» I don’t want to (Blog)Burst anyone’s bubble, but… ~ The WURK Job & Career News Network.

I don’t want to (Blog)Burst anyone’s bubble, but…

By Barry Bell on April 11 2006

According to Rob Irwin…

There’s a new company tonight on the radar screens of people with an interest in blogging, media, the Internet, etc. Have you heard about it? It’s called BlogBurst.

Essentially, blogburst is a middleman. Pfffft. And here’s how it (apparently) works.

You blog.
Blogburst syndicates your writing to newspapers.
You get in the paper, most likely credited as a freelance.
BlogBurst takes their cut.

Hmmmm.

Just because an online service exists, it doesn’t mean that it will make your life easier, or save you money.

Now I’m not telling anyone to NOT use BlogBurst, but all I will say is why not try a scenario like this if you think your writing is good enough to be syndicated in a newspaper:

You blog.
You contact an editor of a newspaper, offer your services and pitch a story or two.
You get in the paper, most likely credited as a freelance.
BlogBurst – or anyone else – DOESN’T take a cut.

Spot the differences? There are two. #1 is that you still need to submit your work to *someone*, regardless. Why not cut out the middleman and go straight to the person that really matters? And #2? You really want someone else to take a cut of your earnings for doing something that you can do yourself in the same amount of time?

BlogBurst Broken?

Unfortunately, BlogBurst looked a little b0rked as I wrote this, and their “we’re working to improve your user experience” message didn’t give me a contact email address or number. So, obviously, I couldn’t speak to them.

But anyway, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Just because an online service exists, it doesn’t mean that it will make your life easier, or save you money.

Contributor: Barry Bell

I'm a freelance writer and designer with over 10 years’ experience of creating award-winning recruitment and consumer marketing communications, together with a wide range of other creative marketing colateral. ... more »

WURK profile: http://WURK/profile/admin
Contributor website: http://barrybell.com

COMMENTS

By Easton Ellsworth (BusinessBlogWire)
April 12, 2006 4:56 am

Barry, I’m trying out BlogBurst for myself. I like that it promises to run “in the background” so I don’t have to really monitor it. But I see your point about the middleman.
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 8:26 am

Easton – let us know how it works out for you.

I’m confused, though. There’s no mention of any payment to bloggers on the BlogBurst site, so am I correct in thinking that BlogBurst make money by selling your content to the newspapers, and you don’t make a penny?
By Easton Ellsworth (BusinessBlogWire)
April 12, 2006 2:10 pm

That’s my understanding of it, yes. The idea would be that without spending any money, a blogger would gain exposure and pick up more traffic to his/her site.
By Bill
April 12, 2006 3:16 pm

I got as far as their contributor’s agreement or whatever they call it and beat a path out of there. This nonsensical notion that writers should be compensated with “exposure” while someone else collects the bucks is actually a rather common one, but that doesn’t make it any less absurd. They do suggest that they might pay writers at some point in the future, but I personally wouldn’t want to bet the farm on it.
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 3:31 pm

Easton: yep, that’s how it sounds. It would be interesting to know how much BlogBurst make from this. Do they publish that? Is the $$$ they get from your work worth more than the handful of visitors the newspaper will realistically send you? Probably.

Bill: I agree. I suggest signing up with them and as soon as you do get some interest from any of the publications they work with, pull out and go it alone. You’ll know that you’re publishable, and you’ll know that no-one else will cream off of your work.
By David krug
April 12, 2006 7:58 pm

They actually will be offering payments in the future. Currently they don’t. They will be offering a good revenue sharing program. And its really great.

Again Barry just flip them an email, ask them some questions. Dont’ just wake up get pissed off and blog about shit you have no clue about. Dork.

But I agree about the middleman concept. But billions of people in this world are middleman.

In fact I recommend you wake up and go out to the pasture. Kill the damn cow yourself and spare yourself the middleman known as the grocery store. Jeepers. Grocery Stores are such a ripoff.
By Chris P.
April 12, 2006 8:11 pm

This is the most shortsighted and pathetic advice I’ve ever heard. Let’s say you’re a blogger with a day job, but you also enjoy the idea of *maybe* getting your content picked up by a national news outlet. Moreover, let’s say you also like the idea of possibly making money off of the deal. Not bad, huh?

Does the idea of sending out a bunch of shameless emails to news outlets make you want to puke? Do you not have time for tripe like that? Well then maybe – just maybe – you might find a service like BlogBurst helpful.

Barry, I would like to think that you’re high brow enough to realize that sometimes, outsourcing is a very advantageous thing. I would also like to think that you realize that not everyone wants to be a “struggling artist,” pathetically fishing for a bite from whomever will listen.

I flat out expect more sage advice from somebody who wants to pass themselves off as “expert.”
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 9:21 pm

Chris, calm down. You’re talking about hobby writers. I’m talking to people who write professionally. There’s a bit of a difference there, son.

Because, if you’re trying to make a living from writing, then letting someone else take your work and sell it to national outlets without you seeing any tangible benefit doesn’t quite sit right with me.

There are already way too many ’services’ preying on other peoples’ passion for writing. Blogburst – and the rest of ‘em – are one of the reasons why writers are generally so poorly paid the world over.

You see it everywhere. It’s all “hey, you write and get some exposure, but don’t worry about the money – we’ll take care of that for you”.

Let me tell you something: After being a professional writer for more than 10 years, I can assure you that ‘exposure’ doesn’t pay the mortgage.

And continually receiving nothing more than ‘exposure’ is also part of the reason why there *are* so many “struggling artists pathetically fishing for a bite from whomever will listen”.

If your writing is good enough to be published in a top-level, national news outlet, then surely *you* deserve to be financially rewarded for that – not someone else.

Getting a handful of visitors from the ummm… Austin American-Statesman, while someone else pockets the $$$ isn’t what I’m in this business for.

And sure, contacting editors yourself is a chore, but if you’re self-employed, or you run your own business, then selling yourself and your skills is all part of the job.

However, I understand from one comment up there that BlogBurst *might* pay writers at some point in the future. When that happens, I *might* change my mind.

Thanks for your kind comments, though. Appreciate it. Just make sure you join the right argument next time.

;o)
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 9:29 pm

Wooo… I see you’re out in force tonight, kids.

C’mon Matt – it’s your turn.

;o))

Actually, don’t tell me – BlogBurst is a BlogMedia company and you’re all on commission? Am I right? Am I? Huh?
By David krug
April 12, 2006 9:49 pm

Again Barry you smoked enough doobie. Calm down. Sit down. Eat some food maybe your senses will come back to you.
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 9:59 pm

And there endeth tonight’s intelligent, sophisticated, and levelheaded discussion. Thanks, Dave.

More tomorrow, kids.
By David krug
April 12, 2006 10:00 pm

tha’s what im here for.
By Barry Bell
April 12, 2006 10:02 pm

I’d noticed.

;o)
By Rob Irwin
April 15, 2006 11:40 am

There are clearly some people in this thread, defending BlogBurst, who have (i) Never worked in publishing or, (ii) Never been a print or online freelancer.

I’ve been both so I can tell you, categorically, that reading pitch submissions from freelancers is part and parcel of an editor’s job. On the flipside, writing those pitches — which aren’t “shameless” at all, what planet are you from, Chris? — is part and parcel of how a good freelancer operates.

Seems to me, BlogBurst appeals to amateur hacks who have neither, (i) The time, (ii) The motivation and (iii) The contacts, to actually promote and pitch their work in a traditional manner.

And you know what? As an editor, I’m always going to pay far more attention to someone with the balls to contact me direct, and the desire to be published which drives them to pitch their own work, over someone who just throws some garbage into something like BlogBurst and hopes to make a quick buck from it.

So, by all means, keep tossing stuff into BlogBurst if you’re so inclined and let the middle man take his cut for something which you could have done yourself, if that’s your thing. It’s not the hallmark of a very good freelance writer.

I can tell you from someone who’s been in this game for a decade, and who has hired more freelancers than he’s had hot dinners, in addition to being a freelancer from time time, the BlogBurst model is flawed and it’s not going to replace traditional freelance methods, no matter what new age, Web 2.0, blogs-are-taking-over-the-world bollocks you want to buy into.
By Devin
April 21, 2006 8:50 pm

Speaking from a freelance photographer’s point of view, Barry is right on.

We have the same kinds of “oppertunities” in the photo world – someone asks for you to take pictures for their magazine or newspaper with the payment being good ol’ exposure.

It’s a scam – it’s like asking a roofer to replace your roof for you in exchange for putting a little sign with their name in their yard. It great for the homeowner, but the roofer has to feed his kids cabbage soup and work a second job as a janator at the bus depot to pay the bills – all the while missing out on his children growing up.

Soon, the kids are grown and you are a broken man, walking the streets looking for half-smoked cigarettes and muttering about the government and how much you like cheese.

…

Sorry about that. Seriously, though – don’t work for free. Either get paid for your hard work or find something else to do. Don’t just give it away. You end up screwing not only yourself but others in your field.
By Rob Irwin
April 24, 2006 2:05 am

So I’m guessing you agree with me too, Devin, after I originally kicked off this debate?
By Devin
April 24, 2006 3:26 pm

Oh yeah – you too. :)