TAKING CARE OF YOU: Are Bloggers "Starving Artists?"

Here are some truisms about “starving artists:”

• Most artists will indeed continue to produce work throughout their lives whether or not they ever receive payment, sufficient compensation, or recognition for his or her work, simply because they want to.
• However, most artists like to be paid for their work rather than continuing as a “starving artist.”
• Some artists “go commercial,” attempting to combine their love for their art with trying to make a living. Some feel this is better than working a nine-to-five for income while they create on the side. Others call this “selling out.”
• Many artists would rather remain in the “starving artist” status rather than “sell out,” and many artists work a nine-to-five and create in their spare time.

Cannot the above statements be said for bloggers…especially “Mom Bloggers?”

• Most bloggers will continue to blog whether or not they ever receive payment, sufficient compensation, or recognition for his or her work, simply because they want to.
• However, most bloggers like to be paid for their work rather than continuing as “starving artist.”
• Some bloggers “go commercial,” attempting to combine their love for their art with trying to make a living. Some feel this is better than working a nine-to-five for income while they create on the side. Other’s call this “selling out.”
• Many bloggers would rather remain in the “starving artist” status rather than “sell out” and many artist work a nine-to-five and create in their spare time.

With the popularity of blogging—and, especially, “Mom Blogging”—skyrocketing, many have begun to debate the purpose and ethics of blogs, and if and when it is acceptable to accept compensation in return for giveaways and product reviews. Some believe that doing product reviews is akin to pimping for the corporate monster; others argue that, as they are open about receiving compensation for the review, PR is no different than a commercial on television…the commercial in no way affects the content of the show (in this case, blog), but the commercial provides income to support the broadcasting.

Is it wrong that some bloggers choose to accept sponsorships and PR opportunities to offset the costs of their blog?

Typically, when one begins blogging, there are no costs involved. You get a free account with Blogger and WordPress. You start writing. As you become more involved in the blogging community, you decide you want a dedicated URL and email address. You pay ten dollars for a domain. It’s not much, so you don’t mind. Then you decide you want to improve your site. You use a free template. Then you decide you want your site to have a unique look…after all, you work hard on your writing and you want your site to look appealing, both for yourself and for your readers. So you pay fifty to two hundred dollars for a blog design, or you purchase graphics and design it yourself. Why not—it’s no different than, say, scrapbooking or painting or gardening; all hobbies cost something, right?

While we are not talking about huge major expenses to blog, they are still expenses. (Note: I am deliberately not discussing placing a price on the value of the content here; I am strictly discussing overhead.)

Think about Flylady. She started well before blogging took off, using free Yahoo groups to send out her advice and thoughts. (What appeared on Yahoo Groups eventually made its way into her book, Sink Reflections.) Flylady still has the free Yahoo Groups account, as well as a free Flylady Mentors on Yahoo Groups and a free Flylady web forum. She still offers printable “Control Journals” of various types for free on her website; she also has an internet radio show (on BlogTalk Radio) from which you can download podcasts for free. Her mission is to help women. She also sells tools on her site which she believes makes women’s lives easier. She does have some fluff pieces—license plate covers and car decals are among the few—but the primary things she sells are things she truly believes will make your life easier. She encourages people to get rid of the clutter; as such she does not sell clutter. But she does sell, and she also gives speeches throughout the country for a fee. She is making money. Does the Flylady mission diminish at all because she now sells “tools” on her website? Do we think she is wrong to do so?

Flylady also had early overhead costs. She needed to pay for a graphic designer to create her logo. She needed to pay a designer to start her website. Why shouldn’t she then sell tools which support her mission and cover her costs, as well as provide her a profit?

How is Flylady any different from a blogger, who begins by offering his or her writing to the world for free and may later accept a sponsorship to defray time and costs?

When did we start believing that people must offer his or her talent to the world and never take anything for him or herself? When did we begin to think that we are entitled to anyone’s ideas and that the only moral thing to do is for someone to give their knowledge away for free?

Bloggers do begin by writing publicly without financial compensation. Some choose to continue on that path, and it’s their right to do so. Some also appreciate some compensation as a reward for their time and efforts. This is not bad thing.

Nor do I believe that sponsors, PR, and giveaways have to diminish the quality of content of a blog. Yes, sometimes bloggers get too focused on doing giveaways and working their heinies off, burning themselves out while forgetting about the quality and content of the blog. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what got us into blogging, and sometimes it’s healthy for us—artistically and mentally—to return to our roots as writers.

With all of that being said, I officially announce that I have a sponsor for my blog.

I have only done two giveaways and one product review since starting my blog in February. I am staying true to my mission as stated on my About/PR/Disclosure page. I shall not 1) accept paid reviews or endorsements only for the sake of trying to earn money for myself—if I say I think something is good, it’s because I really think it is good, not because someone offered me an incentive to do so; and 2) accept compensation for reviewing a blog site. I have received several product review requests for items I would never use myself, and I could not bring myself to agree to do the PR just to get the freebie when the cost was to sell you on it. I am not merely “selling space” on my blog; I have to stand behind both my written content and my sponsor. By keeping to this policy, I can promise any compensation I receive will never influence or detract from my values or content.

As an “artist,” I would blog even if no one looked at my blog again and I never received a sponsor or any other compensation.

But, as an “artist,” I prefer to be read. And recognized. And, sometimes, a little compensation is a nice thing.

(I shall introduce my sponsor tomorrow. I believe this is a very good company. Please come back and visit us!)

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