Putting the "Me" in "Meritocracy"

Michelle Malkin, a woman who rapidly penetrated the upper tier of the blogosphere, takes up the topic of whether there's really room at the top:

In Billmon's eyes, the blogosphere is an inegalitarian place, with little opportunity for new blogs to break into the "charmed circle" of high-traffic sites that have sold out in pursuit of advertising dollars. I am not familiar with Billmon's writings, but I get the sense that he (or she) probably feels the same way about economic opportunity in the U.S.

How well does this pessimistic view of the blogosphere align with reality? Is mobility really as limited as Billmon suggests? ...

If [John] Hawkins were to create [a list of influential bloggers] today, I have no doubt we'd see plenty of new names--sites like Powerline, Hewitt, Allah, and perhaps Wizbang and INDC Journal. Not coincidentally, these are among the most consistently interesting and informed sites in the blogosphere.

As with everything, one's approach to the experience of blogging will affect one's view of its opportunities. I've been trying to break into relatively creative fields for almost two-thirds of my not-quite-thirty years of life — first acting, then music, then writing — so when I look at the blogosphere, I see tremendous opportunity. Not only is the Internet new, unruly territory, but it's also easier to get somebody to click a link than to read a manuscript. More importantly, it's easier to get an individual to publish a link (with or without a "heh" or "indeed") to content on the author's space than to convince an editor to buy and publish a full piece. In this way, merit really does play a stronger role in blogging, and exposure in that realm increasingly reflects into the "professional" literary world.

But it can't be denied that blogging well can be hard work. In my two years of blogging, I've researched countless issues, developing indepth analyses of some, replete with charts and catalogues. I've rearranged my schedule and cut into my sleep time in order to churn out worthwhile posts at Internet speed. I've even experimented with a whole new medium (digital video) and spent a few days, during a few weeks, making vlogs. These habits can become excessive, to be sure, but I think a portion of the frustration that Billmon expresses is attributable to the balance of demands.

Very, very few bloggers are able to translate all of that work into income of anywhere near the amount necessary to justify the time in the face of other responsibilities. A blogger making more in BlogAds alone than my entire annual household income is going to have more time to devote to blogging well. As time goes on, the competition is getting tighter, and given the nature of the Internet, we're each competing with others in dramatically differing circumstances.

I've no doubt that, if I had been working my current schedule all along, instead of my part-time plus freelance meandering, I'd be fortunate even to be among the Flappy Birds and Slithering Reptiles of the Blogosphere Ecosystem, rather than among (as I was just stunned to discover) the Large Mammals. If I'd had that loose schedule in the midst of a metropolitan area and/or a major event, perhaps I'd be higher.

Charles Hill has it right — and this goes for professional writing, as well: Blog for your own reasons, whether joy or obsession, unencumbered by the need to be in the front row of the revolution. Yes, in the blogosphere, the top tier is always tantalizingly close. A quirk of interest, of random expertise, or of fortunate positioning could catapult a blog up there, but we should always keep in mind that, without a firm foundation, that success will be just as fleeting as it was rapid.

If it becomes frustrating that you aren't managing to put the "me" in "meritocracy," well then, take a break. Perhaps reassess what you're doing. Or better yet, take a few months, years, or decades to try to break into the world of the printed word the old fashioned way for perspective.