I can’t say about other media-related jobs/careers, but when it comes to blogging, some people think that all it takes to blog is to wake up, scratch your butt, stroke a few keys on your keyboard, and voila! You’re live. Well, no, that is not how it happens.
I realize I have said this so many times, but I have to keep saying it. Verastic did not start as a business or a money-making blog, and I did not start out being a pro blogger or even trying to be a pro blogger. I just wanted to write. If Verastic weren’t making a penny, it would still be my baby. I LOVE this blog. It’s my own personal space where I can literally say whatever the heck I want to say and no one can make me edit.
I have blogged before about how not to e-mail bloggers, and I wish I could say that things have changed, but they haven’t. Now that I have gotten used to not responding to such mails, I am less bothered by it. I have figured out that it takes me less time to delete than it takes them to type and send. So I win.
That said, being a blogger means that people automatically don’t take your job too seriously or they think of it as being too easy. Like I said, they think I just wake up and scratch my butt for a post. It is for this reason that people think they can crawl out of any hole and contact me to do them one favor or the other. Because I mean, how difficult can it be, right?
When you contact me to do you a favor on my blog and you start your sentence with, “Do you still blog,” you can be sure that it ain’t gonna happen. This irks me because it tells me that (1) You don’t read the blog, (2) You did not even bother doing the minimum research before contacting me, and (3) You’re an opportunist.
Ironically, this type of thing happens with people that I actually know, not readers who need a favor. I remember someone (whom I had not spoken to or seen in a long time) sending me a Facebook message that said I should promote his product. No “Hello.” No “Vera, are you still alive?” No “Vera, can you do me a favor?” Nope. He just went straight to the point. I, too, went straight to the point by not even bothering to reply.
I don’t mind doing favors for people at all, but I would always choose to help a “stranger” who reads this blog than a familiar face who doesn’t read this blog. It only makes sense. I don’t demand that everyone who knows me reads the blog, but if you’re going to be needing me to do you a favor using this blog that you don’t feel the need to read, then the least you can do is pretend to read the blog.
Start by not asking, “Do you still blog?” And instead say, “Girl, I read your post about (insert post here* You are so crazy!” Then you’ve got my ears 🙂
P.S. I reserve my right to give you a pop quiz about the mentioned post.
Vera, you said it best. Some poeple are just plain rude/steeeewpid when they reach out to bloggers.
People need to learn some communication etiquette.
Some dude who won 3 free airtime recharge during the week-long giveway on my blog reached out to me and all he said was “…I got your card, If I do win again send it to the same email.” No thank you, nothing!
Here’s another email I got over the weekend – “i just came across your blog and i like the theme. please whats the name of the theme and how do i get it. Thanks.” No salutation, no introduction, no signature…absolutely nothing…
“Do you still blog?” And you need help from a blogger? Why not just do a homepage landing to know whether your blogger of choice is still active before you contact him/her? Is that person for real?
I can’t deal. I just can’t deal.