Synopsis
This book is a case study of many bloggers in differing specializations, making their case as to how they became successful. They were done in interview formats, so there is the same questions Miller poses to them.
Sally Miller
She worked a typical 9-5, until through trial-and-error she managed to make her blog successful. She recommends her own set of books, just like every other blogger in this book.
Themes
There are various ways that a blogger can receive money. This is done with ads, courses, services, guest posts, and affiliate marketing. Of course, social media is not always useful for spreading message of the blog, since the algorithm constantly changes, and it is easy to get addicted and distracted to it.
Throughout the book, there are years that these bloggers spent, just to make sure that their blogs can provide passive income. Blogging is one of those skills that requires hands-on experience, not just something that can be learned from a book or courses. It also requires a lot of consolidation, since not every email follower is going to be dedicated to buying the blog offers, such as courses and products.
One theme throughout the book is the community of bloggers that help each, such as through collaboration. This is important, since bloggers cannot make a living alone. This is also true with hiring freelancers, such as virtual assistants and designers. While it does involve protocol, such as examining the past histories of their portfolios.
As for the readers and visitors themselves, bloggers are advised to write content that does not please themselves, rather is relevant to the people who drive their income. This involves important fields, such as finance or education. Indeed, most of the blogs described in the book fit into those fields. This also includes having a clear, concise mission statement which dictates to oneself what the point of the blog is. Although the trajectory should point to the rest of the world, the source should come from a solid answer to the question \”Why?\”
Personal health is not something to be underestimated, since it influences the pathos needed to consistently work on the blogs. This includes exercise and taking a break. Avoiding these tips results in burn-out and disillusionment with blogging.
Historical Context
This was written before COVID-19 impacted the world, so it is interesting how this book may have foreseen the folly of the monotony of the 9-5 grind. That folly comes with the reality that it is not as stable as one would hope or expect, especially if it is not something that is interesting to the occupant.
There are some bloggers who started their blogs during the Great Recession.
Intertextuality
There is definitely a lot of correlation between this book about Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. An important point he made was to make sure that there is customer loyalty by producing a good product or service. This is true with blogging, since it is about writing for the audience, not just for oneself. Another point is the environment of the blogger, since productivity might not be good for those who have poor habits and living conditions.
The transition from hands-on work to more technological work was foreseen by Richard Florida in Rise of the Creative Class. It is also important to note that plenty of the bloggers in this book were from New York City and had well-paying occupations before transitioning into blogging full-time. This may be what Florida was trying to hint at, though this could only be true to those who could afford to make that transition–literally and figuratively.
It is best to avoid only going into a field, such as blogging, simply because it is more interesting, especially since it takes years for it to take off. The idea of interest is something to be avoided, as noted by famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, who argued that there are no likes or dislikes when it comes to swordsmanship and leadership. It is definitely something to keep in mind, since interest can be easily waned, and then your dopamine starts looking for another interest and you\’ve completely restarted from the beginner stage again.
Connecting To The Previous Book
As for how this connects to the boy crisis, I will definitely say that blogging can definitely help build credibility. That is the one important component for boys growing up, so it would help them to develop some form of proficiency in any field readily available to them.
Writing Style
Nothing much to comment on with the writing style, since it is standard with any interview format.
Real-World Application
A lot of the bloggers abandoned their well-paying careers and turned to turn their knowledge and interests into the very premise that their blogs revolved around. This is definitely revealing, since it looks like a huge risk, but when you think about it, it really is about the issue of ethos never really changing. Those blogs dedicated to finance aren\’t successful for any other reason than the fact that the authors themselves worked in the financial realm.
Inspiration To Myself
I hope that this book would provide enough inspiration for me and for many other inspired bloggers, since they might get good information from this book.
Ultimately…
Although this book is decent enough, do not expect any in-depth information about blogging itself.
Recommend This To…
- Any beginning bloggers, since this is good for anyone just starting out.
- Anyone in a high-paying, high-risk occupation who is slowly becoming disillusioned with their work. They either see no fulfillment in it, or they wish to become more creative in their pursuits.
Sources
- Farrell, Warren. “The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It.” BenBella Books. 2018.
- Florida, Richard. “Rise of the Creative Class: 10th Anniversary Edition.” Basic Books. 2014.
- Kaufman, Josh. “The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business.” Revised Paperback Edition. Penguin Random House. 2012.
- Miller, Sally. \”The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers: Secrets of 17 Successful Bloggers You Can Use to Build a Six-Figure Online Business.\” Sally Miller. 2018.
- Miyamoto, Musashi. \”Book of the Five Rings.\” 1643. Yellowed Paper Books. 2020.
- Ynkawen, Michalangove. \”The Boy Crisis, By Warren Farrell | 15 | 2022 Centobibliennial Reading.\” Ynkawen. 2021.