Does the topic of selling out hold any value for you? Personally, I can’t relate to the topic. I see it as something from another time. But maybe that’s me and maybe I’m strange.
ShoeMoney, a guy who makes large buckets of cash from his blog is interested in the topic. He points to a post by Skelliewag on bloggers not selling out. This is how it starts:
Here’s the most inspiring blog post I’ve read in a really long time: Merlin Mann reflecting on 4 years of 43folders. It really is worth reading all of it, but if you’re too busy now, the general gist is that the productivity niche has largely sold-out, and so have bloggers in many other niches. The general malaise: bloggers writing what they think people want to read in order to get traffic and cash in on it, resulting in a whole lot of unoriginal and shallow content, and even more wasted talent.
I don’t do this type of editorial planning. I don’t look at traffic spikes and attach them to content. Since we’re working to monetize this site, maybe I should engage in that type of analytical behavior, but it’s not what I’m interested in. I’m interested in what I’m interested in (as are Shawn and Danny G.), and that’s what makes the front page of AdPulp. Thankfully, you an many others like you, share an interest in our interests.
Naturally, I’d never say there’s anything wrong with writing for an audience. I, and every copywriter on the planet, does so daily. I guess because that’s our core reality and the source of our incomes, AdPulp is a much freer space. I wonder what would happen if AdPulp became the primary source of our incomes. Would we then sell out?
