Is Blogging Devaluing the ‘typed’ word? Part IV
It is difficult to gain any clear-cut evidence to support a claim into whether it has a direct effect on one’s publication chances, my research found. For instance, 62.5% of those I interviewed – who had been published – suggested that blogging had no effect on their chances of publication. With 32.5% claiming that their publication was of a direct or indirect result of their blog. Therefore the evidence, suggests that one cannot simply advocate blogging as a direct link to publication; however, neither can it be dismissed as irrelevant to the process, based on the results that I gained.
Moreover, the situation becomes more complex when those interviewed, who had not been published, are considered. For instance, those that saw it as helping their chances of publication were on equal ground with those that thought it had no effect, both were 43%, whereas the amount who deemed it to have a negative effect was 14%. With figures such as these it is difficult to draw clear conclusions about the effect that blogging is having on one’s chances of publication[1]. Therefore, when we return to the research question once more, we must draw some conclusions on whether or not blogging is devaluing the written word.
[1] However, it must be highlighted that I conducted a relatively small survey (15 respondents).
Scribblings and Broken Glass 
I personally have landed two jobs as a direct result of my blog posts. I was contacted by 1World Online (social research polling site) about a post on my blog about e-cigs they wanted to publish on their site. As a result, I now work for them creating polls and writing opinion articles. I also had 5 articles and landed a columnist job from a professional woman’s online magazine (WomanScope NewsMagazine) as a direct result from some of my blog posts. Both these gigs served to get me lots of exposure and set a clip portfolio for future work.
I may not be the norm, but proof enough that it can help.
Hope this helps you.
Hi Joseph,
That’s very interesting to hear. It seems that for some blogging can be the very reason for getting published and paid work. Thanks very much for your comment and for adding to the debate.
All the best,
AC.