in the blogoshere does it. Writing on any topic that can generate advertisers, sponsorships, affiliate commissions, and paid reviews does it. One blog won't do it. Two blogs won't do it. But a lot of blogs creating little streams of income will do it.
The authors provide us with some lessons they have learned about blogging:
1. Blogging for income takes time
2. Take it one step at a time
3. It takes hard work and discipline
4. Follow your dreams
Does this sound familiar? It should if you regularly read books for entrepreneurs. Blogging for bucks is just another small business. Instead of writing content for an arsenal of magazines, you are writing an arsenal of content for various blogs. Instead of selling paper copies of writings, you are selling through Web 2.0. And you are using Web 2.0 strategies and tactics to make your blogs profitable.
If you have an interest in blogs, and you want two books on the subject that discuss blogs from completely different perspectives, then read this book and read "Blog Schmog" (ISBN: 078521576X). Both books are well written, organized, and sound. If you read both of these books, then you should have a pretty good idea of what blogs are all about, what you can do with them, and what you cannot do with them. 5 stars!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
213 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely in the top one or two, May 1, 2008
This review is from: ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (Paperback)
This is the 12th book I've read on blogging. The books I've read have run the gamut from marketing brochures clothed in the covers of a book to real sources of valued information. This book is clearly in the latter category and I would place it in the top one or two positions as my favorite so far.
I appreciated the author's very quick overvew of "what is a blog". Blogs are very easy to understand and the authors who have gone on for 20+ pages just describing a blog have obviously just been shooting for page count. This author gets into the real meat of the topic very quickly. The brief overvier of professional blogging as opposed to just blogging in chapter 1 was also helpful.
From the first chapter on, it's all about getting your game on. You have to realize that blogging your way to a six-figure income does not happen overnight just like building an email list (in a valid way) that has hundreds of thousands of opt-in emails doesn't happen overnight. This book holds your hand along this prolonged journey.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written but mostly covers the basics, June 24, 2008
This review is from: ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (Paperback)
A great book and I was already a big fan of Darren Rowse and his blog. He is a very successful pro blogger, a fine example to follow and learn from and having the 2 perspectives - different backgrounds, both end up at pro blogging and both very successful - is very effective. The book is easy to follow, written for anyone who even hasn't the basics of technology down, and has a reasonably good flow. I just wish it covered the tricks of the trade in much more depth, with examples, case studies, personal experience, and tips that you do not find anywhere else. It was a bit general for me. I am still glad I read it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No