anon.... I dont understand your leaving a comment on a blog you don't like to read anymore! Why would you even comment? Please go sit in the corner and rethink your life.. maybe have a cup of tea also!!?? That is all!!
Very interesting reading! Love that just because the 'we' has been dropped from 'web-log' people think they can use the term 'blog' willy nilly. If it's in print, it's just a 'log'!
My personal experience suggests that so many women love to look at print magazines and the advance access keeps them coming back. But so many readers just don't trust recommendations from magazines (or sales associates either), especially if she's wasted money on those types of recommendations in the past. Whether this credibility problem can be solved (and it won't be if the editors don't understand that they have one) by bringing bloggers in is another question.
I've basically stopped buying magazines because I feel like the product recommendations are biased and swayed by the big companies. Blogging is a community. Magazines cannot compete with that! Blogging provides so much for it's readers and writers. I shouldn't hanker after a career in magazines. Be yourself and keep blogging.
For now don't put all your eggs in one basket and carry on with print and blog. I think the situation will resolve itself as print circulations fall. I always enjoy reading your blog.
Blogging offers the freedom magazines can't... We've all noticed those double page ads featuring the very SAME products just two pages on from the "What I'm loving this month" editor's picks! (Featuring exactly the same product/brand in the ad.) But publishing is a business. It's a money conundrum all round.
Also find that the beauty bloggers are ahead of the print beauty editors - blogs are a faster much more immediate medium, quicker turnaround/"trend-spotters".
Having said all this, there's sometimes nothing better than hitting the sofa with the new issue of your favourite mag!
For the most part, blOgs still have a credibility that magazines lost a long time ago. When's the last time you saw a magazine tell its readers that a product or service is crap? Their advertising revenue is dependent on making sure you keep buying whatever is between the cover. Blogs are still independent of that anchor, and I hope they stay that way, BBB included!
I'm not sure it's a good idea to look to magazines as a reliable source of information. Rather, see them simply as a presentation medium for products and services. That's what they do, advertising for companies who want you to buy their stuff. I expect a magazine's income stream would dry up p.d.q. if it started offering honest opinion on the goods it advertises.
Blogs fill this gap beautifully. I rely on a handful of trusted beauty bloggers, BBB included, to give an unbiased review. Always keeping in mind that what works for one women, may not for another. And this credibility is only maintained by the fact that, for the most part, beauty blogs are still financially independent of the products and services they feature. I hope it stays that way too frankly.
Very interesting. I've been working freelance for 12 years and even though it's in another field, I know the same feeling of never knowing what's going to happen, even if I get less and less lows. With age (one of the benefits!) and networking, it gets easier with the years, doesn't it?
I'd love to read blogs from old(er) beauty bloggers, it seems like most are written by girls in their 20s. Not yours and Lisa Eldridge though, great. But is there any beauty blog written by ladies in their 50s, 60s or even 70s and 80s. It would be great reading if they are funny too.
I don't understand why some don't get it. Honestly, if Instagram can sell for $1Billion, doesn't that tell them how important the virtual world is? They really need to stop snorting around in the 60's, 70's, and 80's and get into the 21st century!
I too hope that print and online beauty writing will integrate more fully in the near future. I have acquaintances in the writing world who have also struggled with pitching ideas. It's not always easy to come up with new beauty topics!
@Sophielondon...Hello, it's me "Middle Aged Beauty Queen". To be honest, I'm a little okay a lot past middle age and I write a beauty blog. If you google middle aged beauty queen you will find me. As far as BBB goes, I read blogs because my old eyes cannot read the print in magazines anymore. Is it just me or has the print gotten smaller? And I read blogs for the honesty, I want to know when you think a product is crappy. I don't like it when bloggers go on about something that was given to them, I lke reading about what you bought with your own M O N e Y!
As a consumer and a freelance writer I think you're on the money.
I write features for women's magazines and have just started a blog. It's a much bigger challenge to get people to read your blog than to write for a magazine with an established readership.
As a consumer I rarely turn to magazines for beauty/fashion inspiration. Blogs offer a more diverse and genuine take on what's current.
Good post, and have to say I agree. I work as freelance writer part time and fit a lot of my blogging and writing in around my full time job. I have been lucky enough to secure work with some magazines helping build my portfolio but I have been rather rudely told by one that my blog "didn't make me a writer" I do believe print and blogs can work together and hopefully as time goes on magazines will adjust. (high five to More! though)
I read magazines and blogs. each one has a different place. i read blogs for instant gratification and magazines for in depth analysis on different topics.
my only problem with blogs: most of them have fallen prey to beauty PRs and their stream of free samples. so now when you read a so called review it is nothing more than reading a press release. I hate that and it seems it is happening more and more often. So to me it seems that bloggers are ultimately falling into the same pitfalls that magazine editors face (featuring advertised products etc etc).
I also agree with trimperley: keep focusing on your blog and also freelancing. magazines are facing lots of problems but then again it would be hard for me not to read them. a good magazine is just great.
19 comments:
your blog isn't as fun to read anymore..
here here!!
i am now left wondering what more magazine did haha xx
anon.... I dont understand your leaving a comment on a blog you don't like to read anymore! Why would you even comment? Please go sit in the corner and rethink your life.. maybe have a cup of tea also!!?? That is all!!
Very interesting reading! Love that just because the 'we' has been dropped from 'web-log' people think they can use the term 'blog' willy nilly. If it's in print, it's just a 'log'!
My personal experience suggests that so many women love to look at print magazines and the advance access keeps them coming back. But so many readers just don't trust recommendations from magazines (or sales associates either), especially if she's wasted money on those types of recommendations in the past. Whether this credibility problem can be solved (and it won't be if the editors don't understand that they have one) by bringing bloggers in is another question.
I've basically stopped buying magazines because I feel like the product recommendations are biased and swayed by the big companies. Blogging is a community. Magazines cannot compete with that! Blogging provides so much for it's readers and writers. I shouldn't hanker after a career in magazines. Be yourself and keep blogging.
For now don't put all your eggs in one basket and carry on with print and blog. I think the situation will resolve itself as print circulations fall. I always enjoy reading your blog.
Blogging offers the freedom magazines can't...
We've all noticed those double page ads featuring the very SAME products just two pages on from the "What I'm loving this month" editor's picks! (Featuring exactly the same product/brand in the ad.)
But publishing is a business. It's a money conundrum all round.
Also find that the beauty bloggers are ahead of the print beauty editors - blogs are a faster much more immediate medium, quicker turnaround/"trend-spotters".
Having said all this, there's sometimes nothing better than hitting the sofa with the new issue of your favourite mag!
For the most part, blOgs still have a credibility that magazines lost a long time ago. When's the last time you saw a magazine tell its readers that a product or service is crap? Their advertising revenue is dependent on making sure you keep buying whatever is between the cover. Blogs are still independent of that anchor, and I hope they stay that way, BBB included!
I'm not sure it's a good idea to look to magazines as a reliable source of information. Rather, see them simply as a presentation medium for products and services. That's what they do, advertising for companies who want you to buy their stuff. I expect a magazine's income stream would dry up p.d.q. if it started offering honest opinion on the goods it advertises.
Blogs fill this gap beautifully. I rely on a handful of trusted beauty bloggers, BBB included, to give an unbiased review. Always keeping in mind that what works for one women, may not for another. And this credibility is only maintained by the fact that, for the most part, beauty blogs are still financially independent of the products and services they feature. I hope it stays that way too frankly.
Very interesting. I've been working freelance for 12 years and even though it's in another field, I know the same feeling of never knowing what's going to happen, even if I get less and less lows. With age (one of the benefits!) and networking, it gets easier with the years, doesn't it?
I'd love to read blogs from old(er) beauty bloggers, it seems like most are written by girls in their 20s. Not yours and Lisa Eldridge though, great. But is there any beauty blog written by ladies in their 50s, 60s or even 70s and 80s. It would be great reading if they are funny too.
I don't understand why some don't get it. Honestly, if Instagram can sell for $1Billion, doesn't that tell them how important the virtual world is? They really need to stop snorting around in the 60's, 70's, and 80's and get into the 21st century!
I love reading your blog!
I too hope that print and online beauty writing will integrate more fully in the near future. I have acquaintances in the writing world who have also struggled with pitching ideas. It's not always easy to come up with new beauty topics!
@Sophielondon...Hello, it's me "Middle Aged Beauty Queen". To be honest, I'm a little okay a lot past middle age and I write a beauty blog. If you google middle aged beauty queen you will find me.
As far as BBB goes, I read blogs because my old eyes cannot read the print in magazines anymore. Is it just me or has the print gotten smaller? And I read blogs for the honesty, I want to know when you think a product is crappy. I don't like it when bloggers go on about something that was given to them, I lke reading about what you bought with your own M O N e Y!
Xoxo -- Judi
As a consumer and a freelance writer I think you're on the money.
I write features for women's magazines and have just started a blog. It's a much bigger challenge to get people to read your blog than to write for a magazine with an established readership.
As a consumer I rarely turn to magazines for beauty/fashion inspiration. Blogs offer a more diverse and genuine take on what's current.
Well done for making it work in both mediums!
http://pearlsandpurls.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the love! Our beauty team read your blog every day and alerted me to it x
Good post, and have to say I agree.
I work as freelance writer part time and fit a lot of my blogging and writing in around my full time job. I have been lucky enough to secure work with some magazines helping build my portfolio but I have been rather rudely told by one that my blog "didn't make me a writer"
I do believe print and blogs can work together and hopefully as time goes on magazines will adjust.
(high five to More! though)
I read magazines and blogs. each one has a different place. i read blogs for instant gratification and magazines for in depth analysis on different topics.
my only problem with blogs: most of them have fallen prey to beauty PRs and their stream of free samples. so now when you read a so called review it is nothing more than reading a press release. I hate that and it seems it is happening more and more often. So to me it seems that bloggers are ultimately falling into the same pitfalls that magazine editors face (featuring advertised products etc etc).
I also agree with trimperley: keep focusing on your blog and also freelancing. magazines are facing lots of problems but then again it would be hard for me not to read them. a good magazine is just great.
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