This has been “Blogger Appreciation Week”, so dubbed by the wonderful and talented caLLie cLine. A ‘fashion bloggers’ group was also created in world, and has resulted in an entire week of many many excellent and cool gifts and gift cards being dropped on all the blogger members, in appreciation for all the work they do. Christmas in May, gotta love it… and Thank You so much to all the designers/creators involved for doing this, I look forward to checking out all the goodies, and running wild with the gift cards. You will be seeing much of it in future blogs.
I have been wanting to blog about fashion blogging for a while, and although I have some prom fashion shots to cover later today, I wanted to do this now, at the end of a great week of appreciation. I have questions -for bloggers, and those being blogged or who want to be blogged.Â
Designers: What is the best way for us, as bloggers, to cover your work? Do you want us to ask you if we see something we want to cover? Drop a NC on you inworld? How do you feel about this? I know as a blogger, I can’t afford to drop large $L on an outfit I may wear once, for a shoot. I also don’t want to feel like a begging idiot asking for it to blog. That creates a bit of a situation in which the designer themselves may lose out when a blogger is shy to ask.Â
Nobody wants to be rejected for asking, no one wants to feel like a mooch.
-As Bloggers, we all want to cover the best fashion we can, in the best way we can, and not all of us have an *In* or an auto drop from all the designers we want to blog.Â
-As Designers, old or new, you may not want to drop inventory on bloggers for fear of looking like you are trying to influence. How do we do this in the best way?
Is it possible for interested designers to even just send a NC to bloggers, with textures of outfits they are releasing, and a note to bloggers stating, if they wish to blog it, please send card back with outfit request?
I think the Fashion Bloggers inworld group is a good start. Can we use that as a continuing communications tool? I personally would love to have a better open dialogue between designers and bloggers, without all the worry on either side of feeling like a mooch, or feeling shy to offer inventory. I know of quite a few good emerging designers, and other established designers who are very shy to ask bloggers to consider their work.
Personally, if you would like me to look at your work, and don’t want to randomly drop it on me, please send me a NC with textures inworld, and I would be very pleased to check it out. This actually works better for me, since I still have a very crappy internet connection, and rezzing is a real bitch until after midnight for me.
Feedback on this is appreciated. Trolls, please play nice. I don’t need to hear bullshit about how bloggers are corrupt, or rolling in designer freebies… or how designers are snotty and will reject inquiries. I am talking to and about the majority of great bloggers and generous designers, and the barriers between putting it all together as smoothly as we can.
Regular Fashion blog will follow in a few hours, with yet more pics of my awesome ass. Ty.
Cheers, Isle
I never ask for review copies unless I have a relationship with that creator that is very personal and a true friendship. I’ve just always been ok with the creators doing whatever worked for them. Sometimes you get notecards/notices “Hey if you are interested let me know” and sometimes people just drop stuff on you.
Although, just my own two cents, I love it best when they include a notecard with textures in it so that I can see what I’ve been given without having to dress and/or rezz something. That way I can plan what/when/how I’m going to incorporate that item.
Receiving review copies is like Christmas, I’m generally terribly thankful and delighted that someone thought enough of me to consider me to review their creation.
I think I have only ever ASKED for a review copy once and it was because the designer had sent a note card out stating that we could ask. I am waaaay too shy to ever ask otherwise. When I do get review copies dropped on me (a rare and wonderful occasion) I feel super giddy as all heck. I try to blog the things I find to be awesome but don’t always have the time, or it doesn’t fit into a post I want to do. I haven’t always sent thank yous back when I wasn’t able to blog them, and this week has reminded me that I need to start doing that. Every review copy dropped is appreciated and I think we should all start saying thank you even if we can’t get to them.
OH! Also Voshie Paine has a really cool group for Sl Bloggers that other bloggers should check out ^.^
This having been said, I pretty much blog out of what I have in my inventory already, what I have bought in the past. I am relatively new to this, and see some ways that we could all communicate a bit better without undue concern.
This post is not about getting free stuff to blog, but on how to get together with designers who may want to show a new item, (and might not be well known, or have a great marketing network) and bloggers who might not have a huge budget or an *in* with designers.
I never send out review copies unless they’ve been requested. I just don’t want people to feel pressured into blogging my store, I want them to blog because they want to. So gais, do please ask and I shall send stuffs!
I have, at this point, asked for two review copies. I haven’t blogged them yet. Both creators have been gracious when giving them. I always say that I won’t blog the item if it doesn’t look good on me and getting review copies is no guarantee that I will review.
Now when I started blogging for SCD, I thought I would not ask for review copies. I figure I’ve spent over 30K in world since that point. Skins, especially, being 1-2K per makeup make it particularly rough. For a while there I was a walking advertisement for PixelDolls Spa and Chai simply because their skins are so affordable. Now outifts and shoes are reaching the 500+ mark and I simply cannot afford to buy everything I wish to blog. I don’t make money in-world and times are tough y’know?
I love SL fashion blogging. That said, it *is* free advertisement. Unless the prices are incredibly inexpensive, I’ve decided to ask for review copies. So far the designers have been nice about it and I thank them.
I’m to shy to ask for a review copy….lol I don’t mind being dropped stuff but I like it best when they come with a note card and a picture so I can see the item with out having to put it on and waiting for it to rez. SL has been slow with rezzing lately for me.
I have to admit…I’m usually too shy to ask…(though Antonia…you are a fave of mine…:)) Some clothes I just don’t wear….(ballgowns and such..)
good post, Isle.
As a designer, and a person who loves chaos and always has like 20 projects, a store blog, a fashion blog, is a guest designer on Free*style, has a active flickr account, just got on plurk, has a 1 year old, also has a man that would blow up ma kitchen if I let him cook amoung othe things, I don’t have time to do item drops to 50 bigillion bloggers.
I would so love if people bugged me. I love see what people do with my shit.
Also I think it’s a good idea to send a little note, saying I did blog this for ya, when something is dropped or you’ve asked for. It’s hard tracking stuff down.
Oh and get my damn store name right, I know it’s long but for @%# sakes!
hehe
Well thats my imput!
Helena Stringer-Hair Designer
The Stringer Mausoleum
Just as a restatement
I was working with 10 other top designers, we have been discusing since december of last year, about a group inworld that we would make for bloggers, that we can drop review copies into. It would be a pay group, we haven’t decided on the price yet. It’ll be a wee bit pricey, maybe 1000 to 2000 and there will be a screening process.
We haven’t decided what to do with the money yet, charity or whatnot.
But basically we just drop a colour of a new release or whatever into the group. Also you guys would have the ablility to send a notice, saying, hey I need something gothic but in green, and we could simpley pass the items.
Tell me what you think about that, I’ll make post on my own blog, I really need to start this!
H
Helena I like that idea a lot…….!
I am cool with bloggers dropping a notecard to ask for things. I don’t want to send everything I made out to everyone because that makes me feel spammy and demanding, and I have no way of knowing who wants what.
I like the idea too Helena
So another thing I forgot to put into my other comment…
I *hate* having to ask for review copies. I hate being a freeloader. So something along the lines of what Helena suggests, where I could pay for entrance into an exclusive group that a bunch of designers belong to, would be fantastic.
I have a policy on my blog. They can drop me a review copy if they want, with no guarantee it will be blogged, or they can drop a texture and if we choose to buy and review it we will.
I couldn’t think of any other reasonable or fair way to do it. Typically, designer friends do drop (thank you all!) and spread the word to other designer friends, or I purchase what I want to review. If I purchase and blog – I always drop the link to the designer in question, just so they know they got some press.
I’ve finally got up the balls to send a note letting designers know that I’ve blogged their stuff and love it. In the end, I let them know that if they would like to send review copies, I will be more than happy to review their items. However, if they never respond or say that they don’t do reviews it doesn’t change my opinion of their clothes- I understand that designers are busy (though, most forget that us bloggers are, too)-but I must say a simple reply of “thank you” would be nice.
As for Blogger Appreciation Week, it was great for me because I discovered new stores-that I will be shopping at in the future.
Yeah, Sileny, the SL bloggers Network group was created prior to the blogger appreciation week. to my understanding, the fashion bloggers group is a temporary group created for the BA week so bloggers could easily get gifts and (strictly) non-bloggers wouldn’t mooch or such. The SL Bloggers Network, on the otherhand, has both designers and bloggers in the group able to send out notices, use chat and harass one another. Voshie’s group is invite, only, too… I think. But then again, that may not mean anything since *I’m* in it.
I like the invite-only idea rather than pay-for because it can be selective based on quality, rather than quantity. As the title of my blog suggests, I really do not have that much to spend on Lindens (although my trigger finger has been saying otherwise lately; damn shopping therapy…)
As with other bloggers, I’m shy and I have difficulty asking for review copies. Perhaps designers that are interested could have a little sign or information provider in their shops about how they would like to be contacted, what kinds of bloggers they’d like to contact them (if they have a preference for someone chic versus a nut), and any limitations or similar extra information.
*Makes a note to bug Helena and Antonia* X3
As a designer, I love sending review copies out individually.
There does exist a group sorta-like what you’re talking about, and after posting a review copy, I had 3-4 bloggers write about it in following blogs of theirs over the next 3 weeks.
One thing I’m uncomfortable with though, is people abusing a similar group for freebies. As items left in notices stick there for like 30 days.
Generally I’ve found that, if you make quality merchandise.. giving away a free copy to a reviewer, an inquiring customer, or sponsoring an event with it.. can do nothing but good for your store, and your sales.
I do wish there was an easier way to track bloggers down as well.
*raises hand* as another too shy to ask for review copies. Which would be why I do a lot of freebies, being unemployed in RL at the moment.
But I love to blog, and I love to try to promote designs and designers I really love so I do wish there was a way for the designers and bloggers to work together on this. I like Helena’s idea, although maybe an invite group would be sufficient?
So basically, designers or afraid to send review copies because they don’t want to be “spammers” and bloggers are afraid to ask because they don’t want to be seen has “free loaders”. lol We will never get anything done. <3
That group sounds interesting.
Natasha, that is precisely why I wrote this blog
I have seen some good ideas here. Ty for everyone who has commented. Lovin it.
I just realized that you could have written this blog in 4 lines.
I am so glad this was posted as I have been discussing the same ideas / questions this week with others. I’m guessing it is in the conversation stream a lot of late.
Once LONG ago in my ‘lifetime’ I had a very well-known designer drop a big load of goodies on me. She advised me to ASK if I wanted to blog someone. I have only done that once since then and it turned into a very good relationship. While I sometimes blog items that are not “me”, I am definitely picky about what I blog. My readers expect that the seams will match etc if they see it on my blog. If I “gush”, I really am gushing (wink). I don’t just blog something because it is free. I don’t blog everything given to me. I don’t even “save” everything I blog – LOL.
All that being said, I don’t spend many Lindens on clothes. Reasonably I have enough in my wardrobe already to last a dozen avatars a virtual lifetime. I imagine many bloggers do. NEW and WONDERFUL are still things I love though. Making new looks, introducing my readers to a new designer, etc. I want to help designers when I can; I want to help my readers too. It certainly isn’t about needing anything now after over 700 posts
I think the blogger network group would be a great thing, and I don’t really have a problem with a fee. What I do see happening this week, however, is a lot of “bloggers” that really don’t blog all that often, that suddenly became part of popular blogs, etc to be included in the gift process.
So, I would suggest that any new group for blogger’s review copies be on some kind of invitation basis where the credibility and history of their blogging is taken into consideration. Otherwise the designers may be just feeding the freebie frenzy.
That’s my two cents worth.
Currently, A-BOMB has a list of bloggers we drop all new items to. There’s no special reason for people on the list other than we saw someone’s blog and thought they might like our stuff. We are always adding to it. Generally, if we have multiple colors/patterns in one style of a new release, we send each blogger one of the colors/patterns.
We are more than happy to give bloggers something they request, and have in the past. Maybe you aren’t on our list or maybe you are and you would prefer a different color/pattern than what we gave out.
I think the only reasons we limit one of each new item per blogger is
1. We used to have transfer items. We’ve since changed everything to copy, no trans.
2. We don’t want to annoy anyone with 10 bazillion items.
3. If we have more than one new item, sending all of the colors/patterns of each new item exceeds the 42 item transfer limit.
Do you have to be invited to the fashion bloggers and SL bloggers network groups?
I just want the cliques and people that engage in mob style suppression to be eliminated from Second Life permanently. They are not capable of making anything interesting anyway. Always the same crap.
I.e.; the big names have their own blogs and feeds actually. And they have the money to pay off LL to position them ahead of others in a corrupt manner.
Stop covering them. Give the much superior new talent the spotlight.
Only one way to find the new and very much superior talent. Go shopping.
A case in point is Wynternight Xinglian (Vampart). I’m sure there are numerous “famous designers” that want Wynternight killed off quick.
This is a great post, Isle.
I do reviews of things here and there in my blog, which is not primarily a fashion or a review blog. If I like it, I’ll blog it, whether I’m given a review copy or I buy it. I have asked for a review copy ONCE, only to be told that the designer was putting together a folder for me anyway.
I have certain stores that I always do reviews for because I love the designers and they have been very very nice to me.
I’d love to do more reviews. If any designers feel like dropping a review copy folder on me, whether it’s clothes, jewelry, furniture, whatever, I will give all items consideration. It doesn’t mean it’s gonna get blogged, but I will at least look.
Ann – I do have question for you. How do you suggest that we discover the smaller stores if we don’t know that they are out there? I know I personally don’t have time to wander around random sims hunting out stores, and I’m sure others don’t either. I love smaller stores, but it is quite hard to discover them a lot of the time.
I’ve only specifically asked for a review copy of an item one time, and that was for the full avatar marionette dolls created by theAbyss last Halloween. I desperately wanted to blog them but couldn’t afford it. They were very gracious and gave me not only the one I asked for, but all three.
That being said, I’ve had several designers tell me to ask if I wanted anything, but I still feel uncomfortable doing it. I suppose I don’t want to feel like a mooch, yes, but at the same time I feel like getting it for free isn’t fair to the designer who put in such hard work creating the item. I buy 98% of the stuff I blog with my own hard-earned lindens. And I always try to drop a NC on the designer to let them know that I’ve blogged their item just in case they’d like to take a look at the post.
I can’t say I get a lot of review items dropped on me. Maybe one ever three or four months, but then I don’t think my blog is that well known in the fashion circles. I do belong to the bloggers group in world, and I like that sometimes review copies get dropped on the group, but then you have the “OMG how many people are going to blog the same thing” problem. I purposefully waited to blog that cleavage enhancer Ayumi gave us for just that reason.
Not sure what the solution is, but I’m glad we’re discussing it.
Erm. Who the hell is Wynternight Xinglian?
This is a great post…as a designer, I’ve had the same problem. Plus, we do mostly silks (a few ballgowns, but…) Now I know that there are a lot of people who would cough up a hairball before wearing a silk, and also that there are people who would love to get silks, but are too shy to ask. It would be great if there were some way to match the bloggers to their interests.
@Ann:
I think it is incumbent on new designers to find us and let us know they exist. They can do that by dropping review copies on us or even dropping us a notecard. They just can’t expect us to find them by magic.
I spend a lot of time roaming around every week looking for stuff I haven’t seen before. Then I spend time buying and trying on and making outfits. Then I spend a lot of time making the blogs — from shooting the pics to the actual posting you’d be surprised how much time goes into each blog.
If you add to that the time it takes to actually find a new designer you like, it just gets crazy. We aren’t mind readers and we don’t get some sort of mystical message every time a new designer sets up shop. We would love it if that happened. But, sadly, we need the help of the owners themselves.
I know one of the reasons I go back to the ‘tried and true’ effort so much is because its easy. I know its there, I know they do good work, I know their stuff will work with what I’m trying to do. New talent has got to help us out here. I love blogging new talent. Send them my way. If I like it, if it looks good on my avie, I’ll blog it.
As a designer, I am shy about dropping my stuff on bloggers or even asking about it. I don’t want to create any sort of obligation or feeling thereof for them to blog about the item. I’m not even aware of any bloggers who might like my style in particular, so it makes it even harder. I always consider it when I finish each release, and then I chicken out. I’d be happy to provide review copies to anyone who wants to review, but that puts them in the weird position, like you said.
The group sounds like a good idea. But then there’s the possibility of say, a designer drops an item on the group for review, now say 50 bloggers have it in their hands. If five of them decide to write about it, now it’s all over the feed and will look over-done. You could have them drop just a texture and have the bloggers request from the designer, but if there is a flood of people, again it might be weird to be like “sorry, too many people have asked for a copy” – or am I the only one who gets bored when she scrolls through the feed and sees the same item 10 times?
What if someone made a system that lets a designer drop a box and corresponding texture into it, the texture is sent out to the bloggers and interested parties can request it from the system, up to a max that say the designer could set, perhaps. Each blogger then has say, a week, to blog about it. Okay the details get sketchy here for me – maybe the designer could confirm that it’s been blogged about within that week? And if it wasn’t, the design would be available for bloggers to be picked up again. Maybe it’s overcomplicating things, I don’t know
What do you think?
I have only recently started blogging (no, not just this week
) and I love it. But omg, after being a blog consumer for over a year, I now see just how much time and money goes into this little “SL profession.” Well, for me the money has always gone into the game, but it really is a lot of work to hunt down and buy the clothes, rez the clothes, do the photo shoots, and write the posts. The job is made even more difficult when one adds trying to find something *new or different* and not the same thing everyone else is blogging.
I also would love for new designers (or “underblogged” designers) to notify me of their new releases. I still find most of my info on other bloggers’ posts and I feel like a copycat when I blog stuff from the same stores. An inworld group like Helena has in mind sounds like a wonderful idea to me. My only gripe is that damned 25 group limit.
@Maegen
Twice now, other people blogging new items have taken me to a new store I did not know about that ended up me requesting review copies of older stuff that I wanted to review. I wouldn’t worry so much about too many copies getting out there.
Even though I blog infrequently and prefer commentary and opinion, here’s mah take:
I have a item policy…somewhere.
It’s nice when people drop stuff on me but they probably shouldn’t since I am teh worst blogger evah. But it would be nice if say a designer dropped something that they thought I’d really like and was in tune with my interests. “Hey CC, I did this victorian gown, I don’t usually do them, and thought since you like that sort of thing you might want to take a look.” That sort of thing.
I don’t ask, and if I did ask I’d take the pictures fast and blog fast, because if I did ask, I’d feel obligated to actually work. I’d also feel like an asshole if I asked for stuffage from certain stores: “Yeah Miko? I’d like to blog your newest ICING release”
I did ask once, for skin, never got a response. It’s fine skin too, that I’d like to see promoted but my L$ budget is finite. If I had a paying blogging gig, I’d actually spend my blogging gig money to buy more stuff to blog on my own.
I’d never blog certain stores, for example Artilleri, not because I don’t love Anti but it’s just that everyone knows I like Anti and recommend Artilleri. She’s also got a bajillioin people already blogging her stuffage anyway.
Something similar happens with other stores. Do I really need to tell everyone I like Luth’s poses? That they’ve been my preferred fashion shoot poses for ages. That I’ve spent money on Luth poses that I’ll never get much use of, but I bought them because of how freaking cool they were.
I get a LOT of fashion show invites though, damn schedule, I’d actually attend them if schedules worked out. But I have issues with fashion shows too.
And I’m quite willing to talk with new designers and just kibbutz about stuff.
Oh, and damselfly hair has a good red/brown, the styles are a little too flyaway for my taste, but they are nice looking. A little conditioner or a drop of a silicone shine and smooth product would do wonders.
I have a little notecard I keep that has names of people who have blogged me before *THANK YOU!!!* , people who’s blogs are busy and interesting and sort of.. my style, and of course, my freebie bloggers who I love!
I don’t send them EVERY release, but I do try to send a nice little folder, with a note, pics and the like with maybe my last couple of releases. I’ve grabbed a few names from this article alone. I like to copy the names, and check out their profiles, read the last couple of blogs..
If you are interested in blogging me… I’m VERY approachable.. at least. I think I am. Pop by my store, look around, make a list and drop it on me.. I’ll get back to you soon. Just wanna be on my review copy list? Let me know! I’ll tell you something. Most of us designers are just people too! If you want to ask for a review copy, the best idea is to send a nice note.. how you really like the item, you like to review it on your blog, with a LINK! And say something bout how, even if they don’t send you one, you appreciate them reading the note. A little kindness goes aloooong way!
I buy the stuff I blog. I do not ask for “review” copies. I trawl the grid looking for new things. It goes with the territory. If I did not have time/money/interest in all these elements, i would look for something else besides blogging to do.
There are currently two blogger groups in world of which I am aware, possibly more. One is open membership, the other is invitation only. Is there really a need for another group when most bloggers would have reached their 25 limit by now? I am not including the current temporary one for this week for the Appreciation Week.
I have to say how impressed I am with the calibre of comments on this post, and the amount of time you have all spent sondiering this issue, and replying. Obviously this hits home all of you in one way or another.
Helena, I look forward to hearing more about your idea. I will be coming back to this post and comments in the future for ideas and designers to check out, so if you are a designer who doesn’t mind requests, or a blogger looking for interesting shops to blog, shout out.
I will also be updating with further info about coordinated in-wrold groups, when ever we all get that figured out. I don’t want the momentum to stop when people drift away. Too often, some great ideas come up in discussion, people are all “Yeah! let’s somebody do that” and it fizzles.
Let’s not fizzle. If you have further ideas, or if ideas expressed here develop further, please comment here.
Whether it is a group consolidation, a google document of approachable designers and bloggers, or some new form of telepathy, lets do something.
I will update here. (If this is the last comment and you are reading this in 2010, then I truly suck) And yeah, I said calibre.
Dammit. Pondering. PONDERING gahh.. how the hell that happened I have no idea. Blame it on lack of coffee. Maybe sondiering is a real word and I should pretend I did it on purpose.
I am really shy about sending out copies unrequested. I have 2 bloggers I send everything to. If they like it, they blog it. Other than that I sometimes send notecards to a few more with textures saying “Please let me know if there is anything here you’re interested in”
I would welcome any suggestions, any new ways. I love the idea of group consolidation or a document. Tho that’s sort of like the feed I guess?
And anyone who’s reading this who’d like to be added to my “drop a n/c or new releases on” list, just let me know.
I so agree with Rowan ! I also keep a little list of people who blogged me in the past. When I do a release, I drop a folder to the people on this list, with a little card. Then, if they like it, its great, I’m very happy to be featured in their blog! Do they dislike or feel I’m pressuring ? Then they would simply discard it. I’m not at all pushing anyone, or trying to buy them with gifts. Its just so nice from all of you bloggers, to spend all that time doing nice pictures and text based on our work ! I will be more than happy if someone comes and asks me for review copies, the only thing I verify, is that this person has an active blog. I just don’t drop free stuff to everyone
Its so easy to just ask politely and gently, both ways !
Reading this I thought of two easy steps to improve communication that requires no groups, etc.
1) Bloggers: Put your Review policy in your picks
2) Designers: Put your Blog/Review promotional policy in your picks.
Now, the issue of new stores, new designers, well, they do have to do something to draw our attention because there is just so much already. A folder with a couple promotional items is great because the blogger can really see the quality and follow up for more info if they wish. Few bloggers will ever see that as spamming. However, I would not drop everything on everyone, but like A-Bomb drop different colors on different people or like Royal Blue, completely different items on different people…with a note to encourage requesting specific items if needed for a blog post. No worries then of being over-exposed, though I don’t think that’s really possible because different people read different blogs and feeds and many of us interpret seeing a lot of something on the feed as a sign that it’s good quality.
I do like to go to random malls and shopping sims and wander, but at most I might find one new store that way. The best way for me to find something/someone new is for them to introduce themselves.
And of course…new stores can always join IHeartSL and get their clothing on the feed themselves.
lol @ Cajsa
so you’r basically saying you’r sitting behind your CEO desk and letting the goodies come to you. isn’t that just administering the status quo of fashion in sl instead of finding/creating new trends?
I learnt it the hard way, as when I opened my store I had no clue about bloggers, fashion feeds, marketing etc. I had little sale peeks but mostly no sales at all, then one time sales went through the roof and I found out that I was blogged in a major blog which triggered a landslide of follow up bloggings at other blogs (and I found out that the little peeks had been causes by bloggings too in not so famous blogs) … so I started to collect all the reviews of my stuff and with the next big release wave I dropped it to all the bloggers … and I couldn’t sleep for 3 days and had such a bad consciousness that I try to harass people with my stuff, so I decided to never do that again.
I guess I’m lucky, I am never asked for review-copies but am blogged quite frequently. blah
But there is one little thing that freaks me out … bad photos in blogs.
).
Bloggers who don’t take the time to adjust the prims, bloggers who don’t take the time to understand the product, bloggers who actually give a shit about the designs and just want to show off their face. They only take ‘fashion’ as a vehicle to become ‘important’ rather than being committed to the cause or even bring in an understanding for it … and there are quite a few out there. I’d rather prefer not to be blogged than with a bad or false or f**ed up photo.
Designers are only featured when bloggers like their stuff, so there is a kind of quality control. The same applies in a way to bloggers, as people won’t read it if the outfit, text, photo sucks. But there are some who are very charming in writing, do funny snaps, are very talented self-showoffs but the designs mostly suffer (I will give hints to whom I mean in the next SCD Secrets
Long speech, no content … I owe blogger everything, without them I would not ‘be’ … but I think the healthiest and most productive way is to establish personal relationships with bloggers one trusts and share the same point of views. Groups (pay- or invited) may sound nice now but soon will be abused in the one or other way to only help show-offs and grabbers and bs-designers and will produce a new generation of ‘fake’ blogs that distort and limit the variety in fashion on the grid by opinion monopoly (a bit like with the fashion consolidated group, that started out good and became a farce).
Excellent idea Casja. It was only the other day that I even put in my own profile that I was a fashion blogger. I think my faith in telepathy was unrealistic. I also admit that I tend to forget to check profiles.
Putting this info in picks is a good start.
@creatorpov, bad photos are a good point as well. Unfortunately some people either aren’t as fussy or just don’t notice the difference, or don’t care. That is something I have thought of as well, having seen some horrendous shots of good products.
I think that is an unavoidable consequence of the whole ‘freedom of speech’ aspect of blogging. One cannot control how some content is displayed, and just take a breath and hope that most rational viewers know the difference and can see past that.
That is a power balance that works against designers for sure. Bloggers can decide not to blog things they feel are low quality, but as a designer, if your work is blogged poorly, you do not have a lot of control, and it is a risk.
Good thing the majority of well read and well travelled blogs contain fantastic photography that more than enhances the view and essence of the work they are featuring.
As far as groups being abused etc, there is always going to be a minority that will do that, human nature being what it is, rl and sl. I am hoping that the majority will benefit regardless.
Just a note @createrpov.. I deleted your previous post under a different name as I realized you must have had difficulty, resulting in double posting.
@Creatorpov
).”
“But there are some who are very charming in writing, do funny snaps, are very talented self-showoffs but the designs mostly suffer (I will give hints to whom I mean in the next SCD Secrets
It’s spelt Jefferson with 2 “f”s just so you know.
I’m pretty forward about asking for review copies from designers, but I’m not pushy at all. I have a few notecards I like to drop on a designer if I find something interesting in their shop, but I leave the selection up to them.
I try to share links to my blog and my flickr page just to let a designer know what to expect from me and a little background on my choices. Over time, I’ve managed to create some lovely relationships with designers and am thrilled to review or feature an item they’ve chosen to share.
As for negative reviews, they’re not something I’m comfortable doing. If I happen to receive something (or even request something) that turns out not to be exactly what I expected, I probably won’t blog it. On top of that, I don’t have the technical know how to really dig into something, so anyone looking for some kind of ‘expert’ advice probably won’t find it on my blog.
Fashion blogging, for me, is more about celebrating the art and possibilities of Second Life.
This is a good posting. Well I did most of shopping based on what other people have bloged about. It will give me option to find stuff that I’m looking for. I don’t see myself as fashion blogger since what ever outfit/shoes/skin/accesssories I’ve mentioned only based on what I like and the mood I’m in. Beside I’m too shy to ask stuff from the designer.
Kudos to all fashion bloggers.
I agree on the entry fees to be part of Fashion Blogger group. at least it split those who are freebies free-loader and the serious fashion blogger. My susgesstion…those fees can be used for charity such as RFL
Actually, Anita GG, I don’t sit at my desk and if you read my blog you would know your inference is false. Just for the record, though, between Gidge and me, we have blogged from around 1200 different stores which kind of blows my mind.
The key to finding new stuff is paying attention and checking when people contact you, asking folks you see out shopping where something delightful is from and so on. But it’s not like there’s a Chamber listing of new stores. Creators who sit on their fannies waiting to be discovered won’t be successful. They have to get the word out and the best strategy is looking at the feeds, finding a blogger or two whose style preference demonstrates they might like the creator’s stuff and making contact.
This discussion has been overwhelmingly positive and proactive with great ideas, commentary and real substance, so I wonder what your agenda is, Anita, in misrepresenting what I said and in interjecting such a negative tone into a positive and fruitful discussion.
I know from collecting items for magazine shoots that it’s hard to ask for stuff! As a designer, I’m always happy to give gift cards if you have a current blog, or you can send me a wishlist. I’m afraid it’s hard to remember to drop new releases on people unsolicited because I can’t keep up with who is still blogging, and consistently. So please don’t be shy asking me for stuff, even if it’s hard.
If you’re on plurk, add me there! I’ll sometimes say “comment here and I’ll pass you one of the colour options for a new release”.
As a designer, my favourite part of when my stuff is blogged is when it’s mixed and matched with other designers and made your own… I know I’m forgetting lots of great stylists, but I’ve always appreciated seeing bloggers like Ana, Queenie, and Sasy reinvent OPIUM Everyday stuff.
I agree, even as a designer of 2 years in SL, I have been a bit timid about offering up my product for reviews. I am always willing to donate to events and to good causes and I would also be more than happy to offer products for review. I would be honored if someone told me that they love my work and would like to write about it!
I think the bloggers out there have earned their free product, because they write for it. So thank-you bloggers to those of you who write because you love what you do. Thank-you to those of you who reject clique writing in lieu of writing openly and without restriction. Never be afraid to compliment a designer by letting us know you think we are worthy of your time! Time is a precious commodity! Happy Bloggers Week!
LaKira
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