Matt Yglesias has been doling out advice.
The fact remains that if you have things to say that you think are worthwhile and nobody is offering to pay you to say them, you ought to say them anyway for free. If enough people agree with you that those things are worthwhile, it just may lead to something.
He goes on to say the “ought” here is loaded. You have to love writing for free more than the next most enjoyable or potentially rewarding thing you could do with your time. That’s your call. But if you love to express yourself in writing and you want to share your thoughts with the world, I agree with Matt. Go for it! Fire up a blog and tell the world. The down side for trying it is very small.
And, yeah, if you do it well and in an area that is not well trodden, it could lead to rewarding things, including things that pay. But none of that will be handed to you. You’ve got to do the work, and it could take a while. Blogging is no get rich quick scheme. It’s just a great way to reach an audience. Every so often, someone in that audience is willing to help you out or pay you. It’s nice when you make that connection, especially given the premise: that you’re doing something you love anyway.
