Sorry, Your Blog Won't Make You Rich
Blogs are a dime a dozen (or, perhaps, a dozen a thousand). But don't think that just because there are over 133 million blogs out there, according to blog tracker Technorati, all of them are actually active. In fact, according to a 2008 survey by the company, of the estimated 133 million, only about 7.4 million had been updated in the four months preceding the survey.The New York Times sought out some of these failed and retired bloggers to find out what had caused them to abandon their digital diaries. The Times found plenty of people who had just become too busy to keep a blog, whether it had been kids, school, or a job that eventually caught up with them. Others, who actually enjoyed some success, rebelled against the scrutiny and lack of privacy that came with their blogging.
The New York Times found that most, however, simply expected blogging to lead them to financial independence and were sorely disappointed when no one showed any interest in reading about their innermost whining thoughts. Judy Nichols started 'Rantings of a Crazed Soccer Mom' with dreams of book deals and a vibrant reader community. Instead the blog she started in late 2004, filled with complaints against the Bush administration and the heavily moralizing right wing, was dead by the end of 2005.
Similarly, Matt Goodman expected to be able to cash in on his novelty blog, 'Things My Dog Ate.' The site quickly was generating over 50,000 views a month and Goodman was able to sell advertising space to companies like PetSmart and E-Z Charge. However, Goodman's dreams of financial independence were quickly dashed when he received his first check of $20 for a month's worth of advertising click-throughs.
Technorati estimates that, of the millions of blogs out there, only about 50,000 to 100,000 account for the vast majority of page views. This shouldn't discourage those who just want to write and share their thoughts because they enjoy it, but those who think that blogging is going to put them on the fast track to wealth and fame might need to do a little reevaluation. [From: New York Times]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cecil Jones said 5:58PM on 6-11-2009
I'm one of these "Bloggers" you are addressing and I think your conclusions are wrong. Media doesn't want to make a star out of a "Blogger" because the "Opinion Business" is tough competition without the average citizen weighing in. Rejection is also the fault of the blogger who adds nothing to the larger debate. Writing about your life and sharing it on Twitter or a personal blog is only important to the writer. If a "Blogger" shares an opinion that generated commentary or shatters what was offered by the Main stream, then that person has every right to be a "Star" but getting paid is another animal. The Media doesn't believe in "Free Speech." Certain websites like some on AOL and at Fox eat blogger comments and that's censorship. In the final analysis, keep writing if you have something to add to the public debate. Nobody cares if your gold fish dies. The Media is running scared of those with something to say and can say it better than they do. Equal opportunity in the "Opinion Business" is coming if they like it or not. I "Tweet" and Blog, therefore I am a journalist.
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Cecil Jones said 6:44AM on 6-12-2009
Sorry, it's me again. This time I just wanted to add that a Blogger doesn't intend to get rich from any one thing they write. It's the collection of work over time that is priceless. Eventually, if the person dies or does something spectacular the public will demand to know what they thought about everything. How many people in life can claim and prove to be "The Democratic Karl Rove?" How many people can truly say they played a role in the "Politics of Personal Destruction?" I'm laughing all the way to my grave or to the bank whichever comes first. God willing, I'll sign that check or pass it directly to the wife and kid.
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maryjocobb said 8:36AM on 6-12-2009
Cecil - You'd better go back to school and get a better grasp on the English language before declaring yourself a "journalist". I think the educated "mainstream" can see that you have no idea when to apply proper capitalization, commas, or quotes. You seem to be better suited to writing about your goldfish dying, rather than trying to stir up intelligent public debate.
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Shaun Snapp said 1:30AM on 6-27-2009
That is a not very nice thing to write to someone you don't know, and has not done anything to you.
Secondly, an infactuation with punctuation and the desire to focus on a person's grammer is a cheap and easy way to criticize a person without addressing the actual content. If you can not understand what the person is saying, ask them to clarify. I always attempt to address the content to address the central argument being presented. This leads to a real discussion.