The Stressful Life Of Bloggers
The New York Times recently posted an article about the stressful nature of professional blogging. Right away, I understood the feeling. It looks like the easiest thing in the world to most people, but the truth is that there’s a lot of pressure involved.
First of all, you have to write. And by that, I mean you have to write…all the time. When I started up this site, I wanted to use it to get myself in the habit of writing content on a regular basis. I looked at how many news sites and blogs operate and set my standards a bit lower; that being a minimum of two paragraphs a day, five days a week. Even with that seemingly easy goal, I’ve found it challenging. Sometimes there’s no real news to discuss, or at least news I feel worth discussing. I’d like to write more full-sized articles, but I usually put so much energy toward posting regularly, my energies are too exhausted to put my heart into something big. And unfortunately, at least for now, quantity wins over quality if you want to make it in this business.
One convenience of this kind of job–and they mention this in the article–is that you can do the job from anywhere. So there’s no need to deal with as many office politics, you can set your own schedule, and you can work in your pajamas (or even naked!). The trade off is that no matter what time you get yourself up for work, you’re in for long hours. Professional blogging isn’t just about writing quick blips with a link, though that’s what a lot of sites get away with. To do the job well, there’s a lot of research required. Before you begin tapping away at your keyboard, you’re spending time scouring the web for things to write about. Once you find a target, you’re in for a lot of reading on a news item or subject material in order to be properly equipped to write a credible article. Depending on what you get paid per article, you may not actually be getting a decent wage for your time spent.
Not only that, but professional bloggers rarely get to choose the subject matter of their material. Usually they’re being paid to promote a product through their blog. This can be a challenge in the creative process as well if the product in question is especially uninspiring.
One thing that the article touches on is that bloggers often suffer from poor health, particularly weight gain and heart disease. I honestly don’t think that’s necessarily a symptom of the profession as much as it is the poor habits of the professionals. There’s no excuse for not setting aside at least an hour a day for healthy exercise and balanced diet. You can just as easily eat a salad at your desk as you can a Double Whopper. Proper fitness will also keep your mind healthy so the quality of your work will improve, requiring less hours to struggle with composition.
Another point mentioned is the pressure of scooping news stories as quickly as possible. The internet culture moves at the speed of light, and if you’re late catching a news story, you’re left hungry by those who got their first. No one sticks around to watch the last horse finish the race. The few who post on it first and best get their links as the reference to everyone else, thus more exposure. I can post about the same article that’s posted by Kotaku, but Kotaku has the resources to get their first. (Well, except for one time…but I ain’t going there.)
Competition comes into play because blogging is a job that just about anyone can do. If you have a decent grasp of the English language and a passion for a particular topic, then that’s all you need to blog. And since the advent of sites like LiveJournal, people across the world have been typing away with their own commentary on what they see on and off the web. Add the popular illusion that popular web icons are modern day rock stars, and you have a flood of geeks looking to make it big. Nevermind that the reality is that even the hottest professional writers live either in a small apartment with a few room mates or are homeless. Even a friend of mine who’s a professional reviewer (for some top publications) jokes that he’s a “bum“.
Overall, I can understand the meaning of this article. I am not, nor have I ever been, a professional blogger or writer, so I can’t claim to relate to it as much as my peers. However, I do recognize that it’s important to lift the curtain to reveal that online journalism is not at all as glamorous as the mass-populous has been lead to believe. It’s work–hard work, like any job. There are a few skilled professionals that can make a comfortable living from this gig, but everyone else has to run at a constant full speed just to keep in one place. Getting ahead can risk burn out…and one trip can leave you in the dust.
