Well, I Did It...

Today I turned down the third ad network to approach me this year. Typically doing this wouldn't be a big deal, but now that I have a site that could actually earn some real money it wasn't as easy as it was before to say, "No, thank you". But I did it anyway based on principle because if you've been reading my writing long enough you know how I feel about ad networks.

This latest ad network is one of the big boys in the market and I was sincerely flattered to have been approached, but there is something about signing contracts and constricting the rights I have as a publisher that simply and undeniably turn me off. I know there are a lot of bloggers who earn a living through ad networks, but maverick that I am, I prefer setting my own rates and accepting my own advertisers even though the volume may not be as high as an ad network can potentially provide. I personally don't want a company to control my ad inventory, serve up house ads on a whim at lower CPM rates, rotate ads that have absolutely nothing to do with my site, and then wonder why my revenue check is late.

But that's just me.
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Reading: The Rudimentary Trick to Good Blogging

There is no doubt that running across the minds of most blogging novices is this simple question: How do I become a popular blogger? Although there are indeed formulaic tricks that any blogger can use to become widely read like beefing up on social networking and posting often, nothing can compare to good writing. And good writing comes from a lot of quality reading.

Reading and stellar writing are undeniably inseparable. If you are going to embark on a blogging career or considerate it a serious pastime you have to take reading seriously. Perusing CNN's headlines and skimming the first paragraphs of breaking news stories, however, doesn't count. Hold a magazine or pick up a book, smell its pages, and let your eyes soak up the nuances of speech. Then allow your mind to discover new ways to express yourself through your posts.

I enjoy reading an exceptional history book or an intelligent magazine. Reading has always helped me immeasurably with my writing. That, and listening to the BBC. There's something about listening to British accents that makes me write better.

Speaking of smart reading, the Atlantic's Special Fiction Issue is on newsstands now. You'll find essays from Ann Patchett, Wendell Berry, and Mark Fabiano. For a sampling, click here.
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PR No-Nos

Far be it from me to lash out in a blog post dedicated to PR and mom bloggers. I readily admit that some of my very best gigs and some of my greatest blog perks have come by way of a PR person. However, there is one practice I've seen used a few times lately that literally bugs the living daylights out of me.

I cannot stand when PR folks start a pitch off with:

Dear Jennifer,

Love your blog/site!

Here's the funny thing: A lot of PR people don't realize that I and other bloggers own several Web sites and blogs so when they try to personalize a pitch with fluff I totally know it right off the bat because all of my inboxes get the SAME pitch. I trash these insincere pitches so quickly it would make their head spin.

I decided to write this post after receiving a particularly well-researched and well-phrased pitch from a publicist representing one of the best PR agencies in the world the other day. Now I know why they are on the top of their field. The publicist took the time to research my sites, blogs, past writing, and affiliations. It was refreshing to get a personalized pitch that made sense. Not PR BS.
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Advertising Rates for Mom Blogs

As promised here is my post about standard advertising rates. I just got it in before the beginning of a new week.

For those of you who may be looking for exact rates to simply plug into your media kit, this post won’t help you only because there are so many factors to weigh first before coming up with precise ad rates such as your monthly page views, unique visitors, reader loyalty, your popularity in your niche, and ultimately how much you want to earn. I do give some hypothetical examples for blog rates later for reference. The first thing I will say about numbers, though, is your rates should always be two digits. Promise me you won't set your ad rates under $10 unless you are talking about CPM rates. Deal? Some mom bloggers set their rates too low thereby underselling themselves. Read more.
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From Weary to Rejuvenated -- Finally!

There is something about moving to another city that knocks the wind right out of ya. I learned a valuable lesson when we moved a week and a half ago: I'm no spring chicken! At 33, I don't have one foot in the grave yet, not even a pinkie toe (knock on wood!), but my body doesn't bounce back the way it used to. I've been duly warned!

So now, after a week and a half I am finally back to normal and have acclimated to my new surroundings as much as can be expected. And, I haven't forgotten about those ad rates I promised. Those are coming this week. I just had to get my brain back in working order lest I write down rates that warrant my sanity be questioned.

By the way, if you haven't been to the Mom Bloggers Club in a while make sure to visit soon. There are now over 1000 mom bloggers who are members. I had a great conversation with a mom blogger from Australia yesterday. She was just waking up and checking in to see what was going on and I was winding down for the evening and welcoming new members. You can really meet spectacular mom bloggers there!
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