How to Blog for Profit without Selling Your Soul

by Ruth Soukup

Whether you've been blogging for years or just weeks, How to Blog For Profit offers solid guidance for writing great content, creating compelling images, capturing viral growth, and maximizing revenue. It is an invaluable tool for experienced and novice bloggers alike, explaining not only what it takes to create an authentic, successful, and profitable blog, but how to get there.

Change the Way You Blog:
Empower yourself to stop comparing your blog to others
Understand what makes awesome content and how to create it
Discover the critical importance of compelling presentation
Increase your blog traffic through proven techniques
Develop a solid Pinterest strategy for capturing viral growth
Boost your revenue through diversified income streams
Learn how to work smarter not harder

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Writing, Self Help, Ebooks, Personal Development, How To

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2013

About the author

New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people break through fear and overcome the obstacles that stand in their way so that they can create a life they love.

Through her top-ranked Do It Scared® podcast and her wildly popular Ruth Soukup Weekly newsletter, which reaches more than a million weekly subscribers, she provides easy-to-follow guidance for following your dreams and reaching your goals.

She is also the founder of the Living Well Planner®, Living Well Spending Less®, and Elite Blog Academy®, as well as the author of six bestselling books. Her practical advice has been featured all over, including in Women's Day, Entrepreneur, TODAY, Martha Stewart Living, Family Circle and Fox News. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck and two daughters, Maggie and Annie.

Find out more & subscribe to Ruth's weekly newsletter at www.RuthSoukup.com

Reviews

[Kalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This easy to read eBook {packed full of great info!}, is a necessity in every blogger's toolbox - new and experienced. Ruth shares practical tips from her own blogging success and teaches you how to replicate them for your own blog and niche. I learned so many awesome ideas!

[Hillary roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

With all the talk of making money blogging, I became curious and was looking through kindle unlimited when I found this book. I admit I have never heard of Ruth Soukup as I am not a frugal, cleaning person. I hire someone to clean for me and I eat out almost every day SO.... I thought well HOW do people make money anyway> So onward I read.

Holy shit y'all she really does tell EVERYTHING she knows. I was blown away at all the way I COULD make money just by blogging. I had never known there were so many ways one could do that. As a book blogger, I would never require an author to pay me but I could do sponsored posts and such. She explains exactly how to go about doing this.

She also tells how to get traction on Social Media, especially Pinterest. I found a some tips that I took and used. The bad part is that in order for a lot of these things to work, you need to have a sizeable blog readership. I admit I have never tried to really grow this blog. It was all just for shits and giggles.  She also gives tips on how to grow your blog. I LOVE eating out advice in books like theses so I am implementing a shit ton of them.  We shall see how fast this wittle book blog grows.

Never fear I would never just take on ANYTHING. If I DO sponsored posts it will be something about books or reading. I refuse to be one of those bloggers who post ads every damn where. For example, I used to really like Bookriot but with a shit ton of ads assaulting my eyes? ugh. Plus I see some of my favorite bloggers doing that and it is clear that just slapped up some good AdWords and called it a day. I HATE IT. I don't care if I get a million readers for this blog I ANIT DOING IT. I hate going to a blog and seeing ads all over the place. It makes me want to install Adblocker again. In fact, I think I will hold on installs ad blocker  Ok rant over

She did tell other ways of getting money. Like I said I like the idea of sponsored posts and maybe a tasteful ad or two on my sidebar. She tells how to write a media kit and how to reach out to people to do different kinds of sponsored posts.

I think this book is well worth the money. It has a shit ton of ideas and is definitely a book I will re-read again.



This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not an organized person and as a result, my blog posts can be rather haphazard. I like to think that I'm quirky or maybe a bit eccentric, but in truth, I'm just disorganized.

Enter Ruth Soukup and her book, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul). This book is like an outline for disorganized people such as myself. It gives a concise instruction manual on how to make a profitable blog and what techniques work and what techniques haven't worked for her. She doesn't tout that her way is the best way, either. She only claims that her way works for her.

I do not monetize my blog (yet), so some of the stuff was just background reading. I do realize that the title of the book is "How to Blog for Profit" so that should, and was, the main portion of her book. However, I don't need it (yet).

The parts that I did enjoy reading were about increasing traffic, because the amount of traffic generated to a blog has a direct correlation to the amount of money a blog can or does make. That just makes sense. Her advice on social media was well grounded and realistic, not me chasing rainbows and unicorns for the elusive streaming traffic, or creating endless kind of multitiered trafficking scams. I put some into use and almost immediately saw a 100% increase in traffic.

The one thing that she didn't mention, probably because she doesn't use it, is the use of blog carnivals. They are a tremendous traffic builders and they only take a few minutes to generate traffic.

My only (small) issue that I had with the book is that I am a numbers kind of gal. Being an accountant in a previous lifetime, you can imagine that I wanted to see some of them. A small addition to one of the last pages of her book with a breakdown of how she made her money, what costs she had to put out, and the bottom line would have been tremendously helpful. Or even some percentages, as I can understand the need for privacy especially when you have a blog.

Read my review here:

https://www.letgoofbeingperfect.com/b...

[Ashley Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

After hearing many good things about this book, I finally bumped it to the top of my to-read list. It was a quick read that I skimmed through, so I don't feel like I wasted much time on what turned out to be a much more basic book than I was expecting.

How to Blog for Profit would be a fantastic resource for anyone unfamiliar with the blogging world and looking to get started. For anyone who's already done their own research or has been blogging for a few years and is starting to think about monetizing, this book probably won't teach you much you don't already know.

The book's saving grace is a few ideas at the very beginning and the very end that are just plain common sense when it comes to monetizing without alienating your readership. Build your blog around solid content, don't try to get rich quick, don't take on any sort of sponsorship or advertising that goes against your values, etc.

Soukup's book receives rave reviews, so apparently I'm in the minority here. Like I said, if you're just starting out, this is a great resource for having all the information you need in one place. If you're someone who already has blogging experience and has done some research about monetization on your own, you can probably pass on this one.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for bloggers! Some of the info is a bit outdated, but I still learned a lot. I'm already applying some of her suggestions -especially the editorial calendar which I love.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still new to blogging so i wasnt the target audience

But I read to educate and prepare for the future. One of the main things I took away from this book was to focus on creating awesome content for the next 6 months before even worrying about making money. It's all about focus.

[Jane Lively · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not recommend this book. I won this in a giveaway I entered with the intention of reading it, making notes for my cousin, and then giving it to said cousin to help her with her blog, but I decided not to because I'd have to teach these things out of her they're that bad.

There is no one-size-fits-all method to blogging. Some people are going to get lucky, and I don't think we're always aware of what strategies work exactly. There were tips in here that would get a person blacklisted by Google and/or turned off by readers. Instead of teaching bloggers how to blog for profit without selling their souls, it read as though Soukup slapped low-quality screenshots and things she did onto pages -- which she did do, but that's my point: distributing blog advice should be genuine and have the possibility of working for others -- loads of them if using a book -- instead of just a select few. Moreover, reading this, I felt as if I would lose my soul if I blogged this way.

Unprofessional aspects of this book, beyond the horrendous screenshots and bad advice:
- Bitly links: Yes, they're useful, but to me, it's just tacky. A self-proclaimed professional blogger -- and, since a book has been published, self-proclaimed "expert" -- wrote this, and the polite thing to do is to set up specific landing pages for this stuff, especially since some links may change over time, and once a link is in print, you can't update it. You can't update links Bitly URLs point to, either.
* This is not to say I don't use Bitly links myself -- but I have a branded domain, and I would set up a post/page specifically for readers of a book I wrote, in the event that I had links/resources to share with them.
- Case studies: I don't like anonymous case studies, because I can't see the project/production/etc. myself. With anonymous case studies, the presenter/holder can lie and never be caught. Thus, instead of choosing people/sites whose names had to be changed in order to be published into this book, why not say, "Hey, I'm looking for people willing to participate in a few case studies I'm doing for a book I'm writing for publication." There's bound to be willing participants, you can present them with a contract outlining what is expected of them and what they'll receive, and you needn't add an asterisk after a John Doe to explain how you've changed their name for privacy. Medical case studies require anonymity; such potential educational case studies in the form of blogging, however, should not.
- Saying, "I...": It's GREAT if it works for you, but there's gotta be some other way than to keep saying, "This is how I do it," and moving on. Even if there are screenshots, it's still telling instead of showing. With educational materials, there needs to be a balance between showing and telling for it to be beneficial.

Other issues I take:
- Focuses more on Pinterest and Facebook, which can be especially harmful for those who do not work well with such platforms, do not produce content which works well with said platforms, and whose audience(s) do not chill on aforesaid platforms. The best platform(s) for one's blog is the platform(s) they use already. You don't need every platform under the sun, either.
- There is a lot of focus on the numbers. Engagement, though companies are finally taking notice, is more beneficial and important than numbers.
- It encourages people to devalue their blogs, because whilst the back cover copy claims readers of this book will stop comparing their blogs to others, there are many instances wherein Soukup compares and contrasts blogs, and indirectly promotes comparisons in the form of big vs. little bloggers because -- yes -- there is a lot of focus on numbers.
- It's an oxymoron, in that how can one blog without selling their soul if they must, indeed, sell their soul in order to attract clients -- in whatever form they may come? How would I not be selling my soul by changing core values I hold as a blogger in the hopes of brands wanting to work with me? Ingenuity is selling your soul -- plain and simple.

When I read this book, I did check out the author's website -- 'twas messy, containing low-quality graphics, and not at all mobile-friendly. Looking at her website now, it appears more professional.

At the end of the day, though, one thing always remains true: not all bloggers are meant to share blogging advice. There's a lot of recycling and "headline hacking", and most bloggers today aren't starting from rock bottom -- having to figure out everything by themselves, without any help at all -- so much of the advice can be inaccurate. Moreover, many posts are written with the intention of making money via affiliate links in their posts. This isn't to say they can't be trusted, but there comes a time when you have to ask yourself, "Would they have posted this even if no affiliate links were available, and if yes, would it still be as helpful? Would it contain less bias?"

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this book was mostly a promotional tool for the author’s Elite Blogging Academy, a very thorough (or so I hear), but very expensive course for bloggers. The book gave just enough info without giving away the more useful steps or any actual action plan. Even the case studies were “graduates” from the program and she says she doesn’t even consider guest posters who haven’t bought and completed her course ... as if quality bloggers can only become so by doing it her way. For the beginner blogger, the book could be helpful, but there’s not really any more info in this book than can be found in free articles online by other successful bloggers. I’ve been blogging for a few years and am starting to earn a part time income, so I was looking for specific tips like best ad placement, email list newsletter best practices, that kind of thing. The main gist of this book is, “keep pumping out quality content”. No duh.

[Lisa Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I'll admit that when I first saw all the rave reviews, I suspected that they were blown just a bit out of proportion. But after reading this little gem, I'd have to agree with all these five star reviews. I mean, who wouldn't want to sit down for a cup of coffee with Ruth and "pick her brains" on what she's learned and what she'd recommend to bloggers on running a strong and profitable blog? Well, that's what this book is like and it's more than worth the price of the "latte". The author walks you through step-by-step on what it takes and how you (yes, you!) can do this thing. Very helpful and very encouraging. Thank you Ruth!

[Joshua Therrien · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disappointed with this book. I expected better, more unique information. For example, she says one of the things to make sure you do is "create awesome content ". You don't say. She repeats herself often and unnecessarily. There are far too many spelling and punctuation errors for someone who makes money with writing. The writing is also a bit dry and tedious. There is still a bit of useful information, hence, the extra star.

[Ernst Erro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for bloggers at any point in their blogging careers-from the amateur to bloggers with years of experience online-who want to know how to grow their blog or use it as a profitable platform. That's just it: you need to be willing to grow, learn, and improve as a blogger. There are many good things about this book. First, the language is accessible and pedagogical, which allows you to get a lot out of the material. Second, it is an affordable product. For example, my ebook was $10.00, and it provided a huge return in terms of knowledge/suggestions on blogging. Third, it does a good job of linking authentic interests and hobbies to an entrepreneurial mindset whilst distancing itself from the negative connotations of words like "profit" or "business."

My main critique, however, was that although Soukup is generally a patient writer, I feel like more elaboration and detail could have possibly made this book achieve a rating closer to five-stars. There were definitely points in the discussion where I felt like more elaboration was needed (e.g. developing an email list). You are often referred to other products or services of hers.

Nonetheless, it is full of useful information that could transform your blogging career/hobby into something with actual return if you have an open mindset and are willing to grow.

[Mihai Rosca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's like the third book I've read about blogging and so far I have to say I loved this one a lot. There is something in the tone it's written, the way it's organized and the content of the book that got me hooked. Now, I'm not a professional blogger writing for years with over 200k visitors and stuff so I might get a little overenthusiastic here, but I don't think that's the case.

I've followed the book's points about WordPress, Pinterest and content and after a brief study on the subjects I'd definitely go with what Ruth says about them. WordPress is clearly a winning solution regarding blogging, content should always remain king IF you want to get something out of your blog and Pinterest has had a spectacular rise as a platform and it's still going up as we speak.

The advice are packaged in an easy to follow chapter presentation and the language is clear and simple. The content is easy to follow and assimilate and I really like that the book shows examples of pretty much everything.

The only thing that I figure it's missing are some WordPress plugins that are a must, and other tips and tricks of the trade.

Other than that, if you want to blog, lend your ear to this book, it's good one!

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soukup started her “Living Well, Spending Less” blog in 2010 and was able to build a profitable niche for herself as a blogger. “How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul” came out in 2013 and is intended to help bloggers monetize their blogs while maintaining their integrity.

I appreciate the heart behind Soukup’s book and the practicality of the book. However, while certain elements of the book are still helpful, 6 years is a long time in our technological age. The book could really use a refresh to help bloggers navigate a very different world today. A number of companies she references and ways to monetize no longer exist, or exist in very different fashion. And while the spirit of her chapters on design are still helpful, it’s amazing how dated cutting edge 2013 websites look today.

Additionally, while Soukup’s own world of blogging (providing her readers with deals) is fairly easy to monetize, the vast majority of bloggers will find her advice hard to apply.

In the end, while Soukup does much better than most writers in this category of buffering expectations, very few types of blogs can actually provide the blogger with an income. In short, I left the book much more appreciative of Soukup than of her book.

For more reviews see www.thebeehive.live.

[Lyndie Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because… I want to learn more about how to make the best use of my blog. It was part of a book club I take part in.

This book was about… four different areas of developing and supporting your blog: refine, grow, monetize and build.

Things I liked about this book… The book is presented in as straight forward manner. Ruth has shared information on what has worked well and hasn’t worked as well in her own successful blogging experience. This book has been updated from its original publication with additional insight and newer trends.

Why you should read this book…if you have an interest in an online business or in creating online connections, this book is a helpful guide.

This book lived up to the back cover copy…The back cover provides information concerning, the book, the revisions that have enhanced the original publication and informative information about the author, Ruth Soukup.

[Lizette Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave How to Blog ... a three star review because the material is repetitious. Each chapter harps on the same phrase, "Write awesome content," said in different ways. By the time I got to chapter six I was rolling my eyes and whispering, "Okay, I get it."

Overall, the book is helpful in a few ways, i.e, how to build a Pinterest following, and the importance of good images, etc. etc., but it doesn't provide concrete ways to earn money. Each suggestion has a caveat that it may not work. Also, if you do not have 50k followers or more, forget it, don't bother reading the rest of the book, there are few ways to actually earn money until you build your readership.

I suggest reading a book on how to build a readership, prior to glancing at this title.

[Jayabrata Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are some kind of content creator, whether in the form of blogs, videos, podcasts, this book will give you valuable informations to become successful. I have read this book to take my blog to a professional level. I found it a useful book, mostly because it doesn't tell you any overnight success strategies rather it tells you to make smart decisions and strategies to become professional in content creation field. Although the field is changing quickly, but still this has been revised recently and I would definitely suggest this book to read and grasp if you are a beginner or even experienced in content creation field.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a spot dated being written, what? 8yrs ago? I thought it was more recent when I grabbed it.

Interesting perspectives. The importance lent do treating it as an entrepreneurial venture to help focus was a bit different from other approaches I've seen.

The one thing that resonated and I kept pulling back to and agreeing with ~ you must create exceptional content. It's true of all writing, but highlighting that 'influencers' can capture follows and attention and short term gains ~ if their content isn't compelling enough, those metrics are all hollow, as there's no true engagement from the readers.

[Torrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid resource for bloggers that includes several strategies for how to turn your blog into a business. I felt like I definitely learned a lot (enough to make the cost of the book worth it), but my one beef with the book was that it often made the whole process seem overwhelming, rather than helping me to feel empowered to take it on. Nevertheless, I learned a lot of strategies that I've already started applying to my blog, and as my blog (hopefully) continues to grow, I'll be using this as a reference again and again, I'm sure.

[Cindy Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Ruth for the clear and simply worded advice about how to get a blog going-what to focus on first and what to leave until later. And to clearly explain where the money comes from.

This was helpful for me while I was determining whether this was something I wanted to keep trying to do. I'm struggling to keep up with teaching and trying to blog when there are also family obligations. I'll have to do some more thinking about it, but I have clear targets to think about.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who is just starting their blog, I love how real Ruth is. She puts it all out there, in this book. One of the biggest takeaways is that my blog is a part of my business, not my whole business. It's the engine that helps drive my business, the marketing tool.

She gives practical advice and tips. It's delivered in a no-BS way, and she's not afraid to share her struggles, failures, and triumphs. I will be going back to this book again and again, as I build my business!

[Aya Cardel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential book for any aspiring blogger. I am a very new blogger and I am overwhelmed as to where to start in this journey but this book laid out the necessary foundation in turning your blog into a legit business. It is not a complete guide but it is a useful first step to anyone's blogging journey.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, quick read. A ton of information

This book is engaging, informative and inspiring. I have always been interested in starting a blog and I believe this book provides a helping hand towards that goal. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is seriously considering starting a blog or looking for ways to improve an existing one.

[Connie Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when I started my blog. A year later I signed up for Ruth's Elite Blog Academy course. I highly recommend them both. if you're just starting out with a new blog read this book first, then consider joining EBA. You'll learn so much from this book as Ruth shows you the steps to take and makes you feel like she's holding your hand the whole way.

[Cuong Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for who start to blog business. Her practical ideas help me have the right mindset at beginning a blog.
However, the book format is still quite hard to read because of line-height is too tight. Hope her to reformat it.
"The content is king", I still rated her book 5 stars.

[Yoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I just read this and I have to say I’m feeling inspired. I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a while, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. This book gave me a lot of insights and tips. I feel like I’m ready to take the plunge!

[Patryk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Większość wskazówek dopasowanych do influencerów amerykańskich, niektóre zaś już nieaktualne. Nie jest prawdopodobnie także możliwe, żebyśmy rocznie zarabiali na blogowaniu 100 tys. dolarów, jak autorka. Mimo wszystko, można znaleźć parę naprawdę ciekawych rad, które pomogą w pracy nad blogiem.

[Tim Ouellette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! The perfect manual for those just starting an online blog related business.

This was a great introduction to the business side of starting and operating a blog related business including content creation and email list building.

[Richard Affolder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great info, but lousy formatting.

The content of the book is fantastic. There is a lot of information here that is great for a new blogger. The formatting of the book is horrible for Kindle. It would benefit greatly to have a professional format the book.

[Suzie Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new here, but well organised and digestible.

[Hanadi Al-Naimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really a great book. I love the “Action Plan” paragraph at the end of each chapter 👍🏽