Just my 2 cents…..

I feel a little late to the party, but here goes.

I’m sure that David knew of the reaction of other bloggers who have been ‘programmed’ to do everything with their blogs except earn a healthy income from it.

The problem is that there is a flood of digital products on the market. Every “blog on blogging” has something to sell.

Many buyers often feel “remorse” after their purchase. Newbie bloggers are tasked with creating a sellable good AND creating a successful blog. Often the commitment to do so is overwhelming.

The reality that this will be accomplished by paying for an e-book is unrealistic, comical even. But, I do respect your right to offer something tangible to your readers/subscribers.

In closing, I’d like to say that inclusion in one’s blog revenue is a turnoff to me and I’m sure to many readers. Must my worth be determined in dollars and cents? Does that not devalue our relationship?

I assume that is the trade-off for trying to build credibility in that market.

Keep selling “the dream.”

Source Blogger

Is he hiding something or what?

so your point is not always right. it is right sometimes

Personally, the success of my blog (although I’ve only been blogging for 4 months or so), has to do with content.

Why? Because I’m focusing on solving people’s problems.

Not only that but the biggest reason why I disagree with you is because your method won’t serve the masses.

You have got to serve others, if you want to be a success. Not focus on making money first and foremost. Sure, it needs to be a consideration, but it all needs to be balanced out.

Thanks though, I will use this information. If only as a side-note to what I already do. I’ll remember this article!

I think you undervalue the importance of good posts. After all, if you spend all your time trying to sell products and put half assed post up, no one is going to be interested enough to stick around.

Actually, I’m surprised you even have written a book on this, because you don’t even mention web traffic. We traffic is a commodity, and if you have a lot of web traffic you can make money.

I can think of countless blogs whose content alone generated success for the blogger. What comes to mind right now is thingswhitepeoplelike. This guy just started posting funny content that resonated with an audience, got tons of web traffic, and now he’s got a book deal and a url that half the world knows about and is linked to.

Blogging can be whatever you want to be, but like anything, you have to know who you’re trying to reach and be consistent. I see too many bloggers just have one blog and just random posts.

1. A blog is branded as a business because it’s a prefered marketing tool. People would rather think of themselves as business owners than bloggers. One sounds alot more professional than the other. Business gives the writer the feeling of importance.

2. Blog Post are important: They establish a “Medium or communication platform.” If you can’t offer interesting blog post to readers then you’ll never be able to sell an Ebook.

And it’s all very illuminating to those of us trying to make money as writers. As a journalist I find the only way to make decent money is to sell into print publications. Of course the notion of doing making money by writing online is tempting. But there does not appear to be a business model to support that.

Proof: I make some thousands of dollars a month writing for one print pub which also has an online edition. Sometimes a good article idea will get squeezed out of the print version, so I recently asked my editor if I could sell it to the online for, say, half or even a third. Better than nothing, right?

You shoulda heard him scoff: “the online people don’t pay jack!” He explained that without the scarcity value of print, there’s no value at all placed on the articles in the online edition. Which is why they’re all reprints of stuff that has appeared elsewhere, wire copy or, at best, top-of-the-head and often snarky musings on this or that with no effort toward sourcing, research, credibility or even good writing.

I’m somewhat newish to this, so please forgive me if I’ve got this wrong. And please do tell me what I’m missing about online journalism being a way to make a living if you’re not already a celebrity with a recognizable brand from, say, the Times or Vanity Fair. I’d love to know! Meanwhile, I’m doing pretty well selling to dinosaur print for $1.50-$2/word and I’m not about to start giving it away.

Great post :)

But I totally agree that blogging is and should be a layer on top of a successful business that both supports it and informs its buying community of developments and opportunities offered by the business itself.

Interesting post.

But the goal of the blog is to get them to pick up the phone and call me…or bring their car into the shop.

I think having a clearly defined goal is the place to start. And then working at it from there.

So I agree with you…your goal isn’t writing posts. It’s getting your client to get involved w/ your product…whatever that is.

From a knowledge management perspective, I wouldn’t totally discount those who have pursued blogging as a business in itself, as it is also their right to choose the vehicle which suits them.

Hope this i perceived in a positive light:), as it was meant to be.