As long as I’ve been blogging, I’ve been aware the some bloggers have an issue with the term professional blogger. This hatred or annoyance has always puzzled me and I’m really unsure as to why the term causes such an issue. Why using that one word ‘professional’ has become such an ‘thing’.
I do know that some bloggers bandy the around the word professional, as if it’s some sort of medal of honour. As if the term somehow makes them better those who don’t use the word. Personally, I have always thought, it’s just a word. This post has sat in my drafts folder for so many months now, as I was trying to find the right time to share it, if I were to shared it at all.
Professional Blogger – What’s the problem?
I’ve never had an issue with the term ‘professional blogger’, because to me it just makes the distinction between people who make a living from blogging and people who don’t. I think this post would have sat in my drafts for a lot longer, had I not read a post from the lovely Lauren over at Blogging Mummy. Lauren asked the question, ‘What is a professional blogger?’ She made some points and wanted to know whether people thought a certain number of reviews would make you class yourself as professional? Or whether bringing in a certain amount of income from blogging each month would? She asked a lot of questions that probably do sum up what many people think.
So here’s my two penneth, they are just words. If you’re a Manager, you wouldn’t call yourself a professional manager, as you can’t be an amateur manager. A manager that manages as a hobby?! There are no professional bank clerks, professional vets or professional doctors. Simply because you can’t be an amateur version of any of these careers. It’s clear when you use the term Vet, Bank Manager, for example, that it’s their job.
Take football, for example. It started as a hobby before people start to be able to make their living from it. The term Professional Footballer is used all the time and I’ve never heard people get uptight about it. It simply distinguishes those people who play football as their job, in an area where you can do it as a job or a hobby. It doesn’t mean that the professional footballers are better than the amateurs, it just distinguishes that it’s their job.
Consequently, why would I have a problem with someone saying they’re a professional blogger? Some people use the term professional blogger and it seems they are almost mocked for it. It’s just a distinction between those who make a living from that particular activity and those who don’t. It’s not superiority. I really think we’ll need to relax a little bit about this terminology and accept it for what it is. Not a status thing; it isn’t putting people down; it isn’t making yourself feel better or making others feel more inferior and if it makes them feel inferior I think that’s probably says more about that person than the person using the term.
As a result of differing tastes and circumstances, there are bloggers and there are also professional bloggers. People like me, who are blessed to be able to make a living from doing something they love. While on certain occasions it’s helpful for people to know that their job is blogging, they don’t use it to lionise themselves. Please don’t think that it’s a slight on your ability as a blogger, or on your blog or anything that you have built up and created. Obviously, it’s totally o.k for you to not use the term professional blogger, it’s your choice. All I ask is please don’t be negative towards people who do. They love what they do just as much as you, they just do it for a living.
Comments 16
Great arguments! I agree 100%. I am a professional writer.
Great post lovely. I’ve never really seen what the issue is either. I love the examples you gave – professional doctor etc made me laugh as you really couldn’t do those as a hobby. With footballer I did think hang on, pro footballers would be better but then I thought no, you can have brilliant hobby footballers- they just haven’t decided to take it further or had the chance to. And there are some blogs I adore that are written as a hobby and I know for a fact if the blogger wanted to take it further they absolutely could. I guess what confuses people is the money but like with any job you have bandings and you just work your way up. Brilliant post- I’m glad you took it out of drafts xx
Im always intrigued by stories of the haters… the ones who get uppity over terms, choice of content, bloggers who review or post sponsored articles, about blogging full stop. I’ve not come across one yet although I have no doubts they exist! The stuff of legends…
I agree with you entirely. I don’t work, and generate a (very!) small amount from my blog so if I wanted to I guess I could call myself a professional blogger! To me though, the distinction comes when the income is more consistent, and comparable to that I would earn in a regular job.
I’ve often wondered if there’s a time you can call yourself a freelance writer? Or do you have to have some qualifications! The distinction there doesn’t feel so weighted on earnings? Maybe another question for your audience Aby? Xxx
I don’t get the issue with it either. To me it just distinguishes those who are earning a living from it. To me, professional blogger signifies someone who is earning a full time income from it but then like you say, it’s questionable that we need the term at all!
I’m not a professional blogger and I have no problem with people using the term. Like you say it’s simply to distinguish difference between a blogger who blogs for a living and others who don’t.
This post is a great explanation of why the term is needed and shouldn’t offend anyone. I don’t understand the problem with it myself, maybe jealousy?
I’m glad you did share this post, hopefully it will set a few minds at rest and that.
I don’t have an issue with people calling themselves professional bloggers yet at the same time I don’t know why they should have to make that distinction, it’s almost as if it’s to justify that it can be a ‘real’ job. I know there’s a lot of people who don’t think it qualifies as a real job and they certainly don’t know the amount of work that goes into it that’s for sure.
If it’s how you earn a living you are a blogger by profession, why justify it by declaring that you’re a ‘professional’, of course you are, it’s your job. I’m a social media manager, which incidentally came about because of my blog. I’m not a ‘professional social media manager’. If someone told me they were a footballer I would assume that’s what they did for a living, they don’t have to add the word professional to it for me to realise it’s their job. Equally when I was spending a lot more time on my blog and earning a ‘proper’ wage from it, I was a blogger not a ‘professional’ blogger because I didn’t feel the need to justify myself to others. It’s what I did, adding the word professional to it didn’t make it more of a job than it already was.
I doubt it makes much difference whether bloggers call themselves bloggers or professional bloggers anyway, there will always be someone saying ‘Yeah but that’s not a real job’.
I don’t have an issue with Professional Blogger, I can understand why people would use it and your comparison to professional footballer makes sense although I agree with Mum Reinvented that it isn’t really necessary. If someone asks what you do as a job you could just say blogger and it would be obvious that you get paid for it – as that’s what the conversation was about and the use of ‘professional blogger’ would probably only come up when talking about employment. But, I don’t personally like the #problogger hashtag as I think it’s just not needed. I’m as likely to read posts etc from people that aren’t ‘pro’ as that are – and professional footballers wouldn’t say #ProFootballer on social media, would they? But, each to their own. I’m a blogger and I make an income from it but if people make an income and want to call themselves a professional blogger then so be it – whatever works for them 🙂
I am one of those people who has a problem with the word ”professional blogger”, simply because I think it’s used in the wrong context.
A profession has a number of characteristics not least having a body which upholds ethics and values. To practice in a profession you become a member and adhere to the terms of that body. This applies to doctors, teachers, managers, etc. To not adhere is to lose your right to practice in a professional setting.
The same is not true ( yet) for bloggers and to therefore those whom use the term professional have the freedom to do so without upholding any values or being accountable.
With the assumption therefore that professional blogger is not being used to suggest belonging to a profession, it is being used to suggest the blogger is professional in a behavioural sense does not confine to those who do not have any other employ. I will never be a full time blogger but I take a professional approach to my blog.
What I’m saying is, there’s a place in the blogosphere for everyone, distinguishing employ by the use of the term professional isn’t, in my view, achieving anything but confusion to those outside of blogging.
If it depends on whether you are earning money from your blog and work full time at it, I guess I am a semi-pro blogger then lol
Well said. I would love to have my blogging become a full-time job. It’s something I love doing and put so much time and effort into.
I don’t have an issue with the term, all it does is differentiate between those for whom it’s their main income and those it’s not.
I am pretty new to blogging and I love how you describe it. I do feel like a writer and should be called one. Thanks for opening my eyes!
I know what you mean here. I often use the word professional photographer because for me as much as it’s also a hobbie it’s also a career and I have a degree in it. Though when I use it, I almost get the feeling people think I’m showing off! I’m not, surely I get that title after studying hard for 3 years and getting hired for jobs. Though there are some things photographers out there who are getting payed and are terrible, don’t even know how to use a camera correctly… are they a professional?
As for blogging, I kind of find myself in the inbetween, it’s not just a hobbie, and I get a few paid jobs and I take it very seriously and work very hard on it. But don’t quite feel like I can call myself a professional yet. I have no problem with people who do though. It’s great to know that maybe one day I can call myself a professional.
I think the word professional is the perfect word to recognise that your hobby has become your profession. While I understand that people will have an issue with the term because it can and has been used and abused, I do see a need to distinguish the two and don’t think it’s fair to assume that when asked what you do, blogging would instantly reveal it’s a paid job.
I don’t use the term personally but I don’t see why I shouldn’t. I have been paid for sponsored reviews and don’t have another job, my blog is my income and therefore I am a professional
blogger. I have made a business from my hubby, as many footballers or photographers have.
Thank you for sharing xx
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve also gotten laughed at when I talk about our “industry”. GAH!