Thursday, January 27, 2011

J the Millionaire Blogger?

Not! :P....

"Bloggers can earn RM 2,000 to RM 70,000 a month on average..."?
(Full article here at the Star Newspaper, which they sort of "borrowed" from Berita Harian actually...)

Wow.

When I saw that link tweeted by Boo_licious, I have to admit, I had a strange mix of emotions, including:
- HAPPINESS
("Oh cool. I guess that means people are taking bloggers more seriously now as a proper form of media?")

- SHOCK/ SURPRISE
("SEVENTY freaking THOUSAND a month? Sure or not? That's almost a million in a year leh!")

- SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
("Nah. I would never "sell out" like that. My blog will always just stay a hobby/passion...")

- REGRET/ GREED
("Eh. How come I didn't take it to the "next level" too? My blog is loss making - I use so much money to eat but only earn enough to cover 1 good meal (A YEAR btw)")

I am only human after all. :)
(Who wouldn't want to be one of the blessed few who can get rich from doing something that is essentially their hobby/ passion?)

Looking at the article though, I have 2 fears:
- being chased/audited by LHDN after this
(They would be sorely disappointed if they do though... Just that it would be a hassle to have them breathing down my neck), and
- that there will now be a huge influx of people who blog just to make money.

.... Not that there's anything wrong with making money - it does make the world go round after all....

It's just that it may cast a shadow of doubt on the rest of us who work hard at our day jobs and spend our free time (sometimes into the wee hours of the night) blogging without any payment, just because we want to share recounts of food we ate, delicious or otherwise, with the world.
(Yeah, some of us are just that crazy. LOL)


Anyway, just wondering - what are your thoughts on the article/ this "issue"?
:)


Contemplative,
J

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16 comments:

  1. Haha, no appointments at all since I don't earn a cent with my blog since I am ad-free. No expectations, no disappointments.

    But I would say, dear, one good meal IS one good meal. Also good ma... :)

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  2. aiseh, i dont think i earn enough for 1 good meal at the rate the fine dining prices are increasing so rapidly since i left!

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  3. Maybe I should convert my blog into a health and fitness blog instead. Post more pics of unka getting sweaty in various positions :P ROFL!

    We all started blogging for various reasons...and yes, there was a point in time when I thought I could make some $$$ of my blog. I've got only one ad running on my blog now and I have not even received my 1st cheque from them yet. Go figure :P

    But I've met many fantastic people through my blog, you being one of 'em. That to me is better than any $$$ that I can possibly earn from my blog *hugs*

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  4. The thought does occasionally cross my mind too..about making money from the blog...but I reckon there's a lot more pressure when it becomes a business concern, and I'm too darn lazy to think about it especially when I have an ultra-demanding full-time job right now. There's nothing wrong with keeping our blogs for the passion that we have for sharing, but there's also nothing wrong with monetizing the blog. It's about accepting the consequences of our action (or non-action).

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  5. I think it's a conscious decision that the blogger makes, whether to be in it for the moolah or the "lain-lain." The blog reads differently when it's geared towards the former and it's a compromise some of us aren't just prepared to make. Like Unka, the exchange of ideas, the wealth of information and knowledge from the people I've met via blogging, has been tremendously rewarding! :-)

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  6. I think most of us started blogging for one common passion - FOOD!!!
    Don't know about you, but I write blogs because of my love of eating.. lol!! And I wanna share with my friends as well as everyone else.
    Don't get me wrong - of course I don't mind getting paid for blogging! After all, I could have additional income apart from my business and I can use it to indulge in my hobbies or to supplement my family.
    For me, I have achieved something i return so far... making new friends who share common passion :)

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  7. i just clicked on your blog's BK Grilled Chicken ad :D
    ya, i doubt that anyone in malaysia is making a million ringgit a year from blogging (maybe the reporter got it confused with people who run full-time businesses online or something). personally though, i'd be happy to make more money any way i can. i'll sell out if anyone ever wants to buy, heheh :D

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  8. to life for beginners:
    haha. I was ad free until 2009 I think? And yeah, one good meal a year is good enough :)

    to joe:
    Yeah! Crazy how prices are going up up up n salaries r not...
    (Well I can't afford a 3 course dinner with wine at Cilantro but it's still good enough for a nice dinner at most other restaurants....)

    to unkaleong:
    Aiyo. So sweet lah u. *hugs*
    Well, glad to have made ur acquaintance too. :) And ROFL-why not try to start that special photo heavy blog? You never know... You could be the next millionaire blogger!

    to lyrical lemongrass:
    Yeah true. I can imagine the feeling of blogging would be very different if it became our main jobs. I guess right now we can enjoy it solely as a hobby :)

    to minchow:
    hmmm. Yeah. There r definitely a few "famous" blogs out there that I stopped reading after they started putting in too many product reviews/ advert type posts... The tone changes a lot!
    (*hugs* glad to have met u thru blogging, btw!)

    to Thule aka leo:
    haha. I wouldn't mind making the extra money too
    loh that's for sure! Then can eat so many more delicious things.... *drool*
    (but agree. Just having met so many lovely ppl like u and Jenn is worth too much already)

    to sean:
    yay! Extra 1 cent? Not sure how that ad clicking works acterly but thanks :)
    (I have some suspicions that the reporter has gotten something mixed up too. 70k a month?- Just sounds way too good to be true!)
    <

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