John Hawkins re-ran an article on why Bloggers do not succeed. Like his other work, it was an interesting article and thought-provoking.
I do not, however, completely agree with it.
Here's the thing. I write on two blogs, as part of a team at Wizbang!, which opportunity I greatly appreciate, and I also write on my personal blog, Stolen Thunder.
I also have a 'real world' life, which involves my family, my full-time job, my pursuit of my MBA and CPA, my cancer treatment, and repairing the damage done by my well-meaning but rowdy canines, pretty much in that order. As much as I'd like to become some internationally famous luminary with a huge expense account and the adoration of Right-leaning blogophiles everywhere, it's not a big blip on my radar, largely because of something I heard years ago.
I remembered a story about a young man who was frustrated as a musician, because he really wanted to be famous and rich, yet he knew that was somehow off the mark. His father asked him if he loved music, and the young man said he did.
"So do what you love", suggested his dad, "and don't try to be famous or rich. Be a musician."
It's sort of the same thing with blogging. I like feeling appreciated as much as anyone, but I blog because I think I can add to the conversation, and sometimes just to say my peace. I blog when and how I see fit, and yes that means I don't often pull in a huge crowd, but - eh - I never wanted to be a star, not really. I like conversation better than trying to make folks think I'm the next Christopher Hitchens or quote me from every post. And the people I read, they tend to be normal folks who have good arguments, an interesting way of writing, or whose work is important to me. Of course, I read the big guns, Michael Yon and Bill Roggio, and I have never posted anything near as significant as their work. But I flatter myself that I can tell a good story every so often, that my insights about various things are worth the time it takes to read 'em. Nobody makes you do that, after all - if my stuff is dreck, just pass me by the way I do the NYT or the LAT. But I think a lot of us bloggers are not worried about punching up big numbers, or trying to impress anyone. We're bloggers because we're bloggers.
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Comments (6)
There's a blogger on a very... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Eric Forhan | March 12, 2008 9:33 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
There's a blogger on a very popular site who is very often complaining about visitor numbers being down. I'm not against bloggers getting paid, as he does, but his pining about the numbers causes me to wonder if he's just in it for the cash.
1. Posted by Eric Forhan | March 12, 2008 9:33 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 09:33
2. Posted by matthew | March 12, 2008 9:59 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Nothing wrong with rattling a tip jar. Also nothing wrong with being on a payroll, so long as your voice isn't thereby stifled. JM Marshall, Atrios, Matt Yglesias, and a bunch of other liberal bloggers make very good money as citizen journalists. Some of their less popular but still widely read colleagues earn a good supplementary income.
Not saying there's a disparity in the quality of writing between the two halves of the political blogosphere, but there does seem to be more wealth (through donations, ad revenue, Soros, whatever) generated by liberal writers to pay for all their caffeine and bandwidth. They're also far better at fundraising for political candidates.
2. Posted by matthew | March 12, 2008 9:59 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 09:59
3. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 12, 2008 10:38 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Blogging won't make me famous. What have I really done?
Broke a story about the screwups delivering emergency food stamps to Florida residents after Hurricane Wilma.
And
Covered a Ladies professional golf tournament as a credentialed member of the media.
And if more than four people know that, that's a lot.
As a blogger there is one thing I doubt no one else has accomplished I've managed to be
Called a hysterical right winger at Daily Kos.
and
Called a moonbat by Michelle Malkin.
I'd like to see somebody else at Wizbang do that!
Cheers,
Bill
3. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 12, 2008 10:38 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 10:38
4. Posted by DJ Drummond | March 12, 2008 10:58 AM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Ehh, Malkin ignores me and Kos ... what is Kos, a leftover villain from Star Trek?
4. Posted by DJ Drummond | March 12, 2008 10:58 AM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 10:58
5. Posted by matthew | March 12, 2008 11:24 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
No, that's Mickey Kaus.
5. Posted by matthew | March 12, 2008 11:24 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 11:24
6. Posted by DJ Drummond | March 12, 2008 11:29 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Mickey Mouse? Just a rat gone Hollywood ...
6. Posted by DJ Drummond | March 12, 2008 11:29 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on March 12, 2008 11:29