Book Review: Building a Framework by Abby Lawson

If you’ve been following me on the blog for a while, you may have heard me talk about an eBook called Building a Framework. Building a Framework is an eBook and set of videos just for bloggers. It is an essential resource for new and not-so-new bloggers giving them all the details on how to make their blog a success.

Who is Abby?

Abby shares DIYs, home decor and snippets of her life over at Just a Girl and Her Blog. Favourite posts of mine include Abby’s Fabulously Feminine Office (it’s glorious BTW), her White DIY Kitchen Reveal, and How to Organize a Craft Closet. She is amazingly talented at styling her home and organising it. I seriously want her to come to my house and overhaul it for me! Not only has she got a pretty home, but she has a very successful blog that has became both her and her husband’s full time job. If you don’t believe me, check out where she shares exactly how she makes her money with these income reports. Her income for last month was over $30,000. Yup. That girl knows her stuff!

Building a Framework and Me

Abby decided to write a book called Building a Framework where she lays out exactly how she started her blog and how she has gone from one reader to thousands and THOUSANDS every single day. One wintery evening last year, I somehow stumbled upon her blog, as we tend to do on the internet, and found her eBook. I’m not usually one to make impulse purchases (my husband may argue this) but there was something about Abby’s beautiful smile and friendly style of writing that made me buy her book within half an hour of landing on her site. Then I read whole book within two days. I remember sitting in our wee rental house, tucked up by the fire while Aaron was watching TV. I kept interrupting him to read out parts of the book, and excitedly tell him all about the things I was learning. He really is a good man, and listened intently, even offering to read the whole book (and that farmer doesn’t read anything). My mind had truly been blown and I felt like I had just learnt the whole internet. A few months later, once I finished university, I took all the things I learnt and launched this blog. If it wasn’t for Building a Framework, I could have never done that!

Building a Framework and You

Building a Framework takes you from the most basic information like choosing a hosting site and domain provider (I use Bluehost), through selecting a theme, and essentials that you need on your site. Since I first read Building a Framework, Abby has added videos that take you through all these steps plus more, making it even easier. From there she discusses everything blog related such as content creation, social media, working with brands and affiliates and growing your email list. Just last week I went back through the book taking notes on things I could improve for my blog. Building a Framework is not a book to read once and forget about, but to refer back to often and keep as your blogger’s handbook.

Building a Framework Video Tutorials and Interviews

Not only has Abby wrote the most amazingly helpful book for bloggers, but she has put together videos to help you with her blog. There are two different types of videos that are offered alongside Building a Framework. The first of these is the step by step video tutorials. These are SO GOOD. Our brains all work in different ways so it is good to have a really hands on tutorial for those blog features that can be a little more complex to set up. The second set of videos is a series of expert interviews with other successful bloggers. These people have so much knowledge to share and offer valuable insights into their world of blogging. Because of these videos, I’ve also discovered some really great bloggers that I now love to follow.

So where can you get it?!

Yeah I know. You want it now don’t you? Here’s the things you can do:

• Check out Building a Framework. Duh.
• Get a sample chapter of Building a Framework.
• And if you’re really not sure, why not sign up to Abby’s free email course How to Start a Blog in 7 Days, by clicking through to this blog post.

If I could recommend just one resource for newbie bloggers, this would be it. Did I mention you also get access to a private Facebook group and a printable blog binder? Okay, I’ll stop talking now.