Monthly Archives: August 2010

The question on everyone’s mind is How much does a blogger make? Folks ask me this all the time, not in so many words, but they ask with their awkward phrasing.

So, you’re a mommy blogger? Is that a hobby?

Or

When you say “work” what is it that you mean, exactly?

Every so often people will up and ask, “Can you make a living doing that?”

The answer is yes and no. Like any salary survey, bloggers will be deliberately vague. With most ad networks I’m seeing bloggers in my niche (parenting) making anywhere from $.20 to $20.00 CPM (CPM essentially means per 1,000 impressions). Now, if you factor in that a blog may have multiple ad spots on a page, this can be a nice living, or it can be crap. Assume that it’s crap.

The real money is made when a blogger partners with someone else. Sometimes they will be a brand spokesperson, sometimes they will have twitter parties, sometimes they will have live events, and there is absolutely no end to what brands and bloggers can concoct as revenue streams. If a blogger is talking sweetly about a brand, assume they are getting paid. These payments can range from $1 for a sponsored tweet to tens of thousands of dollars for events. Sadly, bloggers in my niche can be found tweeting for a branded hackeysac. I like to hold out for cupcakes.

If you’ve made it this far, you realize that I’m being vague. It’s deliberate, and it’s unlikely that I’ll ever tell you about my paycheck for a job I’ve taken. However, I had a job offer so fantastic that I absolutely must share it with you, this way you’ll get a sense of just how much money a blogger makes.

Before I begin this story I want to make two things perfectly clear. Firstly, before you have a conversation with me, or with anyone like me fax over an NDA. At a minimum send an email saying you want to have a confidential conversation. Posts like this do not happen with an NDA (or anything written) in place. Secondly, I will never tell you which television network this is. I will neither confirm, nor deny. If they don’t self identify in the comments no one will ever know.

Last week I got a phone call from a television network asking me if I was available to help them with their site. Blogging for a TV network? Sure. I had a nice conversation with the guy, who had clearly read at least one of my most recent posts, but likely no more than that (which is totally okay, just don’t lie and say you did) one. When he said, “how’s that arthritis going?” I knew I was in TV land.

He told me that their network had streamlined, they no longer have multiple weathermen in the same region, but that they wanted to launch a group of local sites, and they needed help launching their Los Angeles family site.

Perfect. This is my perfect job.

Then they showed me what they’d already done in another metropolis. Crap. Absolute crap. There was no thought given to SEO to SEM , and the writing was an affront to anyone who loves language. I knew I could do better. Had I used a little foresight, I’d have known to hop off the call immediately.

The TV caller had asked me if I could preload a site with about thirty posts, they would supply a few broad topics, and someone else would provide the clipart and upload to wordpress. I said I’d need about a half dozen women to do that well, and I’m pretty sure I could do it within a week.

I contacted a half dozen women in LA and asked them if they were available for a short turnaround post (or five), all of them said yes. I was ready for phone call number two.

Phone call number two came from a more executivey executive, who blew less sunshine up my ass, but was much more clear on what he needed. I explained to him how I could do the job, how I could do the job well, and I let him know loud and clear that I brought expertise to the job that few others would share.

So he offered me the job.

I was offered $1,000 to get a site loaded in twenty days. I was also supposed to be in charge of payroll for the six women who would get $50 a post (not part of my $1,000).

To be very clear, they were prepared to spend $50 a post, and buy thirty posts for a total of $1,500. Then they wanted to pay someone $1,000 to edit the posts, optimize them for SEO and administer a payroll system to the writers.

If I lived in a part of the country where a mortgage was $300 this might be appealing, but this is Los Angeles.

Here’s the kicker. I told the second (less Hollywood-y) executive that I’d need at least three times that amount to get the work done right, and he said they’d let me know pretty quickly. Within 24 hours.

Six hours later they emailed my friend. One of my friends who I’d asked to write for this project.

24 hours later they emailed another friend. She got them up a few dollars, but only a few.

So, if you’re looking for very real numbers about what bloggers make I can tell you this. Someone will work for $1,000 a month, lend their name to a project, run a payroll system, attempt basic SEO and SEM. Bloggers will write for the right sites at the rate of $50 a post (and frankly I think that’s just fine if it’s a no-research post), and television networks should really think about hiring someone within the space before launching a local site.

I absolutely would be delighted to be that person, but not at $1,000 a month.

My friend Lolita has a dog that’s a bit of a problem. And when I say “a bit” I mean she’s jumped through a plate glass window. Twice. Gidget (the dog) is no ordinary mutt. She’s a stunning red goldendoodle with blue eyes and silky hair. She’s pretty, but she’s dumb. Michelle Lamar likes to call her a cheerleader.

Unfortunately Gidget has been jumping over an eight foot fence, and traffic is not slow in the neighborhood Lolita and I live in. Lolita made the decision to get an electric fence to keep Gidget in the yard and safe from cars.

Enter Jim Lin and his Newcastle. Jim has a drink and decides to wear the dog collar.

You watch.

Maybe there’s a better way to train the dog?

Dear Everyone I Know,

I know I said I’d never do this again, but I am.

I’m not a fan of voting, contests and whatnot, but I am a fan of supporting altruists. Remember when we all helped Invisible People win $50,000 so that Mark could continue his good work? Well, today I need your help again. In fact, I need your help each and every day in August.

My friends The Ebelings have put together a group of digital pioneers. This group has created a pair of “glasses” called The Eyewriter. The Eyewriter can be worn by quadrapalegics and they can use their eyes to write words. I’d like you to watch the video below and check out what The Eyewriter has done for Tony and his family. Tony has ALS, and was unable to communicate for a number of years. Please, take a moment and imagine what it would feel like if you or someone you loved was trapped in a body that didn’t work, but your brain did. That’s a special sort of hell, no?

My friends at Not Impossible Foundation would like to win the Pepsi Grant so that they can give a thousand pair of Eyewriters away. Right now we will have plenty of servicemen and women who could use this technology, and you can help give it to them with just two mouse clicks.

I’m asking all of you to please click here and vote for The Not Impossible Foundation right now. I’d also like you to do this tomorrow and the next day. I’d like to see this happen every day in August.

If you don’t want to use Facebook connect, please text 101957 to Pepsi (73774).

Please join the facebook group, and please please please invite all your friends to join too.

Update your twitter status to: Empower 1000 paralyzed people to create & communicate using their eyes http://pep.si/aGqHeG

And if you’re a blogger, you could copy the following into your sidebar and allow people to vote directly from your page as well:

<iframe src=”http://www.refresheverything.com/widget/?i=fc52cb72-a626-102d-b2ee-0019b9b9e205&w=300″ width=”300″ height=”255″ scrolling=’no’ frameborder=’0′></iframe>

It will look like this:

I guess all that’s left is for me to say, “thank you in advance”. Because really, I’m counting on y’all.

Jessica

If one more person in social media tells me that they love me I’m going to up and vomit.

My husband loves me. My mother loves me. My father loves me. My children love me. I’m pretty sure my Aunts and Uncles love me. With the exception of Marsha Collier, I’m pretty sure that other bloggers don’t love me.

Maybe respect, but definitely not love.

So can we skip the, “Jessica, you know I love you” rap. Because we all know you don’t.

Mark Hurd the former CEO of HP has stepped down from his position in the wake of a sexual harassment claim. This makes sense in some ways, like maybe he’s trying to save his marriage, but in other ways it leaves me completely perplexed.

Of course when Jodie Fisher sued she went to Gloria Allred, I’m pretty sure I’d call her if I had a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Here’s what’s interesting. The AP wire says:

Fisher echoed Hurd’s statement that the two never had a sexual relationship, but neither she nor her lawyer, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, would discuss details of the harassment claim.

That claim set off the chain of events that led to the discovery of allegedly falsified expense reports for dinners Hurd had with Fisher and ended in Hurd’s forced resignation Friday from the world’s largest technology company.

Fisher acknowledged that she and Hurd have settled the matter. A person familiar with the case told The Associated Press that Hurd agreed to pay Fisher but would not reveal the size of the payment.

Which still makes no sense. Did Fisher get mad when Hurd was using her name on expense reports? Was Fisher part of a plan to defraud HP? Do a few dinners even matter?

The AP goes on to say:

The investigation by HP’s board of directors found that Hurd listed other people as his dinner partners on expense reports when he’d been out with Fisher. HP also claimed Hurd arranged for her to be paid for work she didn’t do.

Maybe the best defense is a good offense? Maybe Fisher was worried that she’s be in trouble for taking money for work she didn’t do? I don’t know if that’s a crime, but certainly it’s unethical, and certainly it would keep people from hiring you.

I don’ t see this as an HP issue, but I’m calling bullshit on the news reports. There’s more here than what meets the eye.

I took an Ambien last night. I needed to knock myself out, and not obsess over this preliminary diagnosis. Naturally that meant getting up this morning was a feat, and then I was a little fuzzy in the head.

I brought the kids to camp and then made it to the gym. Here in LA if you’re at the gym between 9 and 10 am Regis and Kelly are on TV. There is nothing more motivating than seeing Kelly Rippa on the screen. She makes the waifs look obese.

After the gym I ran home to follow up on the MRI pre-authorization. It went through fairly easily, and I’ll be taking care of that next week. I ran out to the Laurel Tavern for a wonderful lunch with The Virgin and William. I have to say, when I got there I was simply not in the mood for their Will and Grace dysfunction, but three minutes in, and I felt light again. Any time you’re discussing Googie’s fisting fame while double dipping your fries into ketchup and Tabasco, and screeching ouch, life is good.

I picked up the kids from camp, Jane took a quick shower, and then we headed right back out the door for frozen yogurt and a meeting with some kids from Jane’s class as they are planning a fundraiser.

The whole planet. They are going to save the whole planet with a run around the park. They don’t have a date yet, but they’ve handed out a lot of fliers. Yes, I appreciate the irony.

Mr. G. came home a few moments after we did, and it was dinner out.

I know this sounds uneventful, but today was a big day. I didn’t cry. I didn’t go to a doctor. I exercised and I saw friends. My hand hurts, my wrist hurts, but none of that matters, because it hurt last week too, but last week I wasn’t moping around.

Today is the day where things got normal.