Blogging passion leads to book and movie deal

Many of the world’s most successful bloggers started from the most humble beginnings, including modest blogs based on a favourite hobby or a pet project that then take on lives of their own. Blogging can lead to unexpected success and culinary expert and avid blogger Julie Powell probably knows this better than anyone else. When Powell launched her blog, she had very little else in mind other than documenting her personal culinary adventures, based on recipes developed by the legendary Julia Childs. Yet Powell’s hobby turned into a full fledged and successful business, as the blogger became an international celebrity in her own right.

Powell’s blog became so popular that it landed her both a book deal, as well as a brand new blockbuster film on her favourite subject, namely Julia Childs’ decades worth of work culinary innovations. Powell was only 29 years old when she launched her blog, back in 2002, and she wrote just as much for herself, as for a very small audience of cooking enthusiasts. Powell never imagined that just eight years later, her hobby would turn her into a literary and film celebrity.

While clearly not all of the world’s estimated 133 million bloggers become celebrities, Technocrati blogging veteran Jennifer McLean does believes that an entire class of professional bloggers has developed over the years. These are people and companies who write blogs not simply as a personal hobby, but for business. While the majority of these professional bloggers are not especially wealthy, many are able to turn a healthy profit from their writing work, while others use their blogs as a forum to build their reputation in a niche market or industry.