I once read a post by Seth Godin that was titled “How to Get Paid $100,000 a Year Blogging.” The answer? Get a job that pays $100,000 a year and blog from work! While this is the attitude of many avid bloggers, I have also met those that make a living from blogging. In New York this past weekend I met one blogger that had just bought his own house from his network of blogs that he manages. While he was good at making money through blogs, I can’t say that he was truly passionate about blogging given that he didn’t write any of his blogs. It was all other people that blogged for him.

A New York Times article this past weekend asked the same question. Is it possible to make a job out of blogging? The conclusion was that it is possible but very difficult, with the rare full-time blogger making in the range of $40,000 to $60,000 a year. The real money in blogging comes from the connections made. From my two blogs, The Webpreneur (this blog), and my recently launched All Facebook, I have managed to build numerous business contacts. Some of these contacts have even led to potential business partners and start-up funding.

So can you make a living blogging? Yes, but the real value comes from building relationships. When you start a blog you need to be passionate and dedicated because chances are you are not going to see any money coming in the door for months to come. While I have already received cash offers for advertising space on my recently launched Facebook blog, the offers are nowhere near enough for me to live off. So if you have a blog idea, all I can suggest is to get out there and start blogging. There is so much more to be gained from writing down your thoughts and sharing them with the world than just monetary gain. If you choose not to share your thoughts with the world you are missing out on a world of opportunity.