Blogging absorbs a lot of time and energy. "Budget an hour a day, if you're really serious," recommends Marie Javins, who spun her blog No Hurry (http://mariejavins.blogspot.com) into her first travelogue book, Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik (Seal Press 2007).
Seattle food writer Jess Thomson spent 2007 creating, cooking and blogging a recipe a day for Hogwash (http://jessthomson.wordpress.com). "Ultimately, writing a blog helped me discover my voice, and as a result find publications whose tones work best for me," she says. But she also acknowledges the downsides. " Posting every day has sometimes threatened to strip me of my interest in food. Another f***ing recipe? I normally love to cook at home, but sometimes the temptation of take-out swirls around me simply because I've developed this heavy sense of duty around my blog that doesn't necessarily need to be there."
So pick a subject you love, one you can live with for six months or six years.
Darren Rowse of Problogger.net agrees: "While it might be tempting to start blogs based on what other people are interested in or what makes commercial sense, there is little logic in starting a blog on a topic that you have no interest in.
"Your readers will quickly discern if you are passionate about your topic or not. Blogs that are dry and passionless don't tend to grow.
"Rowse recommends these questions to focus your theme:
- Is the topic growing or shrinking?
- What competition is there?
- What is the competition neglecting?
- Will you have enough content?
- Are there income streams on the topic?
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