Actually, I don't have a real business, I am still doing this for fun. I am confident my publisher is making money with my book (he should given that he keeps about 90% of all proceeds), but I don't and never intended to generate a profit with this particular book. The travel costs alone amount to a multiple of what I could possibly make. But I am not complaining at all, I just wanted to have a good and useful book out in the world that I could refer to anytime, instead of answering the same questions and problems again and again. I think I have accomplished that. It was also a good reason to get an NDA from Fruji, so I can stay ahead of the curve. I enjoy that, too. If you want to make real money, better write a book on how to take better photographs with an iPhone.
Don't write it for a camera that is a niche product that doesn't sell well.
X-Pert Corner is free, too, I don't get any money out of writing it. Maybe I'll get some participation in the future, that would be nice. I guess I should ask for it. I chose Fujirumors because Patrick was the first to offer the opportunity and because his site has a large and captive Fuji X audience. It is convenient, I think it's a good fit. Fuji was a bit shocked, they didn't like it at first, but hey, they don't pay or own me, so I went there, anyway, and look what happened: I was the only one to get the telezoom prototype and publish actual sample pics. Seems like they quickly got over their concerns.
The simple reason for starting the blog was that I felt there was a gap between my daily forum writing and yearly books. I wanted to close the gap with a blog I could update just as needed on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. It started as a simple bartering deal: Publisher gets mentioned to sell more books and in return offers useful content from the book. Well, it quickly evolved into much more than that.
I certainly want to spread the word, because the more readers go to my columns or read my book, the less I have to repeat myself answering the same questions over and over again. I am a happy Fuji X user, and I like others to be happy X users, too - that is, IF they let me help them. Fuji cameras are a bit different, sometimes quirky, so people have questions (I receive PMs and eMails every single day), especially those coming from the different world of Canikon. I don't think that any X is the best camera in the world, not for me and not for anybody. I offer advice and my opinion, that's all, but I want to do it in an efficient way, including links to my articles. That's why I can't post much over at Robert's X forum, anymore, as he doesn't allow links to "competing sites", and unfortunately, he considers Fujirumors a "competing site". No such problem here or in the other forums I go to.
Are Zack or Steve and Ken and similar bloggers writing much that actually helps readers to better understand or use their X cameras? That's not my impression. I reckon they are targeting those who haven't bought the cameras, yet. OTOH, I am targeting those who are already using one and may be struggling in some way. Much smaller audience. So I guess writing the practically useful stuff with all those boring explanations, tipps and tricks and shortcuts etc. is my job, then.
I like to dig deep, for example I "reverse engineered" Fuji's EXR logic to 95% w/o any help or input from Fujifilm. I thought that knowing what is really going on could be helpful when using my X10.
Of course, my savings aren't unlimited, so I may eventually run out of dough and may need to find a way to actually earn as much with my work as I spend doing it. That may materialize when Fuji releases a bunch of more popular X cameras. Real best-sellers. Not sure this is ever going to happen, though. I am absolutely not adverse to becoming filthy rich with my books or a blog (I will take your money anytime!), but it would be more of a side-effect. It's not the reason for my work, that would be stupid. You have to consider it a labor of love. I write about the X because it's fun, and as long as I can afford that fun, I will keep doing so. Of course, I need to choose my book topics carefully, as my publisher certainly wants to make a profit, they are a real business, after all. There is no envy whatsoever, I am as happy as I could be. I'd love to keep it up forever.
I am amazed that there may be people out there who might actually think that my blog or my book was any kind of "calculated, profit-oriented business" to earn a living. It's not, it's what I do for fun, it's my hobby (but I am certainly trying to do the best I can to deliver professional quality), it actually costs me money so far (but what hobby doesn't?), and as soon as the fun is over or I can't afford it, anymore, I'll (have to) stop. If you have cool ideas about earning more $$$ w/o killing the fun or giving up my independence, drop me a note. I am always open to suggestions, it's just something I haven't thought about much, so far. My focus was on writing and discussing useful, helpful stuff and staying ahead of the curve regarding new X products, because that was the fun and interesting part, and this keeps me busy for a large part of my day, apart from my other hobby, which is my friend's new riding stable (not making any profit either, so far, go figure!). That's why there are so many horse pictures.
I really hope that I'll be able to keep it up without resorting to tabloid-style hyperbole. As far as I am concerned, Bayer is not dead, and neither is the DSLR. Fuji ain't building the world's best cameras, either, but they are building interesting, different cameras. That's what I like about them. They are niche players, just like me. They aren't mainstream, and neither am I.