Should you quit your day job to blog?
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
March 19, 2009 10:09pm CST
There is a lively debate at Helium for the title "Should you quit your day job to blog?" As of this minute, there are 48 "No" articles and 16 "Yes" articles.
I wonder how many of the 64 writers are bloggers or who take blogging seriously.
If the income from blogging is consistent and more than earnings from full time job, I dont see why not.
Actually in this recession, not many people who are gainfully employed will quit job just for blogging. The "what if" question will see to that.
4 people like this
12 responses
@sdas86 (6076)
• Malaysia
21 Mar 09
Hi,
I think that making money from blog is a great way to make extra income. It is nt easy to make money from blog and most of the time, the income from blog is not consistent. So, I will not quit my job because if my income from my blog is stopped, I still have my job.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
21 Mar 09
Agree. As a source of passive income, it's a good and fun activity.
Unless I am already in my 60s and can afford to retire, then I dont mind not working full time again. Sigh, that day is still 30 years away. By then blogging will not be the "in" thing anymore.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
22 Mar 09
The desire to create, to share, to gossips or whatever is natural and will probably lasts froever.
Blogging may not. Maybe 10 years later, there's a better method than blogging to share experience or gossips. Just hope the migration from blog to the new whatver system is hassle-free, hope all the information in my blogs can successful migrate over.
1 person likes this
@LCHBheart (167)
• Singapore
21 Mar 09
That would depend if you are able to a lot of interesting content (5 posts a day?) and do a lot of work to promote your blog. Blog promotion requires a thick skin. I have tried it in mylot and got scolded for doing so.
1 person likes this
@LCHBheart (167)
• Singapore
21 Mar 09
Some of the successful blogs out there have actually more than 5 a day (though there are some that do not have that many but are very successful). Two blogs I have in mind are www.coolest-gadgets.com and failblog.org.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
22 Mar 09
That's why the blog is so successful. For new blog like mine, about 6 weeks old, it is behind the radar of search engine. The only way to "entice" search engine is to constantly update the blog.
It's hard to do, with more than 10 hours spend in the office and more than an hour spends on the road.
There are some busy bloggers who hire freelancers to maintain the blog through Guru.com and Elance.
@hcromer (2710)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I haven't been able to earn enough through blogging and freelance writing put together to come close to what I am earning at my full time job (or even what I was making when I worked part time in the food industry). I think that if you have a blog that is doing well enough to pull in full time money, then you may as well do that as your full time job... I'm a saver though so even if I was making around $30k from my blog a year, I would still keep another steady income position to be sure that I can still live comfortably and know that I will always have income coming in. I only know of 2 people who made blogging their full time job and I envy them big time!
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
1 Apr 09
The income from my writings and blogging is not even enough to pay for my insurance premium. Anyway, I'm a newbie to both activities, so never expect too much from these 2 sources of passive income.
After just 2 months of writing and blogging, I realized that marketing is the crucial element. Those who are good at online marketing can really earn a lot from blogging and their articles.
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
1 Apr 09
I'd happily blog for a living, though I'd prefer it to be as a job paid by someone else (since I suck at marketing). I don't know if I'd have the courage to take such a big risk on my own. Probably not!
Still, as a second income for luxuries (chocolate!!), it's a nice 'job'!
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
2 Apr 09
haha, blogging for chocolate! That must be the most important motivator, no wonder you are able to maintain so many blogs.
So page views from AC to pay for coffee, payments from Helium to pay for a day in Disneyland and earnings from Constant Content to pay for a day in casino. What else? Any other income for little "luxuries" in life?
1 person likes this
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
2 Apr 09
"Will blog for chocolate." Brilliant: I think you just gave me my new motto in life! The AC payments wouldn't pay for much coffee, I'm afraid, and I think Helium mostly gets used buying occasional clothes for my partner. Constant Content for fish 'n' chips (yes, I've actually done that one)! YUM!
Erm, other income... nah, not really. I think the rest ends up in dull stuff like rent and bills!!
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
21 Mar 09
Maybe not quit job just to maintain just a blog, if you have 10 blogs that are earning money, then it makes sense to quit job for blogging.
Some people maintain blogs for other bloggers and get paid for their effort. Blogging become their full time job.
If you have 20 friends paid you to maintain their blogs, will you quit your job to help them?
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
22 Mar 09
It's tough. I started the blog in Feb 2009, about 6 weeks ago. That time I wasn't working, and it already tough to maintain the blog.
Now I reach home around 7 pm, dinner, evening walk and shower take more than an hour. By the time I switch on pc, it's around 8:30 pm to 9 pm. I try to write a post in blog and write an article for submission to Helium.
Very tiring, but enjoyable, that's why still able to commit.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
20 Mar 09
Same here, my blog is still very new, less than 2 months old. It's impossible to sustain me.
Maybe if the blog can generate a few thousand per month, then I can sit back and relax, take a sabbath off from work and do a world tour.
I guess those who choose full time blogging has a lot of income-generating blogs.
@tomysole (457)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Quitting your day job to become a professional blogger take a lot of stones. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a very good writer and are very good at marketing online. It's tough to make a ton of money blogging, but I do believe it's possible. One would have to be very consistent.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
20 Mar 09
Good at online marketing is a must to make blogging a success. Good at writing need not be a barrier. After all, there are a lot of free articles floating around and available to link to the blog. It's a matter of selecting the best that suits the theme of the blog.
obviously sourcing articles take the joy out of blogging. A blog should reflect the blogger's personality and his perspective.
I guess only a very committed and passionate blogger will quit the day job before his blog produces a good income.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
20 Mar 09
Very prudent policy. I guess with your conservative thinking, you will be rich slowly but steadily.
Most people do not have the habit of saving enough for their retirement. It's hard enough to save money to tide over a few months of unemployment. Much harder to save money for 20 to 30 years of retirement.
@Informer (802)
• India
20 Mar 09
I would love to leave my job for blogging only if I started twice the amount what my company is paying to me because income by blogging is not study untill u have a large number of traffic, once u have started getting good traffic and getting good money as well, it'll be on your choice what u wish to do.. I will prefer to have a day job till I started geting rwice the amount whar my salary slpi shows... Happy Mylotting
@mimimeow (295)
• Hong Kong
3 Apr 09
I won't. First of all, no guarantee income. Then I want to meet people. I can't staying at home in front of the computer all day long. Even if I don't have to do that, I have less chance meeting different kind of people out there I don't work.
No, I really won't quite my day job to blog.
@anh101 (1379)
•
9 Dec 15
I've quit my job just this day, saying goodbye, and will start blogging, i do know that it's unstable work, and things related to it. However, i cant live a life of other, not me, i love to be me, i love to do my work, not other's work. and love to figure out things, not to figure out things but cant do nothing, just becuz of job. 25 years old and leaving the corporate world, i never feel regret about my choice. cuz if i lose, i will do another work, farming, who knows in the world which is the best. May be one day farming is the great thing that i can do??? just do it first, still have time to fulfill me
