The Christian Science Monitor digs into the publishing revolution, and how easy it can be to earn money online through your writing, videos, or other media. Some excerpts:
“The rise of what’s known as contextual advertising has created a 21st-century version of royalties that’s reaching deep into the ranks of amateurs and hobbyists. It points to a future where many people will moonlight online as small-time creators for a little extra income, with a few finding fame and fortune along the way.”
“People can participate in the economy in ways that were once unimaginable. Not just moonlighting, but serious money,” says Don Tapscott, co-author of “Wikinomics.” In the past, writers, musicians, and videomakers needed to prove themselves as “home-run hitters” in order to get distributed and earn significant money. “Now, bunters and single-hitters have a chance to make a living,” he says.
“Yet many bloggers and video bloggers are not driven by a desire to get rich, [they are] more interested in forming personal connections.”
“I’ve gotten so much from giving and sharing my videos for free,” says video blogger Steve Garfield, “I’ve made so many friends from all over the world.”
“Several highly successful bloggers also caution that there’s no free lunch. “I worked anything from eight- to 16-hour days over the last three or four years just trying to do this,” says Mr. Rowse. “And a lot of people don’t see that.”