Publisher Spotlight: The Wiz of Odds/The March to Madness
This past September, Lijit had the pleasure of attending Blog World and meeting many bloggers who were interested in our widget. One of the nicest guys to stop by our booth was Jay Christensen, who realized our value almost immediately and had lots of questions for us about how to install Lijit on his blogs. With his journalistic background and sharp sense of humor, Jay’s sports blogs (The Wiz of Odds and The March to Madness) do a wonderful job of entertaining and informing.
In addition to bringing his readers news of recent coaching changes, he also covers Bowl chances, recruiting practices, and what other reporters are talking about. All this AND a podcast? Fortunately, Jay was able to make some time in his schedule to answer a few of our questions and shed some light on his experiences blogging.
- How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
My blogging experience began in August 2005. Normal people don’t bring work home, but I’m not a normal person. I’m a journalist by trade and blogging was a natural extension to my skill set, so getting comfortable in front of the computer and pounding out a few paragraphs didn’t feel like work. Now that I look back on it, I realize what a fool I was.
My employer at the time was the Los Angeles Times and having worked at four newspapers–three of which had folded–I knew the business was on the decline. So my reasons for starting were part fun, part trying to figure out what the heck I wanted to do when I lost the gig at the Times, which eventually happened in July of 2008 during something called a “workforce reduction”.
- What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
Working for myself and not somebody else. I get to make the decisions and then take on all the risks and get all the rewards. I’m still waiting for the awards, by the way. Is being interviewed by Lijit one of them?
- Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
I kept my identity a secret when I started blogging for fear my bosses could use it as a reason to cut me loose (conflict of interest or something like that). But the morning after I was laid off, I revealed my identity on the Wiz.
Best thing I ever did.
L.A. Observed, L.A. Business Journal, The Big Lead, Deadspin and Sports Journalists were just a few of the sites that linked to the post. I became the poster boy for the layoffs and the Wiz had instant street cred.
Yes, it’s true, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
- Since you write about sports, what are some of your favorite teams and why?
Because my sites–The Wiz of Odds and The March to Madness–deal with college football and basketball on a national scale, I’m not a fan of any team. My posts tend to be issue-driven and I try and take an analytical view of each sport. If that fails–usually the case–there is always the humorous approach. If that fails, then I’m out of luck.
- How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
I stumbled on Lijit at BlogWorld in Las Vegas and couldn’t be happier. It was exactly what I was looking for: a customizable search engine that keeps people on the site. It’s fast, offers statistics and is integrating the ability to derive revenue from search results. You must give Lijit a try!
I’ve told countless friends about it and Jacqueline and Tara have always been there to answer my questions. Plus, the operations are based in Boulder, one of my favorite cities. How cool is that?
I appreciate Jay taking the time to answer our questions, for his continued support, and for the kind words. If you enjoy reading about college sports, I highly recommend that you give both of Jay’s blogs a look. With his indepth wisdom and reporting, you’ll have all the team knowledge you need to get you through the season!
(And to answer Jay’s question, yes, being interviewed by Lijit is one of the highest honors that any blogger can hope to accomplish.)