6.18.2012

a follow up on money


some days i spend more time setting up my writing space than i do in the literal act of writing. cleaning it. cleaning the room around it. and the house around that. determining the desk has all sorts of bad juju (read, clutter) and abandoning it for something more simple. more sunny. then i have to make myself the perfect writing snack. and eat it. and clean it's dishes. and then the kitchen. finally a perfect cuppa. and when i finally sit down i admit to myself i have nothing to write. 

i was all by myself this weekend on the farm. without human intervention. just me and the cows. the pigs. the donkeys. the horse. the chickens (minus six now, thanks to the Fox) an array of loudly barking,  non-working farm dogs and the same number of equally useless cats. it was a rare treat and so i decided to give myself the afternoon off, it being sunday and i being tired.  

i thought i would write with this free afternoon. in my underwear after a pond dip for those are the liberties you can take when you are alone on the mountain. the only thing i could think of writing about was the act of not writing. which, thankfully, lead me to an actual topic of worth; a follow up to a post i wrote this past april on money. there i had asked your opinions and concerns on blog sponsorship. i got such a surprising amount of feedback by comment and email and i feel very guilty having only responded to them here, now. BUT i hadn't been able to come to a real conclusion about it until now as i fought myself to write. 

all of you were resoundingly understanding and supportive of the notion of sponsorships and i thank you for your kind thoughtfulness but among this support were two conclusions that gave me pause. 

1. sponsors should be relevant to the content you post
2. getting sponsors will make the blog paid work which will inevitably change the way you look at it (JOB!) which could change the way you write for it.

the former makes total sense but something i honestly hadn't considered. of course the ads i have on my blog should be relevant to farming, eating, canning, gardening. most monetized blogs i have seen, and those you have sent me to look at do so well. if their blog focus is on Babies and Vintage and Handmade the ads should and do reflect that trifecta. likewise design blogs beget design ads. and so on. but there doesn't appear to be a glut of small-farm businesses that have extra cash for advertising. and i would feel slimy asking any of them for money when i know how tight farm money is. 

even if i could find a good solution to the former,  the latter is where i conclude this is not for me. i love my blog. i don't mean that in the sickly self aggrandizing way in which it sounds. i don't doubt my blog could stand for many changes to make it lovable by others. but i love what it does for Me. i love that it fosters an inexplicable regime of photography and writing and house cleaning and cooking. i love that it has magically given me a medium through which i've met other farmers, other gardeners, other writers. 

so your comments helped me see that i don't want anything to change about this space. i want to keep it as my own. perhaps there will be a day when we buy our own land and the barn collapses from a heavy winter and we need help rebuilding it. or the day when all of our milk guzzling customers drop us like the hot potatoes we are. or the day when i decide i really do want some form of income that doesn't rely directly on winnie or the chickens or the rain or the sun (which is certainly possible). 

but today i have (finally) come to the Lofty Conclusion that longest acres shouldn't have sponsors. this isn't an editorial on sponsorship in general. more power to the women (and men) in this blog world that make their living from their writing and photography. they are living the dream. but it's not for me. not for this space. 

so, thank you to all of you that wrote in with your thoughts on the manner. i am so very glad i had asked as i had clearly not thought the whole thing through. 

15 comments:

  1. A good decision, if it's one that suits you.

    Someone amongst all those comments on the other post, came up with what I thought was a brilliant way for you to make money.

    Sell copies of your photos. Your photography and the subject matter is so appealing to many of your Blog readers, and I'm sure it wouldn't cost too much to post all around the world. Folk would be prepared to pay I think for one of your gorgeous photos to adorn their walls.

    Just re-iterating someone else's good idea.

    Sue xx

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  2. I know a lot of bloggers are publishing books lately. I also know that is a LOT of work, but you could possibly get together all of your beautiful and delicious recipes (if you ever wanted to) and make a small, simple book, even printed yourself or locally, and charge $5 per book. I'd buy one :) I love to support bloggers, as they often seem like friends.

    I can also relate to you. I have a food blog that is more of a personal project than anything else, it's a place to put my cherished family recipes and a place to keep my favorite tips and tricks. My husband says I should share it with people, advertise, but I love to do it for myself, so much so that I don't even share the site after talking about it here :) But I can relate, it's a personal project for me and it seems like it is for you, and I'll come back here no matter what.

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  3. New reader to your blog and your photos and lifestyle are very envy-inducing! Lovely, lovely blog :) xx

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  4. that looks like the most magnificent and peaceful place to write!

    you seem to have considered in depth the benefits/drawbacks of sponsorship and I'm happy to hear you're satisfied with where you've landed.

    you have developed a great readership, and when and if you decide to accept money (in an emergency situation, or for a regular sponsorship), I'm sure we'll be happy to support you. It's up to you when that time is, and if it ever happens.

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  5. "but i love what it does for Me. i love that it fosters an inexplicable regime of photography and writing and house cleaning and cooking. i love that it has magically given me a medium through which i've met other farmers, other gardeners, other writers." such a lovely way of putting it...I get all the time, "well, what is the purpose of your blog?" purpose...it's purpose is a creative outlet to keep me sane! kudos to you for making a decision that works for you! keep writing, we're still so happy to be reading!

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  6. I wish I could blog there! So pretty!

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  7. However, you write beautifully and lead such a fascinating life. If you ever decide to write a memoir I would be purchasing it.

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  8. Hi Kate, very recently that I'm following you and I really look like a transparent person and I understand when you say you do not want to sponsor your blog (always have to give up something) seems very honest of you to follow what your heart dictates. And it's much braver to stay in your convictions that require you to do, because it seems right or common, you're a person admired for your courage and effort, your hands and your work inspire believe in our dreams. Greetings from Argentina, Alita :)

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  9. Oh my, having all that open space atop a mountain to write in, I love returning to see your pictures and stories, maybe because your life is so different from my own. You are a good writer and photographer and i think we will all continue to return whether you sponsor or not, but there does seem to be more truth in your blog created for enjoyment rather than finance.

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  10. You are making a courageous choice here. This choice is a testament to the life style that you are choosing I think! Keep up the beautiful posts!

    http://sewnandheard.blogspot.com/

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  11. i respect you immensely for your decision. as i'm sure others will, too. as much as i was rooting for you to take on sponsors and improve your income, i think you took the noble route by opting not to. your content is unique and pure. it's clear that you're writing for you and that's what we like to read.

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