Adding the word book in front of the word blogging actually makes sense, because the two of them are inseparable!
If you want to become an effective blogger who gains an audience and profits from your work, then you need to be educated about your industry, and there’s no better way to do that than reading some of the best blogging books out there.
The blogging industry is not only growing, but becoming increasingly competitive as well, which means aspiring bloggers need to up their game in order to get noticed and make money from their blogs.
As a blogger myself, I’ve read many books on the subject of blogging, some that have been better than others. I have personally picked the best ones for you to start with. Here they are.
17 Best Blogging Books to Read to Become a Successful Blogger
1. The One Thing by Gary Keller
Keller is one of my favorite authors on time management and productivity. In The One Thing, he focuses on one thing each of us should focus on in order to achieve our goals.
His central premise is that by doing less, we can actually accomplish more. This book contains powerful, useful information for someone trying to be productive in any area of life.
Once you finish it, I also recommend Keller’s companion book: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results.
If there’s only room for one book on your shelf about getting more done with less effort and time, then The One Thing should be it!
2. Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
Traction offers actionable advice for anyone looking to grow an idea into a successful venture, including how startups can find their first customers.
The book covers topics like customer development and how to best reach out and get your audience.
An important part of any business’s early days is gaining traction, building momentum and finding initial success.
As such, Traction is an invaluable resource for new or growing companies (like many of you).
If you’re just getting started with your business, Traction might be one of those books that stays on your shelf long after you’ve read it;
Weinberg and Mares offer helpful tips based on their own experiences that are relevant regardless of what stage your business is in right now.
3. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
This is an absolute must for every blogger. This book gives you insight into some of the most successful people in multiple fields.
It offers an inside look at their habits, routines, and philosophies on life, love, and success.
At more than 600 pages of powerful insights from more than 200 entrepreneurs and luminaries including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gary Vaynerchuk, Esther Perel, Tony Robbins and dozens more.
Overall, it’s quite possibly one of my favorite books I’ve ever read with life-changing anecdotes from people who have shaped our world throughout history.
4. Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen, and David Burstein
The subtitle of Thanks for the Feedback is The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well.
That tells you what they’re going for, which is feedback—and not just any feedback, but good feedback that can help you grow as a professional blogger.
The book is broken down into three parts: people skills (people who give us feedback), relationship skills (how we can get better at receiving it), and tools for your toolbox (receiving specific kinds of feedback).
All three sections are equally important when building a career as a successful blogger.
5. How To Blog A Book [CreateSpace]
Since I started blogging, many readers ask me if there is an easy way for them to write and publish their own book. They say they want to share ideas with other people, but aren’t sure how to start or what tools they need.
To help these aspiring bloggers become authors of books, I wrote How To Blog A Book: Self-Publishing Made Easy.
In my book you will learn:
- What tools are needed for blogging a book;
- The best ways for you to add posts/pages to your book;
- What software you can use when creating pages/posts;
- Step-by-step instructions on how your computer needs set up in order for you to begin blogging your book.
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6. SEO 2022: Learn search engine optimization with smart internet marketing strategies By Adam Clarke
This is simply one of those books every SEO beginner should read.
SEO is constantly changing and if you want to get ahead in search engine optimization, then you need to be aware of what’s coming down the pipe.
At more than 500 pages, SEO 2022 dives into all of that including how to write content that works with Google Hummingbird (and other updates), how not to have your site blacklisted from search engines, and much more.
It’s very deep and complicated, but it’s still understandable for beginners with clear explanations about why things work as they do.
If you want to start an online business in 2020 or beyond, then SEO 2022 is required reading .
7. ConvertKit – Email Marketing For Professional bloggers [Audible]
I found out about ConvertKit through Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
I had seen their ads before on Facebook, but never really took action on their offer until I heard Nick say something good about them.
After giving it some thought, I decided to purchase ConvertKit – Email Marketing For Professional bloggers [Audible] as my email marketing platform for my own business.
ConvertKit allows you to set up pre-made welcome email campaigns and quickly get your list started with an auto responder sequence that helps introduce you and build trust with your audience.
This was all super useful for me because before using ConvertKit, I just used MailChimp and had no idea how or what steps I should take when starting up an email list for my business.
8. Traffic Secret By Russell Brunson
This book is probably one of THE best books I’ve read on blogging.
Russell Brunson gives you very detailed information about how to grow your traffic based on two simple components: content and delivery.
If you focus on these two pieces, your traffic will grow automatically with very little effort from you. When I finished reading it, I felt that everything became so much clearer for me.
This book helped me take my marketing skills up several notches and skyrocketed my traffic in just weeks!
9. ProBlogger By Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger is one of our favorites. It covers everything from choosing a niche to getting traffic, and every aspect in between.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one package, ProBlogger is perfect for you. You’ll get advice on creating content that attracts visitors, taking great photos, establishing an editorial calendar and much more.
With information on blogging basics and advanced blogging strategies, you’ll learn something no matter what level you’re at as a blogger.
For those just starting out or looking for ways to take their blogs to the next level, check out ProBlogger today!
10. The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers By Sally Miller
One of Sally’s most popular books on blogging, with good reason.
In The Essential Habits of 6-Figure Bloggers, Sally Miller breaks down what it takes to build a successful and thriving business around your brand.
She covers strategies like
- creating an engaging content strategy;
- understanding how your target market ticks;
- how to get more email subscribers than you know what to do with;
- how to effectively use social media marketing; as well as
- having systems in place for everything from customer service and scheduling posts/blog tours/promotions.
It really is THE essential habits of 6-figure bloggers. Highly recommended for anyone who wants their blogging business to become financially rewarding.
11. How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul By Ruth Soukup
There’s no question that blogging has gone from side project to full-time job for more and more people in recent years.
If you’re thinking about getting into blogging—or you’re already doing it but need some tips for making money or growing your audience—you should add Soukup’s book, published by Wiley in 2014, to your reading list.
This guide walks readers through everything they need to know (and shouldn’t do) before getting started as a blogger.
Soukup also includes plenty of case studies and real-world examples that bring her advice vividly to life.
12. Everybody Writes By Ann Handley
This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books on blogging and content marketing.
It will teach you how to develop an authentic voice, write better content, and become an awesome online communicator in general.
You’ll learn how important it is to have empathy for your readers (not just your fellow humans—your audience!) as well as tips on writing killer headlines that convert into actual sales.
All bloggers should read Everybody Writes! And then keep coming back to it over and over again.
13. Making Money on Blogging By Robert Kasey
This book is available as Kindle and hard copy. Robert Kasey has been an author, speaker, and entrepreneur for more than 20 years.
He understands what it takes to make money on blogging by showing you how he makes around $200 per day from his blogs and how you can do it too!
His books gives you step-by-step guides on how to start your own successful blogs for free using tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and many more.
He also teaches you methods of monetizing your blogs such as affiliate marketing, branding yourself online by blogging about products and services that would benefit your audience while making profit at the same time!
The reviews are absolutely great with 4 out of 5 stars!
14. Link Building Mastery By Julian Goldie
While it’s not necessary to read Link Building Mastery cover-to-cover, I found myself returning to it often as a reference guide.
It’s perfect for beginners who need help getting started and advanced users who are looking for fresh ideas.
The book covers all areas of link building, including outreach, broken link building, SEO tactics and more.
One of my favorite things about Link Building Mastery is that it includes pre-written emails you can use in your outreach campaigns.
These email templates come with helpful tips on how to personalize them before sending out.
If you plan on doing any kind of link building or content marketing, Link Building Mastery is an absolute must-read! (Note: My review does contain affiliate links.)
15. Ultimate Guide to Building And Ranking Sites in 2021 By Brian Conwell
This is one of my all-time favorite SEO books. In fact, I even made an entire course based on it (also called Ultimate Guide To Building And Ranking Sites).
The premise of Brian’s book is that he can teach you how to rank #1 in Google for any competitive keyword that you want. It’s a very actionable book and extremely readable.
Even though I bought it around 2013, I still have underlined notes all over it because I got so much from it.
A few of his case studies are dated, but most of them still hold up today – including some solid strategies for getting your money site ranked in 2019!
