Well I never expected that ProBlogger.net would get Slashdotted (it’s not unusual on some of my other blogs) – but tonight it happened. They linked to my post where I talked about my last Google Adsense cheque. Let me start by welcoming Slashdot readers. I hope you enjoy your stay.
As per usual with a Slashdotting there are a number of impacts upon a blog.
1. Traffic – Lots of it. Last hour was close to 4000 visitors. It being the weekend has curbed this.
2. Server Problems – So far so good. My host tells me its hardly a blip on the radar and everything is holding up very well.
3. New Readers – The influx of readers brings with it a variety of perks. Subscriptions to my free weekly newsletter are up and there are some positive comments being left across the site.
4. Slashdot readers on the whole are a great bunch – but the comments being left over at Slashdot itself are as per usual ‘mixed’ to say the least with a lot of misinformation and generalizations.
Let me try answer a few of the questions and comments quickly:
- It is not against Google’s TOS to reveal your earnings. This changed a few months back. You are not allowed to reveal other details like Click Through Rate, Impressions etc – but income levels are fine.
- Yes I do pay tax on my earnings. the Aussie Tax Office makes almost as much as I do from my blogs.
- I do not use automated blogging tools to run my blogs. I work 8-12 hour days and have been at it for 2.5 years. In that time I’ve posted almost 12,000 posts on a variety of topics.
- I do not make the majority of my income off this blog. Some of the comments cast doubt on the fact that I earn what I do because of low traffic of this site. I’ve always been totally honest about the fact that this site usually earns me very little. Most days it’s enough for a coffee or two. My earnings come from other blogs – some of which are linked to from this site – others which are not.
- This is not a front for me putting the hard sell on readers. Whilst I’ve considered compiling some of what I’ve written into a book – at this stage I offer free advice to bloggers here. I figure I can earn a good living from what I do so I’m happy to give information away freely where I can.
- A side note to those who complain about blogs being passe or don’t believe blogs should have ads. You might want to look at the site that is sending me all the traffic today. Slashdot is a blog – it has ads. It would be making significantly more than I am.
- Yes I did earn between $10k and $20k in the month of May. If you want to know how much I suggest you start counting at $10k and stop counting a few hundred dollars short of the halfway point to $20k. As I said in the post everyone is coming in on – it was a particularly good month and June’s cheque won’t be quite as high (although July will be in the same region. I know a lot of commenters are doubting the figure – I’m not sure how to prove it and don’t feel I really have any need to. I know of quite a few other bloggers who earn well in excess of $10k per month. Whilst it’s not the norm by any means (and I’m realistic to my readers about this – most will never make that level of income) it’s not completely unusual and is becoming increasingly common.
If there are more questions that readers would like to check with me I’d be more than happy to answer them.
As a result of the many comments (and emails) which are doubting that I could earn what I’ve said I do and asking for proof I’ve decided to post a screen shot of my Adsense stats. I’ve blacked out some personal details and the details that I’m unable to share as a result of the rules that Google sets that forbid sharing of impressions, CTR, CPM etc.
You’ll see from the following that from 1 May – 31 May 2005 I earned $14,436.45. I know some will accuse me of doctoring this but this is all I’m giving you. I can’t think of any other way to prove what I earn and feel like I’ve stooped a little in doing it anyway. Hopefully in doing this I answer a few questions and dispell a few myths.
Right now though – I’m headed for bed!
Adopt me Darren?
Well done Darren. I’ve been reading this blog for some time now, and have since setup several of my own based largely on your own experiences.
I think “you’ve been buggered” has some issues regarding himself that may require some professional help. I can’t for the life of me see why your posts would elicit such a juvenile outburst.
A lot of negativity going over there at Slashdot. Just goes to show how much (or in this case, little) people understand about blogging.
“Not sure where you got the feeling I was not into self promotion – of course I am. What blogger isn’t. I wouldn’t call myself an ‘attention whore’ but I don’t mind people reading what I write and I don’t mind earning money from it”
And of course you don’t mind providing the controversial “spark” that draws people here likes moths to flames…classy.
“I also really like helping others reach their goals and potential. I don’t see why those two things (making money and helping people) have to be mutually exclusive.”
They don’t have to be. However, bullshitting tn order to increase site traffic flow and media exposure isn’t something a self-proclaimed “professional” blogger should be doing…unless, of course, you felt that your revenues were too low…
“My initial post is ‘utter bollocks’ or ‘total bullshit’ – nice. Sure it wasn’t for everyone – looking at the comments it attracted I see some found it helpful others didn’t. That’s pretty normal. I suspect the comments your comment provokes will have a similar spread of opinions raised about it.”
Every blog has its loyal readership – even the crazy ones. And these people will continue to support you regardless, no matter what you tdo to them or how you use them. Which you already know – and, in fact, are counting on, in order to “legitimize” your claims. Unfortunately for you, it doesn’t matter how many people thing you’re an upstanding guy – and the facts in this case speak for themselves.
“I appreciate you informing Google and Adsense. Actually they are one in the same company so you could have saved yourself an email.”
Yes, I know der boy, but if you’ve ever dealt with a company with many different divisions, you’d know that the best way to get their attention is multiple queries to multiple departments.
” I’m more than happy for them to come pay my site a visit – in fact if you’d read a few of my last posts you’d see that I’m already chatting to them about my blogging – they asked me if I could tell them about what I’ve learnt and for my tips on how I use Adsense.”
Then I’m sure you’ll be just as happy when Adsense pulls the plug, after finding out that you abrogated the TOS with gleeful abandon, and that your only defense is an email contact with a generic tier-1 worker drone. Yes, I’m sure you’ll be pleased as punch when things suddenly grind to a halt on the backend…after all, you *are* a professional….
“I don’t see anywhere in Google’s policy that you can’t reveal your earnings – Google changed that rule months back.”
Ah yes, the classic defense – ignorance.Or is it naivete? Let me spell it out for you: Google did not change their rules “months back”; rather, they simply reclassified and restructured how they would be applied. This was done because at the time, the people who were handling the underlying infrastructure of that particular area were spread thin, due to a corporate restructuring. As a result, regulations were…shall we say relxed for most smaller clients. The larger clients, however, were still held to the old rules. Apparently, because you’ve “diversified” yourself among many different blogs, you were classified as a “small fry. The emails of my friends and myself have set that situation right, for as soon as they get the tally of the combined revenue stream, you’ll be reclassified, resulting in your ass being proverbial grass. Which is why I said enjoy the fun while it lasts – because it’s not, by any means, here to stay.
“Lastly – I’m under no allusion that I’m ‘popular’ or that the recent influx of visitors and income will last a lifetime. I AM enjoying it while it lasts (but thanks for the advice to do so). I’m also trying to make it last as long as I can but making plans for the day that it ends for one reason or another.”
Firstly, its not “allusion”, its “illusion”. Second of all, we are all *well* aware that you’re trying to make this last as long as possible – which is why many of the people on /. are pissed – as are many of your regulars, who have simply stopped posting. Why? Because you’ve sacrificed your accumulated integrity for a quick and dirty moneymaking ploy. Moreover, you’re fine with this, as you’ve stated time and time again. Which of course is your right – just like its the right of the readers to both castigate your publicly and kill your revenue stream privately. Because you see, in an era where many bloggers are fighting desperately to gain a mantle of legitimacy in the eyes of the public, the actions of people like you destroy our progress repeatedly in on fell casual swoop.
So please, revel in being both an asshole and a sellout. Just don’t be surprised when the fickle finger on fate suddenly bends you over, pulls down you trousers and buggers you so hard you’re glasses will be engulfed by your lower sphincter. Because after all, karma is a bitch.
1) Google Adsense team are in communication with Darren already, but not to take away his adsense, but to ask him for feedback on his success.
2) Regular readers are still here, and posting as far as I can see.
3) The number of websites that exist is huge – if you don’t like this one, or any other site that is trying to eek out a living via advertising revenue, go elsewhere, like slashdot. Oh wait, thats got adverts on it to. damn.
4) Why is it that divulging that you have made a reasonable amount of money from Adsense in some way “sacrificing your accumulated integrity”? To me, this just re-enforces that fact that Adsense is a viable revenue stream.
6) How is making money from blog(s) destroying the legitamacy of blogs? Thats like saying the legitamacy of any sport is destroyed because the players get paid. Its still sport, and this is still a blog.
Wow this is a long thread.
How does ‘YBB’ (look in the mirror dude) think that Darren is self-promoting. I suppose he somehow got /. to link to him in the first place?
What Darren did is write a piece about his earnings, on a long-standing blog about making money from blogging, He has many long-term readers. The fact that someone like Robert Scoble (who for once I can talk about in nice terms – j/k) decided to link in the very first place, and without (AFAIK) a negative connotation, and then someone else linked here on the piggy back of Scoble’s comment – well I’m losing myself, but that’s a heck of a chain to somehow fake.
I wonder how much extra traffic (not that he needs it) Robert Scoble got out of this? No-one seems to be complaining about that? (OK he doesn’t need to make money off his site)
I like the fact that to find the post as of now, you have to go to the bottom of the page and click “Yesterday’s News”. Not this site, or Darren, of course – just the stupid comments and the supposed controversy. What controversy? The only controversy is whether some ./ers should be allowed out into the big wide Internet on their own – you know, where there are actually some normal people…
Haha
Well, congratulations, you have done well. I on the other hand have made a whole 98 cents in a month and half of google ads….I guess having some readers would help.
None the less, you provide inspiration to all of us (well, me at least)…maybe one day I will be as lucky as you.
Samuel
Congratulations on your large check! I followed the link here from /., and it’s always good to see independent people making a success out of their efforts. I hope you enjoy every penny, and I hope that the people who have wasted their time to come here and berate you only further contribute to your success! (Traffic, people…)
Cheers, Mate : )
Can’t wait until these morons clear out and ProBlogger can get back to its usual, nurturing, postive self again.
I think it’s priceless that You’ve Been Buggered! doesn’t have the bullocks to leave his calling card.
Around here we just call that “weak.”
The $10,000 blog
Thanks again for stopping by ‘You’ve Been Buggered!’
taking on board your comments as I do with everyone and hope that you’ve got what you need to get off your chest off your chest.
In the mean time thanks also for adding to the ‘controversy’ of it all.
[…] tion
Category: Links — Ades
Owner of this website reportedly earned $14,436.45 in May 2005. As you can see from the above scree […]
Man if you’re for real then I’m right behind you, learning every move and rewalking your every step. Man!! Unbelievable!! That kind of income from blogging would set me free for once!
[…] ing Posted in Linkage Permalink Darren received a check of $14,436.45 from AdSense for the month of May 2005 from his collective websites/ […]
Darren,
One of the reasons why I continue to read your blog is because of your straightforward honesty. The information that you are sharing with your readers doesn’t seem to have some sort of gimik attached and it’s refreshing to me! To be honest ~ I get turned off by networking sites that will only tell it how it is *after* you’ve spent your $$ for a packet of info. etc. Networking can be frustrating at times but you can tell who’s being cheesey and who’s being for real.
Thanks for being real,
Angela
[…] puede demostrar cualquier cosa. Desde la “miseria de Adsense” hasta la “riqueza que hago con Adsense” o que no es un […]
Congrats Darren! Good work!
I haven’t been reading your blog for very long, but I’ve been a daily reader since the first day I found it. I’ve learned more from this blog than several seo and serp blogs and forums put together. I’ve shamelessly copied and used every suggestion you’ve ever made and will continue to do so. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. Congratulations.
what’s your scam?
[…] l that just for the month of May. This got everybody talking about him even before he got Slashdotted a couple fo days ago. Even if you only get 10% of that a month […]
[…] ). It seems that everyone has something to say about my earning $14,436.45 from blogging. The opinions are just so varied and the conversat […]
[…] esen Wert mit 365 multipliziert, beträgt der Jahresumsatz von etwa 1 Million USD!
Auch Darr […]
[…] esen Wert mit 365 multipliziert, beträgt der Jahresumsatz von etwa 1 Million USD!
Auch Darr […]
[…] esen Wert mit 365 multipliziert, beträgt der Jahresumsatz von etwa 1 Million USD!
Auch Darr […]
Already making $500 per month from my sites, I bet $14K a month won’t be too far :)
Nice read, and congrats at the 14k. You made me feel special:
“I know of quite a few other bloggers who earn well in excess of $10k per month. Whilst it’s not the norm by any means (and I’m realistic to my readers about this – most will never make that level of income)”
100% correct, it is possible to earn insane amounts of money with blogging and all that stuff. GL with your website! Btw. I would like to know how many visitors you got, on all your blogs together – if possible, shoot me an eMail.
[…] Ironically ProBlogger.net doesn’t make him the big bucks, but it does educate other bloggers how to make the big bucks by going through various techniques and methods for making money online using blogs. Darren makes a six figure income from his blogs and he was slashdotted in July when he announced that his May Google AdSense cheque was over $14,000 USD. […]
[…] I first came across this blog when I started blogging myself back in July. Drew had set up his blog at the same time with similar intentions to myself – i.e. to earn some cash from the internet. In fact, I believe we were both inspired by Darren Rowse’s Slashdotting about his Google AdSense cheque. […]
I have a new wallpaper. :)
Respect !
You pay most of what you earn to taxes? What’s left? I’m so afraid of taxes. I’ll have to really pay, soon. I’m especially afraid, because I don’t understand them!
hi ,
My account was banned and not approved to open a new account .Can i open a new account or else i cant open a neww account at all. what is the step i can take for this please help me ya……..i need your intense help .please help me…
….I’ve posted almost 12,000 posts on a variety of topics…..?!
It too most what to write 12000 pictures for 2 years!
Interestingly…
Stories from Venice
http://www.life.e-phils.com