What It’s Like Being A Full Time Blogger

There are so many bloggers out there, some are a full time blogger and some have full time jobs and blog on the side.

Being a full time blogger is a lot of work and if you are full time, then you know that. It take a lot of brainstorming coming up with a new post, learning SEO, networking, promoting, you name it. I am tired just thinking about it, ha.

Blogging full time does have it’s benefits though, like, working in your pj’s, taking a break when you want, not having to listen to anyone tell you what to do.

You can even put your blog on hold for the day if you have things scheduled out and go have some fun, I have done it!

I am a full time blogger and I can wear my pj’s if I want!Click To Tweet

What It’s Like Being A Full Time Blogger

While is sounds like so much fun being a full time blogger, it’s really hard to make that full time income. There are a lot of bloggers out there that do it but I am not one of them.

I do make a small income, would be nice to be bringing in so much more but that is where so much more work comes in. You have to have a product, market it to right people, tell them why they need it and what it’s going to do to benefit them.

I do slack in that department, but that’s ok, for now.

I just changed my niche in August of 2015 and It’s a whole new process for me. I am learning what is working and what is not for this blog.

But the bottom line is, I love talking about blogging and helping others with their blog, so I am having fun.

Being a full time blogger and making that full time income can be hard.Click To Tweet

I have a few other blogging friends that blog full time and I wanted to share their stories with you also.

Stories from a Full Time Blogger

Rachel over at The Confused Millennial:

After getting fired twice in under a month, Rachel Ritlop decided to embrace the old adage, “those who can’t do, teach”, and quickly excelled as a career and business coach earning thousands each month. Rachel has been seen in Forbes, Fast Company, Dailyworth, and Brit + Co. Rachel is also the founder of The Confused Millennial, a lifestyle blog.

Becoming a lifestyle blogger has been a dream of mine since I was 16 years old. I kept putting it off, and telling myself it just “isn’t the right time”, since being a full time blogger is a lot of work! About a year and a half into my business as a coach, I really craved more community and the ability to express all of my passions outside of business and career coaching… enter The Confused Millennial lifestyle blog for the multi-passionate millennial!

I always knew running a blog full time would be a lot of work (between content, proof reading, graphics, and promoting), I just never realized how much work! I probably spend 8 hours a day working on the blog 5 days a week, plus working on my coaching business, I am spending at least 12 hours a day working and also work 4 hours on the weekend. While it’s a lot of hours I am putting it to set the foundation, I have seen amazing results (In two months I had over 16,000 new visitors and started getting sponsored post requests!). The effort doesn’t really feel like work since I am enjoying it so much!

Dana from over at I Am My Imagination:

I love reaching out to others through writing, so it was only natural for me to create my blog.

While I write for other publications, there is something special about having your own platform where you can express yourself freely.

Blogging is one of the best ways to do this.

It isn’t always easy though. It takes time, commitment and especially, a level of passion. Luckily I have this, so even though challenges occur, I’m still inspired to keep at it.

My blog focuses on healthy living, creativity, and personal development. It’s designed to build relationships. I have a community going — and we all interact with one another through the comments. I’ve met some wonderful people, some of which have become friends. For this, I’m very grateful.

I use this platform as my business card for my wellness coaching and freelance writing businesses. Blogs can be used for a variety of reasons, so I’ve found over the years that it’s important to have clear goals and to implement activities that support them. Otherwise, it’s easy to become confused and overwhelmed. This is when we quit.

I’d encourage anyone who has a message to share with the world to start a blog. The good news is, there are so many ways to go about this. Just know your “why”.

I’ve learned so much through other bloggers. People are such a wealth of information. Their personal experiences inspire me.

Full-time blogging requires a commitment. I love it though. It’s a natural extension of who I am.

I AM my imagination.”

Tisha from over at the Thrifty Travelist:

Being a full-time blogger, especially in the “Mom” niche is MORE than a full-time job. It’s unique in that much of the work you do involves your family and personal life in some way or another. I have to admit that when I first started blogging, it was for the purpose of promoting a business that was completely unrelated to being a mom blogger. I had just received my certification in clinical hypnotherapy in 2009 and I wanted to start running online wellness workshops and doing therapy sessions via Skype. Blogging seemed a good way to write informative articles about ways to relief stress and to main work/life balance. After a few months, I discovered the world of mom blogging (attending mom-centered media events, writing reviews, doing brand-sponsored posts, etc.) and my coaching business took a back-seat to all of those things.

This year is exciting for me because I’ve finally found a way to incorporate my coaching/therapy background into my blogging business and I’m looking forward to doing some new things, as I continue to work on re-branding my blog.

As far as the day-to-day aspect of being a full-time blogger, it does tend to be all-consuming at times. I’ve had to work hard to find ways to separate work-time and family-time. It’s definitely an ongoing challenge. One of the key things to accomplish that, in my opinion, is having a dedicated work-space to do all of your blogging activities. I wish I could have a separate office, but currently our house is too small. So I have a space off the kitchen that has my desk, computer, printer, filing cabinets and other office supplies. My kids (and my husband) know that this area is my work space, so they leave it alone for the most part.

I generally set work hours for my blogging, which I also post on my website, so clients know when they can best reach me. I typically work from right after I drop my kids off at school in the morning until it’s time to pick them up in the afternoon. So I get about 6 dedicated hours of work in each day. I also make it a habit to break for lunch each day to have a proper meal and to combat mid-day sleepiness, which can be a problem for people who work at home. Other time-eating distractions to beware of when working at home include running errands, doing household chores or turning on the TV for “just a minute.” :) For the most part, it’s best to leave those things until after work hours and on weekends, just like you would if you were working at a job outside the home.

Beth from over at the Blue Barn Kitchen:

I am a busy mom with a wonderful husband, two amazing boys, and a rescue dog named Spike. I believe in living as real as I can — a hug from the kids, a roasted veggie salad, a note from a friend. I am confident in myself, and am not afraid to speak my mind. I love meeting up with friends but I get frustrated with texting. I love my green juice but will never say no to a slice of challah. My house is warm and homey, each item tells a story and has a special meaning. I love yoga and try to meditate daily. I get my best ideas on long walks with Spike. I am a health coach, a nutritionist, a chef, an entrepreneur and a loyal friend. I will always stop to take time to help those in my community, and know that I always try my best in all that I do.

I provide speeches, workshops, and lectures on a variety of nutrition, parenting and lifestyle topics to corporate, educational and community groups. I regularly contributes my nutrition expertise to a variety of national and regional media outlets. I can be booked for events, speaking engagements, interviews, and TV/Radio programs. You can see Beth regularly on the Dr. Oz show and The Chew.

Cori from over at Corina Ramos:

I manage three of them, two of my own and my church’s blog.

A typical work day starts at 7 am. and includes doing tasks like reading email, reaching out to brands to work with, checking stats, promoting my blog post, research for blog posts, writing for all three blogs, visiting other blogs and replying to comments. I break at 3 pm to take care of personal stuff or what I like to call the mom shift. I’m back at it at 7 pm to finish the day’s task and start on the following day to get a head start until about 10:30 pm. And I repeat it all the next day.

Even when I’m not blogging, I’m thinking about it. If something happens the first thing that pops in my head is “I wonder if this would make a good post.” The wheels are always spinning.

But, regardless of the not-so-glamorous part of blogging, the skills I’m learning, the connections I’m making with other bloggers and visitors not to mention that it’s my own business, is what I love most and makes it all worth it.

Are you a full time blogger? What do you love about it?

Comment below or tweet me and let me know :)