PrintMyBlog? What's the point?

While you've got to admire the entrepreneurial spirit behind a microbusiness like PrintMyBlog.com - which aims to "monetize your blog's archives" - I'm sorry to sound a negative note by asking - What's the point? Ok, a very small percentage of blogs make readable stand-alone works but the vast majority are an inextricable thread in the fabric of the blogoshere. Dislocate that thread and that's all you have. No texture.

Let's give it the benefit of the doubt though, maybe the founder can find enough customers with stand-alone blogs worth printing out.

Comments

[Dan Sherman]

Hi,

I'm the guy behind printmyblog.com. Just wanted to give my two cents.

The more options you give people to read your blog, the better. If it doesn't cost you ANYTHING on an ongoing basis to offer the feature and it brings in ANYTHING in revenue each month, it's really a no brainer.

As for the point of offering your blog in booklet format, it doesn't make much sense if you are the kind of blogger that points people to other places. However, for bloggers that actually create content on a daily basis, it just makes sense that your visitors might not have time or the patience to go through your archives and read everything online. However, if they are given the option of purchasing everything in booklet format and for a very reasonable price, you're going to sell them, period.

My own blog at dansherman.com sells booklets consistently and has increased my revenue from the blog by about 50% since offering the booklet.

To make an even more salient comparison, why does Newsweek still publish a magazine when you can register online and read the entire magazine online? :-)

Cheers!
Dan

[James Corbett]

Ok Dan, I think I understand the value proposition better now. Thanks for the intesesting feedback and best of luck with the venture.

By the way Bernie Goldbach has favourable and interesting perspective here - http://irish.typepad.com/irisheyes/2004/08/blog_dart.html