The Blogger Pledge
Sep 15, 2011 Blogging
So I’ve had an interesting few months. I saw a couple of opportunities blow up in my face, I let a few more slip through my fingers, and I completely messed up at least one. I did not plan well for the summer, especially August, and ended up missing a couple of big deadlines.
On the other hand, lots of great opportunities have come my way recently that I’ve managed not to mess up, and I’ve been getting more and more steady, long-term work.
There’s a lot that both sides – bloggers and those who hire us – can do to make this a more mutually beneficial relationship, but all I can control is my side of it. So, here’s my pledge. Some of these I already do consistently, some of them I kinda do, some of them I really need to work on. Two or three are in there specifically because a bunch of YOU aren’t doing them, and I’m passive-aggressive like that. But they are all the foundation on which I can build a better career.
The Blogger Pledge
Raise your right hand, put your left hand on a pile of contracts, travel receipts, and rejected proposals, and repeat after me:
- I will not miss a deadline, ever again. It makes me look incredibly unprofessional, and reflects badly on all of the other bloggers who are working hard and fulfilling their commitments.
- I will not be late. If I say that I’m going to be somewhere at a certain time, I will plan ahead to make that happen. There are worse things than standing outside for fifteen minutes because I’m early.
- I will show up. If I say I will attend something, I will be there. Sure, emergencies do happen and canceling is sometimes unavoidable. But “I don’t feel like going anymore” is not an acceptable excuse for wasting a spot that could’ve gone to someone else. Which leads to…
- I will seriously consider saying no before I say yes to anything. It’s nice to be included in things, and I always worry that if I don’t attend something, it will end up being the greatest event in the history of PR. But unless I genuinely want to be involved, I will say no, and leave the spot for someone who will appreciate it more.
- I will be generous. The internet is a big place, and sharing an opportunity will not dilute that opportunity for me. In fact, helping to make other bloggers more successful and influential will help convince the people with the money to make more opportunities. However…
- I will remember that I’m not in kindergarten. I do not have to bring enough for everybody. I do not have to include everyone. I do not have to associate with people who bring me down.
- I will not waste time being jealous. Well, not more than a few seconds, anyway. Instead, I will ask myself if that other blogger is really doing something that I would want to do, or if I’m simply jealous of the attention, which is petty.
- I will read every word of everything I sign. Even if someone is literally standing behind me breathing down my neck, I will read – and understand – every word before signing.
- I will stop and think before signing a non-disclosure agreement. The more specific and lengthy the NDA, the more I’ve ended up getting screwed, and then couldn’t even talk about it and warn others. Unless I can be comfortable with what I’m signing, unless changes can be made that protect my right to express myself about my own experiences, I will not sign and will be prepared to lose the opportunity.
- I will make sure I understand the scope of my involvement in a project before saying yes, and that I have it in writing. While I pride myself on being flexible and understand that things change on the fly, it is my responsibility to make sure that if I give my time to something, I will be rewarded with at least a certain level of involvement and promotion to make it worth my while. If the other party can’t promise that, I should run the other way.
- I will not undervalue myself. I know what my time is worth, and when I work for less I end up hating myself for it.
- I will not help promote things – or bloggers – I don’t believe in. Pay or no pay, my opinion is my most valuable asset. And if I use it to promote people or things I’m not enthusiastic about, my worth gets watered down.
- I will keep my goals in mind, always. If I don’t know where I want to end up, I won’t know which path to take. Just because “everybody” is doing something doesn’t mean that it is right for me.
Originally posted on Behind the Screen. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Blogging, professionalism
