In a move that may inspire many imitators or prove financially disastrous, popular blogger Andrew Sullivan is leaving his home at The Daily Beast to take his blog completely independent. In order to do this, he's counting on his readers to be willing to pay $19.99 per year for the privilege.
Optimistic pullquote here:
...if hardcore Dishheads want to give us some love for the years of free blogging and for the adventure ahead, we'd be crazy not to take it.
Actual, discussion-worthy point here:
No link from another blog to us will ever be counted for the meter - so no blogger or writer need ever worry that a link to us will push their readers into a paywall. It won't. Ever.
This is precisely why I'd say he's certain to fail. Sullivan is a political writer who takes strong positions, and is nearly always linked to by others, be they in agreement and looking to add their dittos, or dissenters who wish to pick him apart. If following links from those people is free, why give Sully the $20? For the privilege of calling yourself a hardcore Dishhead?
In case you don't think this topic is sufficiently nerdy, I'll say this - if his plan actually works, Sullivan will undoubtedly inspire others to proceed in the same fashion. Would you stay loyal to your favorite blog if you had to pay a premium, but could read the more popular entries free via external links? Variety tried the paywall, and finally gave it up recently (a huge relief to people like me who wanted to link to their scoops, but ended up linking to secondary sources instead).
TR will not be going that direction. But best of luck to those who try.
Tags: Blogging
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26 comments
1 Like
thank god you're not going that way. can't imagine where i would find news about about russian laws and ex newsweek columnists' business news if you did. except for everywhere else. but still.
2 Like
@jamawalk Let me see if I can find the keys to the magic handcuffs that are keeping you here.
3 Like
Something like political commentary I think has a better chance of working by going pay than a blog like TR.
TR is a content aggregator by nature, and more of a convenience than anything. A political blog is content creation by nature due to it consisting of opinions, which people MIGHT pay to read.
Keep in mind that magazines were very successful for decades as a format, after all. And if he makes the more popular articles free, not only will he still get traffic but also advertising revenue from said traffic. There will be a dedicated segment willing to pay, and since he's a one-man operation he might be able to actually make enough money between the two to stay afloat given he has a reputation at this point.
4 Like
@GeneralTekno Not disagreeing...but I'm hoping to generate more original content around here shortly.
3 Like
@GeneralTekno except that there are lots of people for any political persuasion imaginable already doing blogs for free - so really what does he bring to the table?
Lets be honest (aka speculate wildly) he can do this gig and make money through the same ad based revenue model everyone else uses. What he is actually doing is trying to make back the up front money it's going to cost to start his independent site in a way that makes it look professional rather than independent. Then it will go free.
2 Like
I used to watch Erwin Evans video MtG blog every week - then it went "pay-for" and I said "fuck-that"
8 Like
"TR will not be going that direction"
Good Call with all of TR's broke readers you would be jobless LYT.
6 Like
Seems to me like Andrew got into a p*ssing contest with the Daily Beast and said that if he left, so would everyone else. Then someone said "you'll never make any money on it!" To which he said, "watch me." In a day and age when you can literally get anything you want for free, i don't know why people would pay for this stuff.
6 Like
@Canadian.Scott I'm afraid the going rate for thoughts, be they yours or anyone else's, is still one penny.
