I don’t make any money off blogging. That’s because I don’t have any ads. In a really pretentious way, its because I think I’m writing to give me readers an awesome blog- and does putting ads on there add to or take away from that experience?

My goal is to do just that, have a career in writing. My blog is my way of exposure. Eventually, I would like to syndicate my column once I have enough of a readership.

But the key is hard work. One thing about being in my situation (single, 38, work nights, live where I don’t know a lot of people, etc..) is that I can dedicate 30 hours a week to my writing. This is a huge helper for me. Most people do not have this luxury.

This allows me to setup and run my blog much like a magazine or newspaper. I have all my posts done for September. I publish each post at about 2am so that they are up the entire day they are due out.

This also gives me more time to promote my blog as well as plan it around my life. Right now I am down to about 6 hours a week of actual writing. That’s about 3-4 essays or columns a week done and ready to go. My blog posting schedule is based on what I can do, how much time I can devote to it.

In four months of doing my blog, my readership stands at about 20-30 actual readers per day and growing a little faster these days.

Four months to get 20 people a day took a lot of work. I am fine with it, but many people who start a blog up don’t realize that you are starting with zero people in a sea of millions of blogs just like yours.

It is an uphill battle and that hill has a 175 degree incline. But I wouldn’t trade these last four months in for the world. I have been having so much fun meeting new people, reading all these great blogs, entertaining people.

I am also looking for other ways to make money. I have something lined up in a few months, one of those interviews that is actually an ad for a product. That one will be in a promotional magazine for home furnishings to high-end customers, people that make like $200k a year.

Those kinds of jobs are from just talking to people and networking. I work in a restaurant and the guy is a regular at the bar.

The thing about writing is once you get some published material under your belt it gets easier. But getting those first few ones are hard as hell.

Whatever you do, avoid the write for pay sites like Associated Content or Helium. $3-10 payout for a 500-word article. No writer, no matter who they are, should not accept this low a price for their work.

I see authors churning out ten articles a day on those sites which nets them like $30. Plus they aren’t getting taxed on the income. You pay that at in April. So you are making even less then $30.

sorry it’s so long but this is a great subject. I’ll stop now because I could write another 2,000 words on this. hehe

thinking about it…

it’s more like 8-10 dedicated hours. Aww hell it’s more like all the freaking time lol

I make my living blogging. It’s a lot of work, about 10 hours a day, but I get to be home with the kids, which is nice.

I make about the same as I did bartending, which is to say not much, but enough to pay all the bills and grab the occasional beer.

Wow, what a timely topic. I am interviewing for a p/t job right now and don’t know if I really want to take it. My writing seems to be picking up finally — as in I might see $$ for the first time. Enough to supplement the income but not enough to live on! No way! You can make $$$ blogging — problogger –link on my website has made millions and I’m not exaggerating, but he got in the game very early and made a name for himself.

Also, I use my blog to get out my humor ramblings, but I write anything I think I can to get experience and published right now — well if it interests me. I don’t want to spend to much time for so little if I hate the subject.

Everything I’ve read says to keep your day job. I haven’t gotten rid of my kids yet. If I could dedicate more time I could have gotten further faster. I’m not surprised that whit puts in 10 hours a day. It takes so much time just researching ideas, etc. When you are also trying to find gigs you can spend all of your time doing that as well.

I do make the occasion tens of dollars for writing music reviews and musician interviews for a local gay magazine. I’ve been told on many, many occasions that I should attempt to make more money with my music reviews, but — eh, I’m kinda lazy.

Other than that, I think I’ve made around a little over $200 from my blog in the almost two years of its existence; however, each time I get a payment for something from that venue I’m shocked to near Miss Teen South Carolina intelligence.

Hello Brent, nice question. I make a living as a copywriter in a firm here writing for online, advertising copies, print, and technical guides and the sum is quite good.Unfortunately i still haven’t benefited from my blog as i don’t have much time to spend to work on it and im still learning the glitches to make it work also.

Hey Brent,
Ask Joe Carter at evangelicaloutpost.com. He is a former Marine who had a humor/advise column in his local paper before being offered a job due to his blog. He then got a second job as the communications director for a big non-profit. He might have some insight for you on this one. Good luck with the job search. I just landed a better job but it is still not what I want to do. I hope and pray that your search goes much faster and easier. Hope this helps.

I make about 25 to 30 percent of my income from royalties I get from an educational book I published about 4 years ago. I have lately been putting a lot of time and energy into finishing another manuscript (memoir-ish). I don’t think I have the stamina to put in the hours at the computer it would take to make a living online. As far as Chris’ comments, I agree completely. I actually put some thought and effort into what I write, so I don’t see putting together a GREAT post and getting paid 6 bucks to have it published on a website that literary types don’t care about as something that furthers my writing career or my wallet.

I’m trying to sell my Faking Smart! book. Agent queries, agent regections. Had a book offer, but they wanted to change the idea, so the Faking Smart Research Institute turned it down! Prometheus comes to mind when I think of the blood sweat and liver that’s gone into this project.

Master Wolfbrooks,
I just discovered the existence of your book today as I was “researching” tomorrow’s post.

You won’t want to miss it,(the post that is.)

Of course, after you’ve seen it, you may wish to travel back in time in a desperate attempt to spare yourself the trauma, but that is the risk you take around here.

Seriously though, have you considered selling it on the new humor-blogs store? Every channel of distribution is another stream of potential dollars headed your way.

I definitely want to be behind you in this effort.

What do you think would be a safe distance?

God I hope someone makes a living at this stuff, ’cause while it is fun and all, a little money would be nice.

I along with I believe most other bloggers aspire to write a book, and this is a way of getting my feet wet!

I will look, and I will wait, Brent. Not necessarily in that order, however. Man, I wish Dr. Toboggans could lend his advice right now…

I wish..

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