In response to Nora Ephron's The Six Stages of E-Mail
Stage One: Infatuation
Blogs, how cool! My coworker turned me on to Perez Hilton, and now I spend hours reading blogs at work when my boss isn't looking. Reading Seth Godin's Blog at work is o.k. since it's about marketing and business, right?
I'm exhausted today because I was up until 3 a.m. getting caught up at Dooce, the Huffington Post, and Daily Kos. Who knew there was all this great writing and information out there?
I love blogs!
Stage Two: Clarification
Wow, there are all these little blogs about things I'm into like - knitting, scrapbooking, and beading just on the 451Press.com network alone. So many blogs and so little time!
Maybe I should write a blog about the stuff I'm into? It could be fun to share with like-minded people. Maybe I'll make some new friends. Lord knows the jerks I work with don't get half the stuff I like and forget about those snobby bitches in the PTO.
I can't wait to get my blog set up so I can email my mom and sister the link!
Stage Three: Confusion
Blogger. TypePad. WordPress. Web hosting. RSS. Feedburner. Technorati. Blog directories. Web rings. SEO. Monetizing your blog. Linkbait. Voice. I've gotta stop reading Performancing.com.
I'm having enough problems as it is trying to get my blog set up. Forget this Blogger stuff, I want to post pictures of the kids. Maybe I should jump right in and get a TypePad account? Or maybe WordPress is the way to go? Should I go for the free service or get hosting? I'm techie enough to do it on my own...I think.
The blog learning curve sucks!
Stage Four: Disenchantment
Finally got it figured out and my blog is up! I've designed my site, posted about my weekend, and put up cut kid photos. I even posted about my latest craft project and included pictures! I also set up an Amazon affiliate account and a blog roll. I got some cute badges from various webrings, too.
It was a lot of work, but I'm really proud of what I've accomplished. Plus it's so fun to share my inner most thoughts and what I'm projects I'm working on.
Should I sign up for BlogExplosion? It looks like a lot of work. I don't have time to read blogs now that I'm writing my own. Maybe Darren over at Problogger can help.
No one is reading my blog!
Stage Five: Accommodation
O.K. I've got it down now. I purchased a domain name and submitted it to the major search engines. I've picked a niche, and found a voice. I've got my affiliate programs and ads set up. I'm posting everyday and I'm trying to improve my writing and editing skills. I make sure I go on sites that appeal to my audience, leave relevant comments, and link back to my blog.
I hosted my first blog carnival. I'm running a contest this week, too - reader participation is so important! I'm finally getting some traffic, and it's so satisfying to get comments and emails from readers and other bloggers.
I bought a new digital camera and Photoshop Elements to tweak my pictures. Boy, blogging is getting expensive. Should I get business cards?
There's so much to do!
Stage Six: Death
Burn out. Blog depression. Spreadsheets and file folders. Keeping track of receipts and expenses for tax purposes. Lack of time to blog. Ignoring work. Neglecting the kids. House is a disaster. Exhausted from blogging all night. (Don't even get me started on my wretched hangover from drunken blogging last weekend.) Qualms about paid posting. Nasty comments from blog trolls.
Should I stop blogging?
Stage Seven: Resurrection
The last payments from Adsense/Amazon/Blogher/PayPerPost/Text Link Ads/ReviewMe/LoudLaunch were amazing. It's not a fulltime career (yet) but the supplemental income makes it worth it. I've been asked to speak to a small business group about blogging and teach a class, too.
The house is still a mess, but now I can afford to hire a cleaning person to come in a few times a month. And if I get a laptop with a wireless connection, I can blog at the rec center during the kids' gymnastic class and swim lessons so I can spend more one-on-one time with them. I'm going to start blogging at Starbucks during lunch so my boss won't be pissed, too.
I'm going to Blogher and BlogWorld 2007 to meet up with blogging friends I've met through online. I'm also applying at 451Press.com to start another blog.
I love blogs!
This originally appeared on my personal blog, A Mama's Rant, and is a somewhat accurate account of my blogging life more or less, except I don't write about knitting, beading, scrapbooking or crafting, I'm self-employed, and my children's school doesn't have a PTO.
