Dearly Deers,
After a long long silence of written words by yours truly, I now would like to take the opportunity to speak my mind about a thing that has been bothering me for a longer while now. First of all I want to make clear that I wont use names so the ones I speak about can by anyone. Could be you, you or you. I think the ones who will read this as bloggers, know what I will speak about. And if some designers read this, I wonder if you are guilty of my following “rant”..
As a blogger, at times I want to stay updated to the latest in sl, and I do buy alot, but of course, having sponsors make things cheaper and easier.
I do not wish to say I “only blog to get free stuff”. I think most bloggers do not, but I can only speak for myself and if I would be with my sponsors “just for free stuff”, then I do not see why I would blog things in the first place. But on the honest side, Yes of course I am not feeling guilty for the things I get to like and wear in my non blogging time too. I think that too is part of a sponsorship. Not just blogging it also showcasing it while wearing it. I mean, did you never get an im asking, Oh wow where is that piece from? And did you tell them I am not going to tell you for its personal? Each its own, but I am usually happy to share the info and I do believe we all do, as its not only a compliment to the designer but also to you, you wearing something that looks so nice on you someone else would like to get it to. Nice compliment indeed. But I am drifting off from what I wanted to talk about.
You see an ad on Flickr, FB or in the designer’s profile stating they seek bloggers. You think “Oh wow, I would truly love to represent their work throughout my blog”. So you click the app, and there you have it. A small intro to the brand which is most cases you already know and the rules and commitments you sign up to agree when going for a sponsorship with the brand or designer.
Blog 2 times a month. Use clear pictures. Have 100 fav’s on flickr each picture. Have 1000 followers. Show your blog hits.
All perfectly fine. I mean they can set up rules, you do not have to like them but its their rules. If you do not want to live by them or can’t live by them then simply do not apply. Its a voluntary thing to apply, so make sure you know what you apply to and what you say yes to. I think a blogger should always be fully aware of that. Of course at times its difficult, specially when you are a newer blogger or not that great in marketing yourself. Keep in mind that designers and blog managers too are just people. They too understand you cannot ALWAYS live up to all the rules set. Key is being open and honest. When I had a rough time going on and did not feel like blogging at all anymore, heck I did not feel like living at all. A simple notecard stating I had some private issue’s was enough for them to understand that it happens and I was off the hook while they still wanted to keep me in their team. Yup that are monstrous human beings right?
The downside I feel lately by some of those same designers and or blogmanagers are the “small things”.
I do know designers like to design, it’s what they do. The are here to design and have it been showcased at its best. Therefor we as bloggers are hired or being sponsored however you wish to call it. But what I fail to understand is why some designers or their blog managers don’t make time to actually thank you for the work YOU done for THEM. Of course it is as simple that in return for a sponsorship you usually get the fatpack of an item. Yes that is a way of payment. Very black and white seen that is sealing a deal. Yes that is all it is, but how nice would it be if you get a simple thank you. A simple pink star. A simple like.
I mean as a blogger I am sure you will understand this part:
You get an item in a group notice.
You unpack.
You date the item and leave it in your to be blogged folder
You start to go through that list and mix match items around it.
You seek a backdrop, by either making it, finding it elsewhere.
You seek a pose.
You seek a windlight.
You seek different pose for damn this own’t work at all !!
You seek again different windlight.
You click.
You crash.
You relog.
You make a notecard with A L O T of A Href “”
You seek out the correct landmarks, event landmarks which are not ALWAYS included
You finish that.
You open Flickr, your blog, your fb and your blog report pages
You resize and perhaps redo some details in your picture in photoshop or what not.
You are happy with result and get it on your Flickr, FB, Blog, Reports etc
You send notices to the designers who ask for that.
You send out the url’s in groups.
There on to the next
(Of course this is not how we all do it, but I am pretty sure you all follow at least half of these steps)
All I wish to say is, that yes, a sponsorship is a contract.
But can we as bloggers not say, Ok I will sign up with your rules, here is my rule: “Please Like my work, acknowledge it!”
Of course, when you as a designer do not like the work a blogger does for you, you should be able to be free to tell them. But when you do like the work they do for YOU, I think it is not too much to ask to actually do your part of a deal by showing you are happy to be represented by them as we as bloggers, are blog is our “brand”. Our blog is our work. We do not just style for the sake of it, we seek things that match, we seek images in our head that make sense. We are not satisfied when its not perfect. Yes some of our pictures are better than others. I am sure some of the textures are better as others too.
At times yes you can be too busy or too caught up with first life and second life that you do not want to make time to thank or to fav.
Some however, hardly ever do, and to me personally, I think that is a shame.
Does it mean you do not like my work? Does it mean you aren’t aware I am an official blogger for your brand? Does it mean you could care less? Does it mean you are just too busy to go through it? Or does it maybe mean you truly do not care whatsoever, all is fine?
The too busy reason is a reason I think is most common, but I wonder why some have managers then that could thank for them as they manage the blogposts and therefor too the bloggers.
All in all I think in my five year of blogging, this part of blogging is a thing I started to get a tad annoyed over.
Yes maybe it is not meant as if they do not care, but this is how at times it feels like.
I wonder if you are aware of that as a designer and I wonder if I am allowed to say such a thing as a blogger.
L’amour et lumiére,
Emlies!
Adeline Catwa Applier by Ds’Elles
Montez Hair by Tukinowaguma @ Tres Chic
The Lotus Jewelry Set by Indulge Temptation @ Designer Circle
Janis Heels by KC
Lilith Dress by United Colors @ Tres Chic
Chocolat Anime 11 and 34 Pose by Bauhaus Movement
Nostalgia Furniture Collection by Serenity Style @ Shiny Shabby
Event Landmarks:
Tres Chic, November 17th till December 10th
Shiny Shabby, November 20th till December 15th
Designer Circle
Emlies's Inventory 
Hi, I love the pictures, I read your post too, and I can’t speak for everyone, but here’s my point of view: I am very grateful for all the people who take the time to show my work, either they are bloggers, friends, customers or something else, and those steps you mention for taking pictures are very familiar to me also, because for every product there’s at least one image, so yes, I am aware how things go.
But as grateful as I am it might take weeks or even months to get the time to review most of the images made by others for me, not because I wouldn’t care, but in order for those images to keep going I am busy making items, preparing for events (some of them on weekly basis), taking care of 3 stores and a market place account, keeping up to date with changes, nowadays neglecting my own social media since my SL business is a “one woman show”, but imagine from time to time I’m dealing with them as well.
There’s a simple explanation for this and you already mentioned it: the lack of time. You can’t have time for SL plus media, and enjoy a real life as well, so I’m trying to prioritize by turn different aspects, which is why I’m always on the run, and always late. Believe it or not having bloggers was a relief for me, since you help me promoting, so it goes without saying I am in fact relying on you to do your part,therefore buying me time to handle other things.
Now I know you won’t like this part, but here it is: as a creator I don’t expect encouragements, thanks, approval or acknowledgement from anyone, if I would do that my blog or my Flickr account would be a daily disappointment lol. I am doing what I am doing because I like it, when I’ll stop liking it I’ll end this.
My point is do what you are doing because it makes you happy, as long as it does, and if appreciation is shown it’s even better, but if it’s not, so what? It shouldn’t make you less happy, plus it doesn’t mean it’s not there, even if not expressed.
That being said I know I don’t tell anyone this too often, for the reason mentioned above, but thank you, I love your work, and I am glad you are one of my bloggers, and if it helps keep in mind one other thing: sure, the creator is making the rules, but it’s the blogger who picks the creator first. Hugs!!! :)
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Hejjj,
So happy you left a reply!
Specially as its from a different pint of view.
I am fully aware its time consuming to run a business, any business.
The part I do not like, wel, idk about that. I too blog because I like doing it.
There was a period where I had less fun doing it as I was more consumed by going by all rules and set dates so the lack of time is an issue I know too, since to most it is a second life, a hobby.
Yet I still believe in the power of a like, a pink star. Not even always but there are designers out there, who never show that tiny appreciation. I do not want to sound ungrateful, I am capable of seeing a sponsorship as “just a contract”, which sounds cold, but at the end of the day that is what it is, An agreement between two parties, but still I wonder if one as a blogger can set rules too and how that would be seen upon. And I agree, I do not apply to creators that are either not my taste or not have rules I can commit to. I choose first yet every now and then a kind of appreciation is something that in my eyes, should not be that hard, either by a designer or their blog manager.
As a side note.. I wonder how much pressure you as a designer have with ALL THOSE events nowadays. As I hardly see good old fashioned new main-store releases anymore, not by you personal, but many designers all over the grid. But that is a whole different post :)
Thanks again for sharing your view, I appreciate it and it gives me a new dimension too!
~Emlies !
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