New to blogging? Don't be a whore

I have some advice for fresh young new bloggers: Do not be a whore.

I understand you want to make money. I understand that you are sitting there working long hard hours on your blog, and you want it to be for something, and right now, "money" seems like a really good "something" for it to be for. And I understand there are a lot of folks out there cheerleading you on to "monetize" your blog, including  by writing "sponsored" blog posts.

Maybe I'm just old school, but if you want to be a PR or advertising writer, do that -- it's perfectly honorable. But to mix your personal blogging with sponsored/paid for/corporate blogging?

Even in traditional display advertising-funded media, such as magazines, newspapers and websites, it creates problems when the wall between editorial and sales gets breached, as it sometimes does. And when you're a publisher with only one writer on your team -- you-- the challenge is enormous to keep that wall intact.

But to frankly and blatantly take money to write about something? How did this become a norm in blogging?

And if you do it, consider its impact on your professional future. I know I wouldn't hire, work for, work with, link to or have respect for a blogger who was "sponsored" to blog about a product, brand, etc., no matter how fully she disclosed it. I'm not the only person who might be in the position to hire you who feels that way.

And forget ethics -- can't you see how pathetic it makes you look? How unprofessional?

I make my living as a writer and editor, including by blogging. I'm paid by the publishers of various websites and, rarely now, print publications. I have never taken a sponsorship, and when I'm offered them, I refuse on ethical grounds -- mine, and those of at least two of the publications I write for. I really had no idea there were so many bloggers saying yes.

Look, I've heard the argument that blogging isn't exactly like every other form of publishing, but even if it's true, so what? All forms of publishing have their own distinctive characteristics.

And I've heard the whine about how you shouldn't "give your writing away for free." Writers have been giving their work away free and cheap as long as there has been publishing, as interns at newspapers or just Tom Paine speaking out for freedom. 

I've also heard the argument from a few people  that paid/sponsored blogging doesn't affect them because the amount of money they make "monetizing" their blogs is so small it's a joke. So I'll tell you a joke:

A guy says to a beautiful woman, would you have sex with me for a million dollars?

He's not so bad, so she says, "Okay."

Then he says, "Would you have sex with me for ten dollars?"

And she gasps and says, "What do you think I am?"

And he says, "Madam, we've established what you are; we're just haggling over the price."

My advice to new bloggers is this: Stop thinking about "monetizing your blog." Think about earning a living as a writer. Think about being credible and good. If you don't want to write for free, then don't write for free; this blog is the only place I do, and you can see how often I have time to do that these day. 

Blogging is, and should be, and needs to remain, a form of journalism. It's not a way to get cool stuff and be on a company's "team." Don't dishonor blogging, or your own talent as a writer, by going down this road.

Comments

[H. Houlahan]

Readers can spot a shill in about five seconds.

[Gina Spadafori]

I thought you were on vacation.

And *I'm* the one who turned down the year's lease on a new vehicle.

You stole my righteous. You will pay.