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ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
An update of one of the bestselling blogging books, written by two of the world's most successful bloggersThere's a reason why the first two editions of this book have sold thousands of copies worldwide. Written by two of the world's most successful bloggers, it's one of the clearest books out there on how to earn an income from your blog. This new edition gets you up to date on the very latest changes that affect the blogging-for-business landscape. Featuring new material on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; plus new ways and tools to grow your audience and expand your business beyond your blog, this professional blogger's bible is better than ever. Helps novices choose a blog topic, analyze the market, set up a blog, promote it, and earn revenueGives aspiring bloggers proven techniques and the tools they need to succeed in building a business from their blogsReveals 20 key ingredients for a successful blog postOffers solid, step-by-step instruction on how bloggers actually make money, why niches matter, how to use essential blogging tools and take advantage of social media and content aggregators, how to optimize your advertising, and much moreIncludes techniques for attracting and growing an audience and how to mine new business opportunities beyond your blog
Written by two fulltime professional bloggers, this exciting, updated edition of "ProBlogger" tells you exactly how to launch and maintain a blog that makes money.
Written by two fulltime professional bloggers, this exciting, updated edition of "ProBlogger" tells you exactly how to launch and maintain a blog that makes money.
306 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Darren Rowse
8 books11 followersDarren Rowse is a blogger, speaker, consultant and founder of several blogs and blog networks, including b5media, ProBlogger.net and digital-photography-school.com. He lives in Melbourne, Australia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
August 27, 2011
In ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett lay out all the steps that have made them such a success. With chapters like "Blogging for Money", "Blog Income and Earning Strategies", and "Secrets of Successful Blogs", the reader discovers how to choose what to write about and keep their blog successful.
The book was chock full of useful information for the beginning blogger. Topics like evaluating analytics and determinining your niche were extremely helpful. Even if you are just starting a blog as a personal journal, I still recommend reading through this book as you are likely going to find yourself wanting to expand your horizons and this book will help provide you with a great foundation. If I was new to blogging, I would definitely give this book a solid 4.5 stars.
However, as a long time reader of ProBlogger, the book did not cover much that I haven't already read on the blog or have not already discovered in my years blogging.
Newbie to blogging, great book. Experienced blogger, you likely already have all this information.
The book was chock full of useful information for the beginning blogger. Topics like evaluating analytics and determinining your niche were extremely helpful. Even if you are just starting a blog as a personal journal, I still recommend reading through this book as you are likely going to find yourself wanting to expand your horizons and this book will help provide you with a great foundation. If I was new to blogging, I would definitely give this book a solid 4.5 stars.
However, as a long time reader of ProBlogger, the book did not cover much that I haven't already read on the blog or have not already discovered in my years blogging.
Newbie to blogging, great book. Experienced blogger, you likely already have all this information.
May 29, 2012
I evaluated the updated version of this book for inclusion in a college course I am teaching next fall and while I think some people will find it useful (some of the info on monetization is good), it's not one I will include on my course reading list. It's slanted toward a very specific perspective, and not one that will work for the type of student (very creative folks) that take my courses. It's very heavily pushing self-hosting WP as the best way for bloggers to go, which isn't necessarily the case, and the content section feels very focused on link-baiting/SEO, rather than techniques to brainstorm and create rich, meaningful content. It's telling that the "Creating Something Worthwhile" chapter is buried in the back of the book, rather than front and center.
Sadly, I'm still on the hunt for a great book to include in my blogging and digital journalism course.
Sadly, I'm still on the hunt for a great book to include in my blogging and digital journalism course.
December 30, 2019
The subtitle was a bit of a turn-off for me. It smacks of those get-rich-quick books advertised on the internet, but I had been an avid listener of Darren Rowse's podcast of the same name. I liked his advice and calm manner there, so gave this book a go. It's a solid intro and overview of blogging. I've kept it on my shelves and flip through it now-and-again for inspiration. In recent years, Rowse has created online classes about blogging. Although I'd already been blogging for about seven years at that time, I took his introductory course about starting a blog when it was free/in beta testing and thought it would be helpful for an absolute newbie. Rowse has a ton of usually useful blogging info on his website (https://problogger.com/), including more e-books about blogging.
September 10, 2021
A solid guide to creating and promoting blog content. It's aimed at writers who want to make a living through blogging, but most of the advice applies to anyone blogging for business purposes, such as for online marketing. It was published in 2008, so some technical specifics are dated, but the principles remain relevant. The author runs ProBlogger, one of the most popular blogs on blogging and web copywriting.
I skimmed the parts about earning directly from blogging. Notes follow.
Blog Writing
Examples of useful content: entertainment, education, info, debate, news, community.
A picture at top of post gets people reading.
Make main point(s) clearly in first few sentences; don't bury in conclusion.
Post titles
Simple: short (under 40 characters), easy to understand
Grab attention: use shock, claims, controversy, confusion
Meet a need: how to, tutorials, problem-solving
Describe: tell readers what they'll get
Keywords: put keywords near beginning
Opening lines should pique interest and curiosity, highlight need, show benefit of reading, and/or promise to entertain, inform, teach, offer value.
Posts should be long enough to comprehensively cover topic, and no longer. Experts recommend 250 to 1000 words.
Rowse posts minimum of once per weekday on his blogs.
20 types of posts
• Instructional: tips, tutorials, problem-solving
• Informational: definition, explanation
• Reviews
• Lists: top 10 ways, 7 reasons why, 5 favorite, 53 mistakes, etc.
• Interviews
• Case studies
• Profiles: research and present a person of interest
• Link posts: link to quality external post and give commentary
• "Problem" posts: similar to review, but focus on negatives of product or service
• Comparisons: compare products, services, approaches
• Rants
• Inspirational: motivate with success story or vision of what could be
• Collation: research what others have said about a topic, tie together everyone's ideas with some of your own comments to draw out common themes
• Prediction and review: year ahead, year in review, etc.
• Critique: constructive critiques of people, products, companies
• Debate: between two people, between you and all others, between yourself
• Hypothetical: pick something that could happen in your industry in future, unpack implications
• Satirical: satire, parody, humor
• Memes and projects: poll, award, competition, survey, quiz
Post series
A series of posts gives readers a reason to come back and makes writing easier for you.
Pick a topic that's teaching-oriented, practical, connects to a real need readers have.
Rowse posts a Monday through Friday series at least monthly.
Start series with intro post that tells what's coming and highlights need being addressed.
Interlink posts by linking to each from intro post, and linking each post to intro post.
Finish series with summary of main points and invite readers to tell you what you missed.
Encourage comments
Invite comments
Ask questions
Be open-ended
Be humble: share weaknesses, failures, knowledge gaps
Be controversial
Blog Promotion and Marketing
Have "flagship" content that attracts people: a resource or reference that's remarkable and worth talking about.
Build foundation of evergreen "pillar" content; usually tutorial-style posts of 500+ words that teach something useful, with lots of practical tips or advice. Must have long-term appeal.
Link-bait ideas
Tools
Quizzes: quizzes, surveys, personality tests (e.g., which Star Wars character are you?)
Scoop: be first with news or to try something new
List: top X
Stats: do survey and release results
Freebies
Interviews: interview someone popular in niche
Resources: ultimate resource or reference
Creating Something Worthwhile
Creating useful content
• Add value. When sharing news, tell readers what you think, tell how it applies, make a prediction.
• Ask questions.
• Mine feedback. Write posts that answer questions you get in comments, inbox, etc.
• Tell your story. Put yourself in posts. Talk about how you learned what you're talking about. Give examples, be humorous, express emotion.
• Entertainment. Be humorous, intriguing, fun, surprising, playful. Include pictures, audio, video.
• Inform. Write how-to, tips, "intro to" posts.
• Build community. Build personal connections with readers. Ask questions, answer questions, welcome discussion.
I skimmed the parts about earning directly from blogging. Notes follow.
Blog Writing
Examples of useful content: entertainment, education, info, debate, news, community.
A picture at top of post gets people reading.
Make main point(s) clearly in first few sentences; don't bury in conclusion.
Post titles
Simple: short (under 40 characters), easy to understand
Grab attention: use shock, claims, controversy, confusion
Meet a need: how to, tutorials, problem-solving
Describe: tell readers what they'll get
Keywords: put keywords near beginning
Opening lines should pique interest and curiosity, highlight need, show benefit of reading, and/or promise to entertain, inform, teach, offer value.
Posts should be long enough to comprehensively cover topic, and no longer. Experts recommend 250 to 1000 words.
Rowse posts minimum of once per weekday on his blogs.
20 types of posts
• Instructional: tips, tutorials, problem-solving
• Informational: definition, explanation
• Reviews
• Lists: top 10 ways, 7 reasons why, 5 favorite, 53 mistakes, etc.
• Interviews
• Case studies
• Profiles: research and present a person of interest
• Link posts: link to quality external post and give commentary
• "Problem" posts: similar to review, but focus on negatives of product or service
• Comparisons: compare products, services, approaches
• Rants
• Inspirational: motivate with success story or vision of what could be
• Collation: research what others have said about a topic, tie together everyone's ideas with some of your own comments to draw out common themes
• Prediction and review: year ahead, year in review, etc.
• Critique: constructive critiques of people, products, companies
• Debate: between two people, between you and all others, between yourself
• Hypothetical: pick something that could happen in your industry in future, unpack implications
• Satirical: satire, parody, humor
• Memes and projects: poll, award, competition, survey, quiz
Post series
A series of posts gives readers a reason to come back and makes writing easier for you.
Pick a topic that's teaching-oriented, practical, connects to a real need readers have.
Rowse posts a Monday through Friday series at least monthly.
Start series with intro post that tells what's coming and highlights need being addressed.
Interlink posts by linking to each from intro post, and linking each post to intro post.
Finish series with summary of main points and invite readers to tell you what you missed.
Encourage comments
Invite comments
Ask questions
Be open-ended
Be humble: share weaknesses, failures, knowledge gaps
Be controversial
Blog Promotion and Marketing
Have "flagship" content that attracts people: a resource or reference that's remarkable and worth talking about.
Build foundation of evergreen "pillar" content; usually tutorial-style posts of 500+ words that teach something useful, with lots of practical tips or advice. Must have long-term appeal.
Link-bait ideas
Tools
Quizzes: quizzes, surveys, personality tests (e.g., which Star Wars character are you?)
Scoop: be first with news or to try something new
List: top X
Stats: do survey and release results
Freebies
Interviews: interview someone popular in niche
Resources: ultimate resource or reference
Creating Something Worthwhile
Creating useful content
• Add value. When sharing news, tell readers what you think, tell how it applies, make a prediction.
• Ask questions.
• Mine feedback. Write posts that answer questions you get in comments, inbox, etc.
• Tell your story. Put yourself in posts. Talk about how you learned what you're talking about. Give examples, be humorous, express emotion.
• Entertainment. Be humorous, intriguing, fun, surprising, playful. Include pictures, audio, video.
• Inform. Write how-to, tips, "intro to" posts.
• Build community. Build personal connections with readers. Ask questions, answer questions, welcome discussion.
July 2, 2016
I just flipped through the second half. Some things are out of date, but overall a good book.
February 5, 2010
Over the past month or so I’ve been wanting to get back into blogging and trying to figure out what my personal blog should be focused on. What’s my niche? Why do people read my blog? What should I write about? It’s the type of questions that I believe every blogger asks at some point in the life of their blog.
Through the course of asking myself these questions, having a couple of conversations with a friend about a new joint-venture in blogging, and looking for some ideas to generate a little extra money on the side I decided to buy a copy of the book ProBlogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett. I’m glad I did.
The sub-title of the book is “Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income,” so I was expecting the it to be mostly a “I got rich blogging and here are the ways that you can get rich quickly, too” type of book, but getting rich quick was not really the main focus of the book. There are a few chapters on money-making blogging strategies, but the majority of the book is devoted to helping you figure out how to run an effective blog. In fact, throughout the book the authors stress that most successful/profitable blogs are the result of years of work.
The main takeaway that I got from the book was that the best blogs are ones that focus on a niche market. The more specific the niche the better. Beyond that, the book was filled with practical ideas on how to write content that people want to read and gave numerous specific examples on how to generate ideas for new blog posts.
Overall, I’m really glad I spent the time to read the book. I don’t know whether or not I’ll make even a dime from blogging, but it has given me some motivation to get back in the game.
If you’re new to blogging, a veteran blogger looking for ideas to get unstuck, or trying to figure out how you might make a little money writing in your spare time I highly recommend getting a copy of the book for yourself.
Through the course of asking myself these questions, having a couple of conversations with a friend about a new joint-venture in blogging, and looking for some ideas to generate a little extra money on the side I decided to buy a copy of the book ProBlogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett. I’m glad I did.
The sub-title of the book is “Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income,” so I was expecting the it to be mostly a “I got rich blogging and here are the ways that you can get rich quickly, too” type of book, but getting rich quick was not really the main focus of the book. There are a few chapters on money-making blogging strategies, but the majority of the book is devoted to helping you figure out how to run an effective blog. In fact, throughout the book the authors stress that most successful/profitable blogs are the result of years of work.
The main takeaway that I got from the book was that the best blogs are ones that focus on a niche market. The more specific the niche the better. Beyond that, the book was filled with practical ideas on how to write content that people want to read and gave numerous specific examples on how to generate ideas for new blog posts.
Overall, I’m really glad I spent the time to read the book. I don’t know whether or not I’ll make even a dime from blogging, but it has given me some motivation to get back in the game.
If you’re new to blogging, a veteran blogger looking for ideas to get unstuck, or trying to figure out how you might make a little money writing in your spare time I highly recommend getting a copy of the book for yourself.
April 22, 2014
This has become one of the many how to handbooks for bloggers and if you are new to the space - or even if you've been dabbling - it is full of good tips.
On the plus side - there are some great tips to get you going, especially if blogging is a new medium for you. Blogging is often seen as an easy money spinner but in fact is quite hard work(I've been blogging for over seven years) and that six figure income is not going to happen over night - even with the secrets Chris shares.
One of the things I'm not so thrilled about in books like this one is the unspoken assumption that if you are blogging, you are doing so to make money. Otherwise, why would you do it? My review site, Just Heard, Read, Seen doesn't earn me a single cent. I do it because I love movies, books, and music. I get reasonably good traffic for a little review blog and I have fun. If I applied some of the techniques Chris talks about - in particular affiliate links (though be careful - they're not an overnight money spinner either) - I could probably make money off the site. I'm not against the idea - I'm just not convinced the site itself would gain anything from it.
If you blog for pleasure, to build brand or profile, to share reviews, to talk about crafts you can still pick up a lot of very useful stuff from this book to help grow your profile and improve your site. Just don't feel you have to turn your knitting blog into a pay-to-read-crafters-platform just to make money so someone else feels you are a legit blogger? Okay? Okay.
On the plus side - there are some great tips to get you going, especially if blogging is a new medium for you. Blogging is often seen as an easy money spinner but in fact is quite hard work(I've been blogging for over seven years) and that six figure income is not going to happen over night - even with the secrets Chris shares.
One of the things I'm not so thrilled about in books like this one is the unspoken assumption that if you are blogging, you are doing so to make money. Otherwise, why would you do it? My review site, Just Heard, Read, Seen doesn't earn me a single cent. I do it because I love movies, books, and music. I get reasonably good traffic for a little review blog and I have fun. If I applied some of the techniques Chris talks about - in particular affiliate links (though be careful - they're not an overnight money spinner either) - I could probably make money off the site. I'm not against the idea - I'm just not convinced the site itself would gain anything from it.
If you blog for pleasure, to build brand or profile, to share reviews, to talk about crafts you can still pick up a lot of very useful stuff from this book to help grow your profile and improve your site. Just don't feel you have to turn your knitting blog into a pay-to-read-crafters-platform just to make money so someone else feels you are a legit blogger? Okay? Okay.
November 11, 2014
A lot of information that is very basic - good if you are really just starting out, but a bit too simple if you already have an established blog. The key insights are in the different ways to monetise them, directly or indirectly. I found the most valuable part to be a list of 20 types of blog posts (e.g. lists, reviews, interviews...) to help me to diversify the content that I'm producing. If nothing else, the book is inspiring (though also realistic) in terms of what can be achieved.
I listened to the audio book, narrated by Erik Synnestvedt. Incredibly annoying from the start (he ends every phrase as if it's the end of a sentence) though I got used to it eventually. One chapter in particular was ridiculous with the narrator reading out html code - completely useless and much more useful in the written format.
I listened to the audio book, narrated by Erik Synnestvedt. Incredibly annoying from the start (he ends every phrase as if it's the end of a sentence) though I got used to it eventually. One chapter in particular was ridiculous with the narrator reading out html code - completely useless and much more useful in the written format.
September 24, 2008
Clear and concise ideas on how to improve your chance to earn money off your blog.
June 30, 2023
I picked up this book because the title is rather interesting, not because I want to make six figures. I'm new to blogging so I'd like to read whatever is out there and learn more. It was a super easy read and very well laid out. However, I was a bit disappointed in the content. It reminded me of when I read a book about online book selling. The basics are everything they teach us in business school. So much of what I learned in college from how to choose a name to how to evaluate competition was covered in this book. Therefore, a good 65% of the information in this book was review. Part of me wondered if he really wrote this to help people or just to make more money. Still, with that said, I did have a one page double sided with notes, after reading this book. So, in the end, I give it an average rating.
Read
September 26, 2022One of the most experienced bloggers discovers all the secrets of successful blogging in 350 pages of his book. This book is loaded with all the info you need to start and grow your successful blog. Darren Rowse stumbled upon the medium of blogging in 2002 and quickly started his own personal blog—not knowing that he’d just made a decision that would change his life in many ways. Chris Garrett is an online marketing consultant, coach, teacher, and all-around web geek. He helps bloggers, consultants, freelancers, authors, coaches, and speakers to grow their business by attract and serve engaged audiences of people who know, like, and trust them.
November 18, 2016
This is a really comprehensive book, packed with great information for bloggers. I appreciate that the authors didn't take anything for granted and assumed that the reader knows nothing about setting up or running a blog. With that said, it's so well organized that a more experienced blogger can easily navigate to sections that they might find to be particularly interesting or applicable. I also really like the action items listed at the end of each chapter.
August 24, 2017
Although somewhat outdated and unnecessarily repetitive towards the end, Rowse and Garrett's book is useful for the bloggers who want their business to work similarly to the authors'. Others may get the most out of the first five or six chapters, with the latter half of the book worth an attentive skim at best.
January 9, 2018
This is a good book for beginner bloggers. They share a lot of info to help beginners get started, including choosing a blog, setting it up, and monetizing it.
July 4, 2018
Great Book
Well written and easy to understand. Full of information that will be valuable to any blogger. I highly recommend it!
Well written and easy to understand. Full of information that will be valuable to any blogger. I highly recommend it!
November 17, 2019
The language feels a bit outdated. Quite a few typos. Slightly repetitive as well.
Otherwise, not bad.
Otherwise, not bad.
June 15, 2020
Out of date info
July 16, 2020
I got lots of great ideas from this.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
April 12, 2021Too outdated. Should have checked the original publication date (2008) before starting.
Read
December 1, 2022Dated but still useful. (I'm not rating this book because I only skimmed it.)
November 3, 2019
My first comment: I don't know how this book got such negative reviews!
I thought it did a good job of what I picked it up for, which is to give an introduction to blogging and "monetization strategies" for a blog so it also kicks you back a bit of income. I don't think it's all that fair to blame the book for not covering topics such as creative writing or SEO optimization in more depth. On those topics, it serves more as an introduction that someone who's trying to get on their feet as a blogger could build on.
That said, I liked this book. Let me say why. I appreciated that Darren and Chris were frank about the challenges ahead of anyone trying to "make the big bucks" off blogging. Flatly, if you're just in it to make money, you won't last. Also, any meaningful income will likely come many months and possibly a few years after starting your blog so it won't replace finding a job, if you're in the unfortunate position to be in need of one at the moment.
I came into the book with an idea already in my head about what I could create a blog about. That might have affected how I appreciated the book. Darren and Chris gave lots of helpful tips throughout the book that refined my idea and also discussed things I hadn't considered. Examples of things I hadn't considered:
-> working social media sites in the early days to direct traffic to the blog,
-> having a set frequency of posts for consistency with readers and to up my status with "SEO",
-> finding opportunities for readers to subscribe so that it is easy for a dedicated core of readers could more easily stay tuned in to my blog,
-> the value of creating a "community" that you not only speak to but that you take ideas and direction from for the future direction of the blog.
As a drawback, I think the book hides the fact that the golden age of blogging is most likely over and bloggers can't bank on the idea that their blog will make them rich. Some people can, but I think that's now on par with "some people can become pro athletes" or "some people can become president one day". Maybe you can't expect a book that's trying to serve the enthusiasm of people just getting into blogging to share that sort of pessimistic outlook.
Finally, I would agree with other readers that this book is definitely not the end all and be all of someone's homework for creating a successful blog. Books on creative writing, search engine optimization, possibly basic coding, and successful social media marketing are highly recommended.
Happy reading!
I thought it did a good job of what I picked it up for, which is to give an introduction to blogging and "monetization strategies" for a blog so it also kicks you back a bit of income. I don't think it's all that fair to blame the book for not covering topics such as creative writing or SEO optimization in more depth. On those topics, it serves more as an introduction that someone who's trying to get on their feet as a blogger could build on.
That said, I liked this book. Let me say why. I appreciated that Darren and Chris were frank about the challenges ahead of anyone trying to "make the big bucks" off blogging. Flatly, if you're just in it to make money, you won't last. Also, any meaningful income will likely come many months and possibly a few years after starting your blog so it won't replace finding a job, if you're in the unfortunate position to be in need of one at the moment.
I came into the book with an idea already in my head about what I could create a blog about. That might have affected how I appreciated the book. Darren and Chris gave lots of helpful tips throughout the book that refined my idea and also discussed things I hadn't considered. Examples of things I hadn't considered:
-> working social media sites in the early days to direct traffic to the blog,
-> having a set frequency of posts for consistency with readers and to up my status with "SEO",
-> finding opportunities for readers to subscribe so that it is easy for a dedicated core of readers could more easily stay tuned in to my blog,
-> the value of creating a "community" that you not only speak to but that you take ideas and direction from for the future direction of the blog.
As a drawback, I think the book hides the fact that the golden age of blogging is most likely over and bloggers can't bank on the idea that their blog will make them rich. Some people can, but I think that's now on par with "some people can become pro athletes" or "some people can become president one day". Maybe you can't expect a book that's trying to serve the enthusiasm of people just getting into blogging to share that sort of pessimistic outlook.
Finally, I would agree with other readers that this book is definitely not the end all and be all of someone's homework for creating a successful blog. Books on creative writing, search engine optimization, possibly basic coding, and successful social media marketing are highly recommended.
Happy reading!
December 25, 2017
Super helpful information about starting my blog!
October 14, 2021
This book is the beginner’s guide to blogging, when to do it, how to do it, how to make money but not what to write. It is great for the beginner or the almost beginner.
I found this book to be really useful and there’s one major problem…I didn’t read it in front of the computer and do all of the exercises and research while reading so I’ll have to read it again. I read this book with two things in mind. The first thing in my mind was this blog, I really want to make it look better and make it easier for people to navigate as well as making it much easier on the eye. The second thing was another blog I have in mind. Being my second blog I’m trying to do the research first to ensure there actually is a market for it and to ensure I do it right. This book is perfect for that as it guides the beginner to the websites where you can do the research that counts and this is why I say you need to read it in front of your computer so you can stop and do the research. Don’t know if I’ll do the other blog as I have a lot more research but if I do start it up I’ll mention it here.
I bought this book directly from Darren Rowse, himself, at a media conference, but you can see more information here as well as clicking on the link to buy it.
If you’re worried by typos then be warned as there are a couple in this book, but it compared very favourably with one of Brad Sugars books which I had to stop reading fairly early on, there were just too many typos and I couldn’t focus on the content. This book is much better and I’m sure the 3rd edition will be better still. It’s a good read, easy language and well set out with lots of links and places to go to sign up for useful information. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I found this book to be really useful and there’s one major problem…I didn’t read it in front of the computer and do all of the exercises and research while reading so I’ll have to read it again. I read this book with two things in mind. The first thing in my mind was this blog, I really want to make it look better and make it easier for people to navigate as well as making it much easier on the eye. The second thing was another blog I have in mind. Being my second blog I’m trying to do the research first to ensure there actually is a market for it and to ensure I do it right. This book is perfect for that as it guides the beginner to the websites where you can do the research that counts and this is why I say you need to read it in front of your computer so you can stop and do the research. Don’t know if I’ll do the other blog as I have a lot more research but if I do start it up I’ll mention it here.
I bought this book directly from Darren Rowse, himself, at a media conference, but you can see more information here as well as clicking on the link to buy it.
If you’re worried by typos then be warned as there are a couple in this book, but it compared very favourably with one of Brad Sugars books which I had to stop reading fairly early on, there were just too many typos and I couldn’t focus on the content. This book is much better and I’m sure the 3rd edition will be better still. It’s a good read, easy language and well set out with lots of links and places to go to sign up for useful information. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
April 5, 2011
ProBlogger is written by two professionals and experts on the act of blogging to generate income; Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett. An updated second edition of this book was released in April 2010, although now a year later the industry has changed further, as it continuously does. Nevertheless, ProBlogger is a great how-to guide for those who aren't quite as business-savvy when it comes to blogging as a means for regular income.
From instructions on how to channel and find your blogging "niche", to selecting the perfect blog platform to social networking, ProBlogger shares valuable tips and tricks of the trade. Stressing on how content is key and touching on SEO strategies, ProBlogger hits the nail on the head -- although much of it is common sense for those who regularly spend their time online reading and writing blogs.
A book like this is extremely time-sensitive, especially with online power-houses around like Google that change algorithms and SERP practices often, which I do fully support. After all, content truly is key and skilled writers will always prevail in the end as they rightly should.
I did gain knowledge of Google Trends, which can be used to manipulate traffic to your site if utilized in a tasteful fashion. Verrrrrry interesting.
Do I recommend reading ProBlogger? Yes, perhaps to those just starting out in the blogging world, but not to those who have already been writing and managing their own blogs. The book contains a lot of redundant information that can already be found online from numerous different sources.
Read more reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
From instructions on how to channel and find your blogging "niche", to selecting the perfect blog platform to social networking, ProBlogger shares valuable tips and tricks of the trade. Stressing on how content is key and touching on SEO strategies, ProBlogger hits the nail on the head -- although much of it is common sense for those who regularly spend their time online reading and writing blogs.
A book like this is extremely time-sensitive, especially with online power-houses around like Google that change algorithms and SERP practices often, which I do fully support. After all, content truly is key and skilled writers will always prevail in the end as they rightly should.
I did gain knowledge of Google Trends, which can be used to manipulate traffic to your site if utilized in a tasteful fashion. Verrrrrry interesting.
Do I recommend reading ProBlogger? Yes, perhaps to those just starting out in the blogging world, but not to those who have already been writing and managing their own blogs. The book contains a lot of redundant information that can already be found online from numerous different sources.
Read more reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
April 20, 2013
A great book and I was already a big fan of Darren Rowse and his blog but I don't believe that a lot of what isin this book is going to apply today as it did several years ago when Darren started his blogging career.
Darren is a very successful and professional blogger, a fine example to follow and learn from, and there is some inspiration as well. This may serve you well if you are new to the blogging scene and interested in pursuing it more as a side-hustle if not a full-time job down the road.
The book is easy to follow, written for anyone who even hasn't the basics of technology down, and has a reasonably good flow. I just wish it covered the tricks of the trade in much more depth, with examples, case studies, personal experience, and tips that you do not find anywhere else. It was too simplistic and general and lacked depth. It also made need to be revised to catch up with the times.
Darren is a very successful and professional blogger, a fine example to follow and learn from, and there is some inspiration as well. This may serve you well if you are new to the blogging scene and interested in pursuing it more as a side-hustle if not a full-time job down the road.
The book is easy to follow, written for anyone who even hasn't the basics of technology down, and has a reasonably good flow. I just wish it covered the tricks of the trade in much more depth, with examples, case studies, personal experience, and tips that you do not find anywhere else. It was too simplistic and general and lacked depth. It also made need to be revised to catch up with the times.
January 16, 2015
This book was very thorough and helpful in breaking down some of the more complicated strategies in blogging. It starts by giving a very basic overview of the different ways one can make an income through blogging, then explores these concepts more in-depth in the following chapters. It stressed the importance of niche markets and focusing on providing quality content for your audience.
Additionally, this book touches upon another income method that isn't as well-known: buying and selling blogs. Though it is only one chapter worth of information, it may be valuable for someone who is looking to invest, take over an already existing site, or simply explore other ways of making money through blogs.
Rowse and Garrett are clearly experts in the field of blogging, and they share a wealth of information, their mistakes, successes, and helpful tips in this book. Would definitely recommend.
Additionally, this book touches upon another income method that isn't as well-known: buying and selling blogs. Though it is only one chapter worth of information, it may be valuable for someone who is looking to invest, take over an already existing site, or simply explore other ways of making money through blogs.
Rowse and Garrett are clearly experts in the field of blogging, and they share a wealth of information, their mistakes, successes, and helpful tips in this book. Would definitely recommend.
March 26, 2015
The beginner blogger will most likely pick up some useful tips on how to establish a blog, start writing content, and promote themselves with the aim of building an audience. However, those who take interest in the author's claim to contain, "secrets for blogging your way to a six-figure income" should be aware that - by the author's own admittance - this is unlikely to happen, at least not from blogging itself. The actual money-making methods described from selling advertising space on your blog, writing books based on your blog content, and contracting yourself out as a consultant or expert speaker. In fact, this book is a classic example of the author's tip of writing a book based on your blog content... My advice would be: save yourself some money, and check out the free online advice that's readily available.
October 1, 2015
I think this is a good book for those starting out blogging and wanting to get an idea of how to approach it professionally. That said, the title suggests you could reasonably expect to make a bunch of money at it, and, as a blogger for the past 8 years who is nowhere near a 6-figure income, I respectfully disagree. This book didn't tell me anything I don't already know about blogging (and do), and yet here I am, not wealthy and famous. Huh. It's almost like there's some element of luck involved.
Anyway…that doesn't make it a bad book, just (a) a tad outdated (blogging's dead, haven't you heard?), as is the case with almost any book discussing technology and social media as soon as it hits the shelves, and (b) unrealistic, starting from the title.
Anyway…that doesn't make it a bad book, just (a) a tad outdated (blogging's dead, haven't you heard?), as is the case with almost any book discussing technology and social media as soon as it hits the shelves, and (b) unrealistic, starting from the title.
October 15, 2016
As someone who maintains a blog, I am looking for ways to improve my blog and I thought what better way to find improvement tips than from folks who make money at it. I was right. In ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income*
, there are a wealth of tips for putting together a better blog. Read more
, there are a wealth of tips for putting together a better blog. Read moreDisplaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews