By Men with Pens

“You’re nobody ‘til somebody loves you,” sings sexy crooner Michael Bublé. He ain’t wrong. You’re nobody in the blogosphere until you’ve been shown a little love by the influential sites that serious bloggers read, Tweet and flock to.

You know the ones – they boast six-digit subscribers, have a cult following on Twitter, and bring celebrity and name recognition by association.

Don’t get me wrong; you can have a totally groovy experience at lesser-known sites and accomplish many valuable blogging goals through those avenues.

But think of it this way: If you had the chance to stay as a guest at a three-star hotel or a five-star hotel, which would you choose?

It‘s a no-brainer. You’d choose the 5-star option. It has better amenities, a reputation for excellence,... More...