Despite no other area of my life being particularly straight forward or successful, I’d say my blogging journey is something I can be proud of. Which is a huge thing for me to say because in general, nothing I ever do is good enough and I spend my entire life comparing myself to other people. But we’ll save that for another post. I can’t take credit for this post idea, someone else suggested it to me months ago and I’ve only just got around to writing it but I can’t remember for the life of me who it was (if it was you, please shout!) I’ve felt a little intimidated with the prospect of writing about my blogging journey. I’m sure I’ll miss something out but I’ll do my best.
I started my blog in April / May of 2013 and my first ever post was a book review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. That review makes me cringe reading it back but as first posts go, it’s could be worse! I created my blog when I was in a pretty dark and uncomfortable place in my life; I was in the midst of severe daily anxiety which was ruining my life. I had just quit my college course and placement where I was training to become a teaching assistant because I quickly realised it wasn’t for me, the environment was horrible and it was sending my anxiety round the twist. £700 down the drain, brilliant.
I started Jenny in Neverland as a book blog. Books were the only thing I wanted to talk about and Lindsay from Book Boodle helped me set it up, after I emailed her and said I’d love to start a blog (Lindsay, I’m eternally grateful, thank you!) So that was that, I had my little blog and I started reviewing books I was reading. I didn’t know where on Earth these things called “followers” came from but my heart soared every time I saw I had a new view, a new like or a new follower.
Progression was super duper slow for me because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Literally, not a f***ing Scooby Doo. I had Twitter and was slowly meeting other book bloggers but in general, I was a bit lost. Just writing my reviews because I enjoyed it and not thinking too much into it. I would go days or weeks without looking at my blog which seems ridiculous now, considering I do this every day!
I had a few lengthy blogging breaks along the way; one in around September 2014 or 2015. I can’t remember for the life of me why now but I think I stopped blogging for around a month or two. I also started my book touring business around two years after I started my blog. It was my blog and book blogging which allowed me to do that so again, something else I’ll always be grateful to blogging for, despite no longer pursuing that now.
I only really started taking blogging seriously by about mid 2015. I started offering small advertising packages and received my first content placement payment on 24th August 2015 and my first sponsored post payment (according to my tax records) in May 2016 which was a post I did for Quorn! I wasn’t aware that I’ve only really been doing sponsored posts for just over 2 years until I looked at my records!
So for the past two years I’ve really started to take blogging super seriously and build a business and a living out of it. At the time of writing, I’ve recently had my best month for blog income in July, closely followed by June and April this year (May was a write off because my phone broke and I couldn’t do anything for weeks). I’m working harder than ever and although some ventures didn’t work out, like my touring business, it’s given me a whole lot more time to focus on blogging, which is something I love with all my heart.
Blogging was just a “thing” for the first 3 and a half years for me. Not something I took seriously or paid much attention to. It was just a place for me to write my thoughts on books I liked. But I started enjoying it more when I branched out into other nichés and as you’ll know now, I write about pretty much anything that takes my fancy! Proof that you absolutely do not need a niché if you don’t want one!
I’ve been self-employed with my blog for years due to small amounts of money I made through advertising but I finally feel like it’s my job. And a proper job at that. I earn more money a month now that I did in my last job which although was part-time, still feels like a huge achievement for me. I’m recently hit 7,000 blog followers, I’ve hit 10 thousand Twitter followers this year (WHAT) and I get around 13-16 thousand blog views a month. Which I’ve worked my absolute arse off over the last few years to achieve.
Where do I hope to go from here?
Obviously I hope to improve and increase my income. My ultimate goal is to regularly receive a full-time income from my blog; I’m not asking for loads like I am not that person but at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with being motivated by money and wanting to work hard to get there. Which is what I do and will do until I reach that goal. I’m also currently working on some services for bloggers which I’m really passionate about and hoping I can launch really soon! All I really want though is to continue enjoying blogging to the level I do now; and that’s amazing when you can say you enjoy your job that much!
I want to continue to stay motivated and inspired and produce content which I feel good writing and which helps other bloggers too. Those are always my favorite types of posts to write. I want to be that person that new bloggers or just anyone who needs advice can feel they can come to without judgement. I certainly don’t know everything and I will always want to learn and grow in this industry. For me, that’s what makes it so exciting. But above all else, I’m so incredibly grateful for all the support over these years. Thank you.
I remember that first email conversation we had! 🙂
Well done you on what you’ve achieved to date….onwards and upwards my lovely xx
Me too! You were SO SO helpful I literally wouldn’t be here without you 💛💛
I’m confident you would have found a way x
Oh I don’t know… I was absolutely CLUELESS 😂
This is such a lovely post to read. It’s incredible where blogging can lead too and you seem to be doing incredible now.
http://littlemissmelanie.com
Thank you 🙂
What an inspiring post to read! Your journey as an established, entrepreneurial blogger was juat what I needed to see today – I’ve quite recently started my blog and to know that everyone seems a little “lost” at first was strangely comforting to know. Great post! 😁
Thank you 🙂 Haha I know what you mean, I was lost for a LONG time!
I honestly find your story so inspiring Jenny! The fact you make a living from this is so impressive and I one day hope to be at your level. You are so dedicated and motivated and you’ve put so much time and effort into this, I’m in awe of you!
Beth x
Awh thank you. I definitely have a long way to go in making more of a solid income but I’m working soOoOo hard 😂😂
wow well done! Ive been blogging since i was about 11? (im now 32) I did it in private on various websites, my longest stint was on livejournal which i sadly deleted, I officially became mummy cat in 2016 in May after i had my third child and ive been doing it since.. no idea where i want to go in the future but im loving every second with blogging.
Wow that’s an insane amount of time! Well done!
you are inspiring! I been blogging since late 2008 but stopped. Six years later, I picked it back in January 2015. However, I took a year back from 2017-18 to focus on schooling. Now, I am back and going to try to make a business out my blog. Don’t know how yet but I’m working on it.
Wow since 2008 you are old school!
Your journey is so inspiring! Thank you so very much for sharing this, personal experience.
Thank you 🙂
I love these posts, finding out why someone decided to start blogging. Everyone has a different journey but we all have the same passion. I hope you continue blogging for the foreseeable future as I really enjoy reading yours.
Rebecca Elaine x
Thank you 🙂
This is so inspirational. I hope I can get further with my blog. You must be so proud how far you have come xx
Thank you 🙂 I am indeed!
It’s really so inspiring to read this. You’ve really done fantastic in what is a relatively short space of time too! 🙂 x
Thanks so much! 🙂
I love this post – I started mine in 2012 and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made x
http://www.ofbeautyandnothingness.co.uk
This is a lovely post. It is so inspiring to know you started out feeling clueless. I cringe at my early months too, and I am only 18 months in! I would love to build my blog and add niches outside of book blogging (though keeping the books. It starts with kidlit.) I’m worried that by naming my blog BookMurmuration I limited its potential to grow.)
I also have a new blog – an exciting collaboration with a literary heritage charity – coming up. ☺️
I think it’d be totally fine to add in other niches! Especially if you were going to keep it still largely focused on books 🙂
Thanks Jenny. I hope it will grow. ☺️
Well done! You should be proud and you deserve every bit of success. I’m looking forward to reading your posts for many years to come.
Thank you very much 🙂
Sounds like a great journey so far, I wish you all the best for the future. I started blogging in June 2013 and had a few breaks but only really started making a little money this year so I’m going to register as self-emplyed with my blog before the end of the year. If you don’t mind me asking was it easy to do?
You definitely need to register ASAP if you’re already making money 🙂 It was fairly easy from what I remember!
Your blogging journey gives me hope for me and my blog! I’ve been blogging off and on (mostly off)for a couple years now and am no where near making it a full-time career. However, I know success is not won overnight, although a lot of bloggers lead us to believe it. I loved reading about your journey!
If anyone leads you to believe that’s the case then they are 100% lying!
Hey lovely, I’m glad that blogging has been sort of like an outlet during your difficult and dark times. x I hope that the future brings you lots of wonderful things. I wish you success and happiness in life Laura / https://laustworld.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much 🙂
You’ve come so far it is incredible. I find it really inspiring reading about other people’s blogging journeys. I still feel relatively new to the whole thing but I’m coming up to one year blogging soon which is further than I ever thought I’d get 🙂 xxx
Alys
https://alysjournals.com/
Blimey that first year goes super quick doesn’t it? 🙂
It’s amazing that you started your blog from scratch and grew it to an empire. You’re a rockstar for hitting all of these milestones! Improvement is so important because that’s how you keep yourself from falling behind. Money is great but there are other things that matter more. Keep it up!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
An EMPIRE! That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received! Makes me feel like I’m in Star Wars 😂
This is really emotional to read and I’m honestly so proud of you! You’re one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to blogging, and seeing how far you’ve come and how hard you’ve worked is so admirable! You deserve all the success in the world and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you Jenny, keep it up!
Jas xx | https://thoughtsfromjasmine.co.uk
Awh Jas! Thank you! It was quite emotional to write too!
Wow, I found it so interesting reading about your blogging journey and how you got to where you are today. I can really see how much you care about blogging and how much blogging means to you. It’s amazing how blogging can change your life. I’d say it definitely changed mine. Good luck with everything you do next! No doubt you’ll do amazing things in the future!
Thanks so much! Blogging is a wonderful hobby isn’t it? 🙂
That’s so amazing you haven’t turned your blog into a job! That’s my goal one day! Seriously super happy for you, hope
you have continued success which I’m sure you will!
I still have a long way to go but onwards and upwards! I checked out your blog for the first time today and think I’ve found a new favourite!
You’ve done so great and gone so far, i am so proud of you! you’ll do even better! 13k to 16 000 views is quite a lot! I think I’d like my blog to become my full time job too!
Thanks so much Corinne 🙂
Hi Jenny,another straight from the heart post- and this one about your blogging journey is definitely inspiring for newbies like me .Would love to hear from you on my blog. You can check out my blog here-https://sherlockedsharon.com
Thanks…
This was so nice to read and see you reflect on how your blogging journey started and has improved each year since! You should definitely be proud of what you’ve achieved with your blog, I’m such a huge fan of everything you post. I also went self-employed with my blog recently and now I really do feel like it’s a job. It might not be a full time wage but it makes me happy and if I can earn anything that way, then it’s a bonus! xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
That’s great news! And thank you so much for your lovely comment 🙂
Such a great blog post idea. Reading your journey has made me reflect on mine (and the future) I’d love to one day make a living from blogging. I literally wouldn’t know where to start though ahaha.
I’ve loved watching you and your blog grow over the last year or so that I’ve been following you
Kisses and Love
Jazziepickles
xoxo
Thanks so much 🙂
I’m so proud of you, Jenny! I’ve only just come across you in the past months so it was good to read about your journey and how far you’ve come. This posts, as cliche as it sounds, really made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I started my blog to document how it’s like parenting and our everyday adventures but have found myself literally writing about anything which I call ‘lifestyle’. Blogging has given so much in terms of confidence, it feels like I’ve found a new me and I’m loving it. I’m not sure where I see myself with it in the future but I hope to continue it for as long as possible. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Soffy // themumaffairs.blogspot.com
#SundayBlogSwap
Thanks so much! What a lovely comment 🙂 So glad to hear you’re enjoying blogging so much! Here’s to big successes xxx
Thank you for sharing I love your blog and find your work so inspiring. I’ve only been blogging a year and am not sure where to go with it sometimes as I’m not the most technical person. It’s great to see how your blog has progressed, you are proof that hard work can pay off. Wishing you all the success in your future projects.
Kate x
Thanks so much Kate. I’m definitely not a techy person either!! xxx
Lovely to hear your story 😀
Thanks 🙂
I have been writing a similar post, but I’ve been too chicken to click post. This post made me so emotional for you as I know how hard you work and it is paying off!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Oh no! I hope you find the courage to post it because I’d love to read it 🙂 I’m sure you’ll get a ton of support! xxx
You should be proud Jenny. Your journey is a great one and thank you for sharing this with us. Your blog is great and you are amazing person.
Thank you very much that’s so kind of you 🙂 xxx
This is a lovely idea for a post! It’s so interesting to see peoples reasons behind starting a blog and even carrying it on. You have a great blog so you should be so proud!
Laura // em-andme.com
Thank you 🙂 xxx
wow! i doubt i can say i have a journey in less than a month but it feels like so much longer, probably because before this i was writing my reviews just for myself and recommending books to friends (all two of them) I don’t see anything wrong with wanting an income from your blog, especially when so much effort has gone into it and i really don’t see people’s problem when people want something back for all the content they are creating. Great post xxx
Thank you 🙂 wow I thought you’d been blogging longer than that! xxx