Bring back the writing
I noticed that over the course of the past few weeks there has been a shift in the internet. It may have occurred long ago, but I just noticed it this week. I seems that I’ll be reading a site I like, or a site I just discovered when I get to a post that doesn’t fit. Something about it just feels funny the whole way through.
And it never fails that at the end of that post it will say “this post was sponsored by (the company I just said glittery wonderful things about)” and it’s all I can do to not walk away from my computer right then.
Maybe that’s harsh, but I feel like my twitter stream, my blog list is suddenly filled with promotions, with paid reviews. With things that are not writing. Yes, there are words and sentences, but it’s not real writing.
I understand that many people make a living off their blogs and that to do that, they have to write reviews. And that’s fine and well, but don’t be surprised if people click away. Or I guess person. I’m not looking for profundity, I’m not looking for earth-shattering thoughts and prose (and judging by the fact that you’re reading this, neither do you), I just want to read something real. I want to read about your family’s silly anecdote. I want to hear about that thing that happened last week, that news story that pissed you off or warmed your heart. I want to hear your good and bad news.
I want to read real things.
I don’t want to read about how you got a free car. I don’t want to read about that great! glass! cleaner! I don’t want to read about how you got a free trip to Narnia by blogging about how great Narnia is. I just don’t. Because it’s disingenuous. Because it’s not your real voice. It a voice I can’t trust. It’s a voice I know has ulterior motives, a voice that has been paid to speak, to write.
I tweeted about this yesterday and was surprised at how many people agree. How many people besides me miss the writing, the real stuff, the stories, the jokes, the rants. I’m not the only one. We miss hearing your voice, the real one, not the one that got paid to write that blog post.
If this blog post hurt your feelings, I’m sorry. I do understand that writing reviews is a source of income and hey, I run ads on my blog. I get that. But if you have to write reviews, disperse them. Put them on a second blog that we can choose to go read. Don’t try to hide it within your real content, we see through that. Don’t try to pretend like it’s real writing, it’s not. And I feel like I’m being duped.
Just bring back the writing. Bring back your voice. Be genuine again. Because that, not the number of pageviews, not the number of fans on facebook or followers on twitter, is what makes you a good writer, a good blogger. If you don’t have the content, then none of the rest of it matters anyway.
Bring back the real stuff. Please.
32 Responses to “Bring back the writing”
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Welcome! I'm Katie, a 28 year old, full-time graduate student who just happened to have brain surgery in November of 2007 to give my ginormous brain a little more space. This blog chronicles my daily life, from relentless headaches to being a doctor's wife. Sit down, get comfortable and stay for a while.
Exactly why I have a second site. And I almost never use it.
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Freaking A.
I’ve never run ads. Only once did I ever run any type of contest, and then it was only because I was so out of thoughts I couldn’t come up with a blog post.
I tend to tune it all out. If my twitter stream gets clogged with that stuff, I start unfollowing. Or I take someone off my blogroll.
Life is too damn short to get lost in a giveaway for a stupid $25 gift card.
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I tend to agree. I don’t mind reviews here and there, but too many gets annoying (although, I admit, there are certain bloggers who tend to squeeze them in their own writing and I’m not bothered by that at all).
*This comment brought to you by Coke, cheesy potatoes and a long day. hehe
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Katie Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm
I’m bothered by the sneaky review because it makes me doubt the entire post. It makes me wonder how contrived the writing was and if any of it was really true. But, that’s just me.
Mmmm cheesy potatoes.
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I agree (mostly). The tweets for BlogHer sponsors are over. the. top.
I think I just did my last review for a product I was given for free. I hate making it seem all happy happy, oh how I love this. (Well, the last one I did love it, but still.)
And then I did a book review just because I liked the book. Oh, so freeing.
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agreed. i just opened my blog reader and FIVE out of eight were giveaways/reviews. i follow a lot of fashion bloggers and it’s getting to the point where almost every other post is a giveaway by their sponsors. so over it.
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I do these things rarely, but the money is not bad. And I figure that, by doing them, I am supporting a woman-owned business that is run by people I consider my friends (BlogHer), so there is that.
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:20 am
Hmmm, I see your point there. I’m not sure why, but the idea of writing a review of something for BlogHer bothers me less than other things. I hate hearing about how a glass cleaner changed someone’s life, because it didn’t.
Maybe the problem is the reviews I’ve been reading?
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I’m with you. I feel like people need to understand the nature of a real blog the same way Oprah needed James Frey to understand the meaning of memoir. I saw a film in college that scared the hell out of me – revealing the millions of disgusting, slimy ways advertisers reach us and how many millions of times per year (per person!). Web 2.0 has bred a whole new monster of advertising, and my beef with the too-frequent sponsored post (because I’m also with you on realism – some is OK, but be real about it, please) is that it is the method by which advertisers are using us to get to each other. I don’t come to my web community for that; I come for other things – the things you describe. We can have that – and keep it going – without turning our online work into a set of strip malls. Well said, friend.
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Hmmm, so I guess I am guilty of that this week.
I really believe in the product that I wrote about on Tuesday … and the sale they are having is really awesome and worth spreading the word about because you get 40% off.
Tweeting about it like 8 times during the day was overkill, huh? Maybe fewer times next time???
I do get it and definitely got few comments this week.
I am trying to make money from my blogging, but my priority is content first. I know you are a very busy girl, but I’d love to get your take on my blog and if you think I am over monetizing it. Honest feedback is always welcome…
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:18 am
Yours didn’t bother me as much as others because it fit in with your content. You write about your health so I can understand writing about a product you use to maintain it. I didn’t notice 8 tweets, but um, yea, I’d probably agree with you there.
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Selena Reply:
July 24th, 2010 at 12:45 am
@Katie, Thanks for the feedback. BTW, I’m glad you wrote this post. It spurred a great discussion…. I like how you just put it out there and you inspire me to do the same.
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Agreed on the sneak-attack reviews. I don’t mind clicking over to an “ad free” page to read someone’s review because I know what is coming. Even better when what they review fits into what they normally write about. That said, when every other post someone write’s is a sponsored give-away or review, I’m over it.
My other annoyance? Hosting a give-away and wanting me to leave a comment, like something on Facebook, Tweet about it and link back. No. Your free set of writing paper isn’t worth it.
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It’s funny, I got all inspired after BlogHer last year and I started a separate review blog so I could do product reviews that wouldn’t interfere with my regular content, and maybe make a little money on the side. I’ve yet to post a single entry on it.
I’m more ok with bloggers who put the disclaimer at the top about their post being a review – then I feel like, oh ok, I know what I’m getting into if I choose to keep reading. But when they sneak it in at the end, you’re right, it feels dishonest. I’m not a fan of that at all. I don’t care if you have ads ALL OVER your site, but the sneaky product placement irritates me.
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
@cindy w, I totally agree with you on the disclaimer. 100% yes.
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The energizer thing annoyed me more in the past week than anything has in a long time. I am so glad it’s over. If writing a BS post, tweeting at everyone in your list every day, all day for a week, is your only way to go to BH, then I’m sorry…just try for next year. Jeebus.
Sigh. Am with you. Completely. Also…I need to stay offline for a bit.
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I am bothered by them too, so I try to just skip over that stuff. And I do not do reviews, I have no interest at all.
I agree with Cindy though, I have much more respect for a writer who puts the disclaimer at the top of the post. I feel cheated if it’s a the bottom no matter how genuine your writing about said product has been.
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
@Kirsten, I’m with Cindy too, I totally agree that the disclaimer is the only way it doesn’t bug the heck out of me.
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You can come read my blog, because believe me, nobody is paying me a dime to write the crap I write there. LOL.
I avoid commercials on television when I can. I turn down the volume on the radio during commercials there too. I didn’t start a blog or start reading blogs to read ads, paid endorsements, or paid reviews of products. Now… if blogger tries something and loves it and wants to share… great but keep the advertising to sidebars…
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Hey Katie! Ok so a couple things. Let me start by saying I do not blog or tweet, i’m just a lurker pretty much! :O BUT I do comment when I am led to do so!! Ok so what I wanted to say was I agree with you 100%! It is so annoying when your reading a post and then at the end in tiny letters it says “sponsored by”.. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and quite honestly I lose respect for that blogger. Also, the giveaways and leave a comment and blah blah blah. Yea that’s great that you get something free, well one person out of 100-200.. To me that says click, click, click, I want add money. Okay so this is a tangent and i’m almost done. What I really wanted to say to you is, quite honestly I like your blog a lot. I mean, (sorry in advance:() But you do whine/complain A LOT ***whose to say we all wouldn’t with the pain you go thru** But it’s YOUR blog and *I* chose to come back. And the reason I come back is your HONEST and sweet and cute and let us see the real you. Okay im done with that. But One more question…
You said you had a tattoo of the Jesus fish but you wanted to get it covered because you’ve now converted. What I was wondering is, Do you not belive Jesus is the son of God anymore? Did your husband convince you otherwise? I in *no way* intend to be rude, just curious. I myself am Christian but my grandfather was Jewish, and I respect all religions..BUT I don’t see how one can go from getting a tattoo of something so sacred, to saying that’s not a part of me anymore. I’m sure got the tattoo because it was meaningful and so forth, soooo…??
Thanks, and keep being REAL!
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:06 pm
@LinMarie, It’s a good question you bring up. I haven’t officially converted to anything yet, I’ve just converted my way of thinking. The religious journey I’ve been on has been interesting, but it has always been largely unrelated to my husband. He was raised culturally Jewish, but had been to Temple fewer than 5 times in his whole life, he didn’t know what he believed. It just so happened that when we met, I was going through a phase where I wasn’t sure what I believed either. To make a long story short, we decided one day to go to temple to see what it was all about. I wish I could explain the way it happened, but at the end of that service, I was beside myself. I felt at home, I felt like I was in a religious community that I belonged in. I imagine many people get the same feeling when they attend a religious service for the first time.
The more I reflected on my faith, the more I realized that I had not been a huge believer in Jesus all along. I know Jesus did wonderful things, and was an important person in religious history, but in my whole life, I had never said a prayer to Jesus. I had never looked up to Jesus as my religious authority figure. It’s ironic that I have a Jesus fish, when I was a lousy follower of his all along. I’m not going to have it covered with a Jewish image or anything, I just want to get something neutral there. I want to take more time to determine what I believe and move forward, wherever forward may be.
My husband never, ever convinced me of anything. He doesn’t know what he believes himself, and his impact on my faith is minimal, at best. It just happens that I’ve found a home in the religion he most closely identified with.
I hope that helps explain somewhat. My religious journey is far from over, of that I can assure you.
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LinMarie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:48 pm
OK WOW Katie! I NEVER comment and YES this is apparently why..I was not implying your husband did anything. I was simply ASKING a question. I am quite shocked however that you’re so offended by this. I did not say “SO did your husband brain wash you? or anything along those lines. Again it was a question because SUPPOSEDLY YOU like to interact with your readers. But for you to go on twitter and act all attacked and shocked and stuff is ridiculous. I was actually complimenting you on your WRITTING and yes maybe I did say you whined but you do and I was being HONEST. Anyways, I will NOT be commenting anymore because apparentyl a simple question on religion can send you into a tailspin. I in no way meant to be rude and am quite SHOCKED at your dramatic reaction. Wow again, it was a SIMPLE question and I understand your answer. I did not know it was a sensitive subject.
P.S YES MY COMMENT WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE B/C I WAS BEING RUSHED OUT THE DOOR AND WANTED TO TELL YOU HOW I ENJOYED YOUR BLOG BEFORE I CHICKENED OUT. AND MY HUSBAND WAS STANDING OVER ME RUSHING ME. SO YEA THE EXPLAINS THAT
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
@LinMarie, Let’s do this over email, okay?
Take a deep breath. Please.
This is why I have a second site. I still feel funny promoting it too.
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I don’t have much to say about the reviews, because I don’t do them. But I do have something to say about real writing. I agree. And yet, if I look back over most of the content of my blog so far- it sucks. It sucks because I am always afraid to speak with my voice. Fear is not pretty. Use your real voice.
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I agree with you, and I am guilty as charged.
I do Pay Per Posts as a source of income, being unemployed (ok working part-time very sporadicaly) it is my main source of income right now.
BUT
I do put the disclaimer at the top AND the bottom (IZEA requires it in both places), and I don’t bullshit. Heck, you can go read my last review of a product I received in the mail that I HATED and I told that. I pull no punches. WHen I say in my disclaimer that “so and so sent me this and is paying me to post but the opinion is 100% MINE, I ain’t kidding.
I got a nasty email for that last one from the PR people, but pffffft tough, if you want a “positive review only”, don’t send me shit.
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I respect you SO much more for posting a negative review. I don’t think I’ve ever read one, it seems like they’re always blowing smoke up the asses of companies. I think it’s easier to believe that you’re giving honest reviews when you don’t love everything you try.
I really do understand that it’s a source of income and as far as running reviews goes, I think you’re doing it right.
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I think I am honestly just less bothered by things then most. I don’t notice as much.
I don’t do reviews or give a ways because in general I tend to be bitchy and my blog is mostly about death. So unless you are selling coffins, you probably won’t ask me for anything.
I also don’t enter contest. It’s not that I am too good to get something for free, it’s just like it’s not for free. It’s usually so much work and you annoy your followers and stuff. I started as a twitter girl and turned into a blogger. I twitter to talk to people. Yeah I will link when I post, but the rest of the time I am talking to people.
However, I am guilty for RTing the energizer thing. Issa is my best friend and I still did it for my other good friends. It just doesn’t seem like a huge deal just every once in a while. IDK it’s like I have SO many people I follow I guess and read super fast so I just skim to what I want to read.
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Katie Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:42 pm
@Lu@masmom, Dude, you’re not guilty of anything. You RT’d for a friend, that’s okay. I hadn’t paid much attention to the Energizer thing at all, to be honest, I’m not on twitter as much as I used to be, and this post wasn’t really inspired by that at all.
This is why, for a number of reasons, I would like to delete this blog post and pretend like it never existed in the first place. I didn’t mean to call out people, to make others feel guilty or uncomfortable. I just miss voices on blogs, I miss hearing stories. It was supposed to be more about wishing I could read more stories and less about telling people how to write.
That’s my mistake.
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Lu@masmom Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:53 pm
@Katie, No, no, I got that too. I didn’t feel like you called anyone out. I only said that b/c others mentioned it. I was also going to say (and for some reason stopped writing) that I totally agree with the whole review thing too. I often joke with Issa that I am going to go read someone’s blog about yogurt, be right back. So I TOTALLY get that. I truly don’t think you attacked anyone. You did get your point across. I am a notorious rambling commenter which is why I don’t always comment. Also, medicated. Heh. But I agree.
Real writing. I don’t know how to do anything else. If you even call it mine writing. See? Rambling.
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It turns me off from a blog if they’re constantly writing about other stuff. I usually end up pulling them from my reader. Which stinks.
Katie, I think this post needed to be said. I find it so frustrating when I used to enjoy a blog and now I’m constantly confused because they’re writing about products and being sponsored. Some people try to cushion their review with like one “thing to keep in mind” which I guess is supposed to be their “negative” aspect of the product, but it seems they’re pandering to the companies that give them stuff, and not to the readers that are there in the first place.
I get that people need to make money. I just wish there was HONESTY instead of blatant ass kissing.
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I hope that you and LinMarie were able to work things out. I thought your response to her post was fairly mellow and seemed to consist more of reflection and thinking-out-loud than defensiveness. To be honest I was really surprised by her second post.
Sorry, don’t mean to be a pot-stirrer or anything.
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