Book Description:

• Written by expert blogger, Luke Weil
• He shares his experience as a blogger who transformed his hobby as a blogger to a career
• He was able to transition from a small blog with no monetization strategy to a successful full time blogging career. 
• This book will explain the various options available to bloggers and how to best determine the right one for a specific blog. 
• Available in three different mediums: Paperback, Kindle and Audio

 My experience: 

I decided to read this book because my blog is a very small and I barely have an audience so I hoped to get some insight into transforming my small blog into a bigger one. I was also interested to hear about the demonetization strategies that it will discuss.

Chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Direct Advertising
3. Sponsor Content
4. Display Advertising: Banners & Graphics
5. Advertising Networks
6. Affiliate Marketing
7. Branded Sponsor Campaigns 
8. Build a Mailing List

 I have previously read two additional books on the same subject but unlike them, this book focus on the methods that a blogger can employ to generate money. For the most part, I was familiar with some of the strategies but I got to learn about a few new ones which is great. I will understand that most experience blogger probably would find some of the strategies common knowledge but this book is not target toward them. I am neither a beginner nor an expert in the blogging community. I am still learning and trying to establish and grow my blog.

Additionally, I liked that the author took his time to share some of his previous mistakes and that in every chapter he would include a short list of pros and cons about an specific strategy. It is really helpful and informative. He does not provide every little detail but enough to allow you to consider it as a possible strategy. As he mentions certain strategies, I made a list of them and I will be doing my own research. I appreciate that the books does a nice job to make sure you consider both the advantages and disadvantages before employing a new strategy. I am a strong believer of making inform decisions.

I also like the tone of the book, it informs the reader in a very friendly manner and it does it in very clear and concise way. I felt that a friend was advising me about career options. He also emphasizes the importance of quality and offering better content. No matter what strategy we choose, we need to remember to maintain the quality of our work and to not let dollar signs distract us from our goal and damage our integrity and the relationship we have with our readers.

If you are looking for ways to monetize your blog and are not sure where to start, I would advise tou to consider reading this small and compact book. It is really easy to read and it does not waste time repeating the same concepts. It is a nice summary of popular monetizing strategies and it is a good start. It might not be as helpful to experience bloggers because they are probably already using most of them in their blogs.

Product URL: http://www.amazon.com/Luke-Weils-Monetize-Small-Blog/dp/1518612482

A Piece of Advice:

I asked myself the next question after i finish the book, "Is this information unique?". Meaning, can I get the same information somewhere else. The answer is "yes". If you do a regular search, many websites would probably have a list of top strategies. However, if I have learn one thing from doing research is that there are many ways to get information and the information can be find in different manners and mediums, but the key element that makes the information sustainable and irreplaceable is its source.

I hope you found my review helpful and it allow you to make a better decision about whether or not you need this book.

Overall Assessment:

* Price Point: 5/5
* Quality/Durability: 5/5
* Need: 4/5
* Recommendation: 4/5
* Overall Assessment of Product: A nice summary of some monetizing strategies. I would recommend it for new bloggers.

****FTC - I received a discount for this product in exchanged for my honest and unbiased review. Compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own based on my experience with the product and not edited by any companies mentioned. This is just my opinion, your experience with this product might be different.I will recommend only the products that I or my family will use. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.


If my review was helpful to you, please let me know your thoughts.

Book Description:

• Available in three different mediums: Paperback, Kindle and Audio
• Written by expert blogger Dana Sibilsky
• It consists of 8 Chapters
• It contains tips to turn your blog into a successful and profitable blog and essential information to create full-time career as a professional blogger

My Thoughts:

From the description, I could tell that the book is a guide for new bloggers. This is my first time learning about the author so I decided to visit her blog. She is a modern art blogger. When I visited her blog and read a few posts, I got so excited to hear (I got the Audible version) what she had to say. I am an art lover, I lack a lot of knowledge in the area but that never stops me from loving it and appreciating pieces of art.

Chapters:

1. Identifying an Area of Expertise for Your Blog
2. Developing a Unique Voice
3. Writing Skill Refinement
4. Choosing the Best Web Hosting Platform
5. Building an Audience
6. The Importance of Positive Brand Development and Promotion
7. Additional Considerations Concerning the Use of Social Media
8. Determining the Best Strategy for Monetizing your Blog

In a summary, the core message and tips included in this book are about the importance of the foundation of your blog, the quality of your blog, patience, understanding when it is more advisable to use a particular profitable strategy, and protecting the integrity of your blog through professionalism and consistent hard-work.

It has a very professional approached and it will make you think about your writing style and the way you provide your information. It made me think a lot and I will be trying to improve my review system in order to provide better reviews. I will also work on my writing skills which I am aware that they are lacking. I would like my readers to not only get honest and important observations about a product or service but also to enjoy the way I present it. I do not want to confuse or lose visitor because I lack quality.

The book makes a very realistic and important statement about the importance of the early stages of starting a blog. The chapter on profitability is the last chapter and it is because the author believes that the key part of a successful blog relies mainly on the foundation of your blog, quality of your work and building a audience. Having a successful and profitable blog requires time and patience.

Another point the author made about audience made my smile. I knew that I will have to work hard before I can build a strong and large core group of visitors but it is still a bit discouraging when some of your post never get any visitors or only a few. The author motivated me and allow me to think positively. Even if I get only one visitor per post, I should be not be discourage and work hard, especially if the person continues to come and visit.

In the first chapter, the author shares a interesting activity to help new bloggers choose a blog name. After all, a blog name is part of your brand. I wish I thought about it when choosing a name for my blog. She ask you to write the first 5 title posts on your blog. Based on those titles you will be able to understand the type of information you will share and more about your writing style.

Additionally, he author makes a great emphasis about building your unique voice and creating a writing process the fits your style and personality. It advises you to write in a way that is engaging but easy to understand and to prevent imitating writing styles

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. There were a few things that I already knew but even so I found new areas that I can work on. I would recommend this book to beginners and even bloggers like me with a bit of experience. Hopefully I will be able to come up with my own unique review system, and writing style soon. I am going to try to include a bit more of my personality.

Product URL: http://www.amazon.com/Dana-Sibilskys-Successful-Profitable-Blogging/dp/1515196860

Overall Assessment:

* Price Point: 5/5
* Quality/Durability: 5/5
* Need: 4/5
* Recommendation: 5/5
* Overall Assessment of Product: It contains interesting and helpful writing tips, ways to improve the content of your blog posts, and ways to find your own voice. This is not a how to make money quickly but as the title of the book states, it contains many tips about building a successful blog.


****FTC - I received a discount for this product in exchanged for my honest and unbiased review. Compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own based on my experience with the product and not edited by any companies mentioned. This is just my opinion, your experience with this product might be different. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. If my review was helpful to you, please let me know your thoughts.

Book Description:

The writer, Brandon Colker, has a long blogging career and he has learned about the ways to make money and lose money. He wrote this book to share his insight and help others.

Chapter List:

1. An Introduction to Passive Income Through Blogging
2. Outlining the Appropriate Use of Branding and Self- Promotion
3. Identifying a Central Subject or Concept
4. Establishing Trust Through Expertise
5. Understanding the Importance of Consistency, Clarity and Quality
6. Building the Blog and Attracting an Audience
7. Passive Income Explained
8. When and How to Monetize (Passively!)
9. Expanding Reach Through Additional Mediums
10. Leveraging Expert Status to Generate Added Opportunities

This book covers important steps for establishing yourself as a brand and understanding the main foundation for a successful blog such as branding, self-promotion, concept, consistency, quality and how to reach an bigger audience. Most importantly, he explains in detail that process of generating passive income. This is my first time hearing the term so I was immediately interested to learn more about it.

My Thoughts:

When I decided to create this page my goal was to create informative and honest content about different products and services that I have the opportunity to try. Also, it would be a way for me to improve my communication skills through writing, create a network of friends and colleagues, have new experiences and help me become more financially independent.

I listened to the Audible version of this book which you can find here: http://goo.gl/JS9E5x
Product URL: http://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Colkers-Make-Bucks-Blogs/dp/1517756537

The narrator, Harry Roger Williams III, did a nice job at keeping me engage and it was a very pleasant and relaxing experience. The audio book length is 1 hr and 2 minutes. The organization of the book is very clear and easy to follow. It presents the information in a very straight forward and short manner. It does not repeat concepts to much and it follows nicely from chapter to chapter. Also, the organization is very practical because it allows you to refer back to a specific section.

The author did a great job at summarizing the most essential parts of a blogging career/business. He draw emphasis to areas of great benefit for your business. He provides the information but you must take action and design your business from the bottom. He is very clear from the beginning about your role and that a successful blog requires a lot of work and passion. 

This is not the type of book to tell you what to do or how to do it. It explains why you might consider using different approaches to make you blog be known. Such as using social media not only to promote your blog but also to create a solid brand. In Chapter 2, he explains the importance of self-promotion and its impact not only on the growth of your blog but also on creating new business opportunities for yourself. Most importantly, it helps you create a strong relationship with your readers and solidifies trust.  

We get a short introduction of passive income in chapter 1 and it is further explain in chapter 8. Unfortunately for me, only the name of concept name is new to me but the process or definition is not. It was nothing completely revolutionary, in my opinion. Passive income is basically the income received on a regular basis with little effort to produce it. I learned this concept as "unearned income"in the past. After you built a strong foundation and establish your blog and your brand, as time passes you will be able to receive income with less intervention from your part.  

My overall assessment:

* Price Point: 4/5
* Quality/Durability: 5/5
* Need: 3/5 (although it claims to be target to beginners and even experience bloggers, I believed that most older bloggers will not find this book so insightful)
* Recommendation: 3/5 (I would recommend it to those of you who are pure beginners and you have no idea on how to start. )
* Overall Assessment of Product: This a nice starting point for new bloggers. It offers a nice outline for creating a successful blog. It brings out interesting and important concepts to consider. This does not contain a unique and bulletproof formula to earn money immediately. It is a source of information that can help you establish your blog.


ASIDE NOTE: After I listened to the audio book, I decided to visit the bloggers blog or blogs (He mentioned that he has blogs). I was unsuccessful and I could not find more information about him aside from the author information on Amazon.com. I am not going to lie, I felt very disappointed. I really wanted to see how he applied his own teachings.





****FTC - I received a discount for this product in exchanged for my honest and unbiased review. Compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own based on my experience with the product and not edited by any companies mentioned. This is just my opinion, your experience with this product might be different. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines concerning the se of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. If my review was helpful to you, please let me know your thoughts.