Blogher 12 or Homeher12…that is the question

 

It’s the first of June and in the blogosphere that means many are starting to get excited about the annual BlogHer conference that will be going down this August. For bloggers of a certain ilk, attending the annual BlogHer conference is a must or so I am told. Since I started blogging back in 2008, I have heard fellow bloggers rave about this conference and insist that if possible one should attend. For many years the idea of attending this conference wasn’t even a possibility for me since trying to keep my head above water financially was the priority…after all you can’t tell the light company “Yo, I spent your money on BlogHer, but keep my lights on!

Ever since I heard last year that the 2012 conference was being held in New York City, I tentatively started making plans to attend, since New York isn’t that far from me. I took the advice of a few fellow bloggers and even put out the word that I was seeking a pimp, oops I meant a sponsor but clearly with my lackluster attitude towards such unions, brands aren’t exactly beating down the door. Hell, I don’t blame em! I even decided to put up a tip jar and while I am thankful for those who have chipped in, clearly the tips (little over $100 to date) aren’t going to get me to Blogher. So I went the old fashioned way and have been saving my shekels and I am getting there, I can definitely attend for one night…not bad? Or is it?

It dawned on me this afternoon, why do I want to attend this conference? Yeah, I have heard good things, how it’s a fabulous networking opportunity and I admit there are a couple of women I am dying to meet. But now that it’s time to part with the cash, I am asking myself what are my goals?

I am a writer who wants to write. I started writing professionally in 2003, or let me rephrase that, I have been writing for as long as I can remember, just that in 2003, people started paying me for it. My first piece for a local paper earned me $25 and despite being a rather paltry sum, I still remember how good it felt to earn real money for my words. I have been writing for local publications since and I love it! I have even started working on full length manuscript, not sure if it will ever leave my computer but it’s my passion.

So that brings me back to the question, why do I want to go to this conference? Networking is great but for all I have read and heard and if anyone knows anything please let me know, but for a writer dreaming of a book deal, is BlogHer the place to go? Sitting back looking at where I am professionally, while the idea of working with brands sounds good the truth is I have very little time to give. Hell, just updating this blog into something a little jazzier is taking more time than I planned and I am about ready to throw up my hands and say screw it, let’s stick with this premade ho-hum template.

Professionally as in my day gig, mid-summer is my busiest time, my center runs a free 8 week program for low income kids that includes lunch and trust me, it’s a hectic time. Throw in the fact that the person who is my back up in the event I am ran over by a Mack truck will be off on her honeymoon the week of the Blogher conference. Sure, I can leave town but let’s just say if anything goes wrong while I am gone, that’s my ass.

I think sometimes it’s easy to want something because it sounds good but lately I find in all areas of my life I need to dig deeper and really examine do I want this, do I need this or am I just momentarily caught up. I am a writer regardless of if I don’t ever attend a conference and while BlogHer most certainly sounds far more fun than any of the many social service related conferences I have attended over the years, is it really a need or a want? (besides social worker types don’t get cool swag!)

So the question I must ask myself is do I Blogher12 or Homeher12? Feel free to share any thoughts especially if you have attended the Blogher conferences in the past or any blogging related conference. Do they live up to the hype and frankly are they worth the price?

 

 

6 thoughts on “Blogher 12 or Homeher12…that is the question”

  1. Well, totally biased as I am, I think you should go. It’s not likely we’ll be doing BlogHer Writers this year, but there is a track devoted to writing at the annual conference.

    And book deals end up happening through networking as much as any other kind of business relationship. Jenny Lawson met her agent at BlogHer. Susan Getgood (“Professional Blogging for Dummies” met her publisher at BlogHer.

    And lots and lots of attendees have agents and publishers…getting you one degree closer to those folks yourself.

    Not to mention the print media folks who attend.

    The programming is my baby a bit, and I think that’s worth it alone, but I wouldn’t look askance at networking either…it’s what gets deals done.

  2. i debated going – i was actually supposed to attend last year and some things came up at the last minute and i had to cancel – this year, i debated going for the same reasons you mentioned – i haven’t been blogging nearly like i used to so from that standpoint, i kinda felt like going to a “blogging” conference was sort of ridiculous – and while i would love to meet some of my blogger/Internet friends in person, i already have a paid blogging/writing job – monetizing my blog and working with brands is low on my priority list so i’m not sure any of that would be terribly helpful – and unless i know for sure i’m going to get information that will help me get a book published, i just don’t think i can justify it – also, i know that a lot of the information was available through live blogging and streaming

    one thing i may consider is the BlogHer Writers Conference – there hasn’t been any information for 2012 that i’ve seen – but based on the 2011 conference, that seems to be more up my alley from an information standpoint!

    good luck on your decision – let us know what you decide!

  3. Conferences are fun. And petty too lol. I don’t care about the workshops, it’s just socializing for me. If had the money or a friends couch to sleep on I’d go. I would go to NY those days but I have my Navy reunion to go the same time.

  4. The funny thing is that I keep hearing this is the “it” conference to attend as well…but then on the underside, I hear rumors of cattiness, pettiness, and an overall disdain for some of the seminars. While I am sure this conference has its perks and downsides, just as I am sure any conference does, I am solid on not planning on attending any time soon. In addition, today, Blogging While Black 2012 conference goers are on twitter giving out great advice, and the bloggers are ones that I read and relate to on much more than a gender platform… I think I want to attend THAT conference in 2013. Good post though, and congrats on saving. Whether you go or not, I think you should feel awesome that you have enough money saved to attend. I would be amped at that accomplishment lol

  5. You need to go. You want to go. You are curious. It is an adventure. If you need a place to stay I have an apartment in Queens a block from the E train (25 min into Manhattan) It has a fold out couch in the living room that is yours.

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