Lately I have come across many blogs whose authors have quit their full-time jobs in order to pursue their dream of blogging for money. I think these bloggers are gutsy, have an entrepreneurial spirit, and taking a huge risk. Although quitting a job to blog for full-time income is an ideal career move, there are some basics to keep in mind before taking the plunge.

1. Choose a topic that makes money

You can go several routes when choosing a blogging topic. The most popular one is to blog about a passion of yours. However, this doesn't always bring in the money. Another option is to blog on topics that people are always searching for. Do the keyword research and base blogs around issues surrounding those keywords. You're better off choosing money making blog topics than wasting time on topics that have low search rates.

2. Serious money is in the traffic

No blog is useful if there is no traffic going to it. You can't monetize a blog with little traffic. Building traffic takes time and how long it takes is totally based on how hard you are willing to work. Now a days you can reach visitors rather easily using social networking sites like Stumbleupon, MyBlogLog, and Blog Catalog. The more targeted you can make your traffic the better. Article marketing can also bring in long-term traffic and help build branding.

3. Choose your method of monetization

There are several ways to monetize your blog from PPC (pay-per-click) ads to selling ad space. One of my favorite ways to make money blogging is through affiliate sales. That is why choosing the right blog topics is critical. You can typically find affiliate programs related to your blog topics. I find affiliate sales are much more lucrative than PPC ads, however, you can test and see which method works for you.

4. Repeat the process

Once you have found a method that works, repeat the process! Making your first dollar online is a great feeling but the key is to grow that dollar into ten, then to fifty, and soon hundreds per day. Once you have discovered a method that works, do the same thing over and over. Don't limit yourself to one method - always experiment. You never know when another opportunity will strike gold.

If you are thinking about taking that serious step of leaving the cubicle to become self-employed, I have a free report for you to check out that outlines the steps I took before I made the leap to self-employment.