This is the first post on MoneySleeves.com and a must read for blogger newbies and wannabe bloggers. Of course you want to make money online, but you need to know what is required in order to succeed. The blog tips on MoneySleeves will save you a lot of time in the future and provide sound advice for maximizing profits on your website. Being a professional blogger or a full-time webmaster is not a get rich quick scheme. After reading this post you may decide that you don't really want to be a blogger after all. It is best to make this decision early on rather than wasting a bunch of time and energy and then giving up with nothing to show for your efforts.

Who wouldn't want to work at home earning heaps of money as their own boss?

Making money online is a bit like the gold rush. You have read stories about people striking it rich online. What you probably haven't read about is all the people who tried and failed. This article will help you determine whether or not you want to take a crack at professional blogging. If you do, you will be getting started on the right foot.

It requires a lot of time, effort and talent if you are going to succeed as a professional blogger. So, don't quit your day job just yet. On the other hand, don't be discouraged. Owning your own website and being self-employed can be a very rewarding experience. If you are considering becoming a professional blogger, ask yourself these questions:

Do I enjoy writing?

Professional bloggers write constantly. The key to a successful blog is quality content, and lots of it. If you don't enjoy writing, the quality of your content is going to suffer. Building a successful website is entirely up to you. You are the boss and you aren't going to see a paycheck for quite awhile. Therefore, the process of gathering material and writing thoughtful articles needs to be rewarding in and of itself. In fact, this holds true with any job. If the work itself is not intrinsically rewarding, it is not worth doing. Spending eight or more hours a day plugging away at something you could care less about is a waste of time. Life is too short to live this way. If you don't like to write, don't become a blogger.

Does the material interest me?

Again, it comes down to quality content. If you are blogging about something just to make money, it is likely that your writing won't be very interesting to read. Not only that, it is highly likely you will burn out on the whole thing before you even see any significant income. Even if you are a talented writer, passionate about the subject matter and you are up to speed on all the issues for creating a successful website, it will take some time before your site starts earning money.

Pretend like you won't ever make a living on your blog. Would you still do it? Would you still be interested in researching the material and discussing it with other people? If the answer is, "Absolutely Not" choose another blog niche.

Does my chosen blog niche have earning potential?

Some blog topics are going to be more lucrative than others, especially when it comes to targeted advertising. And, some blog genres are going to be more inspiring than others. For your own sake, it is important to find a balance between subject matter that is intrinsically rewarding and a blog niche that can bring in the cash.

Do I want to become a webmaster

You found a niche that inspires you. You know it can be monetized. But, nobody is visiting your site and you aren't earning any money. Being a successful blogger goes hand-in-hand with being a successful webmaster. If you don't know how to optimize your website, you are severely limiting your earning potential. This means that you are going to have to go under the hood and get your hands dirty as a web developer. There will be many tips in future posts on how to optimize your website for maximum traffic and maximum earnings.

So there you have it. If you have answered positively to the questions above and are still interested in becoming a professional blogger, go for it! I will be writing many articles to help you succeed. Be sure to bookmark moneysleeves.com or subscribe with RSS to keep up to date on all the latest articles.

Wishing you the best of success with your online endeavors,

Sean