Let me explain why. For the last three years (almost), I’ve been working very hard trying to create something useful on this blog. Something I can look at ten years from now and say: I’m proud of the content I’ve created, and know for a fact that it has made a positive difference in the lives of my readers. I want to be able to claim that I didn’t sell out and maintained full transparency at all times.
The thing is, it’s a ton of work and I’m exhausted. Popping out 5-7 (hopefully quality) posts per week while taking care of a family is no cakewalk. At least not to me. Some can manage it just fine, and more power to them. No sarcasm, I promise.
Have you seen how many contributors some of the other sites have? There are teams of 3, 5 and 7 individuals working full-time. What you may not know is that while some blogs publish all posts under the site’s name, behind the curtain there are ghost writers. Basically, someone else is writing a certain number of posts, but all the credit goes to the founder.
So, it looks like one person is doing all the work on the site when in fact, that’s not the case at all. I’m not going into ethical implications of this practice, that’s not the point. Ghost writers get compensated and agree to this arrangement, nobody is forcing them. My point is, it takes a village to run a useful blog. Well, unless you are Gary Leff, and you are the village.
Sure, I could scale back, but I want Miles For Family to be a resource folks can depend on week after week. Once you start posting irregularly/infrequently, the site turns into a hobby. There is nothing wrong with that, but I want more for my blog. I debated on whether to keep going or shut it down for good. What I’ve finally realized is that it’s time to poop or get off the pot. I need to either make it into something I can manage without sacrificing other priorities or simply walk away.
I really don’t want to walk away
I care deeply about my readers and find writing to be incredibly rewarding and at times cathartic. But doing research, answering emails, comments, working on posts… it all takes a tremendous amount of hours daily.
I have multiple commitments during the week, so it’s a challenge to find time to create a worthwhile content. Very soon my kids will be out of school for the summer, which will make this project even more difficult to manage. But the thing is, I love it.
So, what I’ve decided to do is ask Nancy who blogs at Savingforadream to help me run this website. In a month or so, I also plan to do a major switch to Bluehost (wish me luck!) and hopefully make it more presentable. I guess what I’m saying is that after three years, I’m finally ready to “poop.”
Image courtesy of arztsamui at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Some questions you may or may not want to ask me:
1) Is this some sort of an evil plot to overthrow Doctorofcredit blog?
Yes. Yes, it is.
2) So, you are outsourcing your blog just like everyone else?
Not at all. For now, the plan is for Nancy to post once a week, possibly twice. I’m not outsourcing anything because I truly believe she can add a unique angle. She is an expert on all things Disney (I’m not). She also travels with three kids which presents a set of challenges when it comes to miles and points hobby. In fact, her guest post on Disney cruise got the most traffic I’ve had in 6 months. Go figure!
At the end of May I’m planning to go on vacation and take 10 days off. Hopefully, she will be able to fill in and write a few helpful posts while I’m gone. So, overall, this is a good thing for readers. Some of you will be able to relate to her style of writing, some will prefer mine. Hopefully, most will appreciate both perspectives.
I still plan to personally cover news and hot topics such as credit card offers and hotel promotions, and she will provide money-saving tips and Disney-related content. In fact, tomorrow I’m scheduling her first post as a regular contributor. The goal is to blend finance, travel and miles, and to make it as organic as possible. Pardon my fanciful language, friends.
3) I thought your blog isn’t making a lot of money. How can you afford a contributing writer?
I can’t. The arrangement is to split credit card affiliate revenue according to how many posts are published each month. I will email her a screenshot of earnings for the sake of transparency.
I want to be fair, and make it more of a partnership. Some months may be good, some will be lean. She understands the implications and agreed to this arrangement anyway, for which I’m very grateful.
This was critical to me because I don’t want to be under pressure to pay a certain amount for each post without knowledge of how much the site will bring in at the end of the month.
I believe it would affect my posts in a negative way and encourage me to promote paying offers above others. As I told her in an email, the goal of my site is to publish helpful information. Always.
If it happens to pay commission, that’s just gravy. You might be surprised, but I’ve actually turned down several money-making opportunities because they didn’t fit in with my message. So, I definitely don’t accept every shekel thrown my way.
Nancy will have 100% control of her content, and I don’t plan to interfere in any way. For the most part, we are just two sassy broads who are passionate about family travel. I hope you’ll support our efforts via comments and use affiliate links whenever it comes at no cost to you.
4) I’ve been following this site for several years and enjoy reading your posts. Sure, I’ve never used nor do I intend to use your affiliate links. Sorry, it’s a matter of principle! I want them eradicated so there is no longer a conflict of interest in the industry.
My point is, I take time from my busy schedule to read your free content. If you bring in a contributor, I’ll stop coming to your site. Any chance you’ll reconsider?
See ya!
Well, guys and gals, I hope you’ll stick around. And I hope you make Nancy feel welcome. Got more questions? Hit me and her with your best shot!
P.S. Don’t worry, Julia isn’t going anywhere.
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
I don’t understand why anyone else would care how many writers you have or of you offer affiliate links. It’s your blog right? If you are happy I am happy bc then you keep writing!
But I’ve never really understood the need to produce 5-7 posts per week (or for some sites it’s per day). I have a hard time keeping up with my inbox and if you only posted 5-7 posts per month I’d still read happily… In the order received when I find time.
I prefer quality to quantity which might be what attracts me to your site.
@Amanda Thanks for your comment! I can say with absolute certainty that we will never be publishing 5 posts per day around here. It’s not that kind of a niche. I don’t specialize in news items, and DoC and other blogs are doing a good job in that area already.
The reason I want it updated regularly, as in 3-5 posts per week, is to find more audience. You can’t do that with 7 posts per month. I already have very low traffic, and one of the reasons is because other guys are posting 5 times per day. It may not be all quality material, but it chokes any potential traffic coming my way. Plus, I don’t belong to a network, which makes it even more challenging.
Google loves lots of content, and pushes other miles and points blogs to the top of search engines. Of course, as you correctly pointed out, quality should always trump quantity. That’s why I prefer occasional round-ups of news rather than daily rehash of what others have already posted.
I like to focus on areas that are rarely covereed and forget about Google and affiliate commission. Unfortunately, it’s a lot of work, and it’s hard to justify doing it without getting some sort of compensation in the end. And you won’t get compensated if you don’t post regularly. It’s a catch 22.
But even more than that, I honestly believe Nancy is a great asset and can cover areas where I’m not an expert.
I didn’t understand those things about google or blogs. It’s a shame that quantity matters so much, in a way. Thanks for the explanation though! Makes total sense!
Glad you found a way to keep it going at a pace you can maintain. And of course, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m thrilled you brought on a mom of three… a family of five has some unique challenges in the points/miles world:)
@Madison Thanks for your kind words! Families of five (or more) definitely have challenges in the miles and points world. Hopefully, we can publish at least 3 to 5 good posts per week and cover different angles. It can be hectic with kids, for sure. Thanks for reading!
Thank you for this opportunity! I’m looking forward to writing on here! 🙂
@Nancy Thank YOU! I think we can all benefit from a normal person’s perspective. 🙂 I really appreciate you helping out and as I’ve mentioned before, there is no pressure or quota on the number of posts.
Yay! I feel like what you are trying to do here lends itself to multiple voices. Family focused travel hacking perspective is a team sport, after all.
Also, I’d never say no to a little Disney conversation 🙂
@Cheapblackdad Ha! I knew you would approve. I agree with you on “multiple voices” thing. In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t name the site “Travel with Leana”
I think it’s nice to have various points of view. I told Nancy I’m definitely not looking for a clone of myself. The fact that she is different is a good thing.
Of course, you are always welcome to publish a post here. I’m sure it will break the internet! 🙂
good for you~ ! you deserve time off like everyone else!
@Jerri Thanks! Honestly, many work way harder than I do. But we all handle stress differently. I’m a person who gets easily overwhelmed, so this will take some of the edge off.
I want to make sure that the site is regularly updated with quality material. Hopefully, this will allow me to take care of other more important things. Thanks for sticking around!
It’s great to hear this instead of some sad news we read a year ago or so that you were ending your blog! Disney has a lot of funs too.
@Leticia Thank you for your kind words! You have no idea how much your encouragement have meant to me over the last few years.
In retrospect, I probably should have done this last year instead of shutting down the site. Unfortunately, I’m a control freak and think I handle everything myself. Or should I say: I like to handle everything myself. 🙂
What I’ve realized is that I need help. And Nancy is a great asset to this site. I just feel bad that I can’t provide more in a way of compensation.
Sounds like a win-win for you and us (your readers). Looking forward to it as we travel with 3 children too!
Michelle, I definitely think it’s a win for readers and me. Nancy is a much better writer than I am and she can add a lot of value to this site. I’m very fortunate she agreed to contribute!