ProBlogger: Secrets Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse, Chris Garrett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of ProBlogger: Secrets Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
Book Review: Blogging for bucks is just another small business. Think it, plan it, do it, and benefit from it.
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
Book Review: Great for bloggers of all experience levels
Summary: 4 Stars
Darren and Chris put together a great book - it is not just for beginners or just for experts, people of all skill levels will find useful information.
For experienced bloggers, designers, writers, developers, and general internet geniuses there are great tips for researching new niches / determining whether or not a niche is worth getting into, details on how to buy, sell, and value blogs, and great information on promoting and marketing blogs.
If you're a beginner this book has details on choosing which blogging platform you should use, how to get things up and running, etc.
Book Review: Killer resource for anyone looking to actually generate income from blogging
Summary: 5 Stars
What makes this book different from other books on blogging is it's unique focus on actually turning a blog into a vehicle for revenue.
So, for example, when it talks about choosing a topic, the focus is not just on figuring what you love to write about, but on find and choosing a niche to blog about that will give you the greatest possible chance to make money by serving a market with a strong demand for information and insight.
When Darren and Chris talk about the types of posts you can include in your blog, they focus on what readers most want to read and what is most likely to get passed around or go viral, like list and resource posts.
And, because traffic is the holy grail for monetization, they talk about blog promotion and marketing, from creating strong relationships to figuring out social-media to generating link-bait. It has one of the most detailed marketing and promotion sections I've found in any book on blogging.
There are many really good books on blogging, but this one sets the bar for blogging for income. Highly recommended.
Book Review: Definitely in the top one or two
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Great Reference for Bloggers
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been looking forward to reading this book, and I couldn't wait to tear into the package as soon as UPS brought it to my door.
"ProBlogger" does not disappoint. Each page includes useful tips and techniques for building a successful blog. The chapters include:
Blogging for Money
Niche Blogging
Setting Up Your Blog
Blog Writing
Blog Income and Earning Strategies
Buying and Selling Blogs
Blog Networks
Blog Promotion and Marketing
Secrets of Successful Blogs
Creating Something Worthwhile
Reading this book from cover to cover will give you a solid education in blogging. It is the most comprehensive and realistic book I have seen on blogging, but it is not overwhelming. It covers everything from choosing a blogging platform and a topic, through design, what (and how often) to post, monetization strategies, interacting with your readers, using social media and getting links, and much, much more.
I found several tips that will help me focus my efforts and produce a better blog.
Once you finish reading the book, keep it near your computer so you can reference it frequently. This is not just a book for beginners. Even experienced bloggers will learn things they can use to gain readership and increase profits.
If you are going to buy a book about blogging, make it this one.
Cathy Stucker, [...]
Author of Mystery Shopper's Manual, 6th Edition