This counts as my good deed of the week.
If any of you read the WSJ article about blogging today and have dollar signs dancing in front of your eyes, wake up and come to your senses. I want you to read this and repeat it over and over again to yourselves. You cannot make a living as a professional blogger.
Now, of course, that’s not true for every one of you. There is always the chance that you’ll come up with some great idea or the stars will align and you’ll be the exception but believe me it’s the longest of shots.
The article has been roundly dismissed in the blogosphere by people who know better. They’ve questioned the numbers the author employs and dismissed most of it as fantasy or just poor research.
I don’t blog to support myself because I have a condition that requires me to eat. I learned early on that making money blogging was not going to happen. It’s a hobby, something I do because I like to write and it forces me to think through things.
By all means, if you think you would like to write a blog do so. Just don’t quit your day job. In fact, plan on spending more money than those Google ads bring in.