My Thoughts About Blogging Guru's

Today’s challenge assignment is supposed to be about 3 things blogging gurus don’t or won’t tell beginners about blogging.

Soooo, in a manner of speaking, rant number two, coming up.

Three things that I could call pet peeves and really kind of tick me off are:

First going onto the websites of bloggers and they say, “Join my paid to write website. It costs nothing to join and you will receive free advice as well as very informative weekly/monthly newsletters to help you in your blogging experience.” I cannot tell you how many of these sites I have joined and fifteen minutes later am unsubscribing, because

Yeah joining the site was free, the newsletters are free, and meeting other writers on the website is free, but if I want to read what the other members of the website are writing? Well, that’s not free.

Another one is in regards to entering writing contests, “Join our website to find out about short story contests, which will give you the opportunity to make some money from your short stories, if it is chosen in the top 10.” My thoughts are generally, “Awesome, let’s go check it out” and then I get into the site and yes, there is a list of short story contests wanting to know – What is your favorite place to hunt? – The joys of being in the Olympics – or – Tell your story about watching a loved one die, plus many other topics.

Okay, those all leave me high and dry. Then I finally do find a topic that I can write about, but I find myself facing a requirement for a submission fee. Again, my response is Really?, or Oh come on! Okay, maybe 20.00 does not sound like very much to you, but when you/I do not have 20.00 they might as well be asking for 2,000.00.

Or my favorite one is the offer of “Free webinar that will teach you how to be a better blogger/writer.” My response, “”Oh yeah, sign me up, I’m in. In my excitement for learning 'how to....' I participate in the entire 1 – 2 hour webinar and ask questions that I think are good questions, but they are not answered, because there are 300 other bloggers on the same webinar. At the end of the webinar after 20 or so posted questions are answered, they announce, “We are offering such and such course and today only for all those who attended this webinar. It’s yours for the low cost of 297.00. However, that special cost is only available until midnight EST tonight. if you do not get in on this great deal before midnight, you will have to pay the regular standard fee of 699.36.”

“Really? Did you really have to tack on the 36 cents?” I am, of course being sarcastic on the 36 cents. However, on the serious side of this, I don’t have 297.00 to give you. Yes I believe and know you are worth your time and you have worked hard to get to where you are, but please do not waste my time, thinking, “This person wants to help me get better at what he does” only to find out at the end of the webinar, it’s a money grab.

Anyone else remember the Amway invitations from 20+ years ago?

Yes, I know, even though I have only been doing this for a few months, I should know by now that ‘nothing is free’. I also know, we all have a value and we should be appreciated for that value. I know I will continue to subscribe and then unsubscribe, but hey one day I might get lucky, and find a guru that really does what his/her website says they will do…for free.

Please let me clarify. I am not saying everything a blogging guru offers should be free, but when we spend time participating on a page, looking to see how you can or do help others, do not post at the very bottom, now for you to continue...it will cost ya. One of the things I now do is...Scroll to the bottom of the page, if at the bottom of the page it has a buy now tab or link, I leave the page and do not go back. However if there isn't a buy now tab or link, I scroll back up to the top and read the article.

An old adage comes to mind, "Nobody cares what you know, until they know that you care."