Comments on: the global microbrand rant 2

By: hugh macleod

hugh macleod — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:33:52 +0000

He’s not anonymous, Phil. He’s extremely well known in his field. I’m just not going tot ell you who he is.

By: phil jones

phil jones — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:24:32 +0000

"Whereas, compare that to one self-employed guy I know [who shall remain nameless], who isn't even on the Technorati 1000, yet every Movable-Type-powered blog post he writes, on average, nets him $25,000-$50,000 in new business. What can I say? The latter, what I call "The Global Microbrand", in terms of my own selfish needs and ambition, is a far more powerful and useful an idea to me." In what sense is a guy "who shall remain nameless" a brand? Isn't one of the reasons we pay attention to the A-List because they're public? There seems to be something a little contradictory about trying to use blogs as the engine of your business and yet not (wanting to) draw attention to yourself. It's hard to be inspired by anonymity.

By: tish grier

tish grier — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:35:27 +0000

Hi Hugh....as one of those "little guys" (let's make that "little broads") slugging it out in the blogosphere, here's a few thoughts: Tristan Louis and I've had some interesting conversations about building careers out here..which came about when a discussion heated up over how the A-list are "gatekeeping" and misleading people by trying to convince them they can make it out here on their own pluck and ambition. Neither of us feels the A-list is necessarily gatekeeping, but we do feel that, at this time, it takes a bunch of experience in something other blogging to make it *in* blogging... I can honestly say I've had a tiny bit of success at blogging as a career, but it's still a nail-biter every month as to where the next paycheck is coming from. Ads on my blogs is still an option--but that won't create enough income. Publishing articles in online pubs helps, too(I'm writing more on citizen journalism for OJR) Blog editing for various ventures and other such stuff helps, too. But after a year and a half, I may have to bite the bullet and get a "desk job" so that I can get some experience in an old-fashioned career (like marketing or publishing) to augment all by blogospheric experience. Trying to be taken seriously without it is tough (although it's done a bit of good for my ego--I'm always perceived as much younger than chronological age because of my blogging experience.) I think that's the case because there's not a heck of alot of understanding of blogging as a world of its own vs. a tool to serve something already established. Without a design background, or a publishing background or a marketing background to relate *to* blogging, lots of folks controlling the pursestrings of companies just can't see its value. And if there's no value (nor any ROI) there's not going to be huge money for blogging for the average schmoe/schmoette (who doesn't live remotely near the Silly Valley.)

By: K

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:05:02 +0000

We’re really seeing the barriers to entry dropping in the publishing world. This is increasing the popularity of Print On Demand which means everyone can be a publisher.
Oh, and since the marketing is being pushed from publishers to authors, there isn’t much of a downside. Heck, even grabbing listings for anything not in the norm is becoming the realm of the author.