Reply to Yaro about the trend for blog selling:
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I think that there has been a big rush in creating blogs these years and everybody wanted to make money from their blogs. But just few guys/girls do. So other people that don’t have enough motivation, clear vision or time just want to lose the dead weight. this process is normal and its time has come.

What is the significance of all the blog selling? Is it that blogging is plateuing or the opposite, is it that the industry of blogging is shooting upward. I would love your insight into this.

There is definitely a phenomenon going on right now in the blogosphere with blog sales.

What say you?

@ Thomas – thanks for the kind words buddy. I think that transparency is key in decisions such as this. Your readers are what makes your site, and leaving them in the dark will only increase their frustration. That’s why I opted for the post prior maybe to a Sitepoint auction – and also to give my readers to own Blogtrepreneur.

@ Tony – I think you are right in that there will be some people who are “loyal” and who follow the blog due to a writer’s personal voice – and so will inevitably unsubscribe. But in my experience in the blogosphere, if the new owner can provide the same or a superior quality and level of posting, then these readers will want to continue subscribing. It’s all a matter of trust, and this is something I will help the new owner on in the first few days of owning the site.

Also, my site has a nice mixture of a few loyal readers but an increasing amount of new visitors – most of whom don’t have that personal tie with me that would cause them to unsubscribe.

Finally @ Caroline – Whilst I agree in that new writers will have new styles, and that a magazine blog (like SBB) would be easier to sell, I would have to take a different stance in terms of selling up just as I reach the big time.

Defining success is a major part of your argument. For me, I became a “successful blogger” when I earnt my first $100, when I managed to get 100 subscribers to my blog. Since then, everything has been physical and mental profit (in learning the tricks and trades of a diverse blogosphere).

I’ve been blogging for nearly 2 years, and I agree that the next 1k subscribers will come a lot easier – but there are a lot more other factors which have come into play for this decision, rather than the fact that I can’t be bothered to maintain the site – things like the amount of freetime I have (with school commitments).

Anyway, thanks all for your comments, and thanks again Yaro – you’ve been an incredible mentor, and it’s just an honour to have Blogtrepreneur in your blogroll.

Tony, I would be concerned about the readers leaving too. If I were buying a blog I would make a letter of introduction to the readers part of the transaction.

I do not see a big show of concern about the future of the blog listed in these sales either. The “keeping it in the family” doesn’t give confidence to me as a subscriber. If I saw something like “I am interviewing potential candidates” that leaves me with the impression that ONLY someone highly qualified will be taking the blog over, NOT just someone who has money to spend….possibly someone who just wants to buy their way into a good blog because they don’t have the experience to build one up themselves.

IMO it’s much easier to sell a blog with multiple writers where the writers stay on as the blog will not change. I know I have unsubscribed from most of the blogs that have been sold recently and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Really, I think it’s crazy to sell up just when you start hitting it big. As we all know it can take months to build a blog up in the first place – it’s so hard in the beginning but once it starts to build then its much easier to continue that momentum and easier to continue to generate income in the future. That’s why I think it’s crazy to go through all the work of builfing up a blog from scratch and then sell just as it starts to show success!

Anyway, good luck to all involved