Posted bySo, Offbeat Mama launched exactly one year ago yesterday! WHEW. What an intense year of learning it’s been — of course Offbeat Mama is all tangled up in my own experience of my first year of being an offbeat mama (Tavi’s birthday is coming up in a couple months) but it’s still been a pretty twisty turny learning experience.
Here are four lessons I’ve learned from publishing Offbeat Mama for a year:
You CAN have a low-drama parenting site
One of my biggest concerns with starting Offbeat Mama was that it was going to be non-stop drama. I’ve seen what the comments look like on most parenting websites. I’ve read mommyblogs since before they were called that. I’ve peeked into parenting forums. I know what happens when sleep deprived women get online and start debating parenting issues and the next thing you know it’s ALL CAPS YOU ARE AN AWFUL PARENT AND I HATE YOU. When I announced the launch of Offbeat Mama on Offbeat Bride, one of the first comments I got was from a reader saying, “Yeah well, be ready for lots of drama. You’ll seeeee.” And you know what? Like most people touting “you’ll seeees,” she was thankfully wrong. (This is mostly thanks to a commenting policy that’s fiercely enforced, and an attitude that if you don’t like the policy, don’t let the door bump ya on the way out.)
A mothering blog doesn’t have to be about one mother
I worried a lot when I started Offbeat Mama that people would expect it to be about ME. Thanks to privacy and stalker concerns, I knew I wouldn’t be writing that much about my personal experiences here … and I worried that the result might be off-putting and confusing. But you know what? Offbeat Mama is 10 times awesomer than Offbeat Ariel’s Mommyblog ever could be. I’ve only got my one experience to share. Y’all have such a wonderful wide, deep, delicious well of knowledge to tap into. I love sharing your stories on this site!
I can’t do it alone & a good managing editor is EVERYTHING
There have been a few editorial fits and starts with the site, the worst being when I spent the winter trying to manage it myself while also dealing with a newborn and running Offbeat Bride. Things were gruesome, and while I did the best I could, things improved 500 times over once a Managing Editor came on this spring. Have y’all noticed?
Business-wise, the mommyblog market is over-saturated and this website doesn’t make sense
From a business perspective, Offbeat Mama has had its challenges. This corner of the web is pretty well over-saturated, mostly by hobbyist bloggers who are willing to trade ad space for, like, a sample of laundry detergent. Not gonna lie: Offbeat Mama barely breaks even. I’ve had some very serious moments of wondering whether I could financially justify continuing to publish it. The Offbeat Empire is my full-time job. It’s how I support my family. And if a site can’t pull its own weight, then I have to cut bait. There were some dark times when I looked at the financials and shook my head and thought about tossing in the towel. But I told myself I’d give the site all of 2010 to start earning its keep, and you know what? It’s alllllmost there. It’s close enough that I’m calling it good, and looking forward to 2011.
So, what’s next?
Well, I’m embroiled in several big Offbeat Empire projects these days, including trying to get Offbeat Home launched in a few months. I’m aiming to do an Offbeat Mama reader survey posted soon so I can get a feel for what kinds of content y’all love best.
Mostly, here’s to another year of big lessons and big love. Thanks for being a part of the site, and a part of my learning process! 🙂
My favorite blog recently made $100,000 in a couple of days – just by asking their readers for a little help. Being very politically and economically against the grain, the site had come under hacking attacks and lawsuits twice this year (by Obama-connected lawyers, no less). Fixing this was super-expensive, so they bit the bullet and humbly asked their readers for help, and received more than they ever dreamed of. If you ever find yourself in dire straights, you might find you have enough devoted fans to give you a few bucks here and there. It adds up 🙂 I know that if you really needed it, I could pony up a little cash in order to read about sensible, non-fear-mongering mothering.
This is a great idea, is there any way we could get a permanent “donate” button added to the site? I don’t have anything that requires ad space or anything, and this would allow people to donate as much and as little as they want!
Donations work for a one-time push (and adding a donation button would be totally easy — I may indeed do it!) but ultimately donations aren’t a sustainable business model. And sustainability is key for any business.
No. But it could give you some breathing space 🙂
I’m not a mama yet but am getting ready – thinking and reading a lot about what being a mother, a parent means. I appreciate the learning and sharing that goes on here at Offbeat Mama. I have also really appreciated the book recommendations. Parenting is a huge topic and it’s great to have offbeat recommendations to guide me through the forest of books.
I’m not a big reader of blogs of any description, and most of the time, I’m not all that “offbeat” but this (and OBB) is one is of my favourite places in the whole wide web. It’s made me laugh and cry, and look at motherhood generally and my own mothering skills and identity in whole new ways. Thank you for creating this wonderful space and happy anniversary!!
Thank you for starting Offbeat Mama and for keeping the site up!! I’ve very much enjoyed reading it.
Congratulations on making it to a year!
I’m a future mama who wonders over from offbeat bride. I love reading about parenthood from an offbeat point of view, because of all the things you guys teach me. I also learn a lot about myself and think more about how my Mom raised me.
Happy one year! Sorry to hear that the site has been a source of stressors, but we will be here pulling it forward with you as long as possible!
I’ve LOVED this website because it’s the ONLY ONE that doesn’t have me wanting to walk away shaking my head in disgust over mummy drama. Thanks so much for a wonderful year.
I’m never getting married but I still secretly, religiously view offbeat brides, and you can guarantee I’ll be staking out offbeat homes!
MAZAL TOV 🙂 Aad 120 as my people say 🙂 (Congratulations, may you live to be 120)
You have created a fabulous resource — not just for families, but for EVERYONE. Good job!
I squealed with glee the day I discovered Offbeat Mama because I had always been looking for a site like this and I had never found one that was quite to my taste. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this site and I would be desolate if it ever went down. Offbeat Bride is great but Offbeat Mama Rocks my socks times a million. So yeah…um….happy birthday!
I just wanted to chime in as another not-yet-mama who reads this site as reassurance that when I have a baby, my life doesn’t need to be filled with mean judgmental people and weird unintelligible acronyms. But I can raise my future children in an offbeat way that won’t scar them forever 🙂 This site NEEDS to exist.
Congrats Offbeat Mama. I’m an offbeat bride, hopefully someday offbeat mama, and I read you religiously, and I’ll try to like and share as much as I can.
Thank you so much for existing!
Has it really been a year already! I cannot believe it. Sure doesn’t seem that long. Times flies when your reading great parenting info.
what the offbeat empire has taught me: no matter what i do i can always be me. obb helped me stay strong amidst the pressure to do what “everyone else” is doing, even if it was against my own beliefs. so far obm has shown me that having a child does not negate my own person–i love being able to hear about awesome people who keep being awesome post-child.
thanks for providing a space for people to share and learn and for supporting everyone’s right to stay true to themselves!
happy one year of drama-free parenting site!
Offbeatmama.. Great idea 🙂