Born to Blog: Building Your Blog for Personal and Business Success One Post at a Time

By Mark W. Schaefer and Standford

https://amzn.to/3sJcoMt

(It is the first book recommendation in 2024. I hope it helps anyone who has interests in blog.)

Making a blog had been on my bucket list for too long but finally happened in Nov, 2023. I have built my mindset and daily practices to experiment my interests and cultivate joy. (I often write posts about this topic. Please read my previous posts under Post menu.) I got better and better doing things I want to do and embrace the process.  It definitely helped to self-study how to build a website and having fun in each step of the way. This is not about career I pursue, money making, other’s approval but about pure joy, enjoyment and responding to my desires.

In the fall of 2023, I noticed myself keep thinking about making my own blog. The thoughts and desires came and went before. This time was different. My desire was much stronger and I had a purpose. I wanted to write about ourselves and our lives to build the lives we want together. Most importantly, I wanted to share what I can offer in my own ways and hope to create a welcoming, non-judgmental, supportive and encouraging community. When my heart desires, I do not dismiss. (This also took years of practices to be sensitive to my desires.) I started to think about where to start. I know I wanted to create website myself without hiring anyone. Nothing wrong with hiring someone but it was just my preference. I was very curious about the whole process and love self-learning idea. I figured out how much it would cost to have a domain and host services setup. It would be wise to learn more before I spend it all without knowing much. As a book worm, I always start with books when I learn something new. I am less distracted and more focused with my books. The cost and risk are relatively small and I can pace yourself. Even though I do not proceed with the idea, I would be learning something new. Books are this way, fun, informational and very forgiving.

If you are new to blog and want to have your own, I recommend to read this book. The book is a quite nice size with 171 pages (6 x 0.4 x 8.5 inches) to carry around. It fits to many of my bags. This helps me to read the book bit by bit anywhere and anytime I can. It covers very fundamental things you should think about while you are brainstorming. When you read each chapter, you will get some ideas on your project. Write them down on the book. Since the book is slim and small enough. It can be a book and also brainstorming note book along with relative information. Like many blog books, this one also includes business concepts. It will help you even though you want to do a blog as a creative pursuit. There’s no harm in learning. You may also change your mind to monetize your site so it is nice to touch this topic while learning. The contents are very compact and just cover what are needed without long stories and repetitions. I hope this helps you to look into your interests whether you decide to pursue or not. The best part is you are looking into your interest and invest in it. Thanks for the readers who shared the interests making your own blog. I cheer you on!

It covers as below just to give you a big picture.

1. Successive blogger traits
2. Common fears: Why you should not fear about your writing skills so much
3. Evaluate and test your blog styles: Storytelling, dreaming, persuading, teaching, Curation (This part can help to find your niche and your blog skills)
4. Contents, blog habits
5. Building visitor traffic
6. Business side if you wish to monetize
7. Things to consider

(Book reviews may and may not be sponsored. I only review books I read, enjoyed and relevant to my posts.)