I guess I owe some folks an explaination for my earlier post regarding Playaway audio books…
Lately the biblioblogosphere has been awash in post regarding “movers & shakers”, “shameless self promotion” and “drudges”. Much of this has hit several nerves with me but I’ve been loathe to participate for fear of sounding like a whiner. The earlier post was an admitedly passive-agressive way of getting involved. A particularly sad attempt at best. First, some background:
I’ve been @ MPOW for almost nine years now. In the time I’ve published eight books and dozens are articles. (Maybe closer to 200 if you count all the articles I’ve written for MPOW’s newsletter.) I tought more than 1000 workshops to literally thousands of individuals ranging from librarians, library staff, and members of the general public. I also blog (obviously) and I know I have a dedicated core readership along with others who at least glance at what I post.
In the past two years of my blogging life I’ve blogged about many varried topics. Not all of them have been LIS related and I’m o.k. with that as I have many interests and not all of my readers are interested in library technology. However, several times I’ve posted about a topic and the response was nonexistant. Then someone else blogs about it a few weeks or months later and it become “big news” or a “sh*t storm of controversey”. (No, I’m not going to be specific but the Playaway devices was the latest.)
So, what exactly is my problem? Trouble is, I’m not sure. Do I want credit? Not necessarily. It would be nice, but I’ve learned to accept not getting much of that. I put the information out there and you’ll do with it what you will. I guess what I would like is for either more people to care and to say so, or to have the “right” people care. This leads into the whole issue of self-promotion and movers & shakers…
I’m not an “A lister” (sometimes I make it onto the “B list”) but then again, I’m by no means a drudge. I sit somewhere in the middle, (maybe the upper-middle,) constantly wondering when am I either going to get my big break or have it all disappear without warning.
It’s my job to travel and to train. I love doing it despite all of the hassle that the travel causes in my life. My name is out there. I am more well known than most librarians ever will be. I self promote through my blogging, speaking and publishing. I currently have one state that wants me to come out to speak to their librarians so much that I’ve had to start turning them away. (If you want me, the earliest I can get there right now is September.) So, why am I complaining that I don’t get enough attention? (See, this is why I’ve been avoiding blogging about this whole issue.)
Maybe it all boils down to the fact that I’m doing all of the same things that the “movers & shakers” are doing but I’m still not at their level. Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong but I just can’t figure out what. It’s one thing to want me to come to your organization, library, or conference and speak. Heck, it’s my job to do that and I’ll be more than happy to do whatever I can for you. I guess what I’d like to know, in some way, is that what I’m doing is actually having an impact. I can’t tell you exactly what someone should do to get that point across to me. To do that would make it virtually meaningless.
There. I’ve gone and done it. I have no idea what sort of response, if any, I’ll get but I needed to do it. For those of you who think I’m just whining let me make it clear that I am not the only person who feels this way. I’ve talked to others. We’re stuck in the middle and don’t know what to do or how to put it into words that make it clear to others who aren’t in our position. I hope that I’ve be able to explain it just a little.
I totally understand what you’re saying and I don’t think that there are too many people out there who haven’t had feelings like this. It’s so funny that you don’t think of yourself as a “mover and shaker” (outside of the LJ meaning) since I thought you were one of the most interesting and dynamic people I met at CIL. You are SUCH a Mover and Shaker!
First, I think you may be mistaking “A-list” status in the blogosphere with A list status in the profession. They are still two very different things. This blogosphere is such a funny microcosm, so divorced from reality in some ways. Yes, LJ named me a Mover and Shaker, but I don’t think anyone outside of the blogosphere knows me. So I guess the question is — where is it more valuable to be an A-lister? In the blogosphere? In the publishing world? At work? They all have their benefits. I think you’ll find that many of the top A-list bloggers were not appreciated at their jobs/libraries.
Why do some bloggers get all the attention? I think it boils down to a few things. One is having an A-lister who promotes your blog. I mean, Michael Casey started blogging in September and now everyone knows who he is. And I think Michael Stephens had a lot to do with it. It’s not right or wrong. It just is. I think other things that get people’s attention is writing controversial posts or becoming an “expert” in a certain technology (wikis, podcasts, RSS, etc) and promoting it on your blog. It seems so random. I thought you had such a terrific, hugely funny personality when I met you, but I don’t think enough of your personality comes out on your blog. Just my 2 cents.
It’s an interesting dilemma being in the middle; to work hard and do things that deserve recognition and not really get it. I wish I had a good answer for why some people get so much attention and others don’t. It’s like trying to figure out why it took me 9 months to find a library job and other people got one right away. I don’t think it’s necessarily about being “better”. I seem to have gone from “drudge” to “mover and shaker” so fast my head is still spinning. And I’m still not quite sure how it happened. I’m no Michael Stephens or Jessamyn, but I’m shocked by how much attention I’ve gotten this year.
So I guess after all this pointless rambling, all I can really say is that I understand. And I think you rock.
I’m not sure if I’m one of the “right” people or not (just remember, it was me who first started using the “travelinlibrarian” del.icio.us tag!), but I’ll second much of what Meredith says. Mostly that (a) you are obviously movin’ and shakin’ and bakin’ and whatnot; and (b) I’d love to see a bit more of your personality shine through in the blog.
Everyone has his or her own blogging style, of course, and yours seems to be lots of short informative posts. That’s cool, and useful, but the blog posts that tend to stick in my mind are the ones that are a bit more analytical or opinionated. Your posts are often so short that you don’t have much chance to find your voice.
But, hey, I’m downloading the Second Life client in the background, largely due to your recent posts!
-Steve Lawson
Some people have “it,” most don’t, but we think we do. I agree that the more analytical posts with personality will develop the “it” factor.
The other day I looked at a similar blog to mine and she was getting 5,000 hits a month, but I’m getting, like, 40 hits a month. I don’t even like her style. I need to take the time to make some long posts.
As it is, I get good info from your blog, and I appreciate it.