Comments on: Full-time blogger Kottke throws in the towel

After 12 months of trying to survive on reader contributions, Weblog Award winner ends micropayment experiment.

[taphilo]

Bloggers as Editorial Writers of the 1890s-1950s

Before the rise of TV editorial writers of newspapers carried a lot of weight, helped form public opinion (Spanish American War is the best example) and newspapers were bought to read the editorials as well as the news.

For bloggers to succeed they have to not only have a distinct style they have to have a sponsor to allow them to write without having to also market and advertise their blog.

A newspaper editorial writer does not have the time do all their own marketing and neither can a blog. The newspaper does that - blogs have to bow to the reality that they must also have an overarching supporter of them and they are not really a "new medium." The message is just DELIVERED differently than that of a newspaper editorial.

Tom Philo
http://taphilo.blogspot.com

[sdencar]

39,900?

Holy crap. This guy made 39,900 in a year to sit around and type on the computer about whatever he sees fit, and he's saying that's not enough money? Poor baby. Much more than I make at my tech job working 40 hrs/week.

[drkatz]

$39,900 in one year

According to my calulations, that's approximately
$20+ an hour.
If I earned that much, I would gladly sit around all day and write well enough to earn it!
I reckon that's not enough for some people, but he
will probably find some excuse to bypass any barbs
directed towards him about the money.
After writing a blog for eight years, I wouldn't
have quit my job to experiment for a year unless
I had something else to support myself.
In other words, I wouldn't rely on the kindness
of strangers!

[regulator1956]

More than you make ??

You work full-time in tech and make less than $40k a year ?!?!?! In the USA ?? You need a new job or more training.

Also, he probably had a few thousand dollars in expenses, so maybe he cleared $35k. I suspect he's capable of making $90k to $125k pretty easily.