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.