Blogging Goes Mainstream?

Somehow, yes, I can just feel it warming up. The "mainstream" public is beginning to realize something called "blogging" is happening. It could mean something important, such as a new advertising channel and book deals.

Fact: 1 out of 6 Americans read a blog in the first three months of this year, according to fresh research from ComScore Media Metrix.

Fact: more than 8 million Americans have created a blog (out of 120 million adult net users).

Fact: most popular blog categories: news and politics, lifestyle, tech and blogs written by women.

Four Senators and six Representatives use blogs to communicate with constituents in the home district.

Put it another way: 50 million US Internet users visited blogs. Blog readers visit twice as many web sites as the average web surfer. That's a whole lotta bloggin' gooing on.

Publishers are cutting book deals--large dollar deals--with successful bloggers who already have reams of written material and developed their "voice." They also have "a built-in audience and connection with their readers," says Sophie Cottrell, associate publisher of Little, Brown.

Gawker reported one book deal had a $650,000 price tag on it. Look for a spate of blog-centric reports, surveys and news bulletins to continue. But don't forget, New Times in SLO and The Sun in Santa Maria printed the first story of our own blog and how it came into existence. Thanks, all! Sphere: Related Content