TKC AND HEARNE WORK TOGETHER!!!

Big news today . . . TKC has actually managed to make this blogging thing pay!!!

I'm not sure how it will impact this site but I'm going to try to make make it work because I really like the feedback I get from people kind enough to read this blog.

Anyway, here's the story:

Last week I noticed that former Star columnist Hearne Christopher Jr. was looking for help with his blog. Specifically, he was searching for someone to cover politics. I took it as a sign that I should at least send Hearne an e-mail. Luckily, he responded.

Over the past week, we've talked about blogging and his ambitions for his site. Internet friendships develop quickly so I was amazed that I was so easily able to ask him about a job without much hesitation. He was really nice about it, at first a bit hesitant but I think that the clips from my old newspaper days and recent links to his blog helped my cause. With a little persistence:

I GOT THE JOB!!!

The starting salary was a lot more than what I expected and during these hard economic times it's going to be rough telling people that I make more than 30k a year just for blogging. I know sometimes those "How I got the job" articles are boring but I found two keys to success for bloggers looking to cash in on micro-celebrity.

Don't be afraid to e-mail . . . Seriously, it sounds simple but too often people have too much pride to simply ask for help. I think you'll find that even online people are very generous.

Promote yourself . . . I do a lot of self-aggrandizing but it has finally seemed to pay off. If you don't promote yourself, then nobody else will. I think Hearne was impressed that I had the guts to not only send my resume with my first e-mail but also that I followed up with links to newsmaking posts that I had written along with just a few reasonably timed notes to remind him to keep me in consideration for the job.

I feel like I've earned this and I'm looking forward to working with a KC legend. I'm also writing this post because I know that Hearne is looking for other online writers and we're going to make a serious effort to take on The Star.

KC Confidential also needs:

An urban affairs reporter

A food critic

A JoCo Reporter

A music reporter

Not a mommy blogger but a woman who can cover issues related to raising a family in Kansas City - In an entertaining style, of course.

But don't send your resumes here . . . Give Hearne a shout and then see how to proceed.

hearne@kcconfidential.com

Times are tough and I was selected out of more than 100 candidates (mostly former Star employees) but I've already put my recommendation in for bloggers that I'd like to work with in order to give the "paper of record" a run for their money.

So, check out my new column at KC Confidential . . . It starts later today and it's going to be awesome.

See ya there!!!