BlogHer ’10: Common Myths Busted

Hi! Welcome Back to Getting Ready for BlogHer ’10 series!

Whether you’re a nubile newbie or a dogged veteran, this weeklyish series is for you as you prepare to attend the world’s biggest blogging conference for women (and Neil) this August in NYC.

Last week, we reviewed some topics that you should have started worrying about by now. If you missed that post, you should read it, and start worrying, immediately. As a bonus, you now have to worry about the fact that everyone else has been worrying for one whole week, while you have been blissfully ignorant. Which is fine, except now you’re behind and you have to catch up.

If you were with us last week, you know that “OMG, am I too fat for BlogHer?” is a common concern. You will witness it first hand in blog posts and Twitter starting in mid-June, escalating to full fledged hysteria by the end of July. Therefore, you took my advice and lost weight. Great job!

This week we will focus on some common BlogHer misconceptions.

#1. Just be yourself! When the more experienced bloggers start posting their advice, they will reassure you that you should just be yourself. This is fantastic advice if you are Angelina Jolie or Dooce. If you are neither of these women, I would suggest strongly you think twice about that advice.

Ask yourself, “how has being myself worked out for me so far?” and “Do I really need to go all the way to NYC to be myself? Wouldn’t this be a fantastic weekend to try out a new personality?”

Last year, at BlogHer, I decided to become gregarious. What did I have to lose, I figured. So, instead of sitting in my room and playing Free Cell, I told everyone that would listen that I “couldn’t wait” for BlogHer’s speed dating round.

What? Not familiar with BlogHer’s speed dating round? That’s when all the bloggers stand in two lines facing each other, like they’re about to start square dancing, except instead of square dancing, they introduce themselves to each other and then give a one minute recap of their blog. Then someone important yells NEXT! and you move one person over and start the whole thing again. Now normally, this is the type of thing that makes me free base hemlock, but gosh darn it, I was going to do this. Unfortunately, thirty seconds into listening about my partner’s crochet blog, someone tapped me on my shoulder and said “you’re in my spot.” And I was like “I’m not in your spot, I’m in my spot” and she said “I just went to put my broom down, and now I’m back, it’s my spot” and the crochet blogger was nodding and I was the only one in the room of five million ovaries who did not have a speed dial blogging partner. It’s a good thing that part of my new personality did not include deadly mortification.

2. The experience is what you make of it. This is just another variation on the “blame the victim” theme.

Had a lousy time? Felt left out? It’s your fault. Because you didn’t make everyone love you and want to include you in everything. Probably because you didn’t use a fake personality.

3. Big important bloggers are just like you and me! I love this one because it is impossible to disprove. Of course they are just like you and me because they breathe in oxygen, and have a digestive and respiratory systems, but the similarity may end there. Personally, I preferred to admire them from afar, in their natural habitat.

4. You will learn a lot! You totally will! I learned that content is important and that for everyone’s sake, I should be banned from Geek Labs. I also learned that while sitting in sessions, I can still text friends who are sitting two rows in front of me, watch them read my text, shake their heads and not respond. Oh, excuse me, your majesty, if I realized that you were so enthralled by this “Quality Writing is Important” session, I wouldn’t have dared to distract you.

Okay! We’re done for this week. Don’t forget to join us next week when I will offer you my Top BlogHer ’10 Helpful Hints. Preview Hint: Don’t Ask Your Roommate What She Would Do if You Died In Your Sleep. Because you will not be able to fall asleep.

Also! In the coming weeks, I will answer any questions that you may have, as you prepare for BlogHer, whether as an attendee or as a captive audience member. So email your questions to me at MarinkaNYC at gmail dot com.

One year ago ...

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