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My niche is fly fishing. I’ve only been at blogging about fly fishing for about four months. I spent a lot of time looking at dozens of fly fishing blogs looking for the type of writing I’m interested in. I only found a handful.

Many of the blogs out there are pretty much just talking about where they fished and how many they caught (just like I do). But they seem to get lost on having a focus and finding their voice.

So…thank you!

Scott Cs last blog post..West Fork of the Bear River

As far as this post being a respin, I respectfully disagree. Is the topic similar to some that were being written at the time this post was written? Sure. But this post does what James describes in the above comments: “take what’s there. Sit on it and think. Then add your own perspective and thoughts to the matter.”

Using your argument, I could make the case that the whole purpose of your own blog, according to its About Page, is a respin of what Brian Clark, Darren Rowse, Yaro Starak and others have been doing for years – consolidating useful information about blogging into one place.

Do I believe that about your blog, that it’s just a respin? Not necessarily. I assume going into the situation that you’ve got something unique to say, or a unique way to say it – your own voice, your own vision, your own brand. I haven’t read enough yet to say for sure whether that’s the case, but I’m hoping it is.

If you read the articles that follow in this series, you’ll see that this series was, in many ways, about me trying to do exactly what you suggest – doing my own thing, better defining who I am as a blogger, talking about what value I add to the conversation, and talking about how I provide that value. Banging my own gong, as it were.

I think this was clear to my readers at the time I wrote the series – does it make sense to you now?

Bad form, Cath.

I agree with you both about blogging for dollars posts. When there is one post for every 5 people on the planet, you know that the market might be saturated.

Still, I’ll confess to helping create that problem: as a pen for hire, I’ve written my share of those articles. While they are well-written, none of them are particularly innovative. Am I especially proud of these? Nope.

But the paycheck that came with them fed my family during the lean times. I don’t regret it, but I’m also working my a$$ off today to insure that I don’t have to do it again.

I’m with James – all those make money from blogging posts are a waste of time. They just regurgitate the same old crap.

Having said that, James is right: Applying your own perspective (I think Jim called it his “twist”) is essential.

The other thing to remember is that some writers, especially new ones, write in a vacuum. They write something they believe to be revolutionary, when in truth it is old hat. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that point.

@ Lis – Thank you for coming by! I know what you mean. my contract writing isn’t exactly unique. It meets client specs and pays for my kids’ dinner. I hope someday to be cool like James here and feed my family with my blogging, but that’s a ways off

I do enjoy Lis’ blog, by the way. If you’ve not checked it out, you should go take a look! The print area adds an often-neglected dimension to the writing discussions.

What makes my writing blog unique? For the most part, my writing blog is there to chronicle both my successes and failures as I venture into print publication. It’s from the perspective of a complete novice. I do talk about other ideas, like yesterday’s post on managing your blog subscriptions. But I don’t feel like an expert in anything, at least not yet! If I can impart a little wisdom to someone else just starting out, then great!

So take what’s there. Sit on it and think. Then add your own perspective and thoughts to the matter. Write, post. Voila. Trying to come up with something that no one has ever heard of before is the main cause of all blogging struggles – and in this, you’re right. It’s not possible. But a unique angle and spin is.

To the comment that if that’s the best others can do, let them do it and leave them alone, I say no. The virtual world is filling up with so much redundant garbage every day that researching accurate information is a definite challenge. This shouldn’t be. There should not be 1,500,984,862 articles on “how to make money on a blog.” This is a waste of space, words, time and investment, especially if nothing new is added to what’s already there.

Plus, the problem is that to repeat what everyone else has already said because that’s the best you can do means that all you’re doing is changing a few words or paraphrasing. Has it been done accurately? Does changing the word “could” to “will” affect the whole meaning? Yes, and that’s the wrong way to go about it.

There is also the equally valid argument that ‘one man sharpens his face off another’s’ – where I have used an idea from someone else’s blog I have tried to give it my own twist and to build on it. That I think is a good thing and to be encouraged. It’s impossible to come up with fresh ideas all the time. I only post twice a week and I struggle.

At the same time, it is a tribute to Dooce that folks want to be like her. When folks start to imitate you guys (and they will, if they haven’t started already) it just means you’re doing a good job.

Thanks for your thoughts!