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Suzanne Galante, of San Carlos, Calif., loves being a mom to her two boys Riley, 3, and newborn Carter. But the once full-time journalist also loves being a writer. Blogging -- writing down her thoughts in an online journal -- gives her the opportunity to do both.
"I really needed something in my life besides parenting and I didn't have the energy to find freelance work," says Galante, who started her blog, Mother in Chief in January 2005. "Now I'm my own boss with my own agenda and deadlines."
What's great about blogs is that anybody can start one. All you need is five minutes to set up an account with one of the many free blog sites -- and a desire to speak your mind online. Plus, you can build a community around your blog. Readers can comment, offer advice, and have an ongoing discussion about your posts. Some mommy bloggers say the support they get through their blogs can help fight the isolation they sometimes feel. Follow these steps and let your mommy blogging adventures begin.
Step 1: Go to the source
Before you create your own blog, start reading other parenting blogs to get a sense of what you like and don't like, says Elisa Camahort, co-founder of Blogher, a network of women bloggers, and a blogger in her own right. (A number of mommy blog sites are accessible on Blogher.) You can also search for blogs on Google Blogsearch. Once you've found a writer you like, also check out her blog roll, which is a list -- usually found on the left or right side of the screen -- of blogs and web sites the author likes to read. This could give you ideas for topics you'd like to write about.
Step 2: Think about your theme
Why do you want to start blogging? Is it to regale your family and friends with funny stories? Create an outlet of expression? Comment on societal shifts? "Think about what you could write about long term," Camahort says. But at the same time remember that blogging should be fun -- not an added stress in your already busy life. As Camahort notes: "There are no rules. You don't have to blog every day." Galante, for one, updates Mother in Chief about four times a week when she's really plugging along.
Step 3: Build your blog
Now you're ready to set up your site. You have two options: you can go with a free service like Blogger, LiveJournal, or MySpace. Or for a fee, you can launch your blog on Typepad or SquareSpace. Each site will walk you through the process of setting up your account and will offer some design options. The benefit to paying for a service, says Camahort, is that it's a lot easier to customize the template of your blog (in other words make it attractive with colors and images). Also, technical problems are often cleared up more quickly when the site charges for usage.
But while well-designed sites are nice to look at, "it's the quality of the content that counts," Camahort says. "If you're really funny and clever, people will struggle through bad interface." To make your blog easier to navigate, try breaking your paragraphs up into chunks and keep your blog rolls as uncluttered as possible.
Step 4: Get the word out
Once you've started blogging, you want people to read what you have to say, right? A great way to increase traffic to your site is to visit other blogs and post a comment. "Leave your name and web site," Galante says. "If they like what you have to say, they'll come back." Indeed, blogging is all about connecting to other sites. If you talk about other bloggers' posts, include a link to their blog. They'll often do the same for you. Also, if your service is set up for it, install the feature "Email this post." That will allow readers to forward your entries to their friends. If you use Blogger, don't be afraid to add your blog to their listings. That too will drive traffic to your site. Or list your site with blog search engines like Technorati.
Step 5: Make some money
Most moms don't start blogging as a way to pay the bills. Heather Armstrong, of the web site Dooce, started her blog in 2001 to chronicle her life as a Los-Angeles based web designer who was fired for what she posted on her blog. But now, she's widely known for supporting her family by blogging. And Mother In Chief had a strong enough following that Galante was able to turn it into a six month paying gig on Oh Baby! The best way to make big bucks blogging is to sell advertisements on your site. Google AdSense, BlogAds or CrispAds can help you place ads on your blog -- and you'll collect a fee every time a user clicks on that ad. Or you can sign up for Amazon Associates, which lets you create special links for books or products you recommend on your site. Every time one of your readers clicks through your site to buy on Amazon, you'll get a cut of the sale.
Now that you've got the tools to get started, it's only a matter of time before you'll be mommy blogging too. "Sometimes I've got a million things to say, sometimes not," say Galante, who often blogs once everyone in her house has gone to sleep. "But I can say whatever I want." It doesn't get much better than that.
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