7 questions to Kyle Eslick

Hi Kyle, can you first introduce you and your blogs/websites/projects to our readers that doesn’t know you yet?

Sure. My name is Kyle Eslick, and I am the founding author of a number of websites across the internet, though the most notable one is Hack WordPress. My other primary “content” website is Slick Affiliate. I am married and a father of two wonderful boys.

You have more than 20 different websites. How do you find the time for many blogs while still having a “normal” job?

Great question! I currently have over 80 websites or blogs last time I checked, though I’ve probably launched and abandoned another 10 blogs or so beyond that. Many of these sites are niche sites, affiliate stores, or are income producing in some way, but require no maintenance. I only have 5-6 actual blogs that require regular updates, and by regular I mean every few days. I’ve found the key with blogging is to find something you are passionate about, so blogging on those sites is natural and easy to stay motivated to do.

A big reason I work so hard is that my goal is to someday make a living and support my family online. My wife shares this goal for me, so right now I’m doing the 40 hour work day, then at home I put in another 40-50 hours online to try to improve my situation and reach this goal. She does most of the work with the kids right now so I can work towards this goal.

You recently founded Apricot Media, which is your online media network. Can you tell us more about it?

Sure. Once you start making money online, you quickly find out that you have to pay taxes on this income. The problem is I had a large number of expenses such as advertising, domain names, etc. and I wasn’t able to deduct them. As a result, Apricot Media was formed and I now operate my online interests completely under this business name. So far, everything is going great. If you are curious about how I came up with the name, you can read more about it here. If things continue to improve, eventually I will look into hiring people or be looking into other ways to expand the business.

Most bloggers dreams about living from their blogging activities. What about you?

I do think working online affords an incredible amount of flexibility in your life, as you can make money while on vacations, you can pick your own hours, work in your pajamas, and there is no required travel. As a result, it is definitely something that motivates me to work harder each day towards that dream. Unfortunately, I would have to make a considerable amount of money online each month to cover the loss of benefits and salary if I quit my day job, so it is just a daydream for now.

Can you describe one of your typical days?

Weekdays I get up and get ready for my day job, check my email to make sure nothing needs my immediate attention, then head off to work. When I get home from my day job, I usually log in to my laptop, read through all of my feeds (close to 250 feeds) and form a game plan for that night. It depends on the night, but I will often put in 3-4 hours online before bed. On weekends I usually put in 7-10 hours each day between playing with the kids, house chores, and other obligations. I would say I put in between 80-90 hours a week total, but the idea is to work hard now towards my goal of making my living online. My wife has been very supportive (especially once the long hours starting bringing in extra income) and does a lot of the work with the kids.

What will be the 5 essential tips you’ll give to any person starting a blog?

• Blog about something you are passionate about. If you do this, it might make you money, but it isn’t work. Hack WordPress was created because I spent so much time talking about WordPress on my original blog, that I felt it deserved its own domain. It has been close to a year now and I’m just as passionate about WordPress as ever before.
• Make sure your blog has a focus. To many people have a “personal” blog that jumps all over the place and they wonder why they have 10 subscribers. If you have a bunch of interests, start a bunch of blogs.
• Avoid using a personal domain for your blog, as this allows you to sell the blog someday if your interests or situation changes. Personal domains should be reserved by you and saved for resumes or other interests you may have in the future.
• Write original content. This is easy if you are passionate or knowledgeable about something, but I see too many people trying to take shortcuts.
• Don’t be afraid to link out. To many people get obsessed with SEO tactics and such, forgetting why they starting blogging originally. When someone else does great work in your niche, don’t think of them as competition. Link to them! Obviously you both share an interest and if you find a post helpful or thought provoking, your readers will too. This is a great way to build relationships with fellow bloggers and you will often find these good deeds returned!
  • Hack Wordpress
  • Slick Affiliates
  • Apricot Media

What blogs do you read the most, except yours of course?

I make an effort to read the blogs of the people (the blogs written in English) that leave comments on Hack WordPress or Slick Affiliate. Unfortunately, I have trouble finding time to comment, but I do read them! Some of my favorite blogs I read that aren’t related to anything I write about are: MGoBlog, Elliot’s Blog , and CyberNet Technology News.


Thank you for answering our questions, Kyle! We really wish you realize your dreams.

This interview was done by both jbj and X-OR. Visit Kyle Eslick websites here: