Do you think you know us? Just because we put ourselves out there on the internet, you may think you know everything about the people who write for your daily online feeds and entertainment. But I bet you don’t.
If you aren’t one of us blogger souls then I invite you to sit by my knee and hear the story of the unsung heroes of the Internet.
There are a cacophony of bloggers out there. Many of us are women. I know there are also male bloggers, but I am not going to pretend I know a damn thing about the secret lives of Bro-writers. Maybe it is because I just don’t hang out with the boys enough….maybe I should make like Amy Schumer and go catch some dick…er… I mean, read man blogs.
Back to the lady bloggers…
Did you know…
- Some of the greatest thinkers out there are not always scientists, academics and authors of the written tome? Great ideas and insights come from average people who write for the internet. We are often recreational bloggers. Some of us blog for pay, but nobody is rolling in dough. (If your blogging is making you rich…PM me K?)
- The best of the best women bloggers advance topics of importance to the modern human. Feminism, social commentary, politics, advocacy, human rights and many other topics that aren’t being discussed in main stream media. Others talk about poop. Some of us do both.
- Bloggers stand up for each other. And sometimes we don’t. The classiest of us are supportive and positive with our comments and behaviours as we interact with each other’s work. The worst of us are no better than basement dwelling neck-bearded trolls. The bloggers who make a point of casting shade on each other are run of the mill assholes with inferiority complexes. What they don’t know, but now you do gentle reader, is that the blogger community is tight…it sees all, it reads all. It rats them out.
- There is a sub-strata of women online known as “Mommy Bloggers.” What used to be a cute term for the stay at home mom with time on her hands has morphed into an economic force with its own gravitational field. Companies trying to get their products into the homes of families had best start taking their TV ad budget and making it rain money on these bloggers. A good product that moms like will sell. Simple.
- We live for our blog readership and social media stats. It sounds so needy just to see those words in black and white, but it is fact. We obsess about how a new post is doing. Even the rock star bloggers care deeply about their results. Especially the paid ones, they parlay views into advertising dollars. The more people see your site, the more shampoo and wine gets sold by the advertisers. Those of us who are writing exclusively for fun also depend on our readers for validation. We stare at the screen with our mouths in a perfect “O” watching the ticker go up counting shares, likes and comments….or is it just me?
- Another thing, pumpkin, we aren’t in this to agree with you. We write stuff for the care and keeping of the Internet, for our own amusement, or to stir shit up. Usually we don’t expect readers to hurl abuse simply because they are different from us. You can decide if you want to engage or not. Don’t want anybody to tell you should vaccinate your children? Then don’t read a blog that calls you on your shit. Think your pet is as good as a child? Great, go out and buy it a pram and don’t read a blog that is a send up of fur babies. If you must comment, no need to be abusive.
- Bloggers talk about you. We discuss our favourite readers and commenters who make us feel somebody is out there loving our words. Your appreciative remarks get shared in groups of bloggers….and so do your nasty ones. Blockety Block Block and Report.
- And finally the big reveal….the best, most awesome parties on the planet are at blogger conferences. We get real, we get jiggy with it, we are on point and we are a subculture of our own. We educate and support each other, we coach and help….and then we cut loose. I am prevented by Guido and the blogger mafia from sharing pictures but let’s just say shit goes down (picture me looking cool when I say that).
So now you know something about who we are. If you read our stuff, we thought you should get to know the humans who put their word babies out on the Internet for your entertainment, or to engage you, or to make you think.
If you have a favourite blogger, tell them. If you appreciate something you have read, make a comment or share the post. This is how you feed the blogger animals in the Internet zoo. It is a kindness when you share our stuff and we will love you all the more, dear readers.
If you want, send a shout out in the comments section and share your favourite blog!
18 Comments
One of my recent post titles had the word “boob” in it. I set a new stats record with that one. Who knew? 🙂
I have a lot of favorite blogs, but I gotta say Christopher at Freethinkers Anonymous (http://freethinkersanonymous.com) is a phenomenal writer. You know, for a bro-writer. 😉
Everybody is fascinated with boobs… everybody.
My favorite post of mine, is on BLUNTMoms and when I read it aloud at OpenMic at #BlogHer15 I felt more love from the audience of fellow bloggers than I EVER FELT FROM MY EX HUSBAND in 17 years. There is a white outline on that stage where I dropped the damn mic. We are a fucking tribe and I love us. https://bluntmoms.com/just-get-old/
As I read this it threw me back into the first few months of being a “blogger”. I wasn’t a blogger yet, I was the same as all the newbies trying to make something of myself. Trying desperately to crack some code or even better trying to sit at the popular crowd’s lunch table in high school. I was just a girl with a lap top and some shit to say. I believe we all are. Luckily, after many failed attempts to be read ( other than by my family ) I met a young lady who thought I had something. I love this lady with all my heart. Her name is Rachel, she blogs here: http://misfitsmountainmama.com . Many bloggers I have met have become like family to me, and I feel extremely lucky to have their ongoing support. Thanks for this insightful piece Magnolia
Ohh Magnolia, I love this. Your candor is unlike anyone I know–and I love you ten times over for it. And, as much as I love writing, I will say, ‘gettin’ jiggy with it’ with my blogging pals is equally as amazing–if not, more. <3 😉 love love love you.
Magnolia,
I loved this post. It says it all. And It is such great food for thought. I started my blog to write about roses and gardening. Its become a lifestyle blog and one of my most popular, “In Loving Memory” turned out to be about my mother and Peonies, go figure. But I think its popular for the sense of humor, perhaps poignancy I see in things and the pictures I take of the garden when all is “said and done”. I love Monday Blogs to discover writers like you. “In the words of Arnold “I’ll be Back”.
Susan Fox
Welcome to our world Susan. We have cookies and talk about poop and boobs.
I love your story!
Yes…just yes…to all of it! People have such skewed ideas of what we do and who we are. This deserves to be shared over and over again!
Get the word out bloggers! We can all get along, and there is no prize for the biggest asshole. Well there is one, but they won’t like it.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything written better than this. I think you nailed every single point. Since I’ve been blogging, I’ve seen so many things that don’t shock me as much as they did in the beginning, but still leave me standing here wondering WTF??? – from commenters, editors, other bloggers, you name it. Fortunately, I’ve met more fabulous people through blogging and built a community I love.
The community should be comforting and warm like hot bread out of the oven. If other bloggers crunch like stale crackers, sweep them out the door.
Magnolia, I love this and I love you. You nailed it, again. Thank you for writing this!
I have one fan after all – and it’s you! Yay me!!! I love being loved.
This is a great post as are all of yours. I’m more of a reader than a writer these days, I fit in nowhere. LOL I will always read and love everything you write <3 xoxoxo
I love that I know you read everything I put out into the world.
Smooches.
Mary, your writing is missed.
As an aside, I just adore you calling readers pumpkin. This behind the scenes glimpse is absolutely fascinating! It makes me wonder if I am actually a blogger since I never knew half this stuff. Also now I see just another obvious reason why you can do such amazing editing–You flourish on the writing side.
The friends who know me in real life say that I write in a way that I make them feel when they are around me. Kind of a cantankerous mother bear who makes them feel loved and safe because I call them things like dolly and pumpkin, even when they need a shake by the scruff.
Thank you for reading and being so kind.