Media pundit Jeff Jarvis has dissected exactly how he earns a living as a blogger.

First the direct revenue from his blog BuzzMachine, which at $13,855 total revenue since 2001, is "not too shabby. Nonetheless, you'd still be forgiven for thinking I shouldn't have quit my day job," Jarvis writes.

According to Jarvis, who left his "day job" as president of an online division of Condé Nast's parent company in 2005, the exposure he receives from the blog has led to more lucrative opportunities.

Which doors have opened for him thanks, at least in part, to his blog?

·    A position on the faculty of the journalism school at City University of New York
·    Consulting and speaking gigs for various companies and brands
·    A column with MediaGuardian. Editors asked him to take ideas from his blog and transform them into a column, making "the newspaper an aftermarket for the blog"
·    A book contract stemming from an idea he discussed in his blog

And thanks to BuzzMachine, the brave new world of Web 2.0 is a more familiar place. "Buzzmachine has taught me about the new architecture of media; I wouldn't have learned that without jumping into the new world myself."

His final assessment: "this is one web 2.0 venture that is profitable."

That much is clear, but it's also true that Jarvis is something of a celebrity blogger. His success with his blog, while impressive, is certainly not the norm. For those still inclined to go web, take in to account as well the debate, provoked by a recent New York Times article, over the risks posed by the sometimes-ludicrously long hours that bloggers have to put in to keep up.

Source: Guardian