Blogging Basics 101 is the place to ask all those “How do I . . .” questions about your blog. We cover everything from choosing a blog host and getting started to inserting YouTube videos into your posts. Our mantra is “There are no stupid questions.” And we mean it.

I am a stay-at-home mom who used to be a web site designer and technical writer. All my blogs, including Blogging Basics 101, are hobbies. Of course, I would love to make money from them so I can travel the world and possibly send my kids to college, in that order.

The great thing is this hobby is something I love. It’s not something I feel I have to keep up with. I do it because I love to research and write and then share that knowledge with others who are interested in it.

Shannon (at Rocks In My Dryer) and I were both receiving a ton of personal e-mails from readers of our Mommy blogs on how to do blogging things. Shannon (who is Queen of All Things Driving Traffic) suggested we start a site that addressed these questions. She is, as I’ve always said, brilliant and we started BB101 in January 2007.

She has really had a lot of other things going on with her other blogs so I’ve taken the reigns at BB101. I love writing and blog-tech things so the fit is ideal. Since I have both a BA and MA in Technical Writing I find writing the instructions at BB101 to be a great way to keep my skills strong.

Shannon and I started writing posts for BB101 in Summer 2006. We went live in January 2007. These days I’m trying to answer a new question every day Monday-Friday. If you’re interested in having your question answered, you can drop us a line at bloggingbasics101ATgmailDOTcom.

We are currently getting 300-500 visitors per day. We’d like to increase that number by getting the word out about how useful Blogging Basics 101 can be for new bloggers. We are also working on some SEO stuff to help us gain exposure.

We currently have both BlogHer Ads and BlogAds on our right sidebar. We make a modest amount of money each month, but it’s only enough to cover our hosting expenses. We’ve been very pleased that we’ve made any money at all.

BlogHer Ads has been a steady way of making income. They take on the task of finding the advertisers and feeding them through to the site. BlogAds, on the other hand, relies more on us to find the advertisers. Another difference is that BlogAds allows us to set our own pricing which is nice.

You know, we’ve actually covered this topic at Blogging Basics 101. Why not pop over there and check it out?

Our site was initially targeted at new bloggers who just didn’t know what questions to ask or how blog etiquette works. As we’ve grown, we’ve begun to cover many topics that actually require users to change their own HTML code.

The bottom line is this: I think everyone can get something from our site.

I spend about 10 hours per week blogging for BB101. I spend a little less than that writing for my other blog, Don’t Try This at Home.

I don’t have a set time each day where I sit down and write. I find that if I make myself write, the writing isn’t as good as when I write when I have something to say.

It’s a little different for BB101 in that we are receiving new questions every day. I try to sit down and write answers for those questions in batches. I may sit down on Sunday and spend three hours answering two or three questions. The writing process takes longer because I have to research each answer and then write the instructions step-by-step for the lowest common denominator.

Why wouldn’t you? LOL. Seriously, we offer a ton of information about blogging. Our site strives to be easy-to-understand and non-condescending. We love to share our knowledge and find new knowledge.

I could spend all day telling you how great we are. Instead, why don’t you come on over and check us out? We update every day, Monday-Friday. We’d love to answer your questions too.

My best advice is do it as long as you love it. When it becomes a chore it’s not fun anymore. Realize that you are going to have days when there’s nothing to say; it’s OK to take a break on those days.

As you become more comfortable with your blog, get your hands dirty. Make a copy of your template and make a test blog. This can be the place where you try new things and start learning to manipulate your HTML or CSS code. You’ll be amazed at what you can do once you try.

Finally, be part of the blogging community. The best way to have people visit you is to visit them and leave comments. Shannon and I have both met so many wonderful people via blogging. I never thought I’d be one to say I’d made important friendships online, but I have. All because I got out there and tried.

This blog can be visited at http://www.bloggingbasics101.com