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Stop the Presses
An interesting article in the Boston Herald mentions that you might want to reconsider joining the masses of bloggers that are getting into the publishing business. One of the aspects of the article that surprised me is that there was no mention of PostSecret, a book that is still in the top 200 book listings for Amazon.
As the article mentions, if you’ve got full access to the blog and read it with dedication, there really isn’t going to be too much motivation to buy the book unless you consider the possibly that it might make a good coffee table book such as PostSecret.
In further researching the topic myself, I discovered that some blog publishing companies are even going out of business. Take Typepad’s recommended book binder, BlogBinders.com as an example. But there are alternatives still out there such as iUniverse and lulu.com.
On the other side of the spectrum, you’ve got bloggers that believe that turning your blog into a book is, in a way, selling out. These bloggers feel that blogs are meant to be free for the masses…a soapbox for all to share our thoughts and observations on the world around you.
As one example, Keri Smith’s blog has a logo campaign, which states:
1. That I am opposed to the use of corporate advertising on blogs.
2. That I feel the use of corporate advertising on blogs devalues the medium.
3. That I do not accept money in return for advertising space on my blog.
Then you’ve got your bloggers out there that have managed to make a living based on ads alone such as Dooce. Now that’s pretty cool if you think about it…getting paid to say whatever you feel like it and it’s not endorsed by anyone in particular…like those hidden pespi cans in tv episodes.
In many ways, bloggers are revoltionizing the way media is published. Instead of turning to the daily newpaper or the evening news, folks in my generation often turn to their favorite blogs to get their daily news.
So fellow bloggers, what are your thoughts on this whole idea of blogs revolving into different mediums…turning to the press? going on strike and becoming ad free? or striking on your own with a cafe press store or occasional e-bay auctions? I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are…
It certainly depends on each blogger’s point of view, along with their desired goals. I have spoken to quite a few bloggers, and the motivations for maintaining a blog are quite varied.
I’d love to hear your opinion about this.
What happened when mail (including the press) could be delivered in just a week or two; then a day or two…
Now, a split second or two…
Want to take this further but I doubt the flow of time will permit…
~ Alex
To answer your question, Tommy. When it comes to ads, the two big issues that raise for me is design and influence. That is, if the ad make the site look trashy or take away from your layout…then it’s time to look at your code and see how you can infuse the two better. The other big issue you have to watch out for is influence. To me, blogs are meant to be a place where the writer can speak their thoughts without anyone breathing down their necks. But if you start inviting sponsors to help pay the cost of keeping up your site…are you also losing control over content?
As for publishing, when you take my site alone…it’s has so many avenues that might be interesting to explore deeper within a books itself. But as it stands, to me it’s not a book. It’s a continuous stream of events, thoughts, images, and ideas that I (and my husband) share with the world. In essence, it’s just another blog…not a book (yet..haha).
But when it comes to selling stuff, I’m starting to get to that point where I might enter the world of e-bay actions to find good homes for my pastel paintings. And if Brian has his way, we’ll start up a cafe press store. But part of me, prefers to play more of an active role in distributing my work…the problem is I only have so much time available working a 40-50 (sometimes even 60) hour job.
Btw…it’s good to hear from you Alexander…long time no see! If you get the time, I’d love to hear your thoughts since you’re kinda of the reverse side of the spectrum…that is, having a blog to help publish your books.
As with anything in life, there are very few mediums that remain “pure” or true to their “intended purpose.” I don’t see this as a weakness or shortcoming. Any and all media evolves, constantly. Take the language, for example. We have words in our language today that weren’t in there a few years ago.
Profitting from your point of view is in no way an indication that someone has sold out. Lets say you’ve always hated bananas your whole life. A banana tried to kill your puppy. You’ve railed against them, spoken ill of bananas to your friends, and even posted your views against bananas in your blog.
Then some dude from the banana lobby comes down and asks to buy ad space on your page. Given your previous sentiments towards bananas, you suddenly change your tune. Now you post all kinds of wonderful things about bananas. This is selling out.
Using your space to sell products that you yourself created is no different than growing vegetables in a garden in your backyard on a roadside stand. There is nothing wrong with it, as long as your cards are fully showing to those that might purchase your product.
We are no longer an industrial nation here in the US. We’re information based in our economy. If you can sell something and still remain true to your ideals, then go for it. The only thing holding most people back is what their friends might think. And if you have a friend that doesn’t want you to get ahead in life… Are they really your friend?
As Blogger and a Cafe Press shopkeeper (4 shops) … some things sell on Cafe Press and some do not - art for some people (me in particular) is a hard sell because of the kind of shoppers that frequent Cafe Press. And even only having one shop is a lot of work, a lot of time and effort for the possibility of no sales. The bigger your shop, sometimes, the better your sales … and variety is a good thing.
My dragonflies are what I sell generally - maybe once every 6 months or so someone will buy a painting on something … since you’re just considering it … I would recommend that you look closely at Image KInd too - I have a free Gallery there that I am getting ready to upgrade to a paid account for “Fine Art” http://www.imagekind.com if you’re interested in trying to sell your work online. You will still have to market it and get it noticed
… but all of your work would look great in the framing options.
My blog is my personal space … as you know, I show my stuff and others too if it fits in with whatever my topic is … sometimes more than less and some times I put nothing in a post except what I have to say - it depends entirely on my mood of the moment. LOL
BUT … lots of people are willing to sell themselves and others out for a buck or two … thus the one who hates bananas suddenly loves bananas scenario happens repeatedly.
Selling your art is not a bad thing whether it be from a website, a blog, a Cafe Press shop, an ImageKind Gallery, down at the local craft fair or the art gallery across the street.