Making money off your blog: There was a recent controversy about bloggers charging authors for reviews (You can read about it here) which leads to this week’s question: Almost all of us blog as a hobby in our spare time, usually for free but is there anything wrong with making money off your blog?
In all honesty, I wish I could make an income off this hobby, only because I would love to do it full-time. But, then it would become a JOB and we all know how jobs can turn things we love into MUSH. So while I do wish I could blog for a living, I am kinda happy it’s not in the cards.
Should bloggers charge for reviews? Make you wonder about the honesty of their reviews?
As with any situation where money or goods change hands, people immediately expect deception. I would be very, very sketchy about someone who is paid to write reviews, and all of their reviews were strictly positive. Now, if the honesty would remain in tact, then no, I honestly would have no issues with it. However, honesty is hard to come by when someone is paying you to promote them. If it were me, I’d remain honest, but i have a feeling I’d get less people willing to pay me. That is the sad fact of it all.
What about advertising on a blog? When a blogger does allow book related advertising does it turn you off? Do you have a problem with purchase links (Amazon for example) that earn a blogger a small commission if a person purchases a book through that link?
I think advertising is fine but I don’t click on any of the links, most of the time. I hope they do work for the bloggers looking to make a buck (which usually goes back into the blog) but advertising usually annoys me and therefore, I ignore it.
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I am with you—I don’t mind at all that people make money off their blogs. Even the ones that get paid for reviews, if that is how they choose to run their blog. I always hope that honesty stays in the cards but if I feel they are just being nice then I don’t continue reading them. Though that is true for people that don’t get paid for anything too. I think the wonderful thing about this hobby of ours is you can choose just how you want to do it
Great fair answer!
Ooh, completely agree! I may have links to places to purchase books but I’m not an affiliate and I really don’t like the cluttered look of ads, so I’ll probably never have ads on my blog. And I’ve never clicked through one of those ads. Still, if someone wants to do that, I say go for it.
I agree with you — blogging and reading is a hobby for me, something I love. Once you bring money into the picture, it would seem like work. Heck, even getting review books makes it seem like work!
I’m the same with ads, too …. I’ve looked into getting advertising for my blog, but then I remind myself that I don’t ever click on the ads on other peoples’ blogs, so what makes me think people would click on the ones on mine?
I like the look of my blog withOUT ads, so I think I’ll steer clear.
Great discussion!
I agree with you that any hobby that turns into a job can take all the fun out of it. I get stressed sometimes with blogging as it is, so I wouldn’t want it to turn into that. To be honest, sometimes blogging is harder than my day time job. With blogging I have to think, with my job it’s mostly rote and routine. I do think that when money is changed hands some people become suspicious, or maybe it’s just the NY’er in me.
Yeah – the money would be great but it’s not worth the pressure that would come from it.
I don’t really click on ads either. I tend to tune them right out.
I feel like I already get paid for my reviews, in the form of a review copy. That’s all the compensation I need. I think that charging for reviews removes what impartially bloggers have, and I’d be less likely to trust the reviews of one who did.
You make a good point about advertising that I hadn’t considered. I don’t click on ads on blogs myself, which makes me think that others wouldn’t do it on mine. I’ve been toying with the idea of advertising on my blog, but now I’m thinking no again. What a tough subject!