A few nights ago, I gave a piece of advice to someone on Twitter and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s amazing, the world we live in. Anyone can become anything. As long as you’ve got the passion, drive and motivation to go for it.
In my opinion the easiest way to get where you want to be, is to start a blog. Unless you’re trying to become a surgeon, lawyer, or other profession that requires tests or exams or licensing (and even then, there is an applicable use for blogging, but that’s a later discussion).
Becoming an album reviewer (or book reviewer, film critic, sports journalist, motorcycle writer, puppy photo curator) can be done in 3 simple steps.
Step 1. Buy a domain name.
Step 2. Install WordPress.
Step 3. Review an album.
Step 4 (optional). Share the review on Facebook & Twitter.
It gets easier if you decide to use Blogger or Tumblr to host your blog because you can skip steps 1 and 2.
Below are some various examples of successful people who probably said, “How do I become an album reviewer?” at some point in their lives.
1. Pitchfork is regarded as one of the top authorities in today’s indie music scene. It was started in Minneapolis, MN in 1995 by a young fellow named Ryan Schreiber. Schreiber, fresh out of high school, and with no formal training/experience in writing started out by simply reviewing music on his blog every month. Today, Pitchfork Media is a million dollar company.
2. Greg Swan, a PR/marketing professional, started his music blog Perfect Porridge a few years ago and now gets over 100+ emails a day from bands, reps and PR folks. He reviews albums, gets to listen to tons of great new music, and enjoys the perks of having a “real job” as well as a “fun job.”
3. Ben Heinemann, editor of Central and Remote started his blog because of his passion for going to live shows and listening to good albums. I can guarantee that if he keeps it up, his blog will be a highly respected source for music information. Need evidence? Ben recently wrote the METRO Magazine review for this year’s Rock The Garden festival.
There is always room for more because on the internet, you’ve got a global audience.
Find something that you enjoy doing, reading, writing, or thinking about and start a blog. You’ll be surprised by how many doors it’ll open.
And here’s my end pitch.
If you’re serious about writing/maintaining a blog, and you’ve tried figuring it out but can’t seem to get it set-up, I will help you, free of charge.
Just shoot me an email.
Do you have any other examples? I’d love to hear them.
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