I get a lot of questions from readers wanting advice on how to start a blog and questions about my experience with blogging. Here I will answer a the questions I receive most often.
When you first started your blog what was your intention?
For me it was simple, I wanted a place to share my own personal thoughts and feeling without censoring myself. I have been told that I have a very sarcastic sense of humor that can be taken the wrong way. I’m not a cold-hearted bitch so I didn’t want my words to hurt anyone if I posted them on Goodreads or something like that which some might offensive. At least here on my blog, I can write what I want, when I want, and give no fucks about it.
Are you a full-time blogger or do you have a separate income?
I am not a full-time blogger although sometimes it feels like I am. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get your blogs name out there. I am a full-time registered nurse in a very busy trauma ICU and my husband works in IT security. That’s where my bread and butter comes from.
Do you make money from blogging?
Yes, some but not much. I use all of the money I make from blogging and my own paycheck to host giveaways and keep this blog up and running. I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon. Did you notice how I said “right now” it’s peanuts? Who knows what I will do in the future.
When did you start making income from your blog?
I wouldn’t call it income because I can’t live off my blog. It’s also a very tricky situation. I do not charge any money for my reviews or promotions because that’s not what Pretty Mess Reading is about for me. I only starting making money from my blog nine months after I started it. Pretty Mess Reading will never charge anything from any author to post or review something. I promise!
What has been the most challenging part about becoming a blogger?
Learning the market and fine tuning my niche. The book blogging community has a million and one blogs and I didn’t want Pretty Mess Reading to look anything like the others. I wanted it to be what I have always been – Bold, loud, eclectic, weird, sassy, and sexy. I’m not interested in doing the same thing everyone else is doing, that’s boring, I want to stand out and show out. I don’t do well in boxes, I prefer to live outside the box. Pretty Mess Reading is the same.
What’s you favorite part of blogging?
This may come as a surprise but it’s not the blogging itself. My favorite part is meeting other book lovers and gaining their respect. I feel honored to have someone trust in me and my words. I love it when authors ask me to beta read their books because it’s the ultimate compliment for me. To me it says, “I trust your words to be apart of something that is dear to me.” That’s an amazing feeling.
What do dislike most about blogging?
Feeling used by authors and publishing houses. I don’t mind promoting someone’s book here and there but the pressure to keep up can become too much. I don’t have time to sit and write about a book that I have no connection to. More than that, I don’t like it when someone “blacklists” me or my blogger friends because we don’t have time to post. I don’t know if people realize this or not but one post can take me 2 to 4 hours to complete, sometimes more. You don’t even get a thank you half of the time from anyone. It’s just a here, post this at this time and that’s it. It’s like a, “Wham bam thank you ma’am” kind of thing. I find it disrespectful.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own blog?
That’s a loaded question that would take me some time to answer. I will say that I am working on an entire series of “How To Start A Blog” and it will be out soon. I want to take my time with it and make it perfect for everyone to understand before I put it out.
Keep the questions coming and I will keep answering them, I promise. There is not one email I haven’t responded to and I hope to keep it that way.
TTYL, lovers. . .
Stalk me on. . .