As all regular readers and contributors know, we've had a roller coaster ride here at Blogcritics over the last few weeks: we had to pick up and change hosting companies precipitously with the cost in that area rising dramatically, the move also generating all kinds of technical issues that have had to be resolved. And we had to put up a donations button for the first time, but we've also had some very exciting and hopeful things happen as well - I am extremely optimistic about our future and our prospects for economic viability.
We were fortunate enough to be featured prominently in an excellent article in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer by Chris Seper, a mainstream journalist (and blogger) who really gets it when it comes to the theory and reality of blogging:
- The past week in Eric Olsen's life shows just how precarious the business of blogging can be.
Olsen's well-known pop culture Web site, Blogcritics.org, suffered a minicrisis when its expenses spiked. He scrambled, put out a call for donations from readers and covered the costs.
What triggered the financial crunch? A $200-a-month expense.
"That's a lot of money when it's coming out of my pocket," said Olsen, 45, working out of two rooms he has commandeered in his parents' Aurora home. Blogcritics averages only about $500 a month in revenue.
Online publications known as blogs are slowly moving from amateurish soapboxes to money-making enterprises. Most blogs, or Web logs, are nothing more than teenagers' online diaries or daily political newsletters with audiences of 30.
Blogcritics, which features entertainment commentary from hundreds of authors, moved out of the amateurish category soon after it started two years ago. But it hasn't yet hit the list of elite blogs that sell ads for $1,000 a week and annually get five-figure commissions by selling lots of books and CDs.
Lots more in there about blogonomics, check it out. We're on our way, I'm very excited about where we are heading, but we aren't there yet.
Article comments
1 - Bob A. Booey
That's telling whan an ELITE blog boasts about a five-figure annual commission. Say what you will about traditional mass media, but viewers and subscribers to print materials mean guaranteed revenue, even if the numbers are dwindling.
2 - Eric Olsen
Sure, the mainstream media has all the advantages, which is why the fact that anyone is making money from blogs is so noteworthy.
BTW, the only issue I have with this excellent article at all is the characterization of Blogcritics as "moderately successful." I realize the discussion was purely about income and we were being compared to the tiny handful of revenue generating sites, but I think Blogcritics has been wildly successful. There are something like 2 million blogs and we are in the top 20 or so by any measurement - that's pretty "elite."
3 - bhw
Eric, I agree. The site is very successful, and it bloggles my mind that there's not a bigger revenue stream coming from it.
4 - Mark Saleski
well, i received my two coffee mugs and the mouse pad.
very cool.
5 - Eric Olsen
Very glad to hear it Mark - I am frankly astonished more people haven't been snapping up the Blogcritics merch. I knew the donation concept would be a tough sell after almost two years of riding free, but I assumed many more people would be going for the goodies, which are reasonably priced, cool, and useful.
BHW, "bloggles" - I like that. It's all relative, but we have now focused on the business side of things seriously for the first time. I am very optimistic about where we are heading.
6 - Mark Saleski
by the way, i would like everybody to know that the blogcritics cofffe mugs are so big that you can easily hog the coffee pot with little effort.