Okay, so the weblog has yet to reach its full potential, as the majority of folks outside this microcosm we’ve created called cyberspace have a vague, if any, recognition of the medium. But as the blogosphere grows, it will add a targeted reach heretofore never seen. AOL noticed. Publishers are noticing too.
Just as you finish reading about AOL’s multimillion-dollar buyout of Weblogs, Inc., you discover that blogs are leading dedicated writers into book deals.
Over at Blogger Buzz, Eric points out a Parisian culinary blogger who scored a book deal with a New York publisher. The deal was lucrative enough that Clotilde could quit her day job and become a fulltime writer.
This isn’t the first time a blogger has blogged their way to a book deal. According to Biz Stone, it’s happening more and more often. The trick to it, says Biz in a nice how-to post, is that you have to be an obsessive blogger. Oh, and a little “chutzpah.”
“That’s how I got my first deal. I became obsessed with blogging over four years ago when I discovered how easy it was and realized that a revolution was at hand. I talked about blogging so much that my friends thought I was a freak, and people mostly rolled their eyes whenever I opened my mouth. But hey, I’m an author now. This obsessive fixation can work for you too. Obsessive behavior is treatable, but if left unchecked, it can land you some sweet gigs,” writes Biz.
A blogger’s appeal to publishers comes in three ways: pre-packaged audience (these bloggers already have a significant numbers of followers); a blogger sets himself up as an expert in some field or another; and by following a blog they can get a feel for the writer’s style and level of expertise.
