clearing the air about my reviews

blogging / writingMay 19, 2009Comments: 4

I was doing some maintenance behind the scenes on this blog today when I checked my trackbacks to see who was linking to me recently. I happened upon a blog using me to illustrate people who use their blogs to review things or promote companies without being clear they were doing so. Huh?

So I read Steve Heimoff’s post and here is his reference to me:

“The Journal also spotlighted an “Internet entrepreneur [who] is building a business around selling blog posts for money.” In one of them, he paid bloggers $11 to tout an apparel sale at Sears. Check out zengrrl’s blog. Oi.”

And he linked back to my contest/freebies category where last year I linked to several blogs that Sears was using to run contests because the rules required the links as part of the terms of entering the contests.

Wow, talk about misinformed. So, of course I had to clear the air on his blog, but since the comment is awaiting moderation, I’ll repeat it verbatim here (typos and all):

A few things about you including me in this post’s commentary, if I may.

First, the blog you linked to is my PERSONAL blog, not any of my professional ones. There is a difference. Therefore if I link to a contest in my personal blog because if it is part of the rules of entry, that is my choice to make. And I fail to see how linking to a contest makes me a “pay to pitch person”. Sears never paid me so much as a penny to link to all those contest pages.

I do not get paid for anything I write in my own blog. Well, other than a few piddly cents for a the adsense and Amazon links. But if I ever chose to do so, I would be upfront up about it.

And while I do get paid for blogging for other blogs, because that is my job, I get paid by the owners of said blogs, not by any companies I may happen to reference or review.

Perhaps next time you might want to verify your facts before you vilify me incorrectly as a “pay to pitch” person. I am a spokesperson on zengrrl dot com for nobody but myself, and I have never made any money off anything I’ve ever written on my personal blog.

I fail to see the connection between me linking to a blog as a contest stipulation and me being paid to pitch the company (which FYI, I never directly linked to Sears, nor was I paid anything by them for the mention…cheap bastards LOL).  But I do feel if one is going to reference a blog post as an example of being paid to pitch, then the reference should be accurate, which in this case, it was not.

And for the record, anytime anyone chooses to be pay to post on their personal blog, as long as they are upfront about it, I don’t have a problem with it. I just choose not to on this site. And that is my choice to make.

Also, anything I write about on this blog is my own personal opinion and not that of any blog I get paid to write for. I would think that would be self-explanatory, but I guess some people seem to be unclear that this is my personal blog owned solely by myself.

Even though I am a paid writer for others, I am still entitled to my own thoughts on my own blog.

If you want to read my writings and opinions that I get paid for, there’s a whole list of blogs to the right. If you have any questions on my review policies, just ask. But at least take the time to get the facts straight before using me as an example of anything, especially accuracy and disclosure in blogging. Sheesh!

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!

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Comments: 4

  1. zengrrl May 29, 2009 at 11:47 pm

    Thanks all for your support! 🙂

    I usually just ignore these things, but I just hate being blamed for something I haven’t done. LOL

  2. Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida May 26, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    Well said, and we are glad that you handled that situation quickly and clearly. I agree with Anne, the offending blogger’s post was certainly not a good way to make friends online.

  3. akeorlando May 24, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Well said.

  4. Anne May 22, 2009 at 11:20 am

    That is really frustrating that someone would write something negative about you on their blog…

    First of all, definitely bad karma. Second of all, definitely not a good way to make friends online. Finally, why? I hope he/she apologizes.