A Blog in Review

I realised that this is probably an over subscribed topic.  A quick look around in the blogosphere will reveal many sites that talk about making money through blogging.  What’s more, these sites are all very popular, and already very successful.  So what is a small fry like me thinking of to be writing on a topic like this?  What could I possibly have to contribute that is worthy of being read?

Well, for one, I’ve noticed that a lot of these blogs talk about making money by talking about making money.  They all have blogs that the average Joe hoping to make money on the net would love to own.  And yet, at some point, they have all started from nothing.  So how did they make it?  Were they lucky?  Right place, right timing?  Is it too late for the rest of us late comers into the blogosphere to cut ourselves a share of the pie?

I guess that is where I come in.  I’m starting relatively from scratch at a time where the audience is no longer as forgiving.  So far, whatever money I’ve made by blogging has been relatively small and insignificant – good for some additional pocket money to sustain the costs of running my website, pay for the e-courses I’ve subscribed to (such as Blog Mastermind, the Internet Marketing Center), and to buy Gavin a couple of new toys.  It is definitely not anything I can claim to be income replacing, let alone financially liberating.

If you navigate between my blogs, you’ll also notice that I write about different topics.  I’m curious to know whether it is possible to make a sustainable, ongoing income by blogging on topics other than making money.  I’m sure there are websites out there that are making their owners a decent income, but since they aren’t about making money, it’s hard to know exactly what methods they are using.

The other problem is the wealth of information available on the net.  We suffer from information overload.  If you take a quick peek around, you’re bound to discover new websites that show you variations of methods to create an income generating website everyday.  Since you can’t possibly hope to follow them all, it is imperative to pick one method and follow it from A to Z.  Only if it doesn’t work for you, should you move on to the next method.

I signed up for the Blog Mastermind course months back and while I’m still a member, I’m afraid I’ve been guilty of allowing myself to get sidetracked with other methods.  I’ve downloaded John Chow’s e-book on how to make money blogging, and read his recommended money-makers.  I’ve trawled Problogger’s job board, looking for paid blogging positions during the periods when I despaired at not ever making a sustainable income from my own website.  I even signed up for Internet Marketing Center for lessons and advice on starting an income generating website, feeling that perhaps a blog wasn’t the way to go.

After all these distractions, I’m back to a cross between Blog Mastermind and John Chow’s e-book.  Occasionally, when I have time, I use the information I learned from Internet Marketing Center to help me optimise my blogs.  I’ve still got a long way to go, but I intend to plot my journey through this blog and explain how gone from a hobby blogger to a professional blogger in the months to come. 

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