April 8, 2007

Bloggy Question 43: Love or Money?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:28 pm

I Don’t Like You

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life question. . .


Someone has approached you about buying your blog. He wants all of it, lock, stock, and barrel. Well, that is, you can remove — delete any personal references. All other content, deisgn, widgets, and every other little bit will go to the new owner.

The new owner is . . . a guy you just can’t stand. He runs about 4 other blogs that you think are ugly, poorly kept, badly written, and inaccuate when they don’t seem to have copy you suspect is scraped.

The price offered is US$15,000. He’s ready to wire it to your bank account.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Bloggy Question 42: Responding to Comments
Bloggy Question 41: The Junior High Sleep Over
Bloggy Question 40: Um er . . . Your Enthusiasm Is Killing Our Ebook
Bloggy Question 39: It’s My Presentation . . . What’s the One Thing?
Bloggy Question 38: You’ve Just Won a New Design!


Filed under SOB Business, Successful Blog |



C'mon. Let's talk!

70 Comments to “Bloggy Question 43: Love or Money?”

  1. April 8th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
    Jonathan-C. Phillips said

    Well i think you don’t even have to respond, just send that guy the link to this very post! :)

    I wouldnt’ sell any of my sites, i’m sure at some point i can make more keeping the sites than selling.

  2. April 8th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jonathan!
    What a cool answer. I sure hope I’m meeting you at SOBCon. :)

  3. April 8th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
    Scorpia said

    No contest. No deal. No sale.

    Really, why hand over my work to someone who’d make a mess of it? Even at twice the price. Or, for that matter, any price.

  4. April 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
    Jonathan-C. Phillips said

    Liz, i’m still waiting for that credit card thing, and from the guys i’m recording with to make sure i’m fine for SOBCon, and don’t have projects or anything :)
    I sooo wanna go! oh and i’m working on Romancing The Blog too!

  5. April 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Scorpia!
    That’ two votes against the loser. You could start over, you know — fancy design and all. :)

  6. April 8th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
    ME Strauss said

    You and a movie that would be tooo cool. Now it has to happen. :)

  7. April 8th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
    Scorpia said

    Why start over? You really expect me to give up all my hard work just for money? And for someone who will turn something good into trash? Ha.

    And before it’s too late, Happy Easter ;)

  8. April 8th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Scorpia!
    No I really didn’t expect you to. I was just seeing what you would say. :)

  9. April 8th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
    Carma Dutra said

    I just began blogging so I can’t really relate to selling it but I can relate to sellng a business that has my blood, sweat & tears into it.

    Number one I would not sell my business to anyone who approached me without cause. They are predators looking for a cheap deal and don’t care about quality or people too much.

    Number two, I would not sell my business if it was saleable unless it was a hardship for me to keep it.

    However, there may be exceptions, so there isn’t any hard and fast rule. Just don’t let the sharks bite.

  10. April 8th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
    Ronald Huereca said

    It’s love until the person overs $20,000. :)

  11. April 8th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    I was on my way here to say “sell!!” But then I read everyone else’s comments, and I realized that I couldn’t actually part with my labor of love. It’s been almost a year (hooray!) of hard work to get where I am, and it’s worth much more than $15k (at least to me).

    The big question is what if the offer was something like $50k? Surely there’s a price where I’d sell and just start over. But I’m not sure what that price is.

    Is it wrong to have a price at all?

  12. April 8th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Carma!
    I hear you. When someone comes to you and you’re not hungry. It’s difficult to see a way to sell to a guy who’s sleazy. It’s often difficult to sell at all.

  13. April 8th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Robert,
    I thimk my bar is higher. No quite sure where, but higher.

  14. April 8th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Andrew,
    Why would be wrong to have price at all? People write for money. I know I do. People sell music, television shows, and plays. I wouldn’t think this would be much different.

  15. April 8th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    Hey Liz,

    You make a good point there. I guess the big question would be finding the right price.

  16. April 8th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
    Ashwin said

    I won’t sell my blog for any money. Even I think $15k is less than I would expect (Just expectations, I won’t sell for sure).

    Plus my blog is the only blog in a niche. No competition. Yes, it’s my personal blog. :D

  17. April 8th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Andrew,
    Draw up the paper work and leave room for lots of zeroes. :)

  18. April 8th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Ashwin
    Welcome!
    I understand. Some folk feel that way about the home they build. Some do not. Both point sof view are justifiable. That’s why I like this question. :)

  19. April 9th, 2007 at 12:22 am
    Chris Owen said

    I’ve never been good at the money stuff.
    ROI is all about INtangibles for me. Things like satisfaction and positive feedback and not letting my readers down!
    But if it was a good offer AND a good writer with a good philosophy THAT would be different

  20. April 9th, 2007 at 12:31 am
    Renée said

    For me, I might sell it if only I run out of passion to blog that topic. Thinking of selling one but I doubt I can fetch that rate. :(

    But for my baby blogs, not in a million year or $$$!

    Hmmm, did I say a million dollars? Maybe I can! :)

  21. April 9th, 2007 at 12:40 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Chris!
    I agree it would make a difference if I liked the guy who buying. It would hard to sell if I didn’t need to sell to a guy who I thought was a jerk.

  22. April 9th, 2007 at 12:41 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Renée!
    a million dollars! I like how you think!!! :)

  23. April 9th, 2007 at 2:06 am
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    Well .. if your blog is not for sale - tell this person.

    If this blog is for sale - there are other means and places to wire money (including Paypal) .. there’s no reason to give your bank account to anybody.

    As for the buyer’s reputation - everybody’s got a price - if this $15,000 was your - get over it. And Move On.

  24. April 9th, 2007 at 2:24 am
    Sanne Roemen said

    For me: my blog is my online persona. And it comes very very close to who I am in ‘real’ life. Selling it would be selling me, myself and I. Just couldn’t work. If you took out all personal references you would have to delete 80% of all my blogposts. (No it’s not an online diary, but I have my own voice). The loser is free to copy my blog though, probably couldn’t pull it off anyway.

  25. April 9th, 2007 at 2:39 am
    John said

    My blog, I confess, has a price: 10 times whatever anyone is willing to pay. So, $150,000 in this case… unless someone was willing to pay that much; then it would clearly need to be $1,500,000.

    But if I WAS going to sell, it wouldn’t be to monkey boy up there. He could take his little conflict diamonds elsewhere.

    After playing the 10x counter-offer game with me, of course.
    -j

  26. April 9th, 2007 at 3:29 am
    Luis said

    I would delete all personal references and sell. Of course, since it’s a personal blog, that means practically everything will go.

    That leaves the buyer with the widgets, the design, and very little content. Good deal for me, bad for him.

    Of course, you could slap me right now for being a smart-aleck.

  27. April 9th, 2007 at 5:00 am
    lee said

    I think you’re asking the wrong question, Liz. The first question should be do you want to sell? That answer should have nothing to do with who might or might not want to buy. If you do want to sell, then you should find out how much your blog is worth. Again, that has nothing to do with you, but with the size of the market and how much people are willing to pay. It’s just like selling anything. It works best when you’re not emotionally attached. Difficult to do when you’re selling something you’ve worked hard to build.

  28. April 9th, 2007 at 6:10 am
    Mihaela Lica said

    Who dared? And what are you doing working for Easter? It must be love! :) I hope this is just a theoretic question and no one seriously asked to buy this particular blog for US$15,000. I mean… common! Your blog is worth much more than that! If you put all these entries together in a book and sell it offline… you’ll make tons of money! Nah!… We shouldn’t be having this conversation! Send the guy to have a nice walk in the rain. It’s purifying and refreshing. I’m sure he needs some cooling.

  29. April 9th, 2007 at 8:04 am
    Armen said

    Provocative question Liz.

    In a general way, there are too many variables to answer. The domain name itself could be worth more than that, depending on what it was. Then there is the current revenue and potential revenue, number of uniques, page views, subscribers, etc.

    On a personal level however, I’d take it. I’m on my first blog, and after 3 months I’ve learnt enough to have regrets. For one, I would change my domain name.

    In short, “Show me the money!”

  30. April 9th, 2007 at 8:17 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi HART!
    Straight thinking. Straight shooting. Can’t get more clear or on the money. Of course, you’ve laid out the facts perfectly. :)

  31. April 9th, 2007 at 8:18 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sanne!
    Looks like you couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t sell your blog for any price. Seems appropriate in the case your describe. :)

  32. April 9th, 2007 at 8:23 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi John,
    I have a wonderful about a “monkey boy,” sometime we’re going to have to meet to swap stories if for no other reason.

    I like your x10 counteroffer plan . . . have you thought about going scientific and using x10 to the 23rd power? :)

  33. April 9th, 2007 at 8:26 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Luis,
    Actually some folks buy blogs for the URL and the design or just the URL and dump the rest . . . so I don’t think you’re a smark aleck at all. You need to follow John around a bit more if you want to get THAT sassy. :)

  34. April 9th, 2007 at 8:29 am
    ME Strauss said

    Ah Lee,
    You’ve hit the crux and that IS where folks should go, but reality is most folks would get their heads turned by the situation.

    The question I really asked was “How do you respond?”

    Your analysis of “Whoa Nellie” is a great way to ground the situation and stop the approached blogger from getting his or her head in a twist over something he or she didn’t want to do in the first place.

    Thanks for bringing up your insights. You added so much depth to this discussion. :)

  35. April 9th, 2007 at 8:31 am
    ME Strauss said

    No Mihaela,
    These questions on Sundays are hypothetical, unless I specifically say they are true. I made it up. My price for this blog would not be $15K. I’m quite sure of that. :)

  36. April 9th, 2007 at 8:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Yes, Armen,
    There are many variables to think through — one of which is how the blog would change under the new writer and whether the audience of readers would diminish signficcantly.

    Selling a blog is like a micro-version of selling a company.

  37. April 9th, 2007 at 8:38 am
    Al Nye said

    Isn’t this like the joke about the old duffer in the bar who approaches the young lady and asks if she’ll go to bed with him for $1 million dollars? When she says, “yes”, he then asks if she’ll go to bed with him for $100?

    “No way,” she replies, “what do you think I am anyway?”

    The old man replies, “we’ve already established what you are, now we’re just arguing about the price!”

    Lots of folks are saying “no” to $15,000. What if it were $150,000 or $1.5 million — who then would would refuse even someone they couldn’t stand?

    Al

  38. April 9th, 2007 at 8:52 am
    Rick Cockrum said

    I would never knowingly sell my theatre to someone who was going to turn it into a porn palace. Barring that, enough money and I would sell it. I can always open a new one if I wish. People will make their choice about whether to go to the old theatre or the new one.

    The same thinking applies to my blog. I would never knowingly sell it to someone I think is sleazy and would just abuse it and my readers. Barring that, if the price is right, with the proviso that I’m not selling the copyright, but only a license to use the material, I would sell. If I had to sell the copyright on all material, it wouldn’t happen. The blog isn’t me, any more than my house and business are me.

  39. April 9th, 2007 at 9:10 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Rick,
    What a great analogy. I agree that the thinking about your theater applies beautifully to your blog.

    I particularly like that you say

    my blog isn’t me

    Oh yeah!

  40. April 9th, 2007 at 9:43 am
    Peter said

    Good question. I am fairly new to blogging but even so I have developed online conversations with people that are no different to my off line ones. Would I sell out those relationships to some one who would not honor those relationships. No I can’t do it even though I like and need money. :)

  41. April 9th, 2007 at 9:45 am
    Mark Goodyear said

    We’re talking about selling a brand here. Whatever we tell ourselves, our blogs are not us. They are just an approximation of us.

    Liz is good at brand Liz. Really good. But this isn’t the full Liz we get here. Don’t get me wrong, we get a lot of Liz. That’s why her brand works.

    But selling her brand doesn’t mean she would be selling herself. Liz will always have the brand Liz. And if she sold this site, everyone would just follow her to the next site and the new brand Liz 2.0.

    (Anybody else want to talk about Liz in third person? It’s kind of fun.)

  42. April 9th, 2007 at 10:19 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Peter!
    That’s a new point of view and an admirable one. I would guess that your friends would follow to your new blog if you stated one. :)

  43. April 9th, 2007 at 10:26 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mark!
    Liz 2.0 — that’s so 5 minuts ago!!!

    I’ve moved on to miniLiz 3-DCSS :)

  44. April 9th, 2007 at 10:47 am
    Jesse Petersen said

    That’s a lot of good comments to follow behind, but here goes:

    MY blog is my brand so far. It is my only real online presence. Given the right price, I can create a new brand elsewhere because I am who I am, and that goes with ME, not the domain and database.

    I will rebuild my following and traffic with whatever else I pursue, but it might take a while to find a new passion, as I wouldn’t really want to compete with something as successful as what I have already created (Google sitemaps and all).

    I can tell you this much right now: I can only dream of making $15,000 from my blog, let alone doing it in a year or even a month…but $15,000 is NOT enough money to make me sell my blog, especially to one I loathe.

    I love blogging, and until I found a new place and a new passionate niche, I’d be without my fun. That would have to be compensated for. No different than working on a car that you take to VW Bug competitions and needing to start all over with a new car. I would want to change brands to avoid meeting my old car.

  45. April 9th, 2007 at 10:58 am
    Mark Goodyear said

    Don’t forget your mobiLiz. When are you going to customize this site so we can each have our own individual corner? I want to become a member have a MyLiz section!

  46. April 9th, 2007 at 11:37 am
    Gayla McCord said

    I think I’d have to send them a note back and offer up my first born instead.

    I’m sure the guy would get the point!

  47. April 9th, 2007 at 11:40 am
    Mike said

    Well, not much room to add anything. The point about the reader community is a very important one, but if I got to do the Howard Stern trumpet my next gig for x months thing, and the money would allow me to explore some greater passion and/or make a greater contribution, it’s a deal!

    Mike

  48. April 9th, 2007 at 11:48 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jesse,
    I hear ya! If my blog is my fun I wouldn’t see it easy either.

  49. April 9th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Mark!
    You can have your own MyLiz section whenever you want one. MobiLiz is a cool concept. I’ll have to call you on that one. :)

  50. April 9th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike!
    Greater passion is a good thing! You would have to keep an eye on your irreverent productivity and the folks who visit your site for that very value. They would follow you anywhere I bet.:)

  51. April 9th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Gayla!
    I think you’re said it so clearly that I can’t restate it any way myself.

  52. April 9th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Totally depends on the situation. In my case, my blogs are branded with a CREE in the middle of the URL. I’m not sure that would translate so well to Jim Smith (not that I hate him, whoever he is).

    But at the end of the day any blog is simply a publication. Why not sell that publication if the price is right?

    Most of the folks that are concerned their blogs are too personal to sell are probably right. And therefore they are unlikely to get such an offer. Just like I don’t see my blogs being purchased for that same reason.

  53. April 9th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
    Mike said

    Liz,

    Thanks, but this is one dilemma I’m pretty certain I won’t have to deal with anytime soon! LOL

    Mike

  54. April 9th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
    Sanne Roemen said

    Great to see other people’s insights. Ok. Even if I was ready to reinvent the online me, I would only sell to someone I know has integrity and will not turn it into something I would never put my name on. So while this blog isn’t the whole Liz… and she could start over… she would kind of be forced to start fresh, or reinvent herself… Liz… are you up for that? And if so… how would you like to see your blog continued? Maybe that’s the question.

  55. April 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Chris,
    I think you’re right about your URL not being transferrable. I don’t see anything wrong with selling your online content if you have no person attachment to it. That’s what publishing is all about. :)

  56. April 9th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Sanne,
    I took over a blog and here’s what I think. Anyone who took over my blog would have to make it their own. They can’t possibly do me any more than I could do them. If we tried, we would both be doing a bad facsimile of the other.

    I wouldn’t have to reinvent myself I would just take who I am and be the me I’ve grown into some where new. :)

  57. April 9th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
    Ms. Q said

    What an interesting question and not that easily answered. First off, $15K would not entice me. I could see how some other amount would, not sure what amount, but $15K ain’t it.

    I could see selling if I just didn’t like the guy for whatever personal reasons but not respecting or trusting him? That’s a bit different. I would feel like I was selling out if I didn’t trust someone.

    However, let’s say the guy was willing to pay whatever magic amount I asked for. I could see that being a a good reason to start fresh, a sign that maybe I could make an even better site! Plus, I’d have the bucks to do it with!

    I have a personal blog so I’m doubtful this particular situation would happen to me - I take out the personal stuff and what’s left? Not much! Everything I use is already available (theme, plugins, widgets).

  58. April 9th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Ms.Q,
    I think so much depends on the timing the relatioship the individual has to the blog, the blog content and which way the wind is blowing. :)

    It’s a fun problem to consider. Now I wonder if we really and rruly found the guy to be delightful how that might change things. :)

  59. April 9th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
    Michelle said

    That is just not enough money to overcome the gag reflex.

  60. April 9th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
    Robert Hruzek said

    Hey, Liz, pretty good question! I liked Jesse’s answer and Chris’s answer, too.

    But isn’t that what a writer does who changes publishers? Or even writes a new book? It’s something new every time.

    I must admit, I’d like much more for all the effort put into MZM so far, and perhaps that day might come, who knows. But I wouldn’t like to sell it to someone who would wreck it; I figure if one person would make the offer, there’s bound to be others who I would have no problem selling to.

    Besides, as several have pointed out, it’s not the talent they’re buying; it’s the external trappings only. I’ll still have what’s inside ME to carry on wherever I go.

  61. April 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
    Leon said

    For some people $15k is a lot and could be used for many good things. The problem comes if we aren’t ready to sell. I for one am having fun with my blogs and would just have to start similar projects if I lost these ones. Another issue I would have is if the person changed my project in a way I hated. i would feel guilty for selling.

  62. April 9th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Michelle,
    I love your choice of words. Simple and to the point. you are a writer!

  63. April 9th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Robert,
    Don’t be fooled. It’s not the talent they’re buying that’s true enough. But we never know for sure what it is that they are. Just as we never know for sure what we are teaching. . . . :)

  64. April 9th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Leon,
    You have the heart of the matter. That’s where the blogger stand with the blog. If we’re just testing our wings and we’re ready to try a new pair than that $15k can finance a new set. :)

  65. April 9th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
    GP said

    liz.. you bring up a great ?? for all of life… love or money… the old almighty dollar …sigh Glad though it’s a “food for thought question” to ponder

    But Lee of course dialed into the real ? to ask and of course you responded with “whoa nellie” … ah you might be an equestrienne after all..

    There are some things you cannot put a price tag on. You are then left with a choice.. chocolate or vanilla… choose. Look in your heart

    GP in Montana

  66. April 9th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
    Armen said

    On a side note Liz (maybe someone has suggested this before), you could do with ‘Brian’s Threaded Comments’ plugin. If you know how it works, you’ll understand why.

    But maybe there’s a reason you haven’t installed it, which is fair enough.

  67. April 10th, 2007 at 12:15 am
    Tubetorial - Acquired By SplashPress - Maybe Not A Good Move…. at SmartWealthyRich .com said

    [...] I’d definitely choose love over money! [...]

  68. April 15th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
    Bloggy Question 44: Stay Out of My Life! - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] Related articles Bloggy Question 43: Love or Money? Bloggy Question 42: Responding to Comments Bloggy Question 41: The Junior High Sleep Over Bloggy Question 40: Um er . . . Your Enthusiasm Is Killing Our Ebook Bloggy Question 39: It’s My Presentation . . . What’s the One Thing? Bloggy Question 38: You’ve Just Won a New Design! [...]

  69. April 29th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
    Whoa said

    I have even hated when people change a project i have been part of. So thinking of changing my own project will do more harm i suppose.

    So unless i really needed the money (let’s say i did) i would definitively not sell it.

  70. April 29th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Whoa!
    I think I’m with you in the end. I’m a lover not a banker. :)

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