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The Wall Street Journal deconstructed the job of "Blogger" in its "Paygrade" section yesterday, under Blogging for Web Sites. The Journal got some things right, namely....
- Full-time news bloggers work like dogs. Mario Lavandeira, author of the Hollywood gossip blog PerezHilton.com, says he averages 19-hour workdays that start at 5:15 a.m.
- Blogging is an obsession. Quoting Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine.com: "Blogging is an obsession. The guilt that piles up when I'm too busy to write a post is the worst."
- Bloggers can work in their feety pajamas and set their own hours, like Joel Cheesman of Cheezhead.com.
- And finally, self-employed bloggers must secure their own healthcare packages. (Although, to quote Homer Simpson here: "D'oh!")
Other things are oddly exclusionary, suggest ridiculous readership and revenue goals, and seem completely out of touch with much of the blogosphere. Here are some WSJ outtakes, with my comments, below:
THE PAY: Most self-employed bloggers take in between $2,000 and $10,000 a month from ad sales, says Henry Copeland, founder of BlogAds.com, a Web advertising concern based in Carrboro, N.C. The few that have huge audiences make significantly more, he adds. During election time, for example, a political blogger can bring in $20,000 to $30,000 a month, says Ken Layne, West Coast bureau chief for Wonkette.com, a political gossip blog owned by Gawker Media. Some bloggers are employed by companies, but they are often part of the marketing department, and blogging is usually only a small part of their duties."
Reality check: My issue is with the subject modifier in the first sentence. "Most bloggers take in $2,000 to $10,000 a month from ad sales..." Most? It should read "some" or "a few," because a minority of lucky self-employed bloggers rake in that kind of cash.
The WSJ fails to point out that $2,000-10,000/month is far from the norm. Most bloggers I know have bigger hearts than wallets -- in that they blog more for love than money -- and they often have other agendas, too. Like (but not limited to) visibility, intellectual stimulation, and other, less tangible reasons.
OTHER INCENTIVES: Mr. Lavandeira, who is based in Los Angeles, says he is frequently invited to events hosted or attended by celebrities. Jim Cahill, manager of marketing communications at Emerson Process Management, a global supplier of manufacturing systems and services in Austin, Texas, cites positive feedback from readers and being quoted in the business press.
Reality check: The WSJ loosely groups these two things as "incentives," but really... is licking margarita salt off of Paris Hilton's perfectly taut stomach in the same league as a manufacturing manager's being in tune with suppliers and customers, and scoring the occasional quote in a trade rag? Perhaps I'm splitting editorial hairs here, but the journalist in me sees the former as a fringe benefit, and another as a blogging cornerstone.
Weirdest of all:
CAREER PATH: Most bloggers start out using free Web sites such as WordPress.com and Blogger.com. They say it takes at least six months to build readership and clout in the blogosphere.
Reality check: Start out? Many bloggers I know still use WordPress and Blogger. But wait a sec... Is there some shame in using these platforms? Am I missing something? Why do I suddenly feel like the blogging equivalent of a teenage driver showing up in the high school parking lot in his Dad's station wagon?
Worse: "...six months to build readership and clout"? For some lucky souls, maybe. (Although -- and I'm wracking my brain -- I certainly don't know any I can link to here.) Most of the most successful bloggers I know have been digging in the blogging salt mines for several years already.
Don't get me wrong. Blogging has many virtues. But easy money and vast pools of eager readers aren't two of them. (Like with any publishing venture, you still have to grow your audience one reader at a time.)
That said, what do I know? Maybe I'm not kicking over the right rocks. My final comment to the "Paygrade" Blogger profile: Where can I apply?
(Many thanks to Laurel Delaney for the link.)
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Comments
So where are the chicks? And when do my checks arrive? And how do I get an invite to Paris' tummy?
Man, if the WSJ is right, I am wrong. To date (6 months online) I've earned $0, gotten no chicks and the only tummies I've seen, and they were clothed, are Ann's and CKs.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 02.07.07
Excellent points about the article, which does a poor job of qualifying its points as referring to the (smallish) higher echelon of full-time bloggers. Who knew it was such a simple and quick route to huge paychecks, frequent namechecks and a massive readership? Before you know it everyone and their mother will be blogging.
Oh. Never mind.
(and you're spot on about WordPress and Blogger. Unless some corporation plans to buy me and dictate how I blog [*call me!*], I'll use WordPress until they pry it from my cold, dead hands)
Posted by: Burbanked | 02.07.07
Ann - I love the headline, and the story drew me right in. It seems both academia and the media are having difficulties in pegging what constitutes a typical blogger.
For the record, you and MPDF are the cream of the crop for your field. :)
Posted by: Cam Beck | 02.07.07
"The WSJ fails to point out that $2,000-10,000/month is far from the norm."
Sounds like the WSJ is assuming that if someone isn't trying to directly monetize their blog, that they aren't making money off it. I haven't directly made a penny off my blog, but my blogging has led to consulting gigs, writing assignments, and speaking requests. Many other bloggers can report similar results from their efforts.
Posted by: Mack Collier | 02.07.07
There is a way to get free access to the Wall Street Journal with a netpass from: http://news.congoo.com
This has been in several blogs lately.
Posted by: James Stewart | 02.07.07
Now here is someone who knows how to write a good headline!
Unfortunately I don't fall into WSJ's "most bloggers" category... I don't think the paltry sum I've made even covers hosting costs.
Posted by: Melanie Phung | 02.07.07
Surely, I thought, if I go to Henry Copeland's blog he will have a post saying he was totally misquoted. But, alas, he doesn't.
I do make money from advertising on my blog, and from the sale of my reports. But the main income I derive from blogging is in consulting and speaking gigs,
And the coolest benefit of all is the other bloggers I have met and become friends with all over the globe.
I have often noted that the WSJ is deeply jealous of blogging's imppact, and yesterday's dumbass article shows there has been no change.
Posted by: B.L. Ochman | 02.07.07
You guys are all right -- the "real" money in blogging often comes sideways, via consulting, speaking, writing, and so on. Not sure where, exactly, the WSJ "$2000-10,000" figures came from. But god, I hope those folks are hiring....
Frankly, I thought the whole write-up was weird (even "dumbass," as BL would say!)
Melanie, Cam: Thanks. Perhaps not great for search engine love, but I couldn't resist!
Posted by: Ann Handley | 02.07.07
Your title got human search love! It's been funny to see how this week there have been certain stories weave their way into the blogosphere.
Cam alluded to the professor's study in Diva Marketing and CK's blogs.
David Armano talked about The End of Knowledge Hoarding and Stephen Denny talked about Clear Channel firing employees to hire citizen journalists.
At the essence level, we're all scratching our heads and wondering how it is possible to miss any of this information.
Then again... I still have people call me asking for my corporate address after they tell me they've been on our Web site. Duh!
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | 02.07.07
Ann, Any time I can be referenced in a blog post with title like yours, things can't be all bad!
Posted by: Jim Cahill | 02.07.07
I think I must be part of an alternate/parallel dimension blogosphere.
Actually I run Google Ads ... and think I may have made a grand total of 20c. I only did it to see how it worked and have been meaning to switch it off.
But the rewards for me are the people, the community and the sense of belonging. Oh, and if we can DO some things along the way that make the world a better place, then I am all for it. Does that have a payoff? Hopefully it does ... but for all of us!
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | 02.07.07
Just found a job for a blogger ... pays $14 an hour. Strange, they don't mention hot chicks in the JD.
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | 02.08.07
Gavin -- maybe that's assumed? : )
Posted by: Ann Handley | 02.08.07
Thanks Ann! And one of the issues I continue to wrestle with is on whether to bring a handful of pre-selected corporate sponsors to my blog.
I know who'd work because they would bring value in content and resources but I am just so concerned that I'll turn my readers off. But there's a big difference between a company coming to you to advertise on your blog with no business being there versus you going to them and saying "Hey -- we like what you do and we think it works for our readers too! Care to advertise?"
And I'm in opposition to Burbanked because I am not interested in our blog being bought or selling our soul (ideas) for pay. I just want to do my thing, do it well and continue to increase value to our readers. And if a company wants to be a part of that for compensation, why not?
Posted by: Laurel Delaney | 02.08.07
Laurel: I was merely making a joke about blogging often NOT leading to wealth and fame, and you're absolutely right that we shouldn't sell our souls or ideas for pay.
Because that's what my day job is for!
Posted by: Burbanked | 02.08.07
Grammar nerds unite! I snorted, outloud when I read your comment about the "subject modifier in the first sentence". As a word geek, that nailed me! Damn Handley, that was funny.
Money? Well, I do collect a paycheck from my job and I blog about work (sometimes)- does that count? If so, can I get a raise? Babes? Well, I do know Ann and CK and Toby and a host of other women from the blogosphere that are pretty damned amazing... but I haven't been licking margarita salt off of Paris Hilton or anybody else for that matter. Did I miss a post somewhere announcing this?
The blogosphere still escapes definition by most folks who do not live in it. I'd venture to guess that the well-meaning writers of the article are not exactly active participants in our community... or they would have known better.
I wish like hell I could make $10K a month doing what I do. Damn! That would be freakin' cool! Umm, Ann, can I have a raise? I promise I'll post more often... no, really.
Posted by: Tim Jackson | 02.08.07
Burbanked: "...we shouldn't sell our souls or ideas for pay. Because that's what my day job is for!"
THAT was funny!
Tim: You are absolutely right on all counts -- I would wholeheartedly second your thoughts about the blogoshere escaping definition by most folks. That seems to be a theme repeated elsewhere around the blogosphere this week -- via CK, Toby and David.
And YES! I'll double your draw from this blog. In fact... raises all around!!
Posted by: Ann Handley | 02.08.07
Lesson learned here: Cultivate a better sense of humor!
Thanks so much.
Posted by: Laurel Delaney | 02.08.07
Wait a minute. People are making money doing this????
I am SO writing my congressman.
oh wait. I'm in Canada.
Posted by: Sean Howard | 02.10.07
Leave it the WSJ to not have a handle on what's currently working. I guess if it's not on Madison Avenue, they don't spend as much on the beat writer.
Posted by: Brett Duncan | 02.12.07
There's more to writing a good story than just search engine love, and the best pubs don't forget that. (The best pubs remember to court word nerd love, too, with attacks on WSJ use of subject modifiers!)
Posted by: Melanie Phung | 03.01.07
I am earning 60$ per month with blogging, trying to increase it, and i will
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I like this site very much
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