Blogging A to Z Challenge: T is for Transparency
The A to Z challenge is a challenge in which bloggers post every day during the entire month, and each day has a post starting with a different letter of the alphabet. The first day, the post features “A”, the second day “B”, and so on. It’s much better explained on the Blogging from A to Z website, so I’ll just refer you there.
A while back, there was some author drama going on about an author who was also a blogger, and had apparently been part of some blogging streams without letting anyone know she was an author too. It was a pretty big deal, and lots of people started hating on the author. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it and if you haven’t, well, be glad you escaped the drama.
Anyway, it made me wonder about transparency. If you’re an author and you blog about books, then that’s fine. There’s no rule saying you can’t. Sure, your publisher may say you’re not allowed to reviewed books published by them, but apart from that, there should be no issue about it. It does become an issue though when you’re not transparent about it – when people think author X and blogger Y are two different people.
If you have a book blog, or you do anything else related to writing (like, you’re an editor, a publicist, or anything else) then I recommend to be open and upfront about it. You don’t have to shout it off the roof, but just remember to make it clear so people can’t point a finger afterward.
Wait, what? Really? They got mad at her for being an author? I don’t understand…
I’m transparent you can see the chair I’m sitting in. Which is quite dirty. Excuse me while I go find a vacuum and a dust rag…
Yeah. They wanted her to be upfront about it, and for years, she’d been in secret blogger-only loops where sometimes they discussed books, including books she had written.
I’ve not heard of that, but I’m very interested to read about it. Advice taken than you! Thanks also for visiting me today.
You’re welcome!
Hello Majanka, Thanks for the good post. I find it hard to imagine one blogging without revealing one’s professional interests. After all, authors blog because they want to communicate (their books) to readers. I absolutely agree with you that we should be transparent, and there is and should not be any conflict between this and the upholding of privacy.
Yes, I agree. Thanks for visiting!
Hi,
So true. Transparency can stop a lot of hard feelings that could develop when you’re participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge or any other competition.
Visiting from the A to Z Blog Challenge.
Shalom,
Patricia at Everything Must Change
Wow! Never heard of that happening! I guess I can kind of see why someone would be a little angry if an author/blogger wasn’t clear about that… but what about all those out there that write under a pen name and blog under their real name?
Some interesting thoughts! Glad I stopped by to check out your post!
~Lyn C. An A to Z Blogging Challenge Participant
Thanks, Lyn! Well, some authors have started to be quite upfront about their pen names too, I’ve noticed. Like they’ll say “Name X, also writes as Penname X”.