The 25 Best Books About Blogging
Blogging as a side hustle isn’t something you can choose as a major in college, so almost everything you learn has to be found by educating yourself using Google search, other blogs, online courses, and of course, reading great books about blogging.
If I had known what I know now when I first started blogging, I would’ve been earning income within only a few months. However, it took me four years to figure out how to monetize my website and set up processes that would lead to me having a successful blog.
I enjoy listening to audiobooks, and I can say that I absolutely love my Audible account. I listen to as many books as possible while driving, running, or walking through my neighborhood.
Out of all the books I have listened to, here is my list of the best blogging book reviews in 2023 that all new bloggers should read if they are serious about making money blogging from their websites.
1. The Four-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
About the book: I’m starting my list of books about blogging with a very famous one. I haven’t heard more reference to text since Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but I am here to tell you that is for a good reason!
The 4-Hour Workweek talks about the flaws of the typical 9-5 job and the stress it causes you in your life. Life should be enjoyed while you’re young, not when you retire. Then, Ferris shows you all his strategies for escaping the rat race or staying in your current role as a virtual employee.
Why You Should Read It: This book resonates with bloggers because many of us desire that “new rich” lifestyle. We want to work on the beach, find new and exciting things to get into, and not worry about our expenses while we do it!
This book is inspiring and educational despite some overly simplified ideologies. At the very least, it won’t make you feel wacky for wanting an unconventional lifestyle. Moreover, you can build a profitable blog after listening to this book.
Order The 4-Hour Workweek here.
2. ProBlogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett
About the Book: If the name sounds familiar, it is because it was written by Darren Rose and Chris Garrett, the creators of the ProBlogger website. In ProBlogger, they discuss everything you need to know when it comes to creating a blog and give you some pretty good resources too!
Why You Should Read It: This book is one of the top books for content creators. It has an excellent group of resources for you to use, from Search Engine Optimization to content creation.
However, do not read it until you get your blog running because this one may be too in-depth to follow initially. Great insights here, but lots of jargon. ProBlogger is still a great read, though!
3. Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck by Michael Clarke
About the Book: If you are working on starting a newsletter, Michael Clarke is your guy. He has a series of books for bloggers, “That Doesn’t Suck,” covering various topics, including digital marketing and screenplay writing.
Clarke gives excellent advice in this book on why you need a newsletter if you have a website. He also gives you ideas on how often you should be emailing, what you should be emailing, and how to grow your list. If you do not have an email list and do not realize that it is one of the most valuable assets on your blog, read this book.
Why You Should Read It: It’s short and sweet. I’m all for getting the best bang for your buck, and you get just that in this small package. He tells you all the meaty details about starting a newsletter and finding out what your readers want. I liked it and was able to start my newsletter the next day after listening to this book.
Buy Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck Here.
4. The Six-Figure Second Income by David Lindahl and Jonathan Rozek
About the Book: The Six-Figure Second Income gives you step-by-step instructions on creating a simple product to sell online and earning some extra income. I have to say I was a little disappointed that it was not precisely blog-related. Still, the info he gives on researching your information product before creating is superb. This is an excellent book to read if you are ready to establish a product for your blog.
Why You Should Read It: This book is SEO-rich. It talks a LOT about search engines. So even if you are not ready to create a product, I suggest you read it and apply some SEO practices to your site. It will help you to build a six-figure income stream from your website.
Order The Six-Figure Second Income here.
5. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
About the Book: There were some references to The 4-Hour Workweek in this book, as Chris Guillebeau talks about how he used his info product to live the way he wanted. He talks about many others who started businesses investing $100 or less to earn upward of 50k! The $100 Startup is inspiring and a well-explained guide on launching something independently.
Why You Should Read It: You should read this book for two reasons. First, it has some great marketing resources, from a marketing checklist to a launching guide. Second, it goes into great depth about the importance of the launch and putting your best foot forward initially. Great info, resources, and step-by-step instructions.
6. #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
About the book: #Girlboss is the New York Times Bestseller’s autobiography for Nasty Gal creator Sophia Amoruso. While she was not a blogger, her story of starting Nasty Gal with an eBay store is reminiscent of blog life.
Why You Should Read It: Sophia often talks about how people underestimated her in her business, calling it her unfunded startup. I loved this terminology and how she described her starting a million-dollar business without a single investor. I love her hustle and how much she talks about the crazy things she did to get her business to where it is now.
7. Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker
About the Book: This book discusses hiring virtual help for your business. When you first start blogging, this is usually hard to afford, but once you reach a certain level, you must be able to trust other people for help. Especially people who could do a task for you faster and more efficiently.
Why You Should Read It: My website is my baby, and when I first started, I did not think I could trust anyone enough to help me with it. However, that changed once I got a more significant workload.
I know this is tough for many entrepreneurs, let alone bloggers. But it’s a great step-by-step guide that shows you where to find freelancers, how to work with them, and how to know what to pay them. A great, informative read.
Purchase Virtual Freedom here.
8. The Laptop Millionaire by Mark Anastasi
About the Book: This was one of the first books about blogging I read after The 4-Hour Workweek, and I was incredibly inspired by it. The Laptop Millionaire is Mark Anastasi describing his life with his mentor, the Laptop Millionaire, and how it changed his life forever. He went from being poor and homeless to being a millionaire without spending a dime.
Why You Should Read It: While Anastasi’s story is inspiring, it is also a practical guide and has a chapter dedicated to every way you can make money online, from getting paid to tweet to selling an info product. He also has an excellent list of tools and resources I still use today!
A great read and perfect for someone who has yet to start blogging. Warning, there are some black hat practices in this book I would not recommend, so beware of that. But they do not take away from some practical advice Anastasi offers.
Order The Laptop Millionaire here.
9. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk
About the Book: Gary V is the man in online marketing and personal branding. These are two things all bloggers should be well-versed in. And if you are the type of person who likes to cut through the bullshit and get to the pertinent details of the subject Gary V is your guy in Crushing It! he has some gym for building your business.
Why You Should Read It: While this book is not about blogging, it covers many fundamental topics that bloggers should know. It is also incredibly inspiring when Gary V tells the stories of others who have used his methods and succeeded. So many of their stories are very familiar to the blogging journey.
10. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
The Book: Start With Why talks about how to accomplish any goal you set your mind to buying, starting with why you want to do it in the first place. While the concept is simple, this book was mind-blowing for me when I first read it. Start With Why is an excellent book for all entrepreneurs.
Why You Should Read It: Any blog course you take always starts the same way: Why do you want to achieve your goal? And that is because of this book. He provides real-life advice, which is why I ranked this book among the best books about blogging. It emphasizes why setting a goal and understanding why you want to achieve that goal helps you reach it in the end.
11. Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams by Jeff Walker
About the Book: If you have never heard of Jeff Walker, you may have seen remnants of his legacy. He is the creator of the online launch method you often know when you sell something on a sales page or website. Walker’s book shows you everything you need to know about selling a product online.
Why You Should Read It: The most successful bloggers have a product. And even if you do not have one yet, you have plenty to sell online, whether it’s traffic to your blog posts or selling other people’s products or services through affiliate marketing. So this is one of the books about the best blogging practices at any level.
12. One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days by Brendan Kane
About the Book: As the title says, the book is about Brandon Kane’s journey in growing his social media following in 30 days.
Why You Should Read It: Want to grow your Instagram followers? What about your Facebook following? Growing your social media channels following online is just as fundamental to your blogging business as writing great blog content is. As you build your blog, you should be growing your social media platforms, so this book is a great resource to help you get there.
Buy One Million Followers here.
13. How To Blog For Profit: Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
About the Book: Ruth Soukup, creator of the blog Living Well, Spending Less, and Elite Blog Academy, wrote this book, so you know it is filled with helpful information. Ruth Soukup is a seven-figure blogger, and she teaches her strategies on how to blog for profit in this book.
Why You Should Read It: Do you want a profitable blogging career? Then you should read this book about blogging. This book also explains how affiliate links in your marketing lead to passive income and sponsored posts lead to active income.
Want a synopsis of this book? Watch the video below.
Download How To Blog For Profit here.
Download How To Blog For Profit here.
14. Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
About the Book: Marie Forleo details her philosophy on why everything is figureoutable. Honestly, this is an inspirational read. By reading this book, you will gain insight into the success stories of others using Forleo’s advice.
Why You Should Read It: I loved this book when I read it. If you feel discouraged with your blog because you’re not hitting the goals you set for yourself, this will remind you that everyone has those periods when everything feels like a struggle. Regardless of Marie Forleo’s success, she also had similar efforts.
Learn More About Everything Is Figureoutable Here.
15. Atomic Habits by James Clear
About the Book: This is an incredible book that had a lasting impression on me how long after I finished reading it. This book is for you if you have a habit that you want to start or a bad one that you want to stop doing. Clear shares how developing good habits helped him succeed despite enormous challenges.
Why You Should Read It: The best bloggers are consistent ones. And there’s no better way to be compatible than to build healthy blogging habits. So I think everyone should read this book, even if you don’t own a blog. It’s on my list of the best books about blogging here, and it will help you in the long run.
16. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
About the Book: This is one of the books about blogging that teaches something that all bloggers struggle with focus. Learn how to pick the most important things to focus on every day so that you get more done.
Why You Should Read It: The struggle is real regarding working online. There are distractions everywhere. So, focusing on one thing at a time for extended periods sounds like a fantasy to many of us. But this book shows you how to do it, and it’s a good read.
17. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
About the Book: Speaking of habits, this is also an excellent book on patterns. While Atomic Habits has many details on strategies you can use, The Power Of Habit talks directly about little habits that can make a big difference in our lives, like ensuring we never lose our keys or stop eating unhealthy foods.
Why You Should Read It: Habits can make you or break you. So the more you can improve your habits, the more successful you will be with your blog.
Purchase The Power Of Habit here.
18. The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho
About the Book: This is a fable, but this book has many lessons to learn. It’s all about the story of a boy who decides to pursue his dreams and the trials and tribulations he goes through.
Why You Should Read It: This is one of my favorite books, so it is highly recommended. This book proves inspirational and will take you on an emotional roller coaster. Though it’s not one of the books about blogging on this list, the lessons you’ll take away from it can be applied to your business.
19. The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life – Before 8 AM by Hal Elrod
About the Book: The Miracle Morning explains why it pays to get up early. Although you might not be a morning person now, you might be converted after this reading. You’ll learn all the best strategies to make the most of your morning to have a more productive and successful day.
Why You Should Read It: Many of us are not blogging full-time. We have other things to do, like care for our kids or work. Because of this, using the mornings when everyone else is asleep is a great opportunity to grow your blog.
Download The Miracle Morning here.
20. The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy
About the Book: This is good because it tells you what consistent habits can result. This book is the much-needed part two of the other habit books I recommended.
Why You Should Read It: Have you ever heard of the compound effect related to your savings account? Well, get ready to learn more about that concept and apply it to things you do daily. This book is an eye-opener for me every time I read it.
21. Guest Blogging Goldmine: How I Got More Than 100,000 Visitors a Month on My Blog in 9 Months Using a Free Marketing Strategy by Tom Corson
About the Book: If you are looking for new ways to drive traffic to your site, this is one of the books about blogging that gives you an excellent avenue to do that through guest posts. This strategy is from Tom Corson, who details what he did to get more than 100,000 visitors to his blog every month. It is a must-read book for newbie bloggers.
Why You Should Read It: You are writing blog posts anyway, so why not use them to drive traffic to your site? This is an exciting strategy in which you write content for other people, allowing you to drive traffic to your site while also bringing in additional revenue for your business. So, this book helps enhance writing skills, and you can produce well-written content.
Buy Guest Blogging Goldmine here.
22. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
About the Book: Grit was an exciting read. I had never heard of the term grit before reading this book by Angela Duckworth. But I am so glad I know what it is now. This is an excellent book if you want to know what it takes to have a long-lasting blog.
Why You Should Read It: You need grit for a long-lasting blog. So it pays to know what it is and how you cultivate more. This book shows you how!
23. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…, and Others Don’t by James C. Collins
About the Book: This is a book on the differences between good and great companies. If you have ever wondered how the best companies in the United States came to be, this book is filled with inspiring stories.
Why You Should Read It: Creating a thriving blog business involves much more than writing great content. It is about building a brand, growing a team, and having lasting success, all essential to a great company. This is one of the books about blogging that will inspire you and give you some good ideas for running your business.
24. The Entrepreneur’s Internet Handbook: Your Legal And Practical Guide To Starting A Business Website by Hugo Barreca and Julia K. O’Neill
About the Book: This handbook answers questions you’ll inevitably ask when starting an internet business, such as handling your taxes and writing a concise business plan.
Why You Should Read It: You are not just a blogger but also a blogger entrepreneur. With this book, you can ensure you are taking the proper steps to keep it that way. This excellent, easy read will help you feel less overwhelmed with all the legal and tech things you need to do to run your business.
Download The Entrepreneur’s Internet Handbook here.
25. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh
About the Book: Let’s finish off our list of books about blogging with the one I return to again and again. Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, shares his story of how he came to form his brand, which was later acquired by Amazon. He shares the “aha moments” he had along the way and the most essential skills one needs to run a successful business.
Why You Should Read It: Tony is such a down-to-earth guy, which shows in this book. He applies all the knowledge he learned while growing up and in college to his business. In this book, he shares why he thinks his mindsets and ideologies worked in his favor. This was such a good read; I still find myself quoting it when I have an essential decision to make with my business.
Download Delivering Happiness here.
There are so many books about blogging out there that will help you learn more about making your online business successful. Of course, you can read these books in whatever format works best for you. Audiobooks happen to be my favorite way to digest new content. I love a good book suggestion, so if you have some favorite books about blogging, please leave the titles in the comments!
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