How to get started, build an audience, and make money
Starting a blog when you have no experience can be daunting, especially when you’re looking at making your first website. Because there is so much involved in building a successful blog — picking the right name, finding a domain name that hasn’t already been taken by someone else, finding a way to get your blog seen, and making money on your blog — it’s easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated.
Below is a list of 7 free ebooks on Amazon that address all of these aspects — and more — to help newbies get started. Almost all of them are under 100 pages and include external links, and sometimes free courses, that point to further blog-related resources.
- • •
This 48-page ebook (2017) by author and blogger Scott Chan will help you get your blog started in under half an hour. You’ll learn how to:
Get a domain name and hosting for your blog
Use WordPress to create and customize your blog
Market your blog
Monetize your blog.
The author includes links to more tutorials so you can expand your knowledge on the ins and outs of blogging, and he also gives his contact information if you have any questions.
Starting a Successful Blog when you have NO CLUE!
This ebook (2020) by Gundi Gabrielle is a little over 100 pages and covers:
How to get started from scratch
How to avoid making “rookie mistakes”
Going about getting a domain name and hosting
The steps to getting a WordPress website for your blog
Secrets to making your blog successful
This book also provides links to a free course and more free ebooks on marketing and making a business out of your blog.
This blog guide (2018) by Lauren McManus and Alex Nurney gives beginners the tools to build a blog with little to no experience in just 82 pages. You will learn:
All the reasons that having a blog is a good idea
How to conquer fear of blogging
Steps on exactly how to create the perfect blog using WordPress
How to get traffic to your blog
Monetize your blog
As with the other ebooks, this has various links that point to other free resources for bloggers.
5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter
This 73-page ebook by Chris Fox will show you how to be efficient and more productive with your writing. It’s geared toward authors who are writing books, but I’ve been using it to learn how to get faster at writing content in general. You will learn:
Writing exercises in order to “train your brain” to write faster
Editing skills
The importance of being track of your progress
How to avoid burnout and create incentives to write more
There is one section (chapter 5) that is geared specifically toward people who are writing books, which may not be relevant to your needs.
Also, this ebook was published in 2015, but it’s on the list because as a blogger, you’ll need to develop skills that will enable you to write a regular stream of blog posts.
Also written by Lauren McManus and Alex Nurney, this 87-page ebook (2018) has similar material to their book above, but it provides more details on:
Creating content for your blog
Utilizing social media to get a fan base
Building an email list of subscribers
Finding the right audience for your blog
Making money, which includes affiliate marketing
Building your brand
What worked (and didn’t work) for the authors
The book provides inspiration and encouragement to bloggers by using examples from their own experiences as well as those of others.
Follow this link for more tips and updated information from the authors.
Written by David Lim, this 36-page ebook focuses on blogging aspects such as:
Creating quality content that makes your readers want to keep reading
Brainstorming that results in success
Making sure your blog has a good look and is easy to navigate
Getting your blog out there with social media, emails, and word of mouth
Making money with affiliates, AdSense, sponsorships, and more
Even though this ebook was published in 2015, it has detailed tips on writing content, brainstorming, and other aspects that are helpful to new bloggers.
This ebook by Bryan Cohen is just 47 pages long and is a companion book to his online course. His advice includes a guide on:
Time management and tips on marketing so you get results
Steps on how to get into the right mindset that frees up your mind
How to be more creative
Setting specific goals and challenging yourself
How to brainstorm more effectively so you can succeed at projects
Working at meeting financial goals (crowdfunding is one of them)
Note: the tips in this ebook are more general and not specifically about blogging. It definitely focuses on how to work for yourself.
Another note: this book was published in 2013, but because it mainly discusses things like time management, creativity, and where to focus your energy, it’s not a book that necessarily needs to be updated for 2020.
All of these books offer some great advice for beginners, but keep in mind there may be a learning curve. It’s necessary to be thoughtful when making choices that can affect your blog’s performance. It takes time to determine the essentials such as having the right domain name and an appealing blog design that is also easy for your readers to navigate. After getting your blog made, it takes time to get into the groove of creating quality content so that your blog will be successful going forward.
Also, keep in mind that most of the books on this list were published prior to 2020. Some of the links may not work, and there will likely be some outdated information regarding WordPress. For instructions on getting your blog using WordPress in 2021, here is a YouTube step-by-step video tutorial on how to create a blog in as little as 30 minutes.