Today the New York Times ran a story about people who died from blogging. Sort of.

One technology blogger died recently of a heart attack, another tech blogger died of a massive coronary, and a third blogger had a heart attack but survived. And there is also a lengthy list of complaints from professional bloggers, including lack of sleep and weight issues.

The writer of the article compares work-at-home bloggers to sweatshops; making it seem as though they must work unreasonable hours for very low wages in order to make a living. And that’s not very accurate.

While blogging is typically not a high-paying position (unless you’re one of the uber-popular guys claiming to make six figures from blogging), it is often a labor of love. Bloggers who work for others can be paid anywhere from a few dollars to $20 or more per post. Others work on an incentive system, being paid based upon the number of readers or the advertising revenue generated.

The downside to it is that a blogger is only as good as her last post. And some bloggers choose to work hours on end to keep a continuous flow of new content.

Those who blog professionally and are trying to grow their online presence with the addition of employees and the expansion of their websites are no different than other business owners, though. Some niches are more competitive than others, with technology bloggers competing fiercely to break new stories.

The internet and other technological advances have changed the way many do business, making us accessible at all times of the day and night. But is that really a curse for professional bloggers? Or is that what has enabled them to develop their career in this field? I think that it is more of a blessing.

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