Devoted to publishing, publishers and to those who craft the written word

'Write what you know.'

That's what countless creative writing teachers told me as I struggled to write during my undergraduate years. Nowadays, as a new generation of web writers are cutting their teeth and looking for inspiration, maybe that advice still works.

Instead of starting another blog about well-treaded territory like publishing, we should be looking around us for. Blog what you know--write about your community, your unique setting, and your unique community problems. It's a fascinating way to support yourself as a writer, and the market is just starting to heat up.

If you need some guidance, check out The Local Onliner, a great site monitoring developments in the world of community-focused, "hyper-local journalism." Recently that side discussed an innovative publishing project called New West, a local blog with multiple sources of income and a profitable model.

Follow this example:

"Online advertising is the core of the model, yes. However we also have several other revenue lines, including a small indoor advertising business, a custom-publishing business, and a conference & events business."