By Flexo

I never thought I could be making a living from blogging. And I’m not. But it is getting to the point where it’s starting to look like a distant probability. I love publishing on the Internet. I probably would love it more if it weren’t so easy; I like a challenge. Actually, it is challenging. It’s tough to keep up with my primary blog in a niche that is very quickly expanding. It’s difficult to find the right way to monetize the writing in a way that doesn’t piss off regular readers — but still rewards me for my tireless efforts.

I take a look at my finances at the end of each month. In November, my websites produced more income than my (admittedly mediocre) day job salary. These earnings have increased tenfold over the same time last year. What if they increase tenfold by the end of 2007? That may not be likely, but what if they double? A 50% increase would get me truthfully considering blogging full time.

Much depends on the world, as well. As blogs continue to rise in popularity, the activity is sure to draw more star writers. This will make it more difficult for independent voices to be heard. The mainstreamization threatens as blogs become even more commonplace. It might well be that if I haven’t “made it” by now as a professional blogger, it may never happen for me.

Defying the advice of motivational speakers, I’m not even sure if I want to be a professional blogger. I do really enjoy writing, but I’m not convinced what I say has much value besides vanity. Perhaps the ever-increasing readership of Consumerism Commentary shows that people do want to read… or perhaps my blogs are just showing up in search results more often.