Be Our Guest Fridays {43}: Career Opportunities in Blogging from The Book Wheel
“The only way to do great work is to do what you love.” This quote from Steve Jobs inspires us to follow our passion when choosing a career path. For me and so many other bloggers, blogging is our passion. I am inspired by the fortunate bloggers who have turned their hard work and love for blogging into a 6 figure income or pursued various career opportunities in blogging. I want to do great work doing what I love. Don’t you?
I love hearing other bloggers’ success stories. Many of them are stay-at-home moms who wanted a side job while they raised their kids. Some are book bloggers whose love for reading is contagious and are hugely responsible for the mountainous pile of books I want to read. Others travel to places I’d only dream of, reviewing fancy hotels and dining in exquisite restaurants. One thing they all seem to have in common is that they may not have started their blog with the intent to pursue a career but were surprised by their career opportunities in blogging.
Allison from The Book Wheel is one such blogger. Allison and I have been book blogging friends all the way back to 2013 when I started becoming addicted to reading (I do largely “blame” her for my mountainous TBR). I have loved watching Allison’s blog grow and I do a little happy dance every time I see a new amazing opportunity, award or accolade come her way for being the awesome book blogger she is. She’s inspired me to make a bookish bucket list, tackle the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, and is always helpful and supportive when I ask a question.
Last time she was my guest, Allison told us about how to run a successful blog event. Today, I’m thrilled that Allison is sharing the career opportunities in blogging that have come her way in these few short years. I bet they will inspire you to pursue your passion for blogging too, there is no telling where and the next opportunity will arise. Just in case though, I’m hoping I’ll get an opportunity to travel to Greece or Hawaii, how about you? Please give Allison a warm welcome again to Mom’s Small Victories and leave her a comment and tell us what about what career opportunities you’ve achieved or hope to achieve.
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Career Opportunities in Blogging
By Allison Hiltz from The Book Wheel
Back in 2012, as I was recovering from open-hip surgery, I decided to pass the time by writing reviews of the books I was reading. In hindsight, trying to articulate my thoughts while hopped up on pain medications may not have been the best idea but I fell in love with the process and continued to write them long after I recovered. The project turned into what is now The Book Wheel, where I still review the books I’m reading and plan to do so for the foreseeable future.
If I’m being honest, I suffer from a lot of self-doubt when it comes to The Book Wheel. Do people know how boring I really am? Who am I to be reviewing these books? Do people think I’m not doing enough? Or that I’m doing too much? But at the end of the day, I take comfort in the fact that I’m doing what works for me and that’s really all I can do. If you had told me then that I would still be doing this today, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me that The Book Wheel would bring me the opportunity to travel and find a job, I absolutely wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s what happened and I’m happy to share some of the amazing opportunities that my little book blog has brought me over the years.
A Published Book
In 2014, I thought it would be fun to get a bunch of authors to review their favorite books. The event evolved into #30Authors, which takes place annually during the month of September. The idea is for 30 authors to review 30 books in 30 days. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s fun and rewarding. I’ve met so many great people through the event and it was even turned into a book by Velvet Morning Press* . I still can’t believe that something I dreamed up in my head was published and I’ll probably be pinching myself for the next several years.
A Job
When I finished grad school with my Master’s in Public Policy, I had a hard time finding a job that I really wanted. My internship had just ended and, unfortunately, my husband was laid off a week before I graduated, so time was of the essence. I happened to attend a book event with #30Authors contributor Stephanie Carroll and stumbled upon a self-publishing company that was looking for a marketing person. It turns out my experience as a book blogger and with social media was exactly what they needed, so they hired me. While I’m finally back in the public policy world, I’m grateful that this company recognized that blogging is hard work and gives us a special skillset that you can’t learn without jumping in and doing it for yourself.
That said, even my public policy jobs have found value in my blogging background (although I do get mixed reactions when I tell them Newt Gingrich posted my review on his personal site) – it shows that I can manage multiple projects, stick to a deadline, and write for the public. Plus, I’ve met a lot of random coworkers when they approach me with, “I need a book recommendation and I heard you’re the girl to ask.”
A Trip
Last fall, I received an invitation to head to Big Sur, California to test out the new 2016 Buick Regal, which came with Audiobooks.com integration. They wanted me to come out with a guest, test out the cars, and then write about the product launch on The Book Wheel. At first I thought it was a phishing scam but after doing due diligence and calling every reporter I knew, I learned it was legit. It ended up being a fantastic weekend with my husband at a swanky spa hotel, a new car, and fabulous people. I’m so grateful for the once in a lifetime experience – I certainly couldn’t have afforded to do something so extravagant on my own. And the Audiobooks.com integration? It’s as awesome as it sounds.
What opportunities has blogging brought you?
[bctt tweet=”How @Thebookwheelblog turned her blog into various career opportunities. You can too! #blogging” username=”momsvictories”]
About Allison
Allison Hiltz runs the award-winning book review website, The Book Wheel and founded the international blog roundup event, #30Authors, which was published* as an anthology in April 2015. She is also a contributor at BookWitty.com.
The Book Wheel has been featured in advertisements in the New York Times Book Review and Goodreads, and has received numerous awards and mentions from literary sites and organizations. Allison has also taken her expertise on the road, working as a freelancer to cover product launches and conferences, as well as writing for other websites.
Whether she is reading, writing, or working, Allison probably has a cup of coffee in her hand. She has her Master’s of Public Policy from the University of Denver and lives in the Denver-metro area with her husband and two rescue dogs. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, or learn more about her here.
Be sure to check out the recently launched anthology, Legacy, based on the successful #30Authors event!
I love how Allison’s opportunities were pleasant surprises she did not shy away from. I tend to not pursue opportunities outside of my comfort zone but Allison reminds us that those are the opportunities exactly worth doing!
I have been working hard on growing my blog so that it fulfills the mission I set out to accomplish…helping busy moms and Rheumatoid Arthritis patients like me celebrate their small victories and thrive with chronic illness. As my blog grows, I hope to jump on opportunities that will help me further in my mission.
What is your mission for your blog? What sort of career opportunities are you hoping to pursue?
About Be Our Guest Fridays!
Be Our Guest Fridays is a weekly feature where I feature guest posts by my favorite bloggers and authors. I started this feature to encourage and support the bloggers I love and the authors I want you to know. I am excited to share with you these creative and inspiring individuals. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, leave me a comment on this post and I’ll be in touch.
Congrats on your success with your blog and all your hard work! We could all learn so much from you. Blogging is so much fun for me and I would love to do it full time someday. It does take more time than I anticipated and I think about what I could do with the extra time. I also love to do guest posts!
Hi Allison! So wonderful to hear your story! Blogging has also brought me so many wonderful experiences and a whole new network of (mostly women) to engage with. I have been blogging for over 8 years and I do about two to four stories a week. I work full-time as well. Nevertheless I am able to separate my blogging business from my 9-5 career.
Hi Cara! Thank you! The blogging network is so important and I’ve met some incredible people. I can’t imagine having been blogging for 8 years but, like you, am able to separate it from my day job. There was a time when that was a bit difficult but once I got the hang of it, everything clicked!
It’s amazing the opportunities blogging has provided to people worldwide. I’m still somewhat new to blogging in the whole scheme of things and have already experienced and learned so much.
Blogging has opened a whole new world to me that I had no idea existed! I hope to hear about your opportunities, as well!
I am one of those stay at home moms who blogs for a hobby and some extra income! I started before my child was born, but it has grown SO much since then!
That’s awesome! It’s so nice to be able to make that extra money without having to go back into the workforce when you’re a stay at home mom!
I would love blogging to be my full time career, it’s my dream. I enjoy it so much! Lovely post sharing Alison’s story!
Keep pursuing it! You never know what will happen!
Blogging brought me the opportunity to stay at home with my children and work from the comfort of my home, with a flexible schedule, and also the chance to work from anywhere! I can’t wait to expand my blog more and hopefully someday be as successful as those who are making 6 figures too!
That’s fantastic! The working from anywhere is definitely a big bonus. I go back and forth on if I want to blog full-time because 1) That’s a lot of blogging, and 2) I love my day job. BUT, I also miss working from home in my pajamas! Good luck with your expansions!
Love this story. It is so amazing how blogging is changing lives across the world. I began blogging by accident and now can’t imagine life any other way.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I definitely didn’t expect any of it, which makes me all the more appreciative of it. I can’t imagine life without The Book Wheel, that’s for sure!
I can’t imagine my life without blogging! I’m “just a stay at home mom” (and I have been for 20 years – no outside work). And yet I have a published cookbook, a loyal following, ad income, and I’m starting to be asked to write for print magazines. And that’s not to mention the non-money benefits like the amazing friends I’d never have known!
There’s no “just” about being a stay at home mom! That’s so great that you’ve been able to publish a cookbook and I hope you share your magazine stories when the publish, too!
I just started blogging and I absolutely LOVE IT! Much more time consuming than I anticipated but it is so satisfying to see your hard work being a success. Hopefully some day it will be my only job.
Oh, it’s SO time consuming! It’s definitely not a hobby for the idle! Best of luck making it your day job!
I am inspired and encouraged by her story, I am six months into blogging now but do not know if I will be able to monetize as blogging in Austria is seen so differently than in the US or Canada. Hoping to make a breakthrough somehow, and get out of my comfort zone.
Thank you for the kind words! I don’t know what the blogging culture is there but I hope you are able to get out of your comfort zone! It’s scary but also rewarding.
Stacy, you’re too kind and making me blush!
Allison is such a lovely person and blogger. She’s an inspiration to me!
She really is and an inspiration to me as well!
I’m not going to apologize for the TBR list but thanks so much for letting me share my experiences and for your kind words. #30Authors was definitely out of my comfort zone but I love it so I say keep on stepping out!