What business models are open to journalists? I know you exemplify one model but you must have thought of others?

My background is as a journalist but I am currently home with my twin babies and trying to come up with a goal and plan for my return to work.

I have worked at newspapers like The Guardian and, since going freelance five years ago, I have written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and websites. The essence of things is that I need to choose between trying to get better paying journalism work (doing more magazine work), doing more self publishing or leveraging my skills into more lucrative but less fun work ( such as corporate writing).

What would you recommend?

I’m writing a white paper about how bloggers become authors. Since you have done this yourself, could you answer a few questions for me?

1. What’s the biggest difference between writing a blog or blog posts and writing a book?

2. Many bloggers think writing a book makes them rich and famous. Certainly that can happen, but what is the reality of what a book can or will do for your career and/or finances?

3. If you could share three things a blogger should do to get ready to write a book — even if just level setting expectations — what would those things be?

How do you deal with negative comments and critics about your blog? I thought I had a thick skin but some blog commenters can really push my buttons.

Right now I’m scrapping myself off the floor after a heated discussion with a reader ended with her writing, “Bye. never coming back here again.”

How do you do it? How do you not let this get to you?

Can you take a look at my blog [link redacted] and maybe give it a mention on your site?  I am desperate for my blog to take off, so I can write for a living, which has always been my ambition. I am focussed on writing. I write every day. I am trying to tie the blog posts together, give it a narrative and make it more novel-ish. I have no idea if this will work. Any advice on that front would be welcomed…