Do I have to come out?
I admit I’m sort of comfy here in my hiding place. I mean, it’s soft and warm and I know that just outside of it lies the prickly and confusing.
I didn’t realize that’s what it was at first. A hiding place, I mean. Hiding wasn’t my intention. Honestly, all I wanted was to decompress. Absorb, grip and wrap…it all around my little finger.
But that hasn’t happened yet.
I attended a Conference the first week of October. My first one. Ever. I went with a friend to test the waters, be inspired and learn. Man, did I learn. It was for Blogging, much different, I imagine, than a Writing Conference. Writing was of course touched on, in the way of, no matter how much promoting is done, none of it will matter if a reader lands in on spelling mistakes and poorly structured sentences.
This, I knew.
What I didn’t know is how much promoting is possible. A blog can be saleable! Yes, I get that you’re all laughing right now, chuckling about my naiveté and rolling your eyes at my childlike misconception. Imagine. I’ve been using this platform as a simple journal. Silly me. Tsk, tsk!
At this point you’re probably hoping you won’t start seeing banner ads for preemie diapers and adult depends hovering above the short stories that have come to call my site home.
Heaven knows I support making money. I can even say I feel I should, in a world made of cotton candy clouds, be paid for my musings on this blog. And, why not? It takes me days or at a minimum, hours to compose a post. I even believe, that at the very least, I’ve managed to be somewhat entertaining. (Should you think differently, feel free not to leave a comment below)
But this seminar brought together two minds under one roof. Those that advertise loud and proud and those that either feel advertising is wrong or out of place on a personal blog.
Now that I know this dilemma exists, I can say that I don’t think it’s wrong.
If that opportunity comes your way, you should grab it. Obviously, I don’t display ads here, but let it be heard by the financial Gods, I’m open to it. I write for my heart and yours, and being paid for doing so does not make that any less sincere. I do think the ads you choose to place should be a good fit for your blog’s theme. So, if your blog is unfocussed, or, ahem, hazy like mine, I guess you’ve hit the proverbial pot of gold.
Really though, when we write a novel or paint a masterpiece, notice I said when, we’ll hardly be looking to give it away. Writing for unmonetized pleasure, and this does bring much, much pleasure, is wonderful, but deciding we’d like to pay for things with it, doesn’t make it tacky or low. It simply makes it lucrative.
I don’t know if I’ll ever run ads or make money from what I do, but what I do know is that every time the word writing was mentioned at that conference, my heart skipped a beat. That’s gotta count for something.
– – –
Post Script:
I’d like to mention that I really have been stuck for a couple of weeks, so if you’re still following me, bless you. And, if you’ve followed me in recent days, know that you are a big part of what dislodged the stick from my spokes and I’m truly grateful to you.
I say go for it all Hazy. 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very well said Hazy. I’m with you..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please don’t put Depends ads on your site, ha! xo I laughed out loud. That said, you are a really talented writer and monetize, you should! Have you looked into copywriting for other people? Maybe your site could be your portfolio? I think you’d be an amazing copywriter. Let me know if you decide to jump on this option, and then send me your pricelist 🙂
LikeLike
Mizpixie! Please know that I did respond to you some time ago via my .org site, but recently found out that you do not receive notice of that.
Anyway, we’ve corresponded by email since then, so I’m sure you’re not mad at me. 😉 Thanks for coming by my site!
LikeLike
🙂 Mad? Never 🙂 Hope all is well in your life Alanna! xoxo
LikeLike
Hi Hazy–I don’t count the number of blogs/articles as I call them, to be of great importance. I follow folks because they write stuff that interests me. If that is every two weeks then that’s what it is. I try to post something every week around the same day of the week but that’s it. If people want more there are other sites they can tune into as well to get their daily fix. Just do what you do best–Jim
LikeLike
I try to always do what I do best, Jim! Ha ha. Thanks for the pep talk!
LikeLike
I’m with you all the way. I don’t write for money, but when people are willing to pay for my work, I’ll be happy to let them. If writers don’t get paid, they can’t keep writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Too true. :))
LikeLiked by 1 person