The fact that I didn’t meet Katie Frost until this year is unbelievable. We went to the same college, at the same time, and had the same major. We’re both teachers by day and bloggers by night and we even teach the same subject. We live in the same city and our husbands work for the same company.

Eventually, we did meet, via Twitter of all places, and in January we finally met IRL (that’s “in real life” for those of you who aren’t social media nerds like I am).

Before meeting Katie in person I already knew I would like her and not because we had so much in common. I knew Katie and I would be pals because of her blog Hems for Her.

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Hems for Her is a plus size fashion blog Katie started in Oct. 2011 after she was encouraged to do so by her husband, who’s also a blogger, and her students.

“I had been reading some fashion blogs for a few months, and I was really unhappy with the lack of high-quality plus size style blogs out there,” Katie says. “I wanted women to see that curvy can be beautiful, and that you can be confident and dress cute at any size.”

What I love most about Hems for Her is that Katie goes beyond simply posting a picture of her outfit and saying, “Here’s what I wore today, guys!” With every post she tells a story.

“I’m not sure if I am a natural storyteller or if I just like to hear, or read, myself talk,” Katie says. “I think that all readers enjoy a good story, and by good I mean from the heart. People aren’t dumb they can tell when you are being sincere. I don’t pretend to be perfect. I tell the truth, even if I look like an idiot!”

Those sincere stories got me hooked and I’m not the only one. Hems for Her receives more than 45,000 views per month and Katie has been able to successfully monetize her blog, earning extra cash for a new camera, web hosting and design, conferences and, of course, cute clothes.

Katie shares with us more secrets to her success.

SJW: Your blog has a lot of loyal followers. How did you get the word out about your site?

Katie: I wanted to be authentic in building up readership. Many bloggers try to get as many followers as they can, as quickly as they can. I prefer quality over quantity, and that has worked well for me. What keeps people involved and coming back is the relationship I’ve fostered with them. I always try to respond to every question, every comment, and every email. I interact a lot on my blog’s Facebook page and Twitter account. I love talking to readers!

How can you keep a fashion blog fresh with new content without buying new clothes every week? 

I can see how easy it is to get into debt as a fashion blogger; however, I am a teacher, so that’s just not an option for me and my bank account! I focus on affordable clothing and “shopping your closet” (remixing and restyling what you already have). My readers are regular women with regular incomes — they appreciate someone working with a budget.

How did you decide to start monetizing your blog and how did you go about securing sponsors?

It took a long time for me to decide to monetize the blog. I was very nervous about being a “sell-out” or annoying my readers. But professional blogging takes money, so sponsors and ad networks are a way for me to offset the costs of running a blog.

I did so much research about different affiliates and ad networks, trying to find the right fit. I’ve turned down sponsors and giveaways before because it wasn’t a good fit for the blog. Again I want to be authentic. I’m not going to praise something that I wouldn’t wear or use myself. I’m also not afraid to contact businesses directly and ask them to partner with me. Several of my longest-lasting and best sponsorships were ones that I initiated. If you have a good product to share and the confidence to back it up, companies want to work with you.

What are some of your favorite fashion blogs?

Oh, geez! Asking me to play favorites? OK, I love Allie at Wardrobe Oxygen. She is the woman I hope to be one day — very successful, stylish and smart. Megan at Feathers and Freckles is my soul sister. She is a thrifting queen and wickedly funny. Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista has created a powerhouse of inspiration.  She is the QUEEN of plus size blogging.

What tips would you offer regarding keeping a fashion blog interesting?

Some bloggers are very successful with a “Here’s what I wore today” post every day, but I knew I could never do that. I felt like every post would be “Here’s another dress from Target/Old Navy/Kohl’s”– I mean how boring is that!? Instead I try to write about whatever’s on my mind — some days that’s being a teacher, some days that’s being a curvy, confident woman, some days it’s about whatever dumb thing I’ve done recently. Early on I wasn’t sure if women even cared about whatever crazy stuff I’d write about, but the feedback I get shows me that, without a doubt, they do care. What I’m saying is resonating. As a teacher I know that being passionate about something can breed passion and interest in others, so I keep that in mind in my personal writing for the blog.

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