Taking a Break from live-streaming and blogging.
I am sad to report that my streams are not interesting or not timed properly so that viewers can see more than 1. i think the fact that there are so many gold making streams now and they stream 24/7 is hard enough for viewers to catch, let alone see multiple channels. i will focus on the blog when i come back and make educational videos....as far as live-streaming if you want to see me stream again leave a comment below. i can make a schedule i can show specific material related to WoW/Gold Making.
Honestly i am feeling a struggle in the community and maybe its just me not ever being apart of it like i wanted, either way i am taking a break to straighten things out and figure out what i want to do. i have important people in my life to focus on right now but hopefully things will get sorted out sooner than later.
I very much enjoyed streaming for you all and honestly miss seeing everyone hanging out. I had a great time and hope i helped some players learn some strategies to making gold in WoW.
Shannon you are welcome in the community. Perhaps taking or offering some guest blogs will increase your visibility? I enjoyed our little chat on livestream the other day, and you made a real difference to my day with your kind words.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can re-discover which part of Warcraft, gold making, or blogging excites you the most.
Shannon,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven't really got to know you, I have been in a short hiatus myself during your blogging career, I liked what I saw. You have what many other bloggers don't have, a comedic side that shows you are human, and that is a strong quality in blogging (in my opinion).
The comment you made is a tough one to explain...
"Honestly i am feeling a struggle in the community and maybe its just me not ever being apart of it like i wanted"
I can only assume you mean the "main" gold bloggers out there, most of which have been blogging for a year plus...they have their cliques established as well as followers and [probably] hundreds of thousands of views (some are even past the million mark). Most of them also have a year'ish long relationship, have had many conversations, have done podcasts together, etc, etc, etc.
It's not easy in real life to "break" in to a group of friends and be invited to all the cool parties, and sometimes the parties aren't as good as you might think. Betrayal, backstabbing, lies, and greed take over....it happens the same in blogging. /shrug
Just remember, some folks are only looking out for themselves, no matter what they might say. In the words of Diddy, (he was puff daddy then), it's all about the benjamins, baby. Their main goal is to be number one, not two, or three, or tenth...and if promoting and/or befriending their "competition" will help them, they will be all over it. If not, they will shrug you and yours' off.
But what most new bloggers don't realize is the hundreds, even thousands of hours it takes to be a successful blogger. I don't even want to count how many I have "invested" into Altos. I think Ethiopians get paid more than I have when you break it down to an "hourly pay". It's not easy like most non-bloggers think. Once again, you are starting a business. You need product, you need clientele, you need stock, you need (the list goes on and on...kinda like this comment...).
cont.
Blogging is a business. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Every blogger, whether they realize it or not, are in some sort of competition. I call bullshit on anyone that doesn't see it as that. If they say they don't, they are in the dark (or straight out bullshitting). If anything is monetized on their site: be it ads, selling something they (or someone else) created, having adweber popups, you name it, anything relating the the dollar (yen, pound, etc) they are doing it for the money. Maybe not 100%, maybe they just would like a couple bucks here and there, but any money is good money. It all spends the same.
ReplyDeleteMyself, I love nearly every aspect of blogging. It's relaxing to write, it's cool when you talk about a trick no one has heard of, it's slick meeting new folks, it feels good reaching a personal goal, and of course, getting paid (albeit not enough to quit a day job) is a nice little perk as well. It's not all about the money for me, but it's a great incentive to keep pushing along.
As someone who has been around the block with blogging, it's a rough road. The first few months is great, you start seeing and meeting new folks, your blog is growing, then nothing. That's when most writers get the infamous "writers block" and struggle. Some take a break, some keep rolling, others quit altogether. Hopefully, that is not you.
If I remember right, it's over 3/4 of blogs don't make three months, where almost 90% don't make a year (don't quote that, I am not sure if those are exact, but close nonetheless). Pretty staggering amount. It's tough to spend the time needed and still have an "outside" life. It's tough to balance relationships (both family and friends), it's tough to focus at work. It's tough to have other hobbies. Plain and simple, it's tough.
I am not sure why I kept running here with my comment, but I hope that you read it and maybe even learn something from it.
Long story short, don't go anywhere. Keep popping in and out from time to time. If you enjoy what you have done (which I am guessing you have), c'mon back soon. I know I enjoyed popping in on your streaming once in a while, and I hope to be able to do it again.
Alto.
Shannon, in some respects I agree with Alto & some others I do not. You should feel good that he posted such a massive response, it means people care! That's why I am commenting, because I want to support you.
ReplyDeleteFirst I will say, it obviously takes an incredible investment of time, planning, & sometimes money to create your virtual world & online buisiness. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say, & neither will a thriving business of any type, let alone blogging/guide writing. Consider the support you received from viewers; I've never had someone purchase me a 720p webcam & have it shipped to me. I've also never sold a guide, nor written a single blog post (yet). To me, sometimes I feel like I really have nothing to say or add to the discussion (of gold making).
You captured a bit of lightning in a bottle & folks are interested in what you say & a lot of times it isn't just about Warcraft or making virtual currency. You share your life & I remember thanking you via twitter for doing so. It takes balls to put it all out there raw & real. /salute
I haven't watched many of your streams lately because you changed your focus away from gold making & that is a major draw for your base of supporters. IMHO you strayed from the formula & thus began to alienate your viewers. It's also a low point in the Warcraft gaming cycle...it's the PRE-expansion doldrums. It is predictable & cyclical.
I personally believe that blogging isn't a good way to even start a money making venture. It's a means to reach an audience, not an income producer. You're not selling your thoughts, you're bouncing ideas of the heads of peers; it's a large brain storming exercise. You have to create content of extreme value to expect someone to pay for it.
Bottom line, I believe you can do whatever you put your mind to. You are talented & have big ideas. Don't burn out. Every star has a calculated life line; they are born, then burn for billions of years, they go SUPERNOVA, then they make a decision...become a red giant (burning cooler but becoming incredibly massive), they become a white dwarf (pulling back into itself (burning much hotter by infinitely smaller), or they blow the whole deal, can't hold it together & they collapse in upon themselves creating a black hole.
Basically stop moping & pull yourself up by the bootstraps young man & try, try again.
Much love, Jason
I really enjoyed your streams but its kinda stream overload sometimes so many going on i kinda have to pick and choose those ones where i interact fully/ stay in shadows/join etc. I think Alaeriel had a nice little niche with early morning streams (around 9-11am EU time). Hope you come back from the break refreshed and roaring to go. Maybe look into a Podcast? something people can enjoy on the go/anytime.
ReplyDeleteI'm always checking my following page and you seem to rarely ever be on there as it is. :/ I'm quite the fan of your streams, and the quality of them is of par. Maybe it's some odd glitch, but I am checking all day all the time.
ReplyDeletemuch appreciated, i hope to get a schedule put out solid and get any quality issues along with chat working half the time...thanks for the support.
ReplyDeletethank you guys i do plan on coming back at some point but for now i am not much of a lovely box of coconuts....thank you all...
ReplyDeleteYou're the man, Shannon. I'll miss watching your streams, and I hope you get back on your feet and start again. Until then, I hope you enjoy your life, and I'd like to keep in touch :D
ReplyDelete~Glurft