By Bob Deakin
Is there a more ungraceful word than blog? I write two or more of them each week and I’ve never liked the term. However, those stories appear on a website to promote my writing. Therefore it’s a blog.
The Merriam-Webster definition of Blog is a “regular feature appearing as part of an online publication…” So far that’s me. To continue, “...that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors.”
I Don’t Want To Be a Blogger
Okay, it’s a blog, but I don’t want to be a blogger. ‘Blogger’ sounds like a writer with a criminal record instead of a degree. Calling yourself a writer is bad enough. People’s eyes are rolling before your lips stop moving. I write, like everyone else. I merely make a living at it - most of the time.
Blogger implies a guy in his underwear in his basement heckling in anonymity. Not me. I wear shorts and a T-shirt in well-lit spaces.
Bloggers Are Columnists With a Different Gig
There are lots of fine columnists. They get to call themselves that, as they are paid contributors to historically famous news outlets. Most have been at it for decades. My favorites include Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post, and Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel.
Bloggers may be paid too and often more than columnists. They don’t garner mainstream recognition but are household names in their domains. Below is a list of five of the highest-paid bloggers of 2023. In full disclosure, I checked many sources, and the lists vary widely, but here are the five ‘highest-paid bloggers’ according to CreateandGo:
Tim Sykes: $1,000,000 plus per month
Melyssa Griffin: $200,000
Sarah Titus: $200,000
Chiara Ferragni: $200,000
Pat Flynn: $200,000
Familiar with the names? Neither am I, although I visited each for this “article and personal commentary.” They work hard and it’s obvious why they are successful with the many photos, creative ideas, and consistent content expertly presented.
As you know, tread lightly with links to newspapers and blogs. They are minefields of ads, cookies, opt-in prompts, popups, clickbait, and video auto-plays. You may even lose track of why you entered in the first place. Now you understand how they earn money and why no one has an attention span.
Lots of guys with the T-shirt/blazer combo, mantras, and professional smilers. I wish I could do that. Well, not really. I don’t want to be a blogger. I just want to write.
Self-love is the process of accepting yourself for who you are and committing to promote your own happiness and peace.
That prophetic mantra comes from a wellness blog and elegantly resonates deep in the soul. Just give me a few minutes to figure it out. I spotted it on a blog with a link to create a free account for another blog.
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Highest-earning blogs in 2023 according to MoneyMint.
Ariana Huffington: Huffingtonpost.com – $250 million per year
Tim Sykes: Timothysykes.com - $120 million
Peter Rojas: Engadget.com – $50 million
Perez Hilton: Perezhilton.com – $40 million
Chiara Ferrangi: Theblondesalad.com – $35 million