Recently, I have come across a lot of negative comments and articles regarding bloggers and the blogging industry itself. It makes me sad to see the misinformation, the misunderstandings and the distrust and dislike for such a lovely group of people. For about seven years now, I have wanted to be a professional blogger. At the time that I found out it could be a possible career choice, there were only three bloggers that I was aware of who made money from their blogs (obviously there were more, and that number has grown exponentially since). I didn’t know how they made the money, but it really didn’t bother me that they did.
There are so many people out there who think that bloggers do nothing but sit in bed, spend an hour or two writing posts, taking selfies and not much else. Many think that bloggers are undeserving of the money they earn because they don’t see it as an actual job. The reality is different for each blogger, but many spend more than your average 40 hour week putting out great content. They spend hours thinking up posts, writing them, taking photos, editing photos, researching new products, corresponding with brands and much more. Personally, on a good week, I probably spend about 20-25 hours writing posts, taking posts, replying to e-mails and scheduling my content.
Blogging is not a traditional career choice, but there are many that are passionate about what they do, are extremely talented and completely deserving of all of their success. Brands may pay them to share their products, or they may use affiliate links when sharing those products, but that does not mean that they are selling out, will only talk about something if they are being paid, or are dishonest about their opinions — at least the majority are not.
Bloggers are an important part of the beauty and fashion world right now, and I really wish that they were given more credit for what they do. I have been lucky to have a lot of support from family and friends since I launched my blog earlier this year, and I hope that that will continue as I grow and expand. It’s a shame that many feel the need to tear someone down because they don’t understand their choices. Next time you wonder what that famous blogger does with all her time, just remember that she probably spends more time than you could imagine to share her knowledge with you or to make your day brighter. Bloggers are certainly not all created equal, and not all are honest and transparent, but the majority are. I’m really glad that I was able to stumble across those three blogs all those years ago so that I could have an example of what I wanted to do with my life and the talents that I have. I also want to thank all of my readers, whether I know you personally or not, you make my life better with all of your love and support!
xo,
Kristi Beth
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