I am happy to see the downloads coming in, and to celebrate a month of my book being published, I am giving you a free short sample read.
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Dedication
Introduction
My Short Story
Chapter 1 – Building a Brand
Chapter 2 – Jack of all Trades
Chapter 3 – Search Engine Optimisation
Chapter 4 – Attracting the ‘right’ traffic to your blog
Chapter 5 – Get a Media Kit
Chapter 6 – Photography tips for bloggers
Chapter 7 – Making Money from your Blog
Chapter 8 – Tips for Sponsored Posts
Chapter 9 – Tips for Product Reviews
Chapter 10 – Avoiding Blogger Burnout
Chapter 11 – A Final Word
Copyright © 2016 by Stella Olojola
All rights reserved. This e-book is a copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed, publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publisher. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This book is dedicated to my baby, my blog – Fashion and Style Police and her readers. I love you all.
Introduction
I wrote this book to fill a void in the blogging industry as a whole. As a lifestyle blogger myself, I struggled to find books with adequate information on the business of blogging and realistic ways on how to make money as a blogger. I have read hundreds of blogging books and thousands of blogs and websites, and I have come to the conclusion that a lot more needs to be said, from a full-time lifestyle blogger’s perspective.
This book is written from my personal experience as a lifestyle blogger – http://fashionandstylepolice.com
I take you on an insider journey into the ‘hush hush’ world of blogging. You read blogs and keep up with your favourite bloggers on social media, you see them showing off their perfect lives on Instagram, and you have questions like, ‘how do these bloggers get brands to notice them in the saturated industry?’ ‘How do they get so many loyal followers?’ ‘How do they survive on a full time blogging income?’
This book answers all these questions and many more. I am going to explain in detail how the blogging industry works, how lucrative a profession it is, and how you can also ‘cash in’ on it, if you have the passion for blogging. I will be focusing on how you can make money as a blogger from sponsored posts and product reviews in particular. I will also dish out some tips on how to avoid a blogger burnout, and how to stand out in the saturated world of blogging, where a new blog pops up every minute.
This book is divided into eleven chapters:
- Building a Brand
- Jack of all Trades
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Attracting the ‘right’ traffic to your blog
- Get a Media Kit
- Photography Tips for Bloggers
- Making Money from your Blog
- Tips for Sponsored Posts
- Tips for Product Reviews
- Avoiding Blogger Burnout
- A Final Word
This book is for every new or aspiring blogger, in every niche. It can also give an old or established blogger new ideas on how to monetise their blog and keep up in the competitive blogging industry. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you find it informative and interesting to read.
My Short Story
I have loved reading novels and fashion magazines from when I was a kid. While growing up, I loved reading so much, I would continue to read with a candle or torch whenever the electricity went off, which happened every few hours in my country of birth – Nigeria. I would also take whatever novel or magazine I was reading to the bathroom. I loved reading, and not even the lack of electricity or the urge to use the bathroom could stop me. Guess that was the same time I fell hopelessly in love with writing.
I have also been a lover of fashion and beauty for as long as I can remember. I loved playing with my mother’s makeup, and playing dress up with her clothes and shoes. I remember it being so much fun. Fast forward to October 2012, when I was studying an online style course with the London College of Style, and part of the course assessment was to set up a fashion blog; this led to the birth of my baby, my blog – Fashion and Style Police, which has now become a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog.
Before the course, I was thinking of setting up a blog but never got around to do it. I had a stressful customer service job at a big gas and electricity company, which sucked the life out of me and which I hated so much. I was also spending a ridiculous amount of time on social media, especially Facebook. So when it became a course requirement to set up a blog, I went for it with both hands on deck. The blog became a blissful escape from my reality, and a more productive way of spending my time online. When my twins arrived in November 2013, I stopped working to care for them, and I started looking to earn a full-time income from Fashion and Style Police, and I eventually started making more than my previous monthly salary in some months.
My blogging journey so far has been full of ups and downs, a bit of a rollercoaster to be honest, but I wouldn’t change anything. Whatever I have experienced so far has helped shaped me as a blogger, and I don’t see myself ever stopping. The sky is just my starting point.
Blogging for over three years now has opened my eyes to how lucrative the blogging industry is. As at the time of writing this book, I am still a stay-at-home mum to my two-year-old twin toddlers, a freelance writer, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger and now an author. Blogging has become a career for me, no longer a hobby, and I can see myself doing this for a very long time.
My first sponsored post was for £25, and it was for a luxury online retailer called Avenue 32. It was offered to me by an SEO agent, working on their behalf, and at that time, I felt so grateful, I accepted the £25 without any negotiations or questions. Fast forward to 2016, I won’t write a sponsored post for anything less than a £100. However, I do accept lower payments from my regulars, on few occasions.
I wish I had a book like this, when I first started blogging. Maybe I won’t have accepted the £25, but I guess we all have to pay our dues somehow. I have paid mine, and this book is to help you make a success of your blog, and start making money from it.
Have a great week ahead.
