Last weekend I sat curled up on the sofa for two hours, devouring Red magazine from cover to cover. Including their Twitter section in which my tweet praising Rosie Green's column was included - and it's not the first time my comments have been featured.
I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a Red mag groupie, truth be told. Since reading my first issue I have tweeted through it, Instagrammed my favourite quotes and shoots and generally overshared my adoration for it to anyone who'll listen. But as a writer, and as a reader, I think it's good to share praise of what is the downward spiralling mag industry. Though the fact it's SO worth commenting on is perhaps most telling of all; before the Internet would we have been as complimentary when discovering a good read? I'd argue not.
The ABC figures recently revealed the stark truth of today's print media; most mags are plummeting, most surprisingly including the likes of Company who have had massive design and content overhauls. Though actually, I'm one of the readers who has abandoned them; an unread pile of subscription copies leading me to guiltily cancelling because their new web and blog-friendly content didn't feel like anything I would miss if I just, say, went on their site.
Red, if I can act as a groupie again, is different. I don't care much for their website; it doesn't grab me but to be honest, none of the mag sites do. But the magazine is packed full of writers I respect, whether I've read them before or not; it has well written, lengthy features on subjects I am interested in and have to mark with post-its to make sure I look up a site, a book, a writer when I'm done. It has interesting cover girls and plenty of humour; it doesn't assume you have babies but it also doesn't talk to you, Single Woman, in a way that suggests you are either madly career driven or desperate for a man. It assumes, without pretentiousness or patronisation, that we can and should have it all.
And it's for these reasons that I don't think the mag industry will disappear. Those two hours were the most calm I'd been all week; it felt indulgent but was also inspiring, I learned, I enjoyed it, and best of all it wasn't on a screen. Yes, other people will want different things from a mag - I know smart businesswomen who love their Grazia fix and I know journalists who will always look to Vogue as their bible - but that's why I think a lot of the mags out there can survive.
From the Internet, I want niche destinations - like the site I work for where health and beauty is our expertise - because if I'm going to read something short and fast I only want to read from the experts. Who has time to filter (Google) through them all? That's why mag sites have never really captured me; there's too much being covered and not in a particularly good way. There's often far more celeb content than is in print (I'm not a fan) and there's rarely thoughtful, inspiring content.
The numbers obviously disagree with me but though I think some will inevitably fail, the success stories, I hope, will be the likes of Red who understand their changing reader in the era of the internet, careers, feminism and general life today, but who don't change what ultimately they always stood for: good writing and engaging content. That's all we really want, no matter where we read.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Being a geek really is a bit cool these days. No, really. Did Glee teach you nothing? Other than how not to mime, that is. Anyway, being a stationery-loving, web-savvy, bloggerati type is actually the in-thing in my world, and so some great women decided to throw a special event for other women who blog, to celebrate all things geek and chic - and so, Cybher was born.
As I said in my 'meet and greet' post, my ticket to the all day event was courtesy of the lovely Emma Cossey who won free passes through The High Tea Cast. I have to say, venue-wise this was the best event I've been to - held at 8 Northumberland Avenue, just off Trafalgar Square, it had the right amount of space, great staff and gorgeous decor, and it's easy to get to for Londoners and out of towners alike. Plus the lights were pink in the main corridor we started in. Awesome, no?
The good stuff
Without sounding like a total freebie slut, I have to say the goodies at the event really were fantastic and quite the highlight for me (other than the fab people obviously, which I'll share more about below). A leather satchel - we could choose the colour, so naturally I went for neon pink - greeted us all as we registered and I think everyone was suitably impressed; it really was a nice touch considering the audience. Of course, it was filled with stationery which never fails to please me, and then we went through to downstairs for a quick drinks reception where various stalls were set up.
The ones I took a quick look at were Freya's lingerie (gorgeous, but usual spin of 'you're wearing the wrong size bra' - actually, pretty sure I'm not, but glad they were offering measuring) and Palmer's, the well-known cocoa butter brand who actually have a huge range of products - I had no idea! They gave away a very generous goody bag - again, not bragging, just think it really was brilliant and very much worth a mention (I'll blog the products later).
The geek stuff
You can see a full list of the Cybher schedule here. I found the start quite interesting as I prefer panel-style talks, and they covered the neverending debate of sponsored posts, general thoughts on being a blogger and working with PRs. Of all the talks we attended, I found A Thrifty Mrs most inspiring, as it was useful info, it all made sense but wasn't necessarily stuff I already knew, and it was good to know the journey of her blog and its development. Wow that sounds cheesy, but it's true.
I also enjoyed the Ask a Blogger session at the end of the day with Big Fashionista and co because there were plenty of laughs, and thought that Zoe, of Girl With a One Track Mind fame, was fantastically honest about her terrible experiences of the media - I didn't know the whole back story and having followed her tweets for a long time, now think even more of her for it.
Anyhoo, I've put together a few of the tips and learnings that I took away from the day:
- Now that Picnik has left us (booo. It's how I used to create Polaroid-stylee images), Picmonkey is an even better replacement. Ok, this tip technically came from Emma, but hey she'll probably be on the Cybher panel in years to come so I think it's allowed. I used it for this post and love it.
- Not everyone can blog well. I was so pleased to hear this from Aigua lady Jess who pointed out what a lot of bloggers don't like to hear: you need to be able to write, and you need good content. Sure, anyone can set up a blog but quality is important.
- Even in this day and age, a woman can't be completely open about sex without being called names or losing respect. @GirlOneTrack's talk was really shocking in that sense and showed, I think, that you can never really be anonymous online.
- Be careful how you word your 'competitions'. A 'competition' requires some kind of skill to enter; a 'prize draw' or 'giveaway' is more likely to be what you're doing, where people just leave a comment etc.
- You can get fined for not disclosing that a post is sponsored. Plus bloggers might dislike you a bit if you're not open - honesty is the best policy!
- The general feeling (and mine too) on sponsored posts was that it's each to their own - surely it depends on your blog style. If you only ever write personal posts about your life, I wouldn't expect a random sponsored beauty post - it's fine if you do (we all need to eat, and it's your site!) but to keep your blog's identity or 'brand' intact you might prefer to set up a new one for more generic content. I think it's unfair to condemn those who hope to make money out of blogging - so long as that's not the main reason for doing it (that would be a shame I think, given the community feeling behind blogging) then why not make it a success? I'd love to afford to blog for a living, and I know plenty who do.
- Point out that a subscription to your blog is 'free' - people associate the word subscription with paying (as for magazines etc).
- Set Google alerts for the topics you like to write about so you can stay on top of them and be newsworthy - I hadn't thought of doing this but it's so obvious!
- To be cool, you must have an iPad. I mean really, I stood out like a sore thumb without one.
The got-to-do stuff
I wanted another word that began with G, couldn't think of one, sorry. So, some of the talks went right over my head as I felt like they were a bit too much about common sense rather than inspiration, but others got me thinking. There was a lot of talk about having a niche, and being an authority on the subject you blog about. That's a problem for me, as you can probably see that I like to write about different things from week to week - I cover health and beauty, film, TV, media, personal life, dating and lifestyle - and I can't choose between them.
I also know that I want to move from Blogger to Wordpress. Everyone agreed that it was better, cleaner and simpler (and far less bug-gy). Once I've worked out where I want the site to go content-wise, I'll be shifting it over - a painful process but hopefully worth it in the end...
Oh, and buy an iPad. Seriously.
So, big thanks to Cybher for an interesting event - and to Emma for taking me along! Here are a few Twitter names of the people I met/listened to on the day, I highly recommend you follow them: SallyToddPR, JessOSOYOU, GailDoggett, SOTMario, AThriftyMrsUK, BigFashionista, JoanneMallon, Rosalilium_, TheHighTeaCast, PoppyD, GirlOneTrack. Also, follow the #Cybher hashtag for more.
What do you think on the above topics - should I choose a niche? Is doing sponsored posts selling out? Were you there and did you love or hate it?
I knew I didn't want to be that kind of journalist, and subconsciously, in my mind I was always going to be a 'writer' - less Lois Lane, more Carrie Bradshaw; maybe becoming an author later on, fingers crossed. Again, this is a stereotype, and a bit of a romanticised one, but one I felt far more at ease with. Thankfully, I was learning at a time when suddenly everything was online.
Web of writing
Once out of uni, I could see that working in print for one of the glossies I'd grown up reading was unlikely (I couldn't just tweet the editor back then), and applying for remote online roles such as my freelance job reviewing for View London was less intimidating, more attainable, and the kind of thing I could enjoy. It was the equivalent of sending an email instead of making a phone call for me - I felt more confident about it. And so my online career began.
Online journalism has changed things, and blogging has changed them even more. There are so many blogs out there, brilliant blogs full of inspiration, great photos, niche topics, passions for anything from beauty to social media and everything in between. Anyone can set up a blog and put their thoughts out there. Bloggers can even call themselves 'editors', because given that it's their site, they are. Anyone can be a writer, or as people tend to quip cheerfully while metaphorically stabbing you in the heart, 'everyone's a writer these days'. So where does that leave... writers?
Blogger, writer, journalist?
While it's in part a generational thing, I've found there still seems to be the general misconception that if you write online, you're a blogger, while if you write for print, you're a journalist. When I tell people I'm a journalist, they ask what paper or mag I write for; when I say I'm a writer, they look at me like I must be penniless, whiling away my time in a dark room with a typewriter and endless coffees to try and crack out a novel. If I say I'm an online journalist, I feel like I'm already putting down what I do as less important than traditional journalism - do I need to add the 'online'? Referring to 'my blog', I feel a bit like a spotty student who hasn't made it yet, but when I say 'my website', I think they must imagine a huge online magazine which isn't right either.
Labels don't matter, and I'm certainly not criticising any of the media here because I work online and offline and love it; but in an industry where it literally is not about what you know (qualifications seem to mean less and less) and so much about who you know (name a successful journalist/intern/writer who isn't on Twitter and busily networking) and what you're already doing (successful blog? You might be the next big thing), writing seems to be almost so common that it's not valued as 'journalism' anymore. The web has opened it up to everyone.
Now, there's a new generation - my generation - so full of bloggers and writers that it's hard to see who the next Charlie Brooker, Caitlin Moran or Hadley Freeman is. It's no bad thing that so many people are now writing; but I do worry that the journalism industry is getting a little lost somewhere - not helped by these 'celebrity columnists' who are actually, er, TV presenters and such and are probably taking a job that a trained journalist could do better. Are they journalists too now?
Now, there's a new generation - my generation - so full of bloggers and writers that it's hard to see who the next Charlie Brooker, Caitlin Moran or Hadley Freeman is. It's no bad thing that so many people are now writing; but I do worry that the journalism industry is getting a little lost somewhere - not helped by these 'celebrity columnists' who are actually, er, TV presenters and such and are probably taking a job that a trained journalist could do better. Are they journalists too now?
What am I?
For me, it's not a question of fame, but of originality; my ultimate goal is for people to recognise my writing, to love my writing and to look out for it - how many people can you say that of? I follow hundreds of journalists, but only a couple spring to mind that have a real way with words that no one else has - and yes, I'm including bloggers in that. And no, I don't think I'm one of them!
Label-wise, I'm probably all of the above; I'm a journalist, which I feel more confident in saying thanks to my work in print (there I go again); I'm a blogger, because I'm here and elsewhere doing just that; I'm a writer, in that I write the odd little story (one day a novel, when real inspiration comes); and I'm a copywriter thanks to my main job because it's part editorial, part marketing.
Label-wise, I'm probably all of the above; I'm a journalist, which I feel more confident in saying thanks to my work in print (there I go again); I'm a blogger, because I'm here and elsewhere doing just that; I'm a writer, in that I write the odd little story (one day a novel, when real inspiration comes); and I'm a copywriter thanks to my main job because it's part editorial, part marketing.
So is there even a difference - are all online writers 'bloggers'? Are bloggers becoming journalists? Are journalists old news? What do you define them as or is a label just a label?
As further proof that a) I have awesome friends and b) the ones I've met on Twitter are extra awesome, I am very lucky to be joining the super-chic-geek Emma Cossey in my first ever trip to Cybher in a couple of weeks.
Emma won the tickets through The High Tea Cast, and knowing that I too was a bit of an online addict, invited me along for the big day. It's basically an all-female, all-blogger geekfest where we get to listen to some talented speakers, learn something, network and say things like 'What's your Twitter handle?' and 'Ooh, nice iPad'.
Cybher are just so obsessed with the web that they even suggest we do our little 'meet and greet' on our sites as an ice-breaker - so here's a little about me...
Name: Judy Johnson. Not Judy Jay, which I thought was a clever Twitter name which was created by spelling out the initial of my surname. Now people just think it's my actual name, but I'm happy with both.
Blogs: Obviously I am here on my own site, which is part blog, part portfolio. I also blog every week for Dollymix, and for Wahanda as part of my day job as their Site Editor. Beauty and TV seem to be my favourite subjects but I cover anything that's lifestyle related.
Twitter ID: @judy_jay
Height: 5'10 last time I checked. I don't like to check. Probably 5'11 but that's a scary thought.
Hair: Rubbish. Natural blonde. Should have been curly, so thank god for tongs.
Five things you should know about me:
1. I'm 26 and it terrifies me. I'm one of those idiots who grew up thinking somehow I won't really get old, or that if I have to, The Plan will all work out and I'll be married with kids by the age of 30. Turns out I was wrong on both counts! I fully blame Disney, FYI.
2. The nineties rock my world. Boybands, Dreamphone, Clueless... what's not to love?
3. Ibiza is my second home, or so I like to think. I work hard but party hard too.
4. I hate shoes. Which kind of kills my Carrie Bradshaw image, but hey, the money I'll save can go towards those Ibiza trips.
5. I am quite well known for my headbands (see crap hair comment). I'm rarely seen without one and I don't think it's a phase I will ever grow out of, much like my love for green eyeshadow which has been going strong since 2002.
Thanks for e-meeting and e-greeting me and I hope to see you at Cybher!
Don't worry, I haven't gone absolutely loopy at last - I still don't believe in fairytales (though The Notebook most definitely could happen, right?) but believe it or not, there are people out there who know what they're doing when it comes to blogger outreach.
Appliances Online have come up with a pretty smart way of both rewarding bloggers and of course getting a little SEO-friendly link back too - and given my job and my wishes for this blog to grow, I can hardly complain about that. After being contacted herself, a friend forwarded on the info from the Fairy Hobmother who is waving her magic wand over blogs all over the interwebs and granting wishes so I was more than happy to get involved.
Personally, I think this is a great idea that so many companies are trying to do, yet perfectly executed in a cute and rewarding style. In exchange for a link I was given some Amazon vouchers which are going straight into my dwindling budget for Christmas presents - not bad eh?
To spread the festive cheer a little further, any commenters on this post could get a visit from the Fairy Hobmother - so tell me, what do you want this Christmas?
I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently; life tends to get in the way a bit, as does a good old dose of the blues and a snowstorm of change going on around me that doesn't allow time to think, let alone write the slippery thoughts down. I've always had a bit of a grudge against change, but for once I am coming around to the idea... even if it does mean my world keeps turning upside down a little. Melodramatic, me?
With my parents about to leave my beloved hometown for good, a best friend living on another continent and a crazy work life, the last couple of months haven't been the easiest - particularly when I am also the only single one of my friends, with no other half to lend me a shoulder when things get a little bumpy. Everyone is moving on in some way and I appear to be the only one staying still - not a great feeling, particularly when I am one of those thinky types. Funny how writers usually are, eh?
But, the parentals are doing the right thing after a long long stretch of bad luck, the beauty of Skype means no one is ever unreachable and I have achieved one of my New Year's resolutions to write something I'm proud of - my first ever print feature, for Expert Beauty no less, and about breast awareness in light of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'm just hoping it's the first of many and that's not it for my career in journalism! So I haven't been neglecting the blog for no good reason (though I still feel a tad guilty) - and I have a few more reasons to post about too, so if you haven't given up on me just yet, stay tuned.
So hello change - maybe I can deal with you after all...
OK, so it's been a while. My plan of writing more while also living more wasn't so well thought out since, well, both take time. Well done me. But, while the inspiration for this post is the reason I've been so slack on the blogging front lately, it's also given me plenty of ideas, hastily scribbled on anything nearby - so prepare for a few posts coming your way.
Lately, I have been putting myself first (and the site second, evidently). For the past few years I thought that that was what I was doing; surely, that's what you do when you're single, right? But throwing yourself into work, doing the sensible thing because the scary thing is downright terrifying and being the responsible one in the family isn't, as it turns out, the same as being a little selfish. I'm not saying I've been a cow, as my thirteen year old self would say - I've just been doing a little more of what I want and learning how to make decisions that cheer me up.
So it probably wasn't the sensible thing to spend a further £200 that I do not have on Spanish Level 2 - but I get so much out of it, that I did it without even a moment's hesitation. Oops. And yes there is a pile of washing-up downstairs that requires my attention (they are yet to invent the dishwasher that loads itself, apparently), but I've realised I had come to resent Saturdays because I spent the majority of the precious free hours cleaning, so it now comes second to whatever I want to do. I can still be a Monica, but it fits in around my fun time.
I've also realised that despite work commitments and the ever decreasing bank balance (or should that be ever increasing overdraft fees?), holidays are necessary. Holidays make the world go round. Taking time out is so underrated, particularly when moaning about the packing and organising that goes into it - but after my recent best-holiday-I've-ever-had-ever holiday in Ibiza (post upcoming), I've been so much happier, more positive and just feeling pretty damn good about life.
Of course I am now back and missing it like crazy, but I also have hundreds of great memories that keep me going. In those party-filled seven days, I felt more like myself than I had in years; I took risks (good ones), danced all night every night, fell in love with music again, fell in love with the island again and had enough girl talk to last a lifetime (though there is always room for more).
So, 2011 is still going strong... and there's plenty more fun to be had. What about you - how do you make sure you put yourself first every once in a while?
2011
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I may have skipped a few of the 30 Day Blog Challenges since some were for things I do all the time, but I liked this one since I've been addicted to looking at Blogger stats every single day of late. I'm amazed that I get traffic at all, let alone people from all over the world (I appear to attract the Russians, weirdly), so thanks for reading!
As one of these bloggers who can't choose a subject and therefore writes about all sorts, it's interesting to see what people read more and comment on. In honour of today's challenge and to share what content gets the most hits, here are my top five blogs:
I am surprised this is my most read post and reckon it may be because I left it in the top slider for so long... that or you're all just looking for inspiration for New Year's resolutions! Now that we're a quarter of the way through the year there will be an update on those shortly...
Given the number of tweets about the dire state of public transport in my feed every day I am not surprised this is number two. It even got me a contributor's position at Grumpy Young Women and was published on a transport blog... now, Boris, if you're reading - let's get it plastered all over the trains, yes?
This one gets me a lot of SEO traffic so I'm not surprised it's in here - it's a topic that is continuously debated about. I still think internships are a great way to get into journalism and necessary, but there are limits. Just make sure you know yours!
Actually, the next three most popular are my X Factor posts but here's the one that came up top. I enjoyed these and can't wait for the next series to start... Saturday nights just haven't been the same since Take Me Out finished!
After the X Factor posts, this one about the very weird repetition of three boys' names in my love life was the next most popular. Luckily I am not alone, but still, when I do (rarely) look at online dating sites, there are four names (three plus the ex) I most definitely avoid...
So that's three personal or 'Just Judy' blogs, one dating (Single Scoop) blog and one review/TV blog. Interesting... what would you like to see more or less of? Do you think it's better to specialise in one subject?
30 day blogging challenge
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So today's task in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge ('today' meaning day five, though I am well aware I am a week late) is to say something nice. Now I may be a bit of a grump but when I started brainstorming it amazed me how big a list of things I had to rave about (in a good way).
But, what did I want to commend most? My favourite blogs, that's what. I know how great even a little blog comment - hint hint - makes me feel, so I thought why not share the love and recommend a few fellow bloggers and their wordy greatness. I do have a long blogroll on the right hand side of this site of all the blogs I read, so feel free to take a look there too.
The Beauty Bloggers
In my day job I have the pleasure of contacting lots of brilliant beauty bloggers - there are so many out there and they all amaze me in their dedication to it (beauty can be hard work). It's impossible to narrow down but my shorlist of blogs to always check out would be: British Beauty Blogger, Product Placement, and Beauty Scribbler. All are witty, informative and of course, mad about makeup and the like - what else could you want?
The Dating Bloggers
I love catching up on dating blogs - after all, who doesn't have a story about the last guy or girl they saw? Whether you want tips about online dating or you simply love a good read, I highly recommend The Single Filez for honest, funny updates; Sex and the Cosmo Girls for Mullies' latest love-life news; and The Loves and Life of a London Girl for Sarah's try-anything-once approach to men!
The Funny Bloggers
Like laughing? Thought so. If you need cheering up (or even if you don't), have a proper giggle and follow some blogs by writers who can not only string a sentence together but can make it damn funny too. Top of the list is Luv & Hat, full of debates over everything from beards to fish pedicures and phrases that will give you the best mental images you could possibly ask for. Next, and yes this is slightly self promotional, but The Grumpy Young Women tend to make me laugh into my teacup (I actually only have mugs, but 'teacup' sounds much more Grumpy Woman-like) so go follow. Shoo.
The Helpful Bloggers
Ahh, the ones I couldn't live without. Not only do I love reading these blogs, but they post about content that actually helps me in some way - whether it's blogging, discovering new web tools, top tips that I can use at work... they are informative and easy to digest. Friend and fellow blogger Emma Cossey is first with her blog on everything from blogging itself to social media and shoes... it's all there and I always learn something new. There's also ABC Copywriting which, if you're a web writer, always has interesting posts on the industry complete with a handy how-to every so often.
Do you have a blog, or suggestions of blogs you never miss? Comment below and if it's up my street I'll add it to my blogroll!
This post is part of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge series - see all posts in the challenge here!
