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All images in this post from Haley Pierson-Cox, used with permission.
I meet a lot of crafters who have a similar dream: to start up a craft blog, and then turn that blog into some kind of creative career. And I applaud this dream – it was certainly my dream too! But I also think there’s a lot of mythology out there about this being an easy path to fame and paychecks. Well, it really isn’t, and if anything, it’s becoming a tougher path every year. It’s not impossible to turn a blog into a living! It’s just that the process doesn’t look like most people think it does.
This is why I wanted to interview a real, live professional craft blogger about the ins and outs of this career path. Haley Pierson-Cox has been a professional craft blogger for several years now. She writes for a number of large craft sites, and she maintains her own blog, The Zen of Making. I watched her start her pro-blogging career, and I continue to watch her grow and develop it.
I like Haley’s crafting style, and the attention to detail she brings to the process of blogging. She and I had a very frank conversation about what it’s really like to be a professional craft blogger, and I hope it will be helpful to you if you’re contemplating this path for the new year.
Links for You:
• You can find Haley blogging at The Zen of Making, CRAFT, and CraftSocial.
• …And in terms of social media, you can connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
I write about craft blogging a lot here. These are some posts relating to this discussion:
• Why Bloggers are Curators, and Why Curation is Really Important
• The End of the Lucky Blogger Era, Or What Blogging for Business Means Now
• Blog Traffic: What Does It REALLY Get You?
• How to Monetize a Craft Blog
Great show, thank you! And every time you mention subscribing I feel good & proud to be paying for such awesome content this year!
Merry December and hope you are doing well! Now I’m off to check out zen making!
I love you for subscribing, Hanna! Thank you so much for supporting this show. Enjoy Haley’s awesome blog!
It was wonderful to hear Haley’s story. Her focus on quality, not quantity encourages. Keeping it real…YES! Focusing on the work and the quality of my art, and taking care of/supporting online relationships… That’s what I try to do. As my own blog & creative life online changes, especially as I introduce new offerings now, listening to this gave much food for thought for 2013. It might be harder to be out there now, but there is so much good to be had for craft blogging still. :o) Thank you for the reminder Diane… I’m off to go donate. Your podcasts always inspire me! Happy Holidays ((HUGS)
Thank you so much, Tracy! Your support means the world to me. Happy Holidays and hugs to YOU!
I really enjoyed this podcast! Thank you very much Sister Diane and Haley!
[...] Want to know what being a professional craft blogger is really like? Well, you’re in luck! Last month, I dished the dirt about the realities of professional craft blogging with Sister Diane over on CraftyPod! [...]