Reddit mentions of Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers

I don't have any blogging role models. My niche is videogames (with a splattering of music thrown in). I find that most "journalists" operating within the industry are people who I don't want to emulate, as they tend to write about politically correct nonsense that I have no interest in. At the same time, there are very few bloggers who happen to be one-man bands who I know about (none actually). Usually it's always a case of bloggers and journalists (what's the difference?) banding together to form some sort of umbrella super-site from which they all chip in with their opinions from time to time.

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There are lone Youtubers though... I like Cornshaq and ACG. But that's not really blogging per se...

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To be honest, I don't have any blogging role models. I think it's the lifestyle which is so at odds with what the "lifestyle entrepreneurs" so often promote, where they are sipping champagne on some far off beach in the Bahamas... I worked on my blog for a year, and was always churning out content, and never made a dime. I didn't mind it though... I enjoy writing. But blogging is a lonely endeavour, and doesn't really pay, unless you incorporate other activities - such as creating exclusive products, promoting products via affiliate marketing (which you need a LOT of traffic for).

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There's a book out there called Blogging Heroes... A lot of them started out as lone one-man bands, and started hiring additional staff so as to have more regular content on their site. So like all the other established sites in other words.

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The problem is the market... There are sooooo many content creators out there, that it creates a culture of disposability, where even if you do create an original blog post, you most likely will be forgotten about in less than an hour.

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I think Gary Veynerchuck is worth investigating... Maybe read some of his books? He's all about the idea of regularly churning out content. Keeping on that metaphorical treadmill, so as to maintain audience attention.

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Personally... I am going to take a much more "DIY / punk rock" approach with my blog in future. And this is by looking into branding / merchandising. Get t-shirts and stickers printed. Start learning other skills (currently learning guitar, and will soon learn games development).

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Maybe look into extending your blog's array of services and activities? Create an online store? Buy and sell products - like traditional retailers? Online shopping has gotten pretty big over the last decade or so...

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