Friday, January 20, 2006

Shameless Self Promotion

I guess there was some popup ad on the site that annoyed at least one reader and my publisher took it down. I didn't see it myself. Readers please realize that I don't do this for charity. This is my job and I rely on a paycheck just as most of you do. I really don't know much of anything about the finances and marketing of running this site. I just write and Eric sends me a check every month. It's that simple. What I do know is that I love doing this blog and want to keep on doing it indefinitely. For that to happen Eric has to find ways to make this site profitable enough to keep paying me. I don't even know if he's break even or not, but I doubt it. I know that when we started this it was an investment on his part.

I've invested in it too. I written an invest letter (The Market Spectator) every week for the past eight months where I take many of the ideas I've generated writing this blog and turn them into more specific ways to trade the markets. So far that has worked very well, if I do say so myself, and I do. It goes out to a modest number of subscribers and to the best of my knowledge that thus far has served to offset what I get paid for writing every day. I know Eric's in the middle of working on improving the site, it's distribution system, and the subscription process. So I'm not sure if you would run into any troubles signing up for it. But if you want to try it you can email me at mark@blogginwallstreet.com or Eric at elevitt@blogginwallstreet.com and we'll get you set up. It's basically more of the same as you get here, only for a modest fee you get specific trading ideas, which I track in model portfolios. Actually, I take the realism a step further and track all the ideas in model accounts so there can be no doubt as to the results.

In order for this site to be profitable Eric is going to bring in revenue from all the usual ways that web sites can. Obviously, pop ups aren't to popular with the readers. In the NPR tradition, if you like the blog, then I call on you to help me keep it going. Otherwise, I'll have to go be a ski lift operator, or something, and rent out rooms in my house. You can help by referring it to your friends (click on the email icon at the bottom of any post), taking a few seconds to click on the ads, and registering your email address in the box at the top right so we can send you stuff you probably don't really want, but that only takes you a second to delete.

Also, I do love getting questions and comments from readers. They often help me to think about the markets in ways I wouldn't have otherwise regardless of whether I agree or not. I try and respond directly, in the comments, or in new posts if I think the information is beneficial to all.

Thank you

posted at 1:24 PM