Having a blog/business on the side of your full-time job

The only problem is people DO find out, no matter how covert you think you are. Something could slip, someone could recognize a pet phrase, etc.; People do find out about sideblogs.

 

Sounds so simple. So find us some blogs started by Joe and Jane Schmoes that make money for their creator. Excepting the one-in-a-billion success stories of Deadspin and Gawker, of course.

And as Satchel says, good luck keeping your successful, advertiser-supported blog a secret from your bosses.

 

First off, there's no point in putting Gawker in here. Those sites run themselves. You could plug 75% of this board into those sites as the main writer and you'd be fine. The gawker brand is powerful. The sites run themselves because only has to worry about writing and which picture to choose. They have others in the company to handle the heavy lifting (servers, etc). Do you think those sites have to surf around the web for links and tips? no. They come in from readers because Gawker is an established brand.

As for independent blogs, it can be done. We're all creative individuals, im sure those of us who have a desire to bring in some income on the side, while also preparing for the future, will do so. Not to mention it's fun. The others won't. Plus, we're all connected in the industry, and we have our sources.

 

I think there are a couple of bucks to be made out there but I also think you're vastly simplifying things, Almost.

No blog can succeed without frequent posts, which unless you do a huge backlog of them, then set them to go up throughout the day (and hope that none of the posts you set to go up during the day are made obsolete by breaking news/end of that story's news cycle/and update to that story), you can't run a blog when you have a day job.

 

I made 6 grand in vacation money last year. With a blog that started as a hobby, and costs me less than ten bucks/month in hosting fees.

Am I anywhere near making a living from it? Of course not. But making a little dough on the side from something I'd do for free doesn't suck, that's for sure.

 

One thing that struck me about the article is how hard it can be to start a decent site - damn. Munk was saying she half-assed it... but still needed $50,000 in startup money?!

 

Which explains why the owner re-organized his company, put two sites up for sale and cut loose three people (including the editor of the namesake Gawker).