When I first started blogging, oh how I dreamed of being a full-time blogger. You know, kicking back in your pajamas, checking e-mails and interacting with folks online all day. However, after passing the two year mark, I’m not so sure. The reason why vacations are so enjoyable is partly because of work. While the reason why success is so gratifying is because of countless failures.
Blogging is 100% a hobby of mine where there is little pressure to succeed. There are no posting schedules to upkeep and there are no advertising commitments to fulfill. If only a dollar of online income comes one month, I don’t sweat it because I don’t blog for the money. Money is a byproduct of doing something consistent. Writing and interacting with the community are simply some of the most fun things I’ve ever done. And yes, I admit I am a blogging addict.
So what would happen if I suddenly had no job and had to rely on only blogging for income. Oh my, I must believe my stress level would shoot through the roof as I wonder how to live off under $200,000 a year in San Francisco! I’m being facetious about the $200,000 figure, as even in an expensive place like San Francisco, you can live quit well off much less and not just have to eat ramen!
If I couldn’t get my old job back after a couple years of trying, I’d probably sell 90% of my assets and relocate to somewhere cheaper. The problem with that strategy is that I love it in San Francisco, and don’t want to leave, unless it’s to Hawaii! Let’s discover some of the downsides and upsides of being a professional blogger shall we?
DOWNSIDES OF TURNING YOUR HOBBY INTO A FULL-TIME JOB
* You never know for sure what your next paycheck will be. Some weeks you’ll get a rush of advertisers knocking on your e-mail door to do business. Other weeks there will simply be nothing worthwhile to highlight. As a pro-blogger, you are at the whim of your advertisers. As a result, you need to spend a ton of time building advertising relationships and marketing yourself to them. This in turn takes away from your writing efforts, which ultimately hurts the quality of your content. Suddenly, many of your posts become predominantly affiliate related posts to earn you a buck. One affiliate related post every 4 or 5 posts is fine. But when money making posts start to be every other post, then your blog is going to die. It’s important to develop multiple on-line revenue streams, so you’re never caught with your pants down.
* You will have less freedom. Everybody thinks you can do whatever you want if you have a blog. The irony is, if you are a full-time blogger, you’re going to have less freedom to write what you want, simply because the expectations of you will be so great that you can’t afford to mess around. Remember, your life, and those you support depend on your blog income to survive and flourish. Heck, just your health care insurance premiums alone depend on your blog income to grow at a rapid pace thanks to out-of-control inflation!
* Your pressure will increase tremendously. As soon as you announce you are going to be a pro-blogger, your readers expectations go up. Posting once a day may just not be enough anymore. Furthermore, the quality of your posts have to go up exponentially since you now have easily 8-10 hours extra a day to dedicate to your blog! If you aren’t writing mind blowing stuff compared to your part-time blogging peers, then you’re going to feel awfully insufficient. You’ll begin doubting your decision to go full time if you don’t receive a commensurate percentage increase in traffic, as the time you are spending blogging.
* Your health may suffer. Ever notice that weight-loss is a reoccurring personal topic among bloggers? We all want to lose some weight as our waist-lines expand as we sit at our desks all day and write. I’ve noticed some of this myself and wrote a personally important post to me entitled, “The Mental To Physical Connection For A Healthier Lifestyle” so I don’t lose myself. Playing competitive tennis is too important for me to get weighed down by extra pounds. Some may even say there’s little difference to blogging vs. going to a desk job 9-5. Not true, you’ve got to physically go to the desk job, walk around, and expend energy. As a pro-blogger, you just wake up and walk 20 feet to your desk.
* You might start hating what you love. If you add up the four things above, I’m pretty sure you’re going to not like blogging as much anymore. That chocolate cookie you occasionally eat doesn’t taste as good after eating it everyday for months. You begin to resent the fact that you no longer can blog for a hobby and only have one main source of income. In summary, you could end up hating your blogging job as much as your day job again!
UPSIDE OF TURNING YOUR HOBBY INTO A FULL-TIME JOB
* You are your own boss. The freedom to do what you want, when you want is priceless to many. If you are an independent thinker who doesn’t handle a structured environment well, but can handle the pressure of doing everything on your own, being your own boss is the best.
* Everything becomes a business expense. You want to vacation in Europe, and realize you have several clients who are based in Europe. Well of course your flights, meals, and rental Ferrari is a business expense! All your gear you use to do business, such as your Macbook Pro, iPhone, and monthly internet fees are all business expenses. The list goes on and on.
* You get to maximize your creativity. A good blogger is a great storyteller with immense creativity. The more you write, the better you get. If you love photography, you can learn to take your own pictures and combine them with your posts. If you like to come up with theories and inventions, you can use your blog as a platform to test them out.
* You can substitute yourself. Instead of writing the majority of your content, you can hire a ghost-writer to mimic your writing style and do all the writing under your name for you! Then, you can hire someone to handle all your administrative and advertisement duties, and you can literally just kick back and watch the money role in. There’s no way you can fake yourself with a full-time job. Blogging is one of the few mediums where you can replace yourself and still do well. I’ve never done this myself, but after learning a couple well known personal PF bloggers do this, it sure sounds tempting!
CONCLUSION
If you look at the pros and cons carefully, you can replace “blogging” with “entrepreneurship”. Blogging full-time would be amazing, if at minimum for a little while. I can imagine all the trips I’d take and the many more cruises I’ll make all the while running my websites. Every time I go on vacation, I pretend I’m a full-time blogger just to see how it goes. So far, so good.
My biggest fear is really focusing too much on blogging, ending up hating it and burning out. I’ve burnt out with many hobbies before, including golf, tennis, chess, spades, poker, snowboarding, and mountain biking. Each one of these activities I used to love, but at some point or another, I just got bored. It’s taken me 9-10 years to rediscover my passion for tennis after I burnt out in 2001 to go play golf instead. The reason why I rediscovered tennis was because I couldn’t break a 10 handicap, and tennis is a more frugal sport to play after the financial crisis!
It’s been a several years since the worst of the economic downturn, and I have a feeling that many who set out to be full-time bloggers or location independent entrepreneurs are coming back to the traditional workforce because it’s harder than originally planned and opportunities are opening up again. Then there are those who’ve stuck with it through thick and thin, and because they did, they are able to see more revenue opportunities with the economic rebound. Either way, as bloggers, we should all see if we can do this full-time at some point without quitting our day jobs until we’re absolutely certain. We may never transition, but it’ll be nice to say we have the option!
RESOURCES FOR A BETTER LIFE
Manage Your Finances In One Place: One of the best way to become financially independent and protect yourself is to get a handle on your finances by signing up with Personal Capital. They are a free online platform which aggregates all your financial accounts in one place so you can see where you can optimize your money. Before Personal Capital, I had to log into eight different systems to track 25+ difference accounts (brokerage, multiple banks, 401K, etc) to manage my finances on an Excel spreadsheet. Now, I can just log into Personal Capital to see how all my accounts are doing, including my net worth. I can also see how much I’m spending and saving every month through their cash flow tool.
Negotiate A Severance Package: Don’t quit your job, get laid off and negotiate a severance package instead. Negotiating a severance enabled me to receive six years worth of living expenses from a company I dedicated 11 years of my life to. If I had quit, I wouldn’t get any severance, deferred compensation, medical benefits, job assistance training or unemployment benefits and neither will you. I believe so strongly in the message of never quitting that I spent a couple years writing this 100-page book entitled, “How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune By Saying Goodbye.” I’m absolutely certain this book will help you recognize your rights as an employee and break free from the corporate grind to do something you truly want to do.
Updated for 2015
Interesting thoughts. I have never had a hobby turn into a full-time job. I actually enjoy my job for the most part. There are some aspects I could do without but mostly I am still motivated to get up each morning. I am a part-time blogger but must confess that I have become addicted as well. I view it as a challenge to build traffic and earn a few dollars along the way. Plus, I think it a lot more worthwhile than spending my free time watching television.
Full-time blogging is something that I have thought about, and I have asked myself these same questions, “Will I start hating it? Will it no longer be an escape from the daily grind? Will I begin selling out to poor, useless advertisements?
If I were to ever have this option, I think the key would be to have more than one income source. I would have a blog of course, but I might also have eBook revenue and other websites that earn income as well (perhaps through the sale of a product). That would create a less stressful environment for sure, and I don’t think life would be all that stressful.
I can pretty much guarantee you that you will enjoy blogging less if you really have to depend on it to live. There’s no doubt in my mind. The key/hope is not to hate it. If it’s still enjoyable, just less so enjoyable, that’s OK. But if it goes to being a drag and a drain, that’s just horrible.
Diversification of online revenue indeed! And online revenue should/can be diversification for overall other revenue as we discussed in posts past!
http://yakezie.com/15211/personal-finance/passive-income-is-a-myth/
I have thought about blogging full-time, but I don’t think it is for me. Instead, in a few years, I would like to work from home full-time blogging, writing and working as a virtual assistant. I think having a variety of projects going could help me beat boredom. (At least that is what I am hoping at this point when full-time, home-based work is far off.)
Sounds like a good plan to me! However, it sure sound like it’s basically kinda like blogging full-time and all the glory it entails!
Blogging fulltime sounds glamorous, but your post highlights the dark side of it! Absolutely agree! I always maintained that I won’t go blogging fulltime for the exact same reasons. (Plus I’m more of a laid back guy!)
I like the way it is, my schedule, my time, no pressure. If I make money on the side, great. Otherwise, I’m glad I’m helping atleast a few.
What’s more laid back than writing online in your underwear though? lol
in 3 weeks I will be a full time blogger, though hopefully only temporarily! I imagine too much time alone could make me go crazy!
Good luck! And hopefully you can chronicle your journey and let us know the intricacies of the transition and how you feel! Cheers, Sam
I hope you never tire of blogging, Sam!
As for me, I am not sure if I’d enjoy blogging full time. What I’d love, though, is to blog part time for a little extra money, and eventually build the blog up to the point where it is a good source of part-time income. If it allows me to retire early, all the better!
Thanks Denise, I hope so too. But, knowing myself, I know I will tire and want to move on to do something else. It’s part of the reason why I want to make the Yakezie Network a self-sustaining Network that will live on and thrive without me.
I love blogging, but I like it on the side. Working also gives a lot of benefits – paid vacation, health insurance, etc. And you’re right, blogging income can be inconsistent – which is tough if you need to live off it!
I’m enjoying being a part-time blogger – I couldnt see doing it full time, though I would like to work for myself full time at some point in the future. I think one of the worst parts about blogging is that it can be inconsistent. I’ve had a hobby turn into a full time job (with little pay) and still enjoyed it immensely, but did burn out after a while – there just got to be other priorities in my life. I think with anything you can start hating it if it takes over your life – even travel or ice cream. For me, I enjoy the small amount of extra cash I get from blogging part time – I dont depend on it (I use the money to grow the blog, get things for the blog, or pay for blogging related conferences).
That’s pretty rewarding if you can use your blog income to attend conferences and connect with more people It’s those relationships that are most rewarding!
Sam,
I think this is really thought provoking post and I’m glad you wrote it. As somebody who has had this weird blend of blogging, but still working a day job for a few hours a week I can totally relate to what you’re saying. I’m sure if that steady paycheck wasn’t there my stress level would be through the roof. I also have found that the more money I want to make, the harder I’m working and the more clients I need to take on. I’ve been hammering away at blogcastFm harder than I ever have before during my time here in Costa Rica.
I recently picked up a new client and while it’s a nice income stream it also means that i’m going to be working more to make sure I do a good job. I do think there was definitely less stress related to my blog when I was working a normal job. That being said, I’ve been able to surf every single day which really makes happy and that’s kind of priceless. I think it would however be tragic if something I love so much (writing, blogging, and connecting with people) became something I hated because I was so dependent on it for my income stream. In some ways I think the Blogosphere is like a developing country with severe income disparity.
Srini,
That’s the funny thing isn’t it? The more successful you become at your online endeavors, the MORE you have to work and the MORE stressed you will be! Is it any wonder why so many folks rather not try and just keep things really small and simple?
Tell me more about your analogy of the blogosophere and a developing country with severe income disparity. Between who?
thnx, Sam
I just broke a 10 year hiatus from tennis yesterday! I was burned out by playing too much, but thought I’d give it a try again. It was great. Of course I don’t remember being sore in all the places I am today…but maybe that’s because I was 10 years younger.
Ahh, but the soreness is what keeps me coming back for more! Played 4 sets yesterday and another 4 today. So sore, but it feels so good! And, it helps keep my waistline from blowing out!
Hey Sam and Car Negotiation Coach: I played tennis for four years in high school and then some afterwards…but not anymore. Yet I love the sport–what kind of capacity do you guys play in? Is it a league, or through a gym? I’d love to incorporate it into my life again.
Hi Amanda, I play a lot of league tennis and compete in some tournaments at times (one of my new year’s resolutions). I plan doubles and singles, and play for my club. There are about 8-10 teams around the Bay Area, private and public and we battle each other for supremacy! :)
Thanks for the info! Good luck:).
I’ve been blogging for a few years now, but it definitely comes and goes. I wouldn’t want to rely on it as an income source, as sometimes I just want to take a break for a week or two. If I had to depend on a blog for my income, I wouldn’t ever be able to give it a rest. Plus, even just blogging as a hobby, when I try to set strict goals for myself like posting on a set schedule, it immediately becomes less fun!
I hear ya. I think you’ll get used to the schedule over time though, if it’s not that arduous. 2-3 times a week isn’t that bad, especially if you have guest posts and such.
It’s just about sticking with it for the long term!
One of the many problems with a business like blogging, which has a very low barrier to entry, is that you have to compete with all the people who aren’t doing it to make money.
That is to say it costs only $30 a year at the most to keep up a hobby blog. My blog is a hobby blog for the most part- I’ve very little incentive to make money with it directly. But yet, every time I write a post, I compete directly with people who are looking to make a living. If I rank #2 for a killer search phrase, then I’ve diluted the market for no real gain on my part.
In truth, MoneyMamba has already created a new stream of revenue for me, even though there isn’t a single advertisement. It landed me another SEM client, but my point still stands: blogging for a living is very, very hard to do, and it will only become harder when more people start blogging either for a hobby, a side income, or even a full time income.
At the end of the day, we can’t all make a living sharing our thoughts for free online, though I wish the business of it were that simple.
Interesting perspective regarding competition. If your traffic and your blogs’ rankings are strong enough, there’s actually plenty of money to be made blogging. It’s just whether you let money affect your content, and drive your life, which is the big issue.
What does “SEM” stand for btw? Also, hook me up with a referral for designer, server costs, technical help etc! It costs me at least 150X more than it costs you a year at only $30!
Thnx,
Sam
Yes, you’re right, there is ample opportunity to leverage a non-profit blog into a profit making machine. Even still, there are far more hobby bloggers than there are bloggers out there trying to make money doing it.
In the aggregate, I would say that hobby bloggers usually have more interesting content. Those who do it for a profit are more likely to write about topics that are profitable, not necessarily those which are interesting. There’s no shortage of posts about “High $ Keyword” with information that couldn’t be found elsewhere on for-profit blogs. Usually, such blogs show obvious signs of over-SEO with poor readability due to numerous header tags, and high keyword density. Bloggers looking to make money hate pronouns–“it” isn’t as monetizable as “mortgage” over and over again.
SEM stands for search engine marketing. It’s in the “big 3” of SEO, SEM, and SMO (social media optimization).
Blogger/Blogspot is free.
Wordpress.com is free.
Here’s a great example of a free hobby blog from one of the leading economic academics, Greg Mankiw: http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/ Nothing on that site cost a dime, but because it’s well written and full of quality content it earns an Alexa of 126k and a pagerank of 8.
Another non-monetized blog using completely free stuff: http://economistsview.typepad.com/ Alexa < 100k, PR7
Even FreeMoneyFinance is hosted free on TypePad…at least his favicon indicates this is the case. He just uses his own domain.
You can add a domain to blogger/typepad for the $8 cost of the domain.
Otherwise, domains are $8, and shared cPanel hosting for a single domain can be found for $20 per year. WordPress is a free script, and with cPanel hosting you can install it with three clicks using "Fantastico."
There are countless free themes. Even your site, FinancialSamurai, is based on one of the most popular free themes, iNove Eric from Narrow Bridge has a great logo, which he said on the forums he made using a free to use picture and Picknik.com, a free image editing utility.
Having written the above, I know think $30 may have set the bar too high.
So $30 is what moneymamba.com cost to run a year? I’m inquiring about your site. Do you not pay for server costs? This is a big expense for me as I have a dedicated server for Yakezie.com and FS.com. thx
This is a waste of time.
1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) You’re wasting money on a dedicated server. You don’t need one. Yakezie has a forum, which isn’t a blog.
K. So you suggest I not use a server? Is the speed OK with your way? Teach me more about online revenue and such as I’m always interested in learning from those who do well online.
I didn’t realize FMF didn’t have any server/hosting costs. He rocks! I’m gonna shoot him an email and pick his brain more.
BTW, Sorry for wasting your time. I just want to learn. Thank you for your guidance.
thx
JT brings up some good points. My site costs roughly $100 a year to maintain. That will go up as I start spending on premium themes and design but the point is you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great blog (not that mine is that great). Those making a living from their blog are competing with the freebie hobbyists out there and the price of the site isn’t necessarily related to results.
I had not thought of it that way before Money Mamba–competing with everyone, even those not in it to make money (and the really low cost of entry).
My blog is a hobby, but I am finding that sometimes I have to step back and remember that my blog is MINE. My goal with blogging was to just have a creative outlet. However, once it started generating some revenue, I felt like I had to create perfect posts and put my all into blogging. I am an all-or-nothing kind of person, so sometimes blogging has taken up too much time.
Right now, I am trying to take a step back and write what I want, when I want.
As far as blogging being a full time job, I don’t think I could handle it. Sure you have some amount of control as your own boss. However, as you said, you are at the whim of your advertisers. Budgets get cut all the time at companies, and advertising is often the first thing to go.
Stepping back and reminding ourselves our blogs are our own is really important, I agree! This is what I tell a lot of newer blogs who spend forever writing the post, or worrying about XYZ. Just put yourself out there, develop relationships with folks in your peer group, and have fun.
Taking a step back is very hard, but also very necessary to prevent burn out.
With the Yakezie Network, we are building a large list of clients from around the world. Because of this fact, I’m less worried about business going dry.
I think all your points are true! I blog part time and love it. If i was doing it full time I’d definitely have a lot more stress which is something I’m already working hard to control.
Excellent post! Lots of things to think about if you do want to blog full time. I am leaning toward part time blogger with a regular job. Depends what’s important to you. If you want a full blown blog empire, you may actually need to go full time to give yourself the best chance. I say happy medium as going all in could actually burn you out.
Happy medium indeed. I really try to balance blogging and creative stuff with as much sports as possible. If I spend 2 hours blogging/online, then I want to spend at least 1 hour exercising or playing sports.
But, if blogging brings in $1 million bucks a year, well… maybe I’ll focus a little more!
I think one thing that’s interesting about the topic of blogging full time is that it almost always is about the decision to quit your current job and transfer a blogging hobby into a blogging career. It’s one of the few professions (if you will) where almost nobody starts out their career as a blogger. I’m making a prediction that in the next 10 years there will be a school offering a major in blogging or blogging for businesses (or at least a minor).
I’ll take the under on that school offering the class! Well… maybe University of Phoenix online! :)
I think I’d have to say that the expanding waistline is a good reason for me NOT to become a pro-blogger! Just today I thought to myself, “I’ll take a long evening bike ride.” Oh, but did I? Nope. Instead, I blogged; commented on posts, responded to comments, then finished up a guest post (for the Yakezie no less.;) ) So there goes my waistline. It’s getting squished as I type.
Lol, well, thanks for your contribution! You can still go out for a bike ride. It’s only around 9pm PST! I just got back from 2.5 hours of tennis. Feels so good and now I’m responding to all y’alls comments. Priorities!
Interesting prospective as usual Sam. I don’t see me getting rid of my day job for some time, though my many other entrepreneurial efforts take up more and more time. But running a medical practice does mean I have to be there every day. Not to mention night call every other night…. I love the diversion and interaction blogging provides though!
Doc, I think perhaps we are very alike. I’m assuming you also do very well for yourself as a doctor with your own practice, so to give that up entirely would be very, very, difficult and perhaps completely irrational for blogging! Makes the hurdle that much higher!
Blogging has provided me with an amazing side income that I could never have believed when I started 3 years ago…it is just hard for me to imagine that it could turn into a stream of full time income except for those rare few
Ahhh, but the sky is the limit, and I strongly believe this FOR SURE!
Sam, I really resonated to the “burn out” of former passions and hobbies. I am susceptible to that phenomenon as well and thus try to keep my blogging addiction in check (rather unsuccessfully) as I work to combat the burnout possibility. Very well organized article with lots to think about.
I just went back and read all of the comments, this article really drummed up a wonderful amount of discussion. You also reiterated how important it is not to create “unnecessary blogging pressure.” After all, it is our own blog(s) and we have no boss but ourselves.
We’re definitely our own bosses. Most of the pressure really is self-imposed pressure. Hence, I would venture to guess that those with the most discipline are the ones with the most successful blogs b/c they can stick with it for the long, long run!
I’d definitely prefer the entrepreneur route as opposed to bloggin full time. I like the idea of passive income but, if it became my job, it definitely wouldn’t be as enjoyable.
It also helps if you have a relatively lower income expectations. If you have a six figure job already, it might take exceptionally long time or effort to replace that kind of income with blogging. I like blogging as a part time hobby/side business. If I ever have to quit my job (if I take a break from my career when we have family) this would be a nice income to float us for a while. But if I do it for full time income, knowing me, I would be totally stressed out. Great post Sam!
Thanks Suba. It is indeed a fact that for those who want to blog full-time, the most blessed are the ones who make the LEAST from their full-time jobs! The return is that much more rewarding from their online experience!
Thanks for this insight. It’s a perspective I really haven’t thought about. I will probably never go pro by choice, but if I were to lose my current day job, going pro would definitely be something I would try. But after reading this post, maybe it won’t be such a great idea. Let’s hope that I’ll never be in this situation. Thanks Sam!
I wouldn’t blog full time unless I make three times my currently salary (like flexo did). Three times your current income would take some of the risk out of the equation.
Since coaching girls soccer (7 year olds), I find that I have less and less time to blog. Blogging is great fun, but something got to give… In fall and winter, everything will be back to normal hopefully.
Oh Money Reasons, believe me, as they get older, you have less and less time. (Whether you are coaching or not.) I can count on one hand this spring the number of weekdays I was home before 9:00 pm (unless it was raining).
Wow, 3X one’s salary? Unless one doesn’t make much, I think that’s WAY too high a hurdle!
Let’s say you make $500,000 a year from your day job. Wouldn’t making $1 million a year blogging be good enough for you to quit?
I have to agree with 3x the salary rule. Employers on average spend 2x your salary on each employee (for benefits, vacations, sick leaves, 401ks, etc). You would be basically giving up a secure job for not as secure job (blogging) so there needs to be some cushion to justify leaving your day job. Also if you’re single, then i think you can be a little more riskier, but with family, you need to be more conservative, in my opinion.
As I think more, I donno if 3x is necessary since it doesn’t require that much to survive and the government is so generous with entitlements. I do agree on family though and the importance of being more conservative.
I don’t know if I’ll ever do blogging full time. I would love if blogging income turned into a full time income, but I think I’d still have other income streams – or at least I’d try to. The variability of income with blogging makes it a challenge – one that would be difficult for me to want right now.
Great post BTW Sam.
Tim, I think once you grow your blog big enough, and have enough multiple streams of online only income, the variability really tightens, and you can get normalized income pretty regularly.
I’ve learned that a blog isn’t a business. It can be a platform for a business. That’s how I treat it. My plan is to create products, do joint ventures and promote them through my blog. From the authority I’ve attained, hopefully more opportunities will come about. It’s like Srini just start his blog hoping to find a job and now he spoke at Blog World, doing Blogcast FM, surfing, and is now talking to a publisher about a book deal. So amazing things can happen through blogging.
So I want to become an entrepreneur who also blogs. I do think about “will I even like blogging 5, 10 years from now?” Though I could sit and wonder I just do what I’m enjoying right now.
I enjoy writing, blogging, and meeting people like yourself who are working on doing great things.
Blogging is a platform Benny, but people don’t last long enough, or work on enough content enough to realize you can actually make a good chunk of change via advertisement as well.
When you buying the new 2011 M3??
Totally agree with this post- awesome as always ;)
I would never blog full time. I love my day job too much to abandon it and blog full time. You can also write off some of the expenses (iPhone, trips etc.) if you blog part time too :)
If I get annoyed with my regular day job, I can think about my blog. If I get bored of my blog, I can turn off the computer and go outside/ work at my regular job. I think the key to enjoying something is variety and sticking to one thing wouldn’t fulfill this. I like how my blog gives me the ability to experiment with entrepreneurship, and my full time job gives me stability.
I do agree about the waistline/ exercise comment. Ever since I started blogging, I’ve been neglecting exercise (commenting and reading posts is just more fun!)- however I hope to change this.
Never say never! You “never” know! lol. You are one of the lucky ones I think who really like their jobs. I’m not sure the same can be said for 50% of the population. Post coming up on this topic!
That’s true- my boyfriend hates his job. Perhaps he’s the other side of the 50%?
I also enjoy my day job, and find that both fit a need in my life. Sometimes I think I might go part-time, part-time to keep a balance.
PS I didn’t know what “ghost writer” meant before. Now I do- thanks!
I totally agree. Blogging as a hobby is good, but once you make it a primary source of income, you might get stressed out, or burnt out. The disadvantages pointed out in this post are so true! Unlike your day job, you are not sure when your next pay would be and you become pressured to work (blog) every hour of every day to earn.You don’t get much exercise when you blog full-time, unlike with your day job that would require you to go to the office (and burn some calories). :)
[…] Yakezie talks about how hobbies can become full time jobs and the pros and cons of blogging full time […]
Yeah, I can see getting burned out as a real possibility. It’s a lot more fun to blog at your own pace and make it up as you go along. If I have to depend on blogging for money, it would really be stressful. I’d rather do a few part time jobs and make a bit of money from each sources.
The nail has been hit square on the head here Sam!
I wouldn’t give up blogging as a job for the world right now but the pressure to earn can affect a lit of things and the quality of your blogs is one. Do I chase a new subscriber or a new dollar…. The balance is hard when you need the cash.
Hey Sam,
I love having a passion to do on the side but I am a firm believer in multiple egg baskets, and I would never want to rely solely on one anything as a source of income. Plus, blogging should never feel like a job or obligation, which it could if you needed it for bread!
I agree. There seems to be an inflection point with blogging though. The first was about 6 months, second was one year, and after the 2nd year, things seem to REALLY start happening. Too many offers, and a lot of financial opportunity.
How many people make it to 2 years though? I donno.
best to have the best of both worlds. someone in such position can be job optional where they work because they want to and not because they have to. one can also jump from one job to another w/o worrying about killing the “career” that may not exist for all the good reasons. one does not have to do one or another exclusively
Agree. It may actually be fun to at one point have your side job and FT job try to compete to see which will be more financially rewarding.
I’m trying not to think of my blog as a business because I have yet to earn one cent from it and I don’t want to be discouraged to the point where it’s not fun for me anymore. But hey, if I do end up earning something from it then all the better :)
I can absolutely see the points in becoming a professional blogger. But isn’t that the essence of being your own boss in general, regardless of the business? I feel the idea of being an entrepreneur, regardless of the industry, is being romanticized by many people. It’s simply hard work. Still, I think the rewards for sure outweigh the negative aspects.
I agree with Alex — entrepreneurship is romanticized; at the end of the day, it’s a lot of work and a lot of risk and uncertainty. But the payoff (in freedom, in being your own boss, etc) is worth it to a lot of people, including me.
Just don’t get too focused on the money, as you say, or you’ll start to hate it. Do what you love and the money will come.
Not sure how I missed this post the first time around, but it’s very timely for me as I’ve contemplated blogging full time. I doubt I’ll ever quit my real job completely, but right now I have the flexibility to cut back my hours if blogging starts taking up more of my time. I feel like it’s a great place to be and I’m happy with the way things are. Who knows what the future holds?
I’d love to get Crystal and Daniel’s thoughts now that they’ve had a couple months of going at it alone. New perspectives are always good!
I think if we build up our side income to the point where we can actually survive off it, we’ll be OK come transition time.
Here are my thoughts on blogging full time – it is way better than the job I had, I do work more than I did in my old job but less than when I was working full time and blogging too, and it is way more flexible than any other job I could possibly imagine.
On a point by point basis:
* You never know for sure what your next paycheck will be – True but I know generally what I make ($5000 or more a month) and what I need to make ($3750), so I don’t stress too much. Generally, I happy dance a lot.
* You will have less freedom – Nope. I haven’t changed my style since I went full time.
* Your pressure will increase tremendously – Not too much. I immediately started getting more clients and didn’t quit my day job until I was making enough that I wouldn’t stress alot. Every once in a while, I worry, but no more than I did about layoffs at my old job.
* Your health may suffer – I was in a cubicle job and already battling my weight. Now I do make time to exercise a little more but am generally in the same place. I’m 26 pounds down since the beginning of the year and am trying to lose the last 10 right now.
* You might start hating what you love – thankfully not. At least not yet.
I agree with the first benefits you listed but haven’t done the ghost writer thing for my own posts. I figure my readers would know, lol.
Great post. :-)
Thanks Crystal for your thoughts. Losing 26 pounds is huge! Congrats on that. I’m trying to shed several pounds myself, but can’t since i love apple turnovers and cookies n cream cupcakes so much!
I do worry that if I blog full-time, I will take online stuff more personally and stress out about missing out on income opportunities more. I’m glad you are not doing so.
Keep us posted as the months and hopefully years go by to keep those of us considering it motivated!
Thx
I’ve had hobbies become full-time jobs and had hobbies become careers. Right now I hate my career that was a result of a hobby I loved. I don’t care for that hobby anymore either but you can’t pinpoint whether it was the career that killed it or just time.
As far as blogging goes, if you’re in it for the money you will generally run it as a business. Any business comes with its own stresses and upsides.
Hey Jesse, thanks for your thoughts. How long did it take before your hobby which turned into a career started dragging? Perhaps there is a 7 year itch or something. thx!
I think I would be a major stress case if blogging was my sole income stream. Right now I’m doing it for the fun of it and for being able to help others and interact. It would be nice to have more flexibility in my schedule but right now I’m happy just blogging on the side. -Sydney
Keep on having fun Sydney! The money will come if you sty consistent and don’t focus on the money! Trust me on this! Keep up the good work and I look forward to your Member Post! Best, Sam
I have also thought about this exact topic. For me, I enjoy blogging as a hobby…. relying on it for a sole income does create added pressure to it. Doing it because you want to, not because you have to, definitely helps ensure the enjoyable aspect to it :)
No danger of blogging getting full-time w/ me. For one, I couldn’t replace my daytime income. For two, I quite like my job. For three, I’m made exactly “0” from the blog. It’s more of a creative writing outlet, a spawner of new ideas, and generator of new online connections. If it eventually makes a few shekels, all to the good.
And yes, I’ve also noticed that waistline management is a common enough topic amongst bloggers.
You still making 0 from your blog mate? I think you could easily make $1,000/month if you wanted to!
PS – I miss some of the PF bloggers that have seemingly burned out…Aloysa and Watson Inc come to mind.
Thanks for sharing your story Sam. You really laid it all out in a very realistic way- no sugar coating. I like that. I really appreciate the honesty. It has given me something to think about. I worry myself about burning out by juggling blogging on top of my other responsibilities but I also have this desire to try as hard as the rest of you; get my blackbelt and everything. It is a real juggle sometimes and I am still figuring it out.
Hi Miss T, thx for reading. It’s definitely a task to figure out how to balance everything. We all have our own pace & should discovery that pace so we don’t burn out. I try and think in 5 year chunks. That way, it’s more about the direction rather than right here, right now.
Maybe we’ll end up surprisingly ourselves, who knows? All I know is that nothing comes out of non action.
Good luck finding your own pace!
Thanks for sharing this; great post! I’m currently a part-time blogger that works full-time (and then some with a few part-time gigs).
I write 2 blogs right now, and I have to say that I absolutely have entertained the idea of first making more money from my blogs and then potentially going full-time with it. My pros/cons list is a lot like yours, and I know that I have a great setup right now, so it would take some serious consideration before making that leap.
I’m also a very active person outside of my office, and I’ve taken to biking to/from the office each day (10.5 miles each way). Walking 20 feet would surely pale in comparison to how my days currently begin!
At this point in my life, I am not looking for a full time job nor do I want one. So far, writing my blog is fun. I would like to continue it into my retirement, but I plan on balancing this with other activities. I find that only blogging can be a little isolating.
True. Perhaps you should go to some online focused conferences nearby! Might be a lot of fun meeting up with folks who you’ve connected with online for so long!
What works best for me is to diversify my self-employed income. Blogging is one income stream with my business. I agree with you – I worry about burn out with blogging. I also found that having other things to do besides blogging gives me more material for my sites.
Elle, sounds like you have a pretty balanced life, especially with the baby! You are one of the veterans who always seems to take things in stride. Great job!
To me blogging has been good practice to keep from being too perfect. Normally I’m an all in or all out kind of person and if I did things in a way to make real money (like post everyday), I would do it to the detriment of my day job and family. I actually saw myself sliding down that slippery slope and had to pull myself back into balance.
I think being able to blog in moderation is a real skill. It’s so easy to have it consume your entire life, especially for those of us who are competitive and feed on things like rankings and # of readers, etc.
Interesting perspective on preventing you from “being too perfect”! Never thought of it that way, probably b/c I’m too much of a slob :)
I like to go all out too, but in a more methodical way now that I’m older.
thx for sharing and good to hear from you!
Good perspective! I do feel like I can write whatever I want and if it all went away tomorrow (blackballed by google, pissed of too many readers, etc) I could just start over again. If it were a full-time job, I’d definitely be more stressed out about what I put on my blog.
Right now, I’m expanding my online businesses with more websites and trying out different ways to make more. But I don’t think, I’ll be quitting my day job anytime soon. I like the stability of having a hassle free health insurance, 401k etc. The online business gets me my latest gadgets, vacations and such. So all in all, pretty content with life.
Pretty cool you separate the online income to make it more real. If one didn’t, it’d just go in one big vat and not be as exciting. Good luck!
I go back and forth on this. I really have no desire to be a full time blogger right now. After spending the summer caring for a dying cousin and now dealing with her estate, I have just come to the realization that life is too short to be unhappy or stressed. Blogging is a fun hobby for me and turning it to a full time job would take away that fun.
What I am working on now is turning many part time and passive income opportunities into full time financial support, where I would only be reliant on a few of them at any given time to support myself (I am opposed to most risk). These would include (in order of size and importance) dividends, investment properties, part-time teaching, freelance work, and blogging. I am probably 80% of where I would feel comfortable giving up my day job, but maybe in a couple years I will be there. Or maybe in a couple of years I will have turned more materialistic and love the extra income my full time job provides! :)
A hobby is pursued for its own sake. Blogging, as a hobby, is fun and not motivated by financial rewards. But when turned into a full-time job, I noticed how often it ruins creativity. I guess it’s all because of that undercurrent of greed/desire for profit through blogging.
Sam- very insightful. Full-time blogging always seemed like a perfect paradise, nice to see another view. To follow up on one of your previous articles, I believe I Iive on the East Coast for the same reason you keep your full-time job. Full-time blogging would be “great weather all the time,” much like the west coast. What makes blogging enjoyable is that it’s an escape from our (often-times) crummy job. If I rid my life of “the occasional bad weather” then I risk not being as appreciative of the good.
It’s kinda a tough slog in the beginning, but after a while, it becomes second nature, like flossing really. Gotta do it, as it’s good for you!
I haven’t taken the West Coast weather for granted yet. I hope I never will.
Your points are great – it could get boring or stressful – and I like the 3x income scenario. I make 3200 in the job from hell and just today figured I’d need to make 10,000 to make the switchover worthwhile. I have another hobby income – making Croatian wedding cookies. It pays me well, and is never boring. So I have hopes that blogging (plus something else) would be enough to keep me occupied and inspired like a long term flexible part-time job. Exercise – hmm. After my second child I’m in the best shape since college days, but staying there is easier than “getting there”. Thanks too Crystal, your words really encouraged me.
The key is to develop multiple streams of income online. If you are an entrepreneur at heart (like me) this should come relatively easy. Also, there is no rule that says you can/should only have one blog. Branch out! If you ever have all your eggs in one basket you are bound to get burnt out, no question about it!
Excellent, thought provoking post. I agree with all your points, both good and bad.
I currently blog part time and do make money from my blog. I would like to blog more, and aim to have a complete online income, but through multiple streams. I think that is key for me. I would never want to rely on just one source of income. (I don’t think I ever have, even as a teen I had a part time job in retail, plus baby sat and other things.)
I hope I don’t burn out. I think I will be ok as I plan on diversifying more and having a few more blogs, on different topics. We’ll see.
I’m sure you’ll do it Kylie! Also, I’m very impressed you fly all the way out from Australia to Chicago for FinCon! Now that is motivational, as I don’t enjoy flying, and will remember you next time I’ve got to go somewhere for a weekend.
Its difficult being a blogger who has his hobby turn his job! From my experience, its as though the blogger’s mind doesn’t know how to say enough. Despite sleeplessness and health challenges due sitting for a long time at a computer, it seems blogging has become an opium of sorts