This claim that you can't make more than "pizza money" from a blog gets thrown around a lot—it comes up just about every time I talk about how critical blogging is for your software development career.

The reason this idea won't die is, there actually IS a grain of truth in it.

Most software developers do NOT make any money from their blogs

Or at best maybe they make enough to cover their server costs.

I've spoken privately with many really high-profile software developer bloggers, pillars in the industry with names you'd recognize instantly...

And you might be shocked to hear how little they earn from their blogs. I know I was.

When you're just starting out with your brand new blog, it's easy to get discouraged and buy into the idea that blogging isn't a viable way to grow your income.

Before you write off the dream of someday earning a nice side income from your blog, though, let me tell you about my journey with Simple Programmer.

I first started Simple Programmer back in 2009, and in those first couple of years I made ZILCH from the site.

The problem wasn't my blog—the site was slowly and surely gaining traction.

The problem was *me*.

I didn't have a friggin' clue
what I was doing

The first way I tried to make a little money was the same thing that everyone tries when they start a blog:

Ads.

Now I don't want to knock ads too much. I sell advertising on Simple Programmer today, and it does bring in a healthy stream of cash.

However of all the ways to earn income from your blog, ads are just about the LEAST EFFICIENT approach you can use.

You need a HUGE audience, and even then you might only make a few hundred dollars a month.

I blame the "throw up a blog and slap ads on it" model for this persistent myth that it's hard to earn side income from your blog.

It took a while, but as Simple Programmer kept growing, I started to wise up.

I saw how I was earning just pennies a month from the advertising, and after a while I started looking around for other ways to "monetizing" the blog.

One day I heard that Amazon will pay you to put links on your blog to products that you like, and I decided to give it a shot.

Wouldn't you know it, it worked!

I still remember the day I made
my first "real" income from
Simple Programmer:

I know, kind of pitiful right?

Today Simple Programmer generates close to $65,000 per month, and it all started with that $10.91.

Let me tell you though, I was RIDICULOUSLY proud of that income.

Even though it wasn't much, and even though I was making a lot more from my 9-5 job...

Earning this money felt SO satisfying.

Because it meant that I had a way of making money that was completely my own—and no one could just take that away from me.

My income from Simple Programmer started as a tiny drip.

And when I started to see some momentum, I didn't want to stop.I went looking for more revenue streams. I added a second, and a third, and a fourth...

Pretty soon I was bringing in $100 a month here, $500 a month there...

$500 a month is nothing to sneeze at, especially when it's completely "passive"—and not tied in any way to your current job.

That's enough to cover a car payment, or keep the lights on and pay the grocery bill.

The knowledge that, no matter what happens, you'll always have SOME income you can count on

That's a game changer for your confidence and sense of security.

Having a "cushion" like this gives you options: You can choose to accelerate your goals, like paying off debt. You can invest the money back into your career through education. Or you can start investing for your retirement...

And it's really up to you how far you want to take it.

In my case, I decided to grow Simple Programmer to a full-scale business...

One that pays me a comfortable 6-figure salary while also affording me the time and freedom to pursue other goals in my life, like my recent tour of China with my wife and daughter, or entering the San Diego Rock and Roll half marathon...

Recently I got asked in a podcast interview whether it was possible for a software developer to make serious money with their blog.

Is the success I've enjoyed with Simple Programmer just a fluke—or is it something that you could experience as well?

Here's what I said:Anyone can start a blog and within a year or three, you can be earning $1,000 a month, or $2,000.

It's never been easier to build a profitable side business

There are so many tools available, and so many opportunities to earn income from your efforts.

All you need is some patience and the willingness to put in some consistent effort.

That—and the knowledge of where best to channel your efforts to start earning money right away.

My biggest regret with Simple Programmer is that I didn't have a plan in place from Day 1 for how I was going to earn money from my blog.

There wasn't anyone that I knew who was doing what I was doing.I made a LOT of mistakes—and wasted a lot of time and opportunity as a result.

(In fact I've been told that just one of the mistakes that I made due to my inexperience and just lack of information has conservatively cost me several hundred thousand dollars in lost revenue.)

If I'd had a chance back then to sit down with someone who'd built a successful blog and was making income from it, I could have grown Simple Programmer SO much faster.

Hindsight is 20/20, that's for sure.

Recently I was thinking about just how much I've learned about growing and monetizing a blog...

And I realized that I could put that experience to good use by creating a resource for software developers and bloggers like you to bypass the painful trial and error and mis-steps I went through.

I call it:

10 Ways to Make Money From Your Blog

This program truly is the resource I wish I'd had when I was starting out.

It's a whirlwind tour of all of the different ways I know of to earn money from your blog.

I'll show you every technique I'm using with Simple Programmer—and even several revenue streams that I haven't had a chance to implement yet.

You'll see live examples of how other bloggers are using these income-generating approaches...

And even get a few "sneak peeks" at the revenue I'm generating with Simple Programmer.

In this video series, you'll discover:

BONUS: Exclusive "Open Kimono" Tour of My Simple Programmer Business

Recently I hosted a "look over my shoulder" presentation for a select few diehard supporters of Simple Programmer...

In this video, which is not for sale anywhere else, you'll watch as I fire up my screen sharing software, open up the Simple Programmer books, and step through my income streams line by line.

You'll see exactly what strategies I'm using to monetize Simple Programmer—and how much revenue each channel brings in.

When was the last time someone offering you "business advice" was willing to be that transparent with you?

As you can see, I've packed a LOT into this short course.

This package represents 7-8 years of hard-won knowledge that I've accumulated while building Simple Programmer from a brand new blog to a 6-figure business.

And let me tell you—If there was any way I could stuff myself into a time capsule and zap myself back to 2009 when Simple Programmer was just getting started...

This knowledge would have earned me thousands of dollars—even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Back then I'd have jumped at the chance to pay $500 or even $1,000 for this information.

And it would have been well worth it, because the investment would have paid for itself hundreds of times over.

You won't have to pay $1,000 for this information, though.

If you know me, you know how strongly I believe that every software developer should have a blog.

And I know firsthand how motivating it is as a blogger when you see dollars flowing into your back account as a result of the words you write.

I want you to have that same experience—to feel that surge of enthusiasm when you see people actually willing to pay you for your ideas.

So I've decided to set the price tag on this course low enough so it doesn't break the bank.

That means that you can get it today for just $99.

And in actuality this course doesn't have to cost you a single penny.

Here's what I mean:

This is the kind of investment that will start to pay itself off almost from Day 1.

Remember that promise I mentioned a few minutes ago, that that you will...

These are the income-generating strategies I've used to grow Simple Programmer from nothing into a thriving 6-figure business...

These are the income-generating strategies I've used to grow Simple Programmer from nothing into a thriving 6-figure business...

And they can help you turn your blog into a profitable side business that reliably kicks off a few hundred or even $1,000 or $2,000 a month for you, month after month, independent of what might be happening with your job.

And best of all you'll have the pride and satisfaction of knowing that YOU built it—and no one can take it away from you.

- John Sonmez