How Honest Are You with Your Readers?
August 23, 2008 by Deb Ng
Filed under Freelance Writing
Honesty
by Deborah Ng
The other day in the comments to my post about Live and Live Blogging, Dave Navarro of Rock Your Day fame suggested bloggers be a little transparent in order to show their readers they’re human, and I agreed. It would be ridiculous for me to paint a picture of freelance writing always being rosy. Freelancers often deal with annoying clients, childcare issues, family and friends who don’t understand, and not making enough to justify leaving the day job. Some freelancers even return back to full time work.
It was suggested yesterday perhaps this blog would receive more traffic if I didn’t offer my series on returning back to work full time after six years freelancing. It was also suggested I’m ruining this blog’s brand by talking about returning to work. I don’t see it that way at all. As Jodee suggested in our regular daily Skype, my brand is being honest with my readers.
Sometimes it’s not about traffic or selling ebooks
I think one of the reasons we have such a great community here is because we trust each other. Our honesty breeds that trust. Let me ask you this, would you rather trust a blogger who shows all sides of the story over one who paints a constant rosy picture if only to pimp ebooks and shill products?
My favorite bloggers are the ones who lay it out on the line. I like the bloggers who treat me with respect and leave no stone unturned. If I’m going to an “expert” for advice I expect to know everything about that topic, even if that blogger has some bad days.
Life is not a bed a roses
The way I see it, bloggers have a responibility to their readers. You trust us to give you the big picture, not to gloss it over. Perhaps I’ll never have 15,000 visitors a day, but I’ll always keep it real.
What are your thoughts? Should bloggers hold back in order to cultivate a brand or make their niche look appealing so they can sell ebooks?
Likewise, I think honesty is important. Some writers like to always paint this pretty picture, and even if the world was caving in on them, they wouldn’t admit it. Freelancing has it’s ups and downs. We can make a lot of money one month, and go cold the next. I don’t expect people to put their personal business in the street and give the juicy details, but it is nice to hear honest and real statements from other writers.
Ruining the brand by discussing your return to work??? It would be far more damaging and dishonest to your readership to hide the fact that you’d returned to work and to sit here each day pretending that you were still freelancing.
I love reading about your transition from freelancing to working for someone else and appreciate the honesty with which you describe the pros and cons of each choice. At different times in our lives, different employment choices are appropriate. We can move in and out of freelancing as it suits us. Your present choice doesn’t take away from your knowledge of and experience with freelancing. It actually adds a deeper perspective. Please continue being honest.
Deb, I prefer a little transparency. I don’t need to know every sordid detail but I relate more to those who present a deeper perspective. I am more inclined to trust your credibility if you tell me it wasn’t all wine and roses climbing to the top. Too often in cyberspace I have discovered that those “hawking products” based on their “expertise” had cultivated a facade that was so far from the truth they could not have flown there on a private jet. Wendy Piersall(Sparkplug CEO) wrote an excellent post this week where she exposed her own frustrations with building a business.
Deb,
To answer your question in short order, I agree with everything you said in the first part of the post–transparency w/ decorum is key. I mean, there are certain details *no one* wants to know, of course! And badmouthing clients when they (or others) might be able to identify themselves is not cool, but sharing information about a bad situation to help others is desirable.
I think there’s another word here that can be used, which is perhaps a lesser degree of transparency, as transparency could be miscontrued to mean ‘revealing everything…’
AUTHENTICITY.
The honesty on this site is what makes it such a valuable resource and true community. The fact that you, and so many members of FWJ are so real makes participation here satisfying, helpful, and always worthwhile. I don’t agree with the comments that your series on going back to full-time is hurting the intergity of the site at all – I think you are brave to do it and we should all be very grateful that you are offering us such a glimpse into your life as a freelancer. I am very thankful for your continued honesty, enthusiasm, and “realness.”
Keep it real, Deb – this site is truly a gem for freelancers at any stage of their career.
Deb,
I much prefer the fact that you are honest about your experiences. You loved many aspects of freelancing, that was evident. Your present position allows you to do a variety of writing, and gives you the opportunity to engage with others in a different community. You also still spend time with us here and write posts.
The plus side, you now get to spend more quality and quantity time with your family while still working from home. Best of both worlds.
I appreciate the integrity that you always bring to this site. Thank you.
Deb, I forgot to comment on the return to work thing. Ruining the brand? Absolutely not! Life is about choices and in my opinion the self employed should understand this better than anyone. A life choice today may not be the right life choice tomorrow. For entrepreneurs to judge those who choose work is as bad as the corporate brethren who judge all freelancers as slackers who work in their pj’s. People who live in glass houses really should not throw stones! Keep being you and writing about it, without apology. You rock!
Deb,
Thanks for being so honest. Like you, I hold a regular job in addition to doing a lot of freelance gigs. I think the combination of “regular” and “freelance” works well both financially, professionally, and personally; hence, I hope your decision to return to a full-time job brings success and fulfillment.
Bobbi
As long as you know you made the right choice (and I’m sure that you do), why should you care what anyone else thinks? It’s clear that you’re true to yourself, and that’s what is most important. Writing posts that tell us about your decision to go back to full-time, structured work and how it relates to your previous freelancing life is actually quite helpful to lots of your readers. Not everyone who comes here is a full-time freelancer (I’m not), and so your posts also demonstrate the variety of different ways we spend our time. The one thing we all have in common is freelancing, but it doesn’t mean that we all have to freelance all the time.
Hi Deb,
I read often but rarely post. I have to say that you and Jodee have been dealing with a lot of people wearing their cranky pants lately.
You guys offer an excellent service here – and a large part of that has to do with your honesty. Part of that honesty is your sharing your career choices with us and giving us the opportunity to learn through you.
So both of you, rock on. And thanks for being honest and transparent.
I appreciate your honesty more than I can say. I haven’t been a subscriber for very long, but I want you to know it’s nice to be able to come here and have an enjoyable read (and find lots of information!), without having to separate the facts from the bologna. Keep up the good work!
I have to say, I’ve had a similar dilemma lately in writing my blog, and I’ve also come to the conclusion that you need to be true to yourself, as Megatron said. You keep a good balance and that’s what life is about. If you were less than honest, your readers would pick up on it.
To quote my ex-students, “Do you!”
I think a true strength of this blog is that the newbies and wannabe writers (i.e. those contemplating writing) can get an honest picture of what they may be in for, along with strategies for handling it. In addition, those who have been freelancing for awhile can spot the bs a mile away. Being honest and providing a forum for commiseration and sharing tips is a perfect blend.
You can’t please everyone, but I would say YOU please most by taking the honest approach here. More importantly, you please your own sense of ethics.
“This above all else, to thine own self be true.” ~ William Shakespeare
@ Cadence: I love the cranky pants expression! Thank you for the words of encouragement.
@ Deb: We’ll get to the 15K in readers a day…you’ll see.
Blogging, by its nature, is more personal than other kinds of writing. You have to be prepared to put yourself out there and share with your readers. It makes blogging a wonderful way to connect with other people, but each blogger needs to decide how much to reveal and when it’s appropriate to do so. But if you are going to share, it has to be real – otherwise, what’s the point?
“my brand is being honest with my readers.”
That alone guarantees things will work out fine
I’m still not sure how returning to a position where you work for someone else will make you any less knowledgeable about making a living freelance. If anything, it will once again put you in a place where you have to juggle the work place and the freelance – giving you even MORE insight.
Every freelance writer that is making a living is in a little different place than the next freelance writer. The great thing about the industry is that we can continue to learn from each other no matter where we are or where we are headed.
Keep up the honesty. After all “honesty IS the best policy.”
Thanks to all for your kind words – though this wasn’t one of those “show me the love” posts. It was good to re-affirm I’m doing the right thing. I’m always disappointed when I read one thing about a blogger or writer and find out that person hasn’t been truthful. FWJ has been making a slow and steady rise. It’s like a diet, if you want to do it right you have to take your time – there’s never a quick fix. You can’t blog and lie, it’s like cheating on the diet – all your hard work will be for naught.
I promise to always be truthful, even if it doesn’t make this niche look so pretty sometimes.
Deb -
Truth is of course the only way to go, although I often find that clients much prefer the absense of negative thought. This of course varies with the significance of the project – basic content v. spending a few hundred thousand. Generally I equate the whole concept to dancing to soul music, its not how much energy you let out but rather how much you choose to let out at any given point in time.Although I do still consider myself a freelance, I have found my contracts getting longer; to the point of going back to work for others but not technically. It’s a healthcare thing I suspect.
I admire your honesty, Deb. I think I’m honest on my blog. I share my mistakes, my excitement over new clips, as much encouragement and inspiration as I can. I do try to always be positive but I’ve also shared times I really messed up or my total disappointment after having to pull a story because it just wasn’t right for me to go ahead and have it published the way it had been completely rewritten and was not even my voice anymore. I plan on always being honest with my readers. It’s my nature. I believe my readers see and know that and I believe yours do, too!
I’m also a firm believer that we can’t fairly judge a person ’till we’ve walked at least a mile in their shoes. Most times we don’t do that. Even if we did “walk that mile”, our experiences and reactions would be different than theirs. Never mind the negative feedback, Deb. You’re doing an awesome job… Keep up the great work!
*smiles*
Michele
I have been having a lot of trouble with the issue of brand myself these days. While my central topic is writing, I tend to be a bit schizophrenic when it comes to my topic choices within it. for a while I will write about my Technical Writing experiences, then switch to poetry, then fiction, then suddenly to freelancing or blogging. It is possible that I could have a more devoted following if I didn’t keep switching things up on people. I think about that a lot, but I keep doing things my way regardless. My blog is what it is.
I say, do what makes you feel most comfortable. Although I maintain an online magazine, I also write a personal blog. I need someplace where I can write about my good AND bad days. Life is not all fun and sunshine, and neither is work. If I were a new writer, I would much rather hear about freelancing in realistic terms than not. I also believe that anything making you appear more human and fallible will also make you seem more approachable. Honestly? I think THAT is what will attract some readers, not turn them away.
I really appreciate your honesty and your post sharing this with us. I think that for post people the path between having a job and freelancing isn’t a straight line. Sometimes one is what is right for you and your family at the time, sometimes the other, sometimes a combition. I think that it is actually more enlightening as a reader to hear your thoughts as you travel one of the roads that many of us comtemplate as we figure out the dirction of our writing career.
I don’t believe in being totally honest, because then every whim or affront I experienced would be there six months later even if I only felt it for a second or five or long enough to write a post about it.
But if you come across as non-human, no one is going to want to read it. Everyone has a different path and blogging lets people share the path they are on.
Transparency is really a myth. Sharing a little more without oversharing is what the goal is. The difference between sharing and oversharing? Well that has to do with your boundaries, not the boundaries of all your readers. I mean, how can you possibly please all of the people all of the time? You *can’t* – so be true to yourself and your comfort levels and everyone else can come along for the ride
Protecting a brand is important. But I see blogging as distinct from writing copy. So I have to agree that transparency adds value, though I do agree with jennydeckl’s point about striking a balance.
All I can say is that in the end, you’re happiest doing what you love, being true to yourself, especially as a writer. Sometimes it’s all we have, that need to put truth on paper. You may have to support yourself doing other things, but as long as it doesn’t mess with your integrity as a writer, do what you need to do!
Being a freelance writer is frustrating at time to say the least. But in a sea of wannabe’s and fakers, we need honesty. I love reading the articles on this blog because they give you solid advice that can be followed and I’ve tried to use it in my freelancing lifestyle.