Carolyn CordonBlogging vs 'Real Writing'
August 8th 2008 00:04
I've been a blogger for a few months now, a newbie compared to some of you out there. But I've been a writer for a lot longer than that, with some publishing successes, including haiku published earlier this year, and a self-published book about dogs.
But I haven't been writing anything new in the creative fiction genre, just blogging and the occasional haiku. I find my time is being eaten up by reading blogs, writing blogs and writing and answering comments. This is all very well, and it's fun connecting with people out there in the blogosphere, but I'm not making money.
Having fun is a good reason to do something, but making money is what I'm supposed to be doing with my writing, aren't I? Or am I? I guess the reason for doing something varies from person to person.
Why do other people blog? Does anyone make money from blogging? I mean real money, not a few cents from Adsense. Am I being too venal thinking about the money side of things? I just know that my time is worth at least $20 an hour, but blogging doesn't bring that sort of money.
This feels like I'm missing a point. I enjoy blogging so much, it's like therapy. Maybe I should look at as saving money by not going to a psychologist. Blogging keeps me connected, keeps me sane-ish. Thanks everyone!
But I haven't been writing anything new in the creative fiction genre, just blogging and the occasional haiku. I find my time is being eaten up by reading blogs, writing blogs and writing and answering comments. This is all very well, and it's fun connecting with people out there in the blogosphere, but I'm not making money.
Having fun is a good reason to do something, but making money is what I'm supposed to be doing with my writing, aren't I? Or am I? I guess the reason for doing something varies from person to person.
This feels like I'm missing a point. I enjoy blogging so much, it's like therapy. Maybe I should look at as saving money by not going to a psychologist. Blogging keeps me connected, keeps me sane-ish. Thanks everyone!
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Comment by Carmen
Parent Slate
I've just started my blog this week, and already I can understand what you're saying about how time-consuming it is (or can be) - I feel like I spend my idle moments thinking about ideas for blog posts, rather than ideas for my stories. But the reason I want to stick with it is because it keeps my brain ticking, and keeps me writing - and just the act of writing is enough (I hope) to stimulate more writing (my creative stuff).
I think it's also a good thing to have in your CV - it's another thing you write and is a good complement to your other pieces.
As for the money-making, I wish I knew the answer to that one too!
Best of luck
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
The difference between blogging and real writing is Proof-reading.
When I blog I rarely proof-read. It is as disposable as anything on the planet. When I write even a business letter I proof-read it then hand it to others to read it.
Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
Damo - I tend to proof read my blogs and comments, but that's because I'm a bit anal about that sort of thing. It doesn't mean slips don't happen, it just means I'm embarrassed about it happening!
Comment by lbw
Comment by Chris Champion
moneywhither
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
NewlyOld
The Blog of Lists
I found an Orble guide to money-making here early on, and liked it for its honesty as much as its information. In summary, Orble's best-read blog is Z-Cars, which gets more than 20,000 individual readers a day (twice as many as the second-best). Z-Cars is written by an Orble staff member, has been around for more than two years, and is basically an exercise by the Orble people in making money from a blog. If anyone around here knows what they are doing, it is these guys.
The punch line is that, with their 20,000 or more daily hits, they make about US$40 a day.
Secondly, I have bought and read the well-regarded "Problogger: Secrets for blogging your way to a six-figure income". Its message is much the same as the Orble Z-Cars guide.
The message is this: 1) find a niche (these days the tighter the niche the better) in a popular subject; 2) produce plenty of high-quality, original material; 3) wait at least 12 months and probably twice that before you start making good money.
See. Easy!
Regards,
Chris
Comment by sandeye
Bird Story
San Francisco Music News
Yoga Tap
I gave blogging a shot, and over time have noticed two different trends. The few-cents blogs and the few-dollars blogs. If you persevere with 1-2 few-cents blogs for six month or more, you have some work to show as a sample to potential few-dollar blog opportunities. If you keep at it with the community aspects on the lesser income blogs, you can jump into the 'upper dollar class' jobs easier.
I currently write two no-income personal blogs, 4 low-income blogs on topics that mean a great deal to me that I hope to build up over the YEARS into $5 a week level, and have just started up a new paid-blog opportunity where I earn in dollars rather than cents for my work - using my low-income blogs as evidence that I can write/visit blogs of people who visit my blog/know my subjects/write regularly.
If you are looking for paid blogging opportunities that pay in dollars rather than cents, there are several blog-job writers sites and freelancer sites you can join, which have jobs listed, and of course Craigslist. But KEEP UP THE WORK on those cent-blogs - they may be your key to the higher paid jobs!
Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
thanks for your comments. Brain dump is a good phrase for it, it just dumps straight from brain to screen.
And hey, it's fun. My husband and son like to sped time with video games, I like to spend time blogging.
I'm not wasting my time, I strengthening my writing skills, and I'm 'marketing' writing too.