On Friday Night Live this week we dissected and discussed what we are affectionately calling “bloggy burnout.’ After a lengthy 90 minute conversation with bloggers around the web, we came to one conclusion:
Mom Bloggers are simply doing too much.
With the allure of giveaways, reviews, and blog trips, Mom Bloggers have turned from what they love the most, their family, into working directly as public relations for their captive audience. It boils down to knowing your worth and then standing up for it.
While we adore many of our fabulous PR reps and treat them like bloggy friends, our site, and many others, are inundated with hundreds, if not thousands, of product requests each year resulting in massive obligations and deadline stress equivalent to what the General Motors CEO must feel every time he drives into work. We watch our blog friends strive for the next big review or the next big giveaway, but all the while practically losing
MomDot is challenging bloggers to participate for one week in August in a PR BLACKOUT challenge where you do not blog ANY giveaways, ANY reviews, and Zero press releases. In fact, we dont want you to talk to PR at ALL that whole week. We want to see your blog naked, raw, and back to basics. Talk about your kids, your marriage, your college, your hopes, your dreams, your house and whatever you can come up with for one week.
We will host a linky during that week for you to link up every post you do. We will also provide some topic suggestions for each day of the week to get your blog blood flowing again.
We feel this is an important challenge to show mom bloggers that what they are doing, the stress they feel, the deadlines, the time away from their family, it has to be worth it. So grab the picture, link to MomDot for PR BLACKOUT week and COMMIT to blogging for YOU and about you for one week this year.
Let us know if you will be participating along side us. We have scheduled it far enough in advance for you to wrap up all your current obligations and look forward to meeting more of our audience, sharing more of our personal selves, and having the TIME to be much more involved with our own community.
~Trisha
You might want to take your own advice on that one, Jessica. Your comment is MISSING words.
Jessica Gottlieb wrote:
Welcome to the club!! I hope you enjoy yourself.
Adrienne wrote:
I’m not what you might call a mommy blogger, however I”m a mom and a blogger. I never started a blog intending to journal my family life or kids lives. It wasn’t to PLUG myself either however most of my posts are put up to showcase current product. It was more to show what I was doing with the work I do – BECAUSE I HAVE TO WORK. To some it may feel like I’m plugging, but it’s really just a place for me to journal my progress in business and be consistent with deadlines. If I didn’t have a blog and readership to “report” to, I wouldn’t be able to achieve half the goals I set for work.
I think the PR Challenge is a great suggestion, and if I had advertising on my blog I’d even suggest further to not run any sponsors/advertising that week either to see if traffic stays consistent with “raw” details of my life. YES, I do on occasion blog about what is going on in my life, but as a professional I don’t like to mix business with personal life. I’m going to take the challenge and look forward to seeing what sort of comment I can come up with that isn’t “PR”. Wish me luck!
Kidoinfo has been moving away from doing so many product reviews in general and more towards information, education, ideas. Although we like to share our favorites now and then we also like to talk about what is happening in the community, share cool craft ideas and etc. All these companies need to remember they can always pay for an ad (in our advertising section not the blog) to ensure their product get in front of our devoted targeted group of readers. Thanks for starting this conversation!
I support you Trisha! Some people don’t get it because they don’t want to get it. They’re only in this for the drama and they can all screw themselves. Keep you chin high, you’re doing nothing wrong! You’re supporting your friends and community and we’re all very greatful!
@ Trisha-admin:
Trisha, as a fellow momdot member, I just have to say that I absolutely love the support we get from the Momdot Community. Not just from other bloggers but from you. You don’t treat others like they are worthless. Instead you help them get better! You actually CARE! Thanks for being you!
@ Jessica Gottlieb:
Wow you really don’t get the whole point do you? Apparently, you aren’t the only one either. This has noting to do with hating PR, ignoring them or bashing them. This has to do with getting back to our roots as bloggers. Blogging is supposed to be about us, our families, our communities, our lives. Instead everyone has wrapped themselves up so much in promoting products, drawing new traffic, competing with other bloggers, defending themselves against nasty bloggers who have nothing else better to do than trash other bloggers that we have forgotten why they got into blogging in the first place.
This campaign (designed for the MomDot community bloggers not the entire blogosphere) is suppose to help bloggers go back to what they started their blog for in the first place so that they don’t lose themselves in the competition of blogging.
Yes, bloggers take on too much responsibility from PR.
Yes they should say “NO” more than they do, if at all.
However, people don’t. If they did there wouldn’t be so much blogger burnout going around in the first place. This campaign is simply designed to help bloggers realize that it is o.k. to say “NO” when you can’t handle any more or if you need a break. If we do it together we can support each other and get to know each other better by taking all of that extra time to write about ourselves and read others blogs.
@ Jessica Gottlieb:
Listen, this isn’t a moment I wanted or asked for. It was intended for OUR community. If anyone had listened to our BTR show, they would have known that when I even said, this is something we should do for the bloggers that hang out on our forum, with the exception of the review bloggers.
Had I known it was going to be a hot button, I would have cleaned the place up more.
I personally don’t say yes to everything, you can pretty much look around and see that we try to keep contests/reviews completely separate from our regular posting. And anything I do let be posted is generally written by other bloggers. I may receive one product a month at that.
This challenge had nothing to do with MomDot as a blog. It had to do with the women that were talking about burnout on our forum and then on our radio show. It was to them we created this for. And while I personally feel pressure, its not always from PR, its from a variety of online sources.
Our intent was to support the women that do take the time to respond to the 500+ press releases on their site and let them know its ok to step back and not be involved in them anymore. To take a break. Unfortunately, there are women that say yes to everything. Its those women that reached out to us and we supported them by providing a place to talk about it.
I am becoming an unwilling participate as a poster child in something that was not my original intention. Additionally, our thoughts were content blogging for bloggers that wanted to participate for a WEEK as a fun way to blog hop. It was some permanent everyone hates PR hullabaloo. Although, at this point I am in support of bloggers stopping the commercialization of online blogging and truly think that if its this big of a deal, then maybe it *has* gone too far.
I blog daily on my life and have done thousands and thousands of posts that have zero to do with PR.
And for the record, I don’t pay attention to grammar or spelling. I could care less. Its one thing I don’t really care about and those that know me just understand that about who I am. I am not a journalist, I am not a writer, I simply own a site and put up feelings about things or talk about my family from time to time. In my world, your vs you’re doesn’t matter, spelling out or writing out numbers makes no difference. I am lazy and don’t care.
For the record, the “ads” on the site were donated space by myself and the money made went to support 4 bloggers with BlogHer scholarships this year.
I am happy with my little site and I am happy for the things we accomplish, regardless of how small they may seem on the outside or unimportant they are to someone else. I have a small place on the web and get to talk about what I want from time to time and its not a bad gig for someone with nothing to do during the day.
Thanks for your comment and take care,
~Trisha
hi, i’m part of the “pr machine” you bloggers love/hate. i wanted to say a few things:
1 – for the brands i represent, you “mom bloggers” have actually been a very valuable and much appreciated forum for us to promote the products, via your reviews and give-aways. obviously having our products featured in a national print magazine is fantastic, but we understand how large and active this community is, and how much you each value one another’s opinions, so having real women test and review our products is often more important to us than one little mention or credit in a magazine.
2 – i am inundated daily with dozens of requests from blogs i haven’t heard of yet (so many new ones pop up every day!), and i actually take the time to vet each one before replying or sending product. its very obvious to me which bloggers actually take the time to consider the products they are reviewing and promoting to make sure they are in line with their values and the integrity of the blog, and which ones are simply in it for the free loot. i have to protect my clients’ image and branding, so its imperative that i only work with bloggers who clearly demonstrate a sincere interest in the products and agree to write an honest, thoughtful review (i’ve even asked one blogger to include some slightly negative thoughts she had about one product because i felt her points were valid and should be shared with your community).
3 – this is a direct reply to Anne: i don’t know about some of the big giant corporate companies you may work with, but it is quite costly for my clients to send you products to review. not only are we covering the cost of the product, often 2 sets as you use one to test and one to give away, but also the shipping to you and to the contest winner. trust me, it adds up quickly! just this month alone i’ve already sent out $1500 wholesale (so approx $3300 retail) worth of merchandise, plus the cost of shipping, plus whatever i will be sending to contest winners (and the shipping for that!). and i’m not finished, i have 3 requests on my desk and we still have 10 days left this month!
i just want to reiterate that my clients do appreciate and value the mom blogging community, and even if you do take a one-week break from us, we will be more than happy to pick up again after the hiatus and continue the great relationships we have built. thank you so much for letting me comment!
so interesting. I actually staged my own last week. sad part? I had reviews and items scheduled so I just didn’t post anything.
I am not sure if I can do it again in August, I am so far behind now, but I will try! maybe last week of aug.
You gals are getting known! I found this blog via mediabistro. Great challenge! Back to basics is always a good idea.
@ Trisha-admin: Enjoy your moment. Today there are 536 press releases that sitting in my inbox. I won’t read most of them, and I won’t be overwhelmed.
Just stop being the girl that says yes to everything and try blogging. You might like it. And for the love of Gawd, please edit for basic grammar and spelling.
Serena wrote:
Since you asked, i went and checked…a whopping $16, half of which is ‘normal’ for our site as it is…so that would be $8? I may go to Tahiti and buy that Lexus now.
Well done! I would love to know how much revenues you guys generated via click thrus during this, um, debate.
@ Michelle Smiles:
Then your lucky enough to not experience what hundreds of other bloggers are going through and simply this ‘challenge’ is not for you. It was set up for the MomDot community as it is, not the entire blogosphere, so we are reacting via our own communities complaints and stresses.
~Trisha
Complicated Mama wrote:
thankyou for listening to the show!
Anne wrote:
nicely said.
What’s interesting is how it’s changing some of the dynamic in the market. Because so many are willing to give up their time, content, etc. for attention and free product, it’s been said that a lot of brands are going to small and independent content companies online and telling them they do not see why they should spend money when the blogs are willing to do far more for acknowledgement and/or free stuff.
The PR people can always go elsewhere and look for different bloggers.
So, let me edit my own comment and say…if this is just your way of taking a moment off, and re-evaluating yourself to find clear direction then power to ya’ people! I guess (since I’m guilty of not listening to the show, SORRY!) I didn’t fully understand the catalyst for this idea. I 100% agree that you have the right to take a breather. Not clear as to why we should all be doing it simultaneously, but get the fact that we all need one from time to time. This is what happens when you open your mouth before you do your research. I know, I suck. So, boycott me too if you want. I can handle it:)
Yeah, I’m of the don’t see the point really group, I guess. I do reviews if I like the product and really think other people like me would too. If I get offered something I’m not really into, I just say no. Not sure why it’s such a huge deal… And, if you find yourself on a review blog and you don’t like it, navigate away and don’t go back (wish mean people who come to mine would do that too instead of leaving ugly, uneducated comments!). It’s just like anything else… If I accidentally find myself on a vintage car site I just leave, I don’t start hating it. I just don’t visit it. But, I know where to look if I’m ever in the market for something like that. Same with mommy review sites. I don’t go to them everyday, but if I wanna know what people think of the stroller I’m about to drop $200 on, then I know where to go to find out. As far as moms that are inundated or overwhelmed by these offers, just stop. No one forces us to take them, and some of us enjoy the opportunities we are provided. If you don’t, then don’t participate. I feel like you just have to be selective and if you feel like you’re being taken advantage of, then don’t play with that PR person any more. I’m not trying to be harsh or anything, I just don’t get the huge ISSUE, I guess. But, we all know I’m Dumb Mom, so that probably explains quite a bit!
I hear you’re getting a lot of flack for this ’round the blogosphere (the backlash against the backlash, eh?). I think that’s too bad. I like challenges like this… whether its NaPoBloMo or “count all your steps for a month” or “don’t buy anything new all month” — I think it’s a great idea. Not sure if I’ll do it or not do it, but bravo.
Great points. Loved the Friday Night Live convo on this.
Im relatively new, blogging for less than a year but can already relate to so much of what your talking about.
Thanks for the great convo.
I’ve been blogging for over four years now – which makes me an ‘elder’ in much of the blogging world; having said that – I’ve been doing reviews for several of those four years and NOT ONE of those reviews was paid, NOT ONE of those reviews brought me extra traffic, and NOT ONE of those reviews ‘helped’ me in any way. I know, I read my stats several times a day just like anyone else.
Do any of you realize how little it costs for these companies to give away free product to be reviewed? Do any of you realize that, singularly, we really don’t matter to them at all? Do you know the true compensation for a review done by a professional? We’re not getting our due, and I know this from a professional standpoint.
Do what you’d like – keep doing reviews and giveaways for mere pittance and a few extra hits (pay attention to how much time the reader actually spends on your blog once they click in to check out the review) – once the stack of books and products I have sitting runs out, I’m not caving every time I get an email or phone call from another PR rep wanting my services for nada.
These are BLOGS, not magazines. I don’t know why everyone else started blogging, but my reasons were purely personal, and will continue to be so.
Nobody is asking for everyone to stop forever – just a break for a week – what mom couldn’t use that time to breathe? I think it’s a brilliant idea.
Totally don’t get this. If you don’t want to do so many reviews, don’t. There are a lot of bloggers out there who would likely welcome the opportunities you are wanting to shun. And most of us talk quite a bit about our kids and families and lives. I seriously can’t wrap my head around why this issue of all things in blog land makes you want to do a call to action.
Two things.
One: PR people wouldn’t overwhelm “mommy bloggers” with requests unless they got results that way. You can’t have it both ways. Getting free things to give away on blogs (not to mention paid mentions) to increase your readership comes with the price tag of dealing with those companies or PR reps who hold the purse strings.
Two: As a blog reader myself, I have to say AMEN. While I don’t think this should be a whole anti-PR movement, I do know that I have stopped reading many of my former favorite blogs because they’ve turned from “look at the hilarious things my family and I are have been doing this week” to “look what I’m giving away, doing a review for, getting paid to praise, etc.” Not to mention the ever popular “go check out what I wrote at my paying gig over on this other website.” Enough already!
I do this all the time anyway. My blog is baout parenting or baby gear the giveaways and reviews are just part of it. Good for you & I will join right in!
EThics? Dude. This has NOTHING TO DO WITH ETHICS.
Can everyone get a grip.
Kai.Thanks.Bai.
rather than calling for a PR Blackout (which in itself is quite a PR move on your part) and fight the system that’s made soooooo many Mom’s blogs poplular, why not simply be constructive and come up with events to focus on Mom’s blogs niches.
the whold anti-PR vibe seems silly. Just don’t use or promote what PR firms send you. why do you need a “Blackout” to accomplish this? most Mom bloggers willing accept the gifts, freebies, etc and thrive on it. No one forces them to post on the “junk” and sell themselves to the PR machine.
Bloggers need to have standards and ethics – if you can’t willing promote a product or service on your blog, DON’T. selling out never works in the long term.
Trisha, you rock!! Just getting back from my month-long hiatus to the UK and catching up! Love this idea — it is after all what our blogs should be!
I’ve read everyone’s comments and I just started blogging. I do post contests (from here lol) if I enter them or think others would love to do the same. I only post reviews on stuff I really love (movies, products and so forth) I can’t imagine a PR nightmare but can see if it’s taking up too much time then a break is a great suggestion.
I’m taking a week off blogging all together (no weekly memes, contests or reviews, post on the kids or anything) July 28th. I’m spending it with my family and as much as I love blogging, I write full time and that can cause burn out as well, deadlines for articles and so forth.
I think taking a break to enjoy the things in life like our children and pamper ourselves is great. I’m going to the sticks with no cell phone reception, no tv, no video games, or computer. Just the lake, trees, camp fires and fun. I cannot wait!
@ Christy:
If you are caught up with your giveaways and prefer not to participate, that’s up to you. I don’t understand why you are being so negative about this. If you have no problem keeping up with the emails and the pitches, that’s terrific for you! Some of us, however, are not.
What Trisha is doing is suggesting that for those of us who do need a break, we just pick a week and mark it off on our calendar. That we give ourselves permission to reply to the emails by saying “no thanks, I’m not available that week”. It can be hard for some bloggers to say no, because they feel if they do, they’ll never get pitched again. I used to have that fear myself.
I have absolute confidence that the PR people I work with on a regular basis will understand when I block off a week on my calendar to use for blogging about products I’ve purchased and want to write about, maybe even to give away some of the things I’ve been sent that I’m not using. There’s no doubt in my mind that the pitches will keep coming
@ Trisha-admin:
I agree 100%! Any blogger should be able to take a break and re-evaluate. When I first started blogging I wrote everyday… sometimes 2-3 posts a day. But now I may post only once or twice a week. I do it because I enjoy it… but my family comes first. So I made that commitment to myself to not overdo it. And that is a fine line because I have a lot more going on then just my blog. So I do understand burnout.
I’ve made it a habit to take time to re-evaluate what I’m doing and why at least every couple of months. I’m not perfect by not stretch of the imagination… but this does seem to work for me. I admit it is easier for me because my hubby works from home so he helps out a whole lot with our son. Otherwise, I could not do what I do.
As I said, I have no problem with you and other bloggers taking time off from reviews/contests. I was just playing devils advocate – and saying what I think some people might derive from the decision for so many doing it at the same time.
I support you all for your decision – wish you all the best! How could I not commend you for the decision to take time to reflect and spend more time with your families…
@ Donna:
Donna, i run a community….we started out on our show as a blog burnout…which is very true. I run a community, i am not an individual blogger. If you listen to the show, you will see that the CALLERS stress brought about the idea, it wasnt me that just made something up and rallied the troops.
The problem is no one listed to the FNL show and then just assumed….this was meant for our COMMUNITY, for our visitors to our blog who wanted to do something fun, not a national media scandal. However, i am not disappointed that its received attention because it means its a conversation that needs to happen.
I will never stop showing moms how valuable they are. Brands do not make us valuable…WE make us valuable.
I am however very disappointed in the very bad renditions of what the intent was, the fact that no one listened to the show, the fact that the FTC and ethics were dragged into it, and the fact that ONE WEEK down was such a big deal.
I find it actually a bit pathetic that taking a week off is considered a strike. LOL! Why not a month? why not forever? It was just a week. Im sitting here at iRobot, i certainly love my PR. But i dont want to be slaves to them 24/7 and i want my community to have time too…
Sometimes women need a reason to stop and evaluate and we provided a time for that for those that cant say no. Who cares if someone doesn’t participate, i certainly wont be stepping on anyones blog toes over at thier place…but that hasnt stopped people from insulting ME on my site.
I do find the whole thing extremely hysterical at this point.
I think I will be doing this August 21-28th while I’m on my vacation. Yes, a big portion of my vacation is paid for because I’m doing a review on the location, but I don’t have to blog about it until I get home. I might not even blog about my family. I might just take a week off to actually ENJOY my husband. “Scandalous”.
Lee
@ Donna:
I can see where it can come off as a PR strike. That’s not what it is at all. It was meant to be a support group. I am not overwhelmed with PR stuff but I do feel the need to check my mail constantly, reply constantly, get stuff up, network. It just made it difficult to do what I started out doing. Which is writing about my family. I love the reviews because it is something I truly enjoy. Personally I am taking that week to claim my blog back and to re-organize it so it’s MAINLY content with some reviews, giveaways and promotional stuff. I’m going to take a break and come back more rejuvenated than ever!
I commend you for making a decision that is best for you! You have every right to stop reviews/contests anytime you choose. I don’t know how you do all you do anyway.
I have been blogging for over 15 mths purely for the love of writing. I have not done any reviews/contest yet. In fact, getting ready to do my first in a couple of days. I decided to do some occasionally, but do not want my blog to be solely a review/contest blog.
However, allow me to play devils advocate. As I said, there is nothing wrong whatsoever with you taking a “vacation”. I think the problem many could see with it is that you not only decided to take a vacation from Aug. 10 – 16 but get as many other bloggers to do it as well. If you mentioned you were taking a vacation from PR for a week and others said they liked the idea and they decided when they wanted to take their “vacation” it would seem, well… like a vacation. But with a lot of bloggers taking their “vacation” during the same week, it seems more like a little “strike” against PR.
Like I said, I don’t know how you do all you do Trisha, seriously! And taking time off for a break and to reflect is a good thing.
Interesting discussion! I, like a couple of others who’ve commented, do very little pr related stuff on my blog and have no intention of changing that. Okay, I plug my own biz on my mom blog occasionally, but only in a vague way. And I do book reviews, but only one or two a month. Even those I don’t do traditional review style, I often talk about the book’s story and how it relates to MY life – I find that type of review more interesting to read, so that’s what I write. I never let my blog stress me out though, just not how I work! I have enough other stress.
This blackout idea calls for mom bloggers to rethink exactly why they starting blogging in the first place. My blog is pretty much a review blog, but I focus mainly on books and products that are of interest to me and my family. I blog because I like to write reviews. I’m not really interested in sharing numerous personal tidbits of my family’s life, although small tidbits make their way into my review posts if you look for them. When the scheduling gets in the way of my enjoyment, I back off. After all, this is a hobby for me, not some lucrative endeavor. While I do understand the need for mommy bloggers to pace themselves, I think it has to be something we do on our own every single week. It is for this very reason that I only rarely participate in live discussions and twitter parties. They take up too much time away from my family during the early evening hours. As far as reviews, I’ve turned down several review requests already and will continue to do so. I won’t be participating in the blackout but not because I don’t think the idea is a good one. It is because I already take my own breaks, especially on the weekends. Have fun those that are participating and thanks to Trisha bringing the subject to light! I look forward to reading your posts.
I’m in!! GREAT idea!
I’m in. I have only done one giveaway on my site, and it’s for something I was excited to share.
I’m certainly not in the same category as some of the other bloggers I’ve seen, but I’ll commit to it since it’s a great cause!
I found this post via Kim at Hormone-Colored Days, and I have to say amen. I’ve always been very cautious about letting PR creep into my blog. I don’t do giveaways and I keep reviews to one every month or so. Not because I think it’s evil, but because I don’t think that’s what my readers want.
If I’m going to back a brand, it’s going to be MY brand. Me. Marketing Mommy.
When your hobby begins to feel more like a job because of all the deadlines you have and people banging on your inbox… I think its time to have the break.
This is supposed to be fun, and while it still is, it’s also extremely stressful at times.
YAY! For the PR Blackout! I’m all over it!
I am all over this!
i’m so in this also!
I’m in!
I’ve already let go of BlogHer Ads. I think it’s a great organization but it was too stressful for me, they wanted too much control.
I think its a great way to step back and breathe. A vaca can clear you mind and re-evaluate. You can decide to step back, change their course of action, continue on…whatever….any way you look at it you will be able to be more effective after even for PR.
I can say that YOU are most definitely on the right track whatever the hell anyone wants to say. I know you are not only taking a act helping many breather for yourself but in fact helping many hundreds of other bloggers that participate in PR.
As part of this community for just a very short time, I admire your intentions and desire to help people not only in this way but in the way you give back and support. The way you have donated money you have received through ads etc and through Bloggers Give.
You are amazing. Screw the a-holes that don’t understand. They never will.
Here’s part of the way I’m trying to prevent Bloggy Burnout: http://angiemarion.blogspot.com/2009/07/public-relations-representatives-simple.html
Look… I’m a single mom. I work FT. My son begins football practice on Aug 1. I will not have as much time for blogging. It’s WORK. and I never though it was like that. But… I love it. I love blogging, not just doing reviews. I’ve blogged for almost 2 years before I started doing review. So I feel ya… but I probably won’t take part in the Blackout.
I’m in! I think it will be a great break. Thanks Trisha!
I’m not PR friendly except entering an occasional giveaway, so you can always stop by my blog for the real deal, my online journal and carefest.
Christy wrote:
OMG. Its NOT to fix a problem, its to HELP bloggers…and yes, one week can help someone. Just like a vacation. To clear your brain, to get back to something normal and feel normal. No one is asking anyone to participate that doesnt want to.
This whole thing is completely out of proportion and ridiculous.
I think its very very sad we are not SUPPORTING THOSE THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE, rather then chastising their reasons why they feel its a good fit.
This is making me no longer wanting to work with PR ever again.
One week isn’t going to fix the problem, it’s only a Bandaid. People need to stand on their own two feet. If it’s too much for them now, it’s going to be too much for them after the PR Blackout is over.
I can hardly find words to express 1. how grateful I am that you stepped up and suggested this and 2. just how IN I am. I recently had an email exchange with a PR rep who felt the need to tell me exactly why she was no longer sending me products to review, including quotes from emails I sent her LAST YEAR. As I sat there thinking about how upset I was, I realized that I was giving my power away.
I started MomReviews because I liked telling people what I thought of stuff, and thought it would be fun to have a site just for reviews. And then the emails started. And kept coming, and coming. I’m now at a point where it’s no longer fun, it’s a race to keep up. I NEED A BREAK.
AND…I also realized that I have never taken the time to tell my MomReviews audience anything personal about myself. Why shouldn’t they get to know me and my family? I think a week of posts that are not PR-driven would be fantastic!
You’re coming to BlogHer, right? I know it will be hard to find people in the massive crowd, but I’m going to do everything I can to find you so I can thank you personally for this!
Christy wrote:
Chirsty, i think your missing the point. This isnt a PR block. Its a one week bloggy vacation. Until your bombarded by 100 emails a day all that will email you back if you dont respond, you cant understand the intense feeling of trying to please everyone, including yourself. It gets lost in the shuffle of the bigger picture and accepting one thing and then it brings on 4 more to email you, etc.
I personally DON’T accept a lot, you can see that if you look around, but i also know way too many that experience the stress of saying no, hte competition, and the keeping up with what they have to do vs what they want.
No one is asking people to QUIT pR.
Its ONE WEEK PEOPLE. ONE WEEK.
I’m sure this is going to come off way more harsh than I mean it, but I’m going to say it anyway… You all have let it get to the point of being miserable and exhausted. You have the ability to say no, you need to use it. Don’t blame your “bloggy burnout” on PR, take accountability of your own actions.
I’m in too and frankly I can’t wait! I love PR people and I love trying out new stuff but man am I swamped. I rarely have time to write anymore about anything other than product reviews/giveaways etc unless I’m participating a meme.
Thanks for giving us our blogs back for a week! Now I have to think about all the things I’d like to blog about but haven’t!
I’m in too. I can barely post about my own life let alone other’s products
Let me first start of by saying that I am in a different category than most others here (I think)…I am a mom blog & review site, so I am not your typical mommy blogger.
But that being said I am all for taking back your blog if you feel that you have gotten overwhelmed and if it is a decision that makes YOU happy. Authenticity to yourself, your site, and your readers should come before everything else.
We are IN!
You’ve no idea how IN I am.
And manymany fitness bloggers as well.
I’m gonna spread the word/send people your way.
I have a baby birthday bash scheduled for the 14-23- def want to do this next time though, I can’t wait to see what everyone writes!
Sounds like a great Retreat-good to refresh & rewind -I’m in if I can wrap current affairs up in time
Oh man! I’m already committed to a Back To School event the 1st thru the 15th…..can you do this again sometime?
Sounds like I missed a great FNL. I think this is a fantastic idea and I’m in!
Provided I have three weeks notice I’M IN!!!
I look forward to it!
I have a giveaway event planned the 1st-15th so I can’t join in this time. I could probably commit to the 16th LOL.
Sounds good to me!
I must be ahead of the curve, I’m in a constant PR blackout.
I’m in! Looking forward to it!
Me!
I’m in!!
I’m in!
I haven’t really joined the whole rat race yet but I think it’s a great idea and I’ll support it.
Way to go ladies. Can’t wait to read all the great articles.
I’m in!!
I’m in.
I’m so in for this. Looking forward to it!
Too bad I already have Beautiful Summer Giveaway running through the months of July and August. Oh well, I’m not fully burn out yet….by the end of August I bet I will be!
Count me in!