Duncan Riley> Oh My God! I’m a Problogger. That’s the realisation I made this morning when I woke up after having received notice yesterday afternoon that I have been “restructured” out of my full time job in the non-blogging world. Merry Christmas one may well say, but as they say you never let the bastards (or in this case, the bastard) get you down. I can remember too well b5media’s Jeremy Wright being in a similar situation at the beginning of the year, and how he used that opportunity to earn a living for himself (and yes, I’ve discussed this with him briefly). It’s a fine example that I intend on following, and join the other 3 b5media directors who don’t work full time jobs. Sure, I might need to pick up some Part Time work in the non-blogging world in the new year to cover things for a while, but its blogging and more blogging for me from now on.
Goals
It may be of little surprise to some, but I don’t make a huge amount of money online, although having said this its still a lot more than many people (low 4 figures). Blogging about blogging still pretty much sucks in terms of advertising rates on Google and the like. If The Blog Herald was a blog with the same stats and PR as a blog about…say Britney Spears (my new b5media blog), I’d be sitting very pretty at the moment. The wife still works, so I’ve set myself a few financial goals to reach in the coming months to measure my success as a now full time Problogger.
1. Pay the mortgage
Not quite there yet (and I have a very big mortgage). Immediately need to double my income to cover it
2. Pay the bills
After the first goal I want to be able to cover our bills. There’s no Pay TV in this house (Foxtel is toooooo expensive) but there is the phone (its strange that Telstra’s line connection fee is actually higher than the cost of the actual phone calls I make…I use Skype a lot), gas, power, and naturally ADSL.
3. Extra’s
After this I should be sitting pretty, and we can start to afford the extra’s again, like food :-)…seriously though the wife will cover the food part just fine, but I may still need to go on a diet. Extra’s include the luxuries, like the holiday I haven’t had in 10 years.
So here’s to Problogging. I’ll be updating the progress a bit as I go along, although given how many blog posts I now need to write to cover these things it may take some time to getting around to. Naturally, I’m open to offers of writing gigs, although nothing that conflicts with b5media’s work.
Update: just a thought, am I Western Australia’s first ever Problogger? probably, like everthing in WA its a Wait Awhile proposition :-)
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Do it.
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Duncan,
I am getting ready to launch a blog about blogging. I could use a consultant to head up this project it wouldn’t involve money just networking and the like. Let me know if it interests you.
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Welcome to the bathrobe workforce!
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You took the leap that I couldn’t. All the best!
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good luck man. time for us all to ante’up. i know this year is the lowest tax return ive ever put in since being at uni 10 years ago by a factor of 10 !!! (i guess not having ads makes it hard to make revenue !!) congrats anyway.. just ensure you keep your wife happy !!!! dont become k-fed !!! good luck, for real. http://benbarren.blogspot.com
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Hey, good luck with it. I’ll try to link to you as often as I can. I’m sure the extra .5 cents of revenue a year that any traffic from my blog will generate will make all the difference
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Good luck, sounds like it’s meant to happen… reckon this won’t be a moment you’ll ever regret!
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hey duncan. congrats ! its times like this that makes us more efficient.
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I know it’s not been the best circumstances to make the leap – but I hope you look back in a year and say it’s been a good think to happen to you.
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Low four figures as in $100/month? What about the b5media revenue? Is that really miniscule when you’re sharing it with the other directors and the writers?
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Good luck.
Matt
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Jacob
low 4 figures per month, not year. The Blog Herald makes up by far the bulk of this. And no, I haven’t made any serious money from b5media yet. We are looking after our bloggers first and foremost and we are reinvesting profits back into hiring people like channel editors, tech experts (like people who know about Linux servers) and other people to give us a hand as we expand. The company isn’t losing money, but I can honestly say aside from my own standard cut from the blogs I write for b5 (we pay everyone on the same terms) I haven’t taken a cent extra yet. A couple of months maybe, possibly sooner touch wood. Certainly the traffic growth and expansion bides well for the future.
To everyone else thanks for your kind words. I’m humbled by the support. The last couple of weeks (well months really) haven’t been easy (I saw this coming in part) and I’m trying to be positive about it, but its always hard so close to Christmas. Like I said, like Jeremy’s experience, its given me a big kick up the rear and now its time to focus even more on blogging and make things happen. I hope to god that in 6 months time I’ll look back on this as a great favour, as opposed to something bad.
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Good luck!
We all will support you by visiting and linking….
regards from germany!
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Good luck with it Duncan. I hope it all works out and 2006 is very successful for you. It’s a big move, one I’d like to be able to do in the next six months.
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Welcome to the club, Duncan. I’ve been a full-time writer, and latterly also a blogger, for 10 years. It’s hard work, but the key to it is multiple income streams. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. And never be downhearted. It’s darkest before the dawn.
Good luck, mate :-)
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I too wish you good luck with your full time problogging activities Duncan. Although as Darren said it is bad circumstances that led you to this position, it is probably the best time of year to find out so that you can begin 2006 as a brand spanking new blogger on a mission. I’ll also add a few more links around my sites just to give you a boost of five cents a month.
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Good luck, hopefully you will be able to prove to yourself that its workable and make a good go of it. Frightening times I’m sure, but also exciting, and the opportunity is there to be grasped with both hands.
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“Stercus accidit” – Latin for “S#!t Happens”
“Corripe Cervisiam” – Latin for “Seize the beer!”
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Best of luck in 2006.
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Duncun ~ A few years ago I was fired from a job I had with an online company. No notice outside of 4 hours. Because we were all in different states, it was difficult to fight it. But had the owners new wife not been greedy and wanted the money I was being paid, I would have likely never left that company and been able to see what my own potential was/is.
Sometimes the Big Guy has to give us that little shove because our own comfort and/or fears keep us from taking that plunge. But once you’re there, it’s worth it.
Doing what I am doing today is so much better, because no matter how much of a demand is placed on me, my family is always first and everyone around me respects that.
Welcome to the At Home Gang! :)
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Welcome to the crowd. It has been 20 years since I was last in Western Australia, but I figured you were the mate with the “only” computer out there. That would by default make you the original ProBlogger! :)
Congratulations and may the manna from heaven fall into your lap.
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Well done Duncan, smartest decision you have ever made for sure. I have no doubt you will succeed now, especially as the motivation to do so is so high.
B5Media will probably be a nice acquisition target in a few years so I’m sure provided you guys build something grand that will be time well spent.
A little playing around with monetization strategies on blogherald might be the go too. Have you tried affiliate programs? Maybe writing your own information product or subscription service. Actually a subscription service would be a good match for a blog like this…
I know you’ll have fun no matter what you do. Always focus on that part.
Cheers,
Yaro
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Things happen for something, make it to be a better something. It’s an oportunity to do something you like and to be you own boss.
Keep the good work you have been doing here, and everything will be OK.
Congratulations!!!
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Hey Duncan,
They say Everyhing happens for a reason… Maybe, it was just meant to be.
Good Luck and all the best in ‘06
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Good luck on making a living out of it, and cheers for your positive attitude regarding this misfortune! Although it’s never easy no matter the time of the year, a couple of days before Christmas is definitively a hard moment to receive such news. But that’s the spirit–perhaps it’ll indeed be for the best, and turn to be THE opportunity that wasn’t to be missed.
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Great things are happening! Getting laid off was one of the best things that happened to me last year…
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First Good Luck on your new path. I’m too a problogger. I don’t have any other income except my scholarships. I didn’t earny any money from blogging but i hope i will, i hope we all will.:)
My job is much harder than yours. My native language is Turkish and it is not than easy to build one (or more) blogs in english. But i’m working on this and i think blogging will support me to improve it…
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It’s hard moving from 4 to 5 figures, or 5 to 6 figures, but I’m confident that you can do it. I’m a big fan of the Blog Herald, as you know. Interestingly enough, the celebrities route earns a little bit, but the traffic is not as profitable, as say, consumer electronics ;)
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If anyone can do it, you can! We all have huge faith in your abilities. Now, get blogging! ;)
Taking the leap myself was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I took it earlier than I wanted, or than could be sustained financially really, but I was oh so sick of my job. It was liberation to the utmost. Now, I’m free, doing well, and loving it! You’re going to get addicted in no time! Although you’ll be sick of Britney Spears in about 5 minutes.
And happy holidays.
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Duncan, congratulations. I blog about blogging and I know what you mean about the ads – I’ve actually pondered what it would be like to start mentioning Britney Spears in every post. But of course my conscience won’t let me do it. :)
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Best of luck, Duncan!
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Good Luck!
I was on my way to become a full time blogger, but my main site was thrown out from Googels index this summer and I am still battling to get it back – I will follow you guys…
I have a network of 10 + blogs, most english and cell phone related. This year I have launched a couble of local (finnish) blogs also. Hope to get independent before or during next summer (I have to feed wife and two small kids so I guess medium 4 figures isn´t enough…)