Eileen Smith helps manage the editorial/blog selection process with BlogBurst. You can read her fantastic take on Texas and national politics at In the Pink Texas blog. Here are Eileen’s thoughts on BlogBurst, blogging and breakfast cereal:
What has the editorial process been like since starting a month ago?
When we first started recruiting people for BlogBurst, we had definite blog topics in mind based on our publisher’s needs. As more blog requests for invites have poured in, we’ve been pretty overwhelmed - in a good way - with high-quality blogs that stand out from the crowd. As the network opens up, we’ll be developing closer relationships with individual bloggers to help them get noticed and published. It’s been a real learning experience for the editors and the bloggers.
What feedback are you getting from bloggers?
Some of the feedback we’ve been getting has been technical in nature - like when RSS feeds aren’t displaying full content or when they’re receiving errors in the network. Most bloggers are really excited and positive about the service, since what they want most is to be published and drive more traffic back to their sites. Some bloggers have asked us about compensation or ‘what’s in it for them,’ which are completely fair questions but something we’re still working on.
Why do you blog? What is your blog about?
I think I started blogging for the same reason most people blog - I felt I had something to say and I hoped that other people would find it interesting and insightful enough to read. I blog about Texas and national politics (www.inthepinktexas.com). There was a real need for independent and opinionated commentary that wasn’t available before a handful of Texas blogs popped up. I know that one of the greatest things about my blog is the community that has developed around it. Readers talk to each other - and to me - in this forum and it’s a fantastic way to communicate your ideas.
Other than yourself, what blogger do you most admire?
That’s a tough one given the amount of blogs that are out there. Typically the blogs I most admire are the truly unique voices that manage to rise above the fray. Sometimes blogs that cover the same topics turn into an echo chamber of sorts, all writing about the same thing. I look for blogs that make me see things in a different light.
Which is your favorite: Booberry, Count Chocola or Frankenberry?
I’m a Cheerios girl.
You go, Eileen!
Eileen, I just received an email from you saying that my blog has been activated in BlogBurst. Like you, I work with blogs in an editorial fashion. I am an associate editor for the Know More Media network of blogs about business. I’m sort of pilot-testing BlogBurst to see if it’s the kind of program we would want our other bloggers to join. So far it looks extremely promising!
I’m a Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs kind of person by birth, but our one-year-old has now opened my eyes to the world of Kix, Rice Chex and, of course, Cheerios.
Eileen is also really good about giving questionable blogs fair and thorough consideration. For instance, when she asks for a second opinion on whether our publishers would appreciate blogs like “Daily Pictures of Rotting Produce” or “1001 Fun Things to Do with Twine While Naked”, it’s really nice to see that all bloggers get their due.
looking forward to seeing the service opened to French-speaking blogs. Keep me posted!
and if you need a hand you know where to find me