Blogging for a second income - does anyone else here do this?

jan1ey

OMG!! What a fab thread :beer:
Well, I have jumped on the bandwagon and got myself an ickle wickle blog.. However, it could do with a proof read (please be kind lol.. its my first go!!)

So, if anyone has a spare few minutes (its really not long).. I would appriciate the help

jasonwatkins

I've also started one. Took the plunge at last . I've embarked on a major diet so it's initially based on that and a kind of diary of my progress, but hopefully it'll at least be reasonably readable !

jasonwatkins

Is anyone aware of blogs getting picked up and published as books?

Can't think of it happening to the best of my knowledge.

crafty*kate

Well, start with Secret Diary of a Call Girl...and I'm pretty sure there have been a lot of others!

Sixer

jasonwatkins wrote: »

Is anyone aware of blogs getting picked up and published as books?

Can't think of it happening to the best of my knowledge.

Aside from Diary of a Call Girl

Richard Horton: NightJack– An English Detective (Orwell prizewinner)

Winston Smith: Working with the Underclass (Orwell prizewinner)

Riverbend: Baghdad Burning

Salam Pax: The Baghdad Blog

The Blooker Prize website has plenty more: http://www.blookerprize.com/

geordie_joe

Sixer wrote: »

Aside from Diary of a Call Girl

Richard Horton: NightJack– An English Detective (Orwell prizewinner)

Winston Smith: Working with the Underclass (Orwell prizewinner)

Riverbend: Baghdad Burning

Salam Pax: The Baghdad Blog

The Blooker Prize website has plenty more: http://www.blookerprize.com/

Just had a quick look at the site.

The first thing that struck me was the paragraph

The Blooker Prize (formerly the Lulu Blooker Prize) is the world’s first literary prize for “blooks” – or books based on blogs, websites or other online content.

So, not blogs turned into books, but “blooks” – or books based on blogs, websites or other online content

The second thing that struck me was, according to the front page no prize has been awarded since 2007.

The third thing that struck me was the sites own blog, looking at the archive for past posts, it reads like this

# October 2009
# September 2009
# June 2007
# May 2007
# April 2007
# March 2007
# January 2007
# December 2006
# October 2006
# September 2006

So it seems someone had the idea of giving prizes in late 2006, did a bit in 2007, had a rest in 2008, tried to revive it a couple of times in 2009, then gave up the struggle. Not surprising since the site didn't actually have a prize, except for a mention on it's site, and the author eventually realised he was the only person in the world who cared about his prize.

This is the same story for most blogs, someone has something to say, so they start a blog and say it. Then they run out of steam, they've said what they wanted to say and that's it, they've got nothing else. Then they realsie that nobody cared about what they had to say, so they give up.

I'm sure plenty will now reply and say they post to their blog regularly, and have many readers. But they are the exception, most people have something to say, say it, then run out of steam. It take a special person to have have something to say, say it, then go out and drag people to their blog to read it.

And you have to be even more special to the cross the line from having something to say, and having to think of something to say. But that's what you have to do, say what you wanted to say, drag people in to read it, then think of more things to say and more reasons to drag people in to read it.

jasonwatkins

Shows how much I know then .. heh I didn't think of "Secret Diary".

Sixer

geordie_joe wrote: »

Just had a quick look at the site.

The first thing that struck me was the paragraph

The Blooker Prize (formerly the Lulu Blooker Prize) is the world’s first literary prize for “blooks” – or books based on blogs, websites or other online content.

So, not blogs turned into books, but “blooks” – or books based on blogs, websites or other online content

The second thing that struck me was, according to the front page no prize has been awarded since 2007.

The third thing that struck me was the sites own blog, looking at the archive for past posts, it reads like this

# October 2009
# September 2009
# June 2007
# May 2007
# April 2007
# March 2007
# January 2007
# December 2006
# October 2006
# September 2006

So it seems someone had the idea of giving prizes in late 2006, did a bit in 2007, had a rest in 2008, tried to revive it a couple of times in 2009, then gave up the struggle. Not surprising since the site didn't actually have a prize, except for a mention on it's site, and the author eventually realised he was the only person in the world who cared about his prize.

This is the same story for most blogs, someone has something to say, so they start a blog and say it. Then they run out of steam, they've said what they wanted to say and that's it, they've got nothing else. Then they realsie that nobody cared about what they had to say, so they give up.

I'm sure plenty will now reply and say they post to their blog regularly, and have many readers. But they are the exception, most people have something to say, say it, then run out of steam. It take a special person to have have something to say, say it, then go out and drag people to their blog to read it.

And you have to be even more special to the cross the line from having something to say, and having to think of something to say. But that's what you have to do, say what you wanted to say, drag people in to read it, then think of more things to say and more reasons to drag people in to read it.

This is all very true, Geordie Joe. I personally don't see blogging as a viable way of earning real money for the vast majority of people. Google's recent Panda updates and various assaults on spam are going to decimate the type of blog that tries to make money off affiliate income and making a successful blog requires far more work than the rewards will ever justify for almost everyone.

Having said that, you may underestimate the influence high profile/high quality blogs have. Political bloggers earn money from TV punditry - Guido Fawkes can afford staff members these days, for example. Many book bloggers are considered genuine opinion formers by publishers. Important tech blogs probably do make considerable affiliate income. It is certainly possible to become high profile and earn decent money from a blog for a minimal investment. But it's only going to happen to a tiny number of bloggers - those whose content is the creme de la creme and who have put in vast amounts of work.

TheMoneySavingNovice

I have also decided to start a blog. If anyone wants to view it you can find the address in my profile.

I am a site user but now have a new username as I want to keep my blog anonymous for now

Any advice would be great as this is my first blog

bloss0m

My advice is dont start posting asking people to click on your profile otherwise your post may well get removed