That’s a question I hear on a regular basis, partially because I have the affiliate ads up on Travel Blog Advice and foXnoMad, have written two reviews, and interviewed Matt about it. People email me once or twice a month asking this question and having read and sold more than a few copies decided this would be a good forum to answer – is Nomadic Matt‘s eBook worth it?
The Short Answer
Do I think Nomadic Matt’s eBook is worth $17? Yes I do, assuming you use it correctly and depending on what you want to make out of your travel blog.
The Longer Answer
Nomadic Matt’s book, How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog has good information about monetizing your travel blog but is really about creating a network of sites to help fund your travels. The principles in the book are sound and can help you generate a decent income on the road, but it takes a lot of effort upfront, a level most people won’t or won’t be able to put it.
- It’s difficult to say a dollar amount is worth something. Personally if I learn from a book and it help my travel blogs, generally it’s “worth” it for me. In terms of money, will you make back that $17 from travel blogging? Probably, but how long that takes depends on you.
I also don’t make a habit of reviewing products I don’t believe in or like. For the most part, if I don’t like something I don’t write about it. Products like the DIY SEO Guide and Travel Blog Success will improve your travel blog and it’s in your best interest to read as much as you can. It’s difficult to draw a direct correlation between purchasing one thing and seeing results on your blog.
For $17?
It’s important to invest in your travel blog if you want to seriously want to monetize. The book was originally $27, a bit on the expensive side, but I still thought it a worthwhile read. All businesses have operating expenses and I think it’s important to spend and get your hands on good information when you’re starting out and trying to grow your audience and revenue. The more you learn the more selective you can be down the road.
- If you’re interested in monetizing your travel blog, I’d also recommend Business In A Backpack ($20).
- For a more detailed explanation of SEO, how it works, and how to use it I recommend the DIY SEO Guide.
- New travel bloggers should strongly consider Travel Blog Success, the advice in the forums are worth the price of admission.
How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog is straightforward, contains a lot of useful information, and may also give you access to advertisers (ask Matt) that can help you make more money with your existing blog and potentially a lot more money if you branch out. It has helped me a believe it can do the same for you. So yes, I do think How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog is worth “it”.
Have you purchased the eBook? What were your thoughts? Please share them in the comments below. Did you think it was worth the $17 (or $27) you spent on it?
Yes, I think it’s worth it. Currently applying Matt’s principles…and joining network/purchasing the other resources you mentioned. If you’re serious about it being a business, you have to do some investing, and this is minor!
I completely agree – running a site take a large time investment and some money. In the grand scheme of things the money put in isn’t really that much for the knowledge you get in return.
I bought his ebook when it was $27 and I still think it’s worth it!
I have implemented and learned several things from his ebook. Originally, I was just a hobby blogger but purchased the ebook helped me focus more on taking my blog to the next level. And I know that if I put more times into the blog, the return will be even more. So far, I think it paid off for the ebook based on what I implemented.
I got it too when it was $27 and agree with you 🙂
As of May 2011 Matt’s ebook is now $37. At what point does it become not worth it? Personally, I’ll save my money and troll this site for advice.
Clean and clear. Nice job!
Matt does run a few deals throughout the year so it’s bound to drop in price sometime in the not so distant future. It’s interesting at least to get a peek into what Matt has done and the information is useful. When it goes on sale I think it would be beneficial to ‘compare notes’ with what you’ve found online and the ebook – all the better 🙂
Given that his ebook is now $37, not $17, could cause many to pause? I thought about it and followed him on his website and ultimately decided to purchase the book. Unfortunately, when I purchased the book the lionk was corrupted, and I was unable to download it. When I contacted him, I received an email with the same link. I contacted him again explaining the situation and asking for a pdf file sent to my email or a refund, and guess what…no answer…still waiting! Is $37 worth a corrupted link and no ebook? Not in my opinion.
I’m curious to hear what the error with the link was and if you’ve received an answer yet?
Anil, in 2013 do you think the information in that book is still relavent? I ordered Matt’s amazon published book (The 50 dollar a day travel one) and I’m curious if I should obtain this book or just stick to advice online and figure it out myself. Cheers!
I think so, although the earlier versions had more information in them. If you want to make money on your blog you’ve got to invest and you won’t be worse off for reading this ebook.
Thank you Anil for a quick response. I could not find an email for you so I’ll ask here: Is there a travel blogging community dedicated to the Indian traveler in English language? I’m not asking about westerners of Indian origin/ethnicity. I’m curious about bloggers from 3rd world countries (like myself). Any insight would be helpful. Google is not pulling up what I want which might be a good hint.
I’m not sure but the best way to find out is experimentation. Let your opinions form paths and your results guide you.
If you really want to make money, better buy a color printer 😀