Publishers Discover Bloggers

According to this New York Times article, publishing houses have started to regard the blogosphere as a potential source for promising, marketable writers. The piece has a few interesting snippets. Here's one:

In June a former Senate aide, Jessica Cutler, whose blog documenting her sexual exploits with politicos dominated Capitol gossip in the spring, sold a Washington-focused novel to Hyperion for an advance well into six figures, said Kelly Notaras of Hyperion.

Surely everyone remembers Jessica Cutler and her graphic sex blogging. Her site, Washingtonienne, is history but she apparently is doing well-into-six-figures fine. And here's another six-figure snippet:

In October Ana Marie Cox, editor of wonkette.com, a racy, often wry Washington-based blog, sold her first novel, "Dog Days," a comic tale with a political context, to Riverhead Books. She said she received a $275,000 advance.

So, in summary, publishers are trolling the blogosphere looking for writers they can market and, in at least two instances, deals were made involving six figures.

Mention needs to be made that Interested-Participant maintains an equal troll opportunity policy and is prepared to deal for less than six figures. However, nothing less than a two-figure deal will be considered. I have my standards.