Will Blog for Food!

by kirkeberg on September 1, 2009

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photo credit: Tracy O

Blogging for Dollars?

That’s a serious question. It sounds crass, I know, but it’s valid.

I don’t claim to be the brightest bulb on anyone’s tree, but I am really confused about Seth Godin’s post where on one hand he derides monetizing a blog, yet on the left hand (more accurately, in the left column), all his books seem to be for sale. To be fair, he is focused on people who get into blogging with an entrepreneurial spirit – the one where the entrepreneur starts and builds a business and then sells it. I am not sure where he stands on whether a blog should make money. I agree with him when he says –

–yes, you have a brand, even if you don’t intend to monetize it.

–no, you don’t have to have a plan or an ulterior motive if you want to share your ideas. Just share them. It’s good practice and good for all of us.

–maybe you will, one day, figure out how to achieve the much-heralded monetization. But if that’s your primary goal, the compromises you make along the way will likely cause your efforts to backfire. Seth’s Blog

I must admit, I don’t know when he wrote the piece or if he is still of the same mind. When I think about the question for myself, I frame it in another way.

I ask myself if I want to make money by blogging. Subtle, but a different question.

When I first started looking at the idea of blogging, I am not sure what I thought. I started by attending a MeetUp groupof bloggers. They were business bloggers. and their intent in blogging was to enhance their already existing businesses. That was in the dead of last winter, which means I have been blogging (or been a blogger?) rolling on up to the doorway of a year now. I did (and do) have a business, but that isn’t why I wanted to blog.

I wanted to do something I enjoy and make a living with it. From day one, my intent has been to make money as a blogger, or from blogging. By they way, so far, I think I have earned a total of about 4 bucks, so at least I am heading in the direction of making money. When I do break through whatever it is that one breaks through, the goal I will achieve will be making a living doing somethng I love doing.

What’s more honorable than that?

It’s always interesting when I hear (or read) someone saying that if you have a commercial blog, people will quit reading it. Does is seem like it is always that is already making a living? I am trained as a coach. One of the problems I had with that industry is that if you said you wanted to make money, you got that same sort of response.

“Oh, how mercenary.”

I must be odd, but I thought we all did things in order to put cheeseburgers on the table.

On with it. There are a lot of ways to make a buck blogging

There are a lot of folks out there who write about making money from blogging. I have just discovered some great posts along that line and wanted to share them with you.

Okay, now I am in shock. I just realized that the first blog I am offering as a resource is not what I expected in reading the post I will offer. From the ab out page -

Why We’re Different

The people who write on Blogussion are all small bloggers trying to get their name out there. Everyone starts out small with a hope to get bigger, and that’s something that is known all throughout this blog.

Blogussion was founded by two young people, or teenagers in better terms. The majority of our writers are under the age of 18 years old, and go as young as 13 years old. We are all new bloggers, some newer than others, and few of us have been blogging for more than a year. This proves that we are just a community of young bloggers sharing our experiences trying to become something greater.

So, here I am, ah, a bit older than them, recommending an excellent post written on Bloggussion. Seth White, editor offers this -

30 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Next is from Steve Pavlina, who advises not to be embarrassed if you want to make a living blogging. His post is

How to Make Money from Your Blog

Steve’s been around for a few years, so if you, like me, are new to the blogging or personal development world, his blog is one that I read.

There could be a little overlap from the Bloggussion post above and this one from Lorelle on Wordpress. I am still giving you her post because she has another one that I forgot about for a while that I want to mention. It’s closely connected to what I am talking about.

Monetizing Wordpress Plugins

Lorelle also has a series of blogs on Blog Resources. I refer back to them often (I forget quickly. As I said, I am older than the Bloggussion folks)

Blogging Resources and Sources to Help You Blog

Blog Resources: Researching the Research, Finding the Facts, and Seeking Supporting Evidence

You’ll also find a post on business blogging, but I will save that one for another time. Or you could go there yourself and get it!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the blog through which I started this series (31DBBB which is turning into about 100DBBB, but who’s counting?)

Darren Rowse is the author, editor and whatever else for -

Problogger

And recently, I have begun reading a couple more blogs that are directed at helping bloggers make a living doing what they do. Don’t take these as honorable mentions. Everyone mentioned here provides great information and content. In fact, if I were advising, this is what I would tell you.

Provide worthwhile content.
Go your own way, and be yourself. At the same time, find role models that have succeeded.
Stick with it. It could suck at first.
Be creative and stand out in the crowd (I’m still workin’ on that one.)

Here are the others I mentioned -