Atomic Industry

I’ve always wondered what life must be like for people witty enough to blog for a living. The thought originally seemed almost cheap to me. I felt like these people have stumbled upon something akin to winning the lottery. Free money!

As I’ve gotten more comfortable with the platform and, in some cases, gotten to know a few of these folks I began to realize the value they offer their readers. Essentially, these bloggers are journalists with their own micro-publishing system and audience. It’s a great example of common technology creating brilliance.

I’m absolutely addicted to watching some of my favorite pro bloggers tackle common revenue issues. Jason Kottke, whom is probably the most well known, began with a pseudo-subscription based model that failed and has now moved on to offering contextual advertising from the Deck. Dooce.com is actually ran by an incredibly witty lady that was fired from her job due to her blog. She has since become a very successful blogger that supports her husband, daughter, and dog through advertising. Lastly, there is DaringFireball.net ran by John Gruber. Gruber has recently gone pro and is supporting himself through site memberships as well as the Deck.

All three were panelists at SXSW this year and as interesting as their panels were, I was left wondering what their reality really is. How comfortable is their blog supported life? What’s the bottom line?

Really interesting subject that I wish I had more time to explore.