Deadline Publishing

FireJeffZucker A TypePad Featured Blog

TypePad, the software we use to run all the Deadline Blogs, selected FireJeffZucker for its Featured Blog on Saturday. No, we don’t mind the non-primetime placement, we’re ecstatic to be picked.

One of the strange things about the blogosphere these days is that with so much competition out there even major mentions like those from TypePad, USA Today, LA Times etc. haven’t equaled the biggest traffic numbers. Don’t get me wrong, we get spikes and lots of new readers, but it’s not like the good old days when one mention would bring in 10,000 new people. The space is just too crowded for that now. And that’s also why I think niche blogs — like FireJeffZucker and Orange and Teal — are the way to go.

We want to survive on smaller yet more intense audiences.

Thanks again to TypePad and don’t forget to tell us what you think about "Nobody’s Watching" and the whole blog empire vs. blog label debate below.

FireJeffZucker Update

While we’re waiting for the NFL season to get started on Orange and Teal, at least there’s plenty of TV news going on this off-season. Today on Firejeffzucker.com we’re running a petition to get NBC to pick-up the unaired sitcom "Nobody’s Watching" by the writer of "Scrubs." Check out the full pilot and tell us your thoughts.

Blog Label or Blog Empire?

I read in a Blogebrity post a week or so back about calling groups of blogs published by one network, “Labels.” Since the Deadline “group” is growing all the time and now features two semi-popular blogs I thought it might be time to define the Deadline network.

Whenever I use the term “Deadline Empire” it’s with a mock cackle in the back of my head like Montgomery Burns from the Simpsons. It’s not really a serious definition. If I was actually writing an official letter or post that would be read by potential advertisers etc. I guess I’d call it a “Network.”

Now, it should be said I’ve always wanted my own record label. Heck, I even attempted one after college with one lone 7 inch to its name. But it didn’t work out, as I found I was much better at the writing game than I was at the music biz.

So what should we all be called? Obviously the Deadline sites don’t work quite like a network and I like the homegrown appeal of the “label” idea, along with the indie music roots. But I still don’t think you’d write “Deadline Blogs” like you would if I ran “Deadline Records.” Would I? What does the blogosphere think? Best responses get some free CDs. Seriously, I have a ton of promo CDs here to give away and want to spur some comment action.

Today a little something for everyone:

• Jolie Holland, Springtime Can Kill You
• Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, I Stand Alone
• Busta Rhymes, The Big Bang

If that’s not eclectic I don’t know what is.