A Girl...

Leah, I really liked what you said here. I have the same goals you do, it seems like, though my blog is far less high-profile than yours (and I do have to admit, I was super nervous to meet you when we went out for sushi that first time. Because you're famous on the internets!) "Audience of friends" is a wonderful way of putting it, and while MY audience pretty much IS my friends, I love that your site, with far higher traffic and linky love from some of the Big Cheeses, is still a place where I feel like I can comment. I rarely comment on most of the blogs I read because "me too" is always kind of dumb and by the time I read 10 or 100 people have already said what I was going to say. Your comment section (and therefore your readers), no matter how large it gets, is full of thoughtfulness and feels more like a group conversation than a "hi, I love your blog!" egofest.

Just thought I'd tell you where I came from. I'm sort of a repeat stopper by. I can't remember how I got here but last summer I spent some time reading the archives and enjoying the site. But since I wasn't good about updating bookmarks and didn't have a feed reader I lost the url and didn't come back. Amongst the Blogher recaps I recognzed your url and came back. I use Google Reader now so I'll be able to avoid the whole dropping off thing this summer.

Your new home looks lovely, congratulations!

What a lovely post. One of the reasons I keep reading your blog is not because it's the most funny or has the most baby pictures, but because I always think about your posts long after I've closed out of the window. Plus, even without babies, your pictures are GORGEOUS.

Also, thank goodness cereal is cheap.

I have been a short-time reader (from before BlogHer) and must say that the reason I continue to check in is because of the writing style, humor, and great fun that you bring to your readers. If there is a slope after the spike in new readers they are probably just off to find a blog about Anteaters or Cucumbers or How to Reuse Dryer Lint.
Keep it up!

Well said, Leah. Who doesn't want to be cool? But you *are* cool, and you know I love ya :)

If I was half as good of a writer as you are, I would have written this post. I found your blog because you found me first, (yeeeears ago now) and I'm still here...

Now I just have to get to San Francisco and ply you both with yellowtail nigiri! (yum.)

Delurking to say that I definitely think you're cool! But in high school I was on the debate team, so my sense of popularity might be skewed.

What kept me coming back daily, and even lurking for a year before sheepishly saying "hi" (and I'm so glad I finally worked up the nerve), was the quality of your writing. You have real talent and I love your perspectives. It also helps that you take beautiful photos, have a beautiful man friend, and a great sense of humour.

I agree in the sense that my blog too feels like "me" and I don't care to go through steps I wouldn't ordinarily take just to gain readership.

I too love comments and interaction (who doesn't?), but if I allow myself to equate my blog's popularity with my own worth or my abilities as a writer, I'll be in big trouble.

One, it will defeat my entire original purpose of writing (to express myself and think things through through writing), as well as the accidental, but wonderful, side effect (meeting and interacting with others through the blog), because I will be focused on readership and popularity and not authenticity and genuine self expression.

Two, I think it is faulty thinking to equate popularity online or elsewhere with worth or value or quality. Some of my favorite blogs are not so well read; some that are well read are not, to me at least, so high quality. It all depends on what we are looking for and what we like.

So anyway, after that long ramble, I just wanted to say I agree. It's nice to be popular (though sometimes I actually think I somewhat prefer a small readership because the pressure to "entertain" is not there for me in the same way as it would be with a larger readership), but it's even nicer to just be you. And if you are you and you're popular, well, more power to you--that is wonderful, too.

You said everything perfectly, so I will just welcome your new readers:

Welcome, new readers. I dare you not to fall in love with Leah and Simon. In fact, I double dog dare you!

Shucks. You guys are sweet. YOU are why I keep coming back.

I really like your writing style as well. I love that you can write a long post with no pictures and yet I still want to read it (does that make me sound shallow? I'm not - I swear). That's always my fear when I write a long post with no pictures - no one will want to read something this long! :) You and Simon are interesting and fun people and if we didn't live across the country - I would seek you out for sushi. Oh yeah and sometimes you write what I'm thinking....how do you do that? ;)

While your writing really is fantastic, really, i am not blowing smoke up your ass. But why I really keep coming by is the hope of a three-way with you and Simon.

I feel more comfortable saying this now that we're 3000 miles apart, but dude, I TOTALLY had a blog crush on you for ages. Which is why I come back every.single.day.

But now we're friends! Or at least you're really good at pretending that we are. And if the latter is the case, then color me impressed.

This is just really good writing. It shook me a bit, I must say. Thanks for being as honest and eloquent as you so obviously are. Although I wouldn't call myself a "regular" I've been reading for a couple months now, and I don't foresee myself going anywhere. (So, I'll be a regular soon enough!) Also, I'd love to take you for sushi, only if it can be followed by cocktails.

Very well stated. I've been thinking a lot of "why" things this past week as I was travelling with my dear one. Interesting and reassuring to know that there are others with the same ideas.

I think everyone has said it better in the previous comments, but I don't feel shy to leave my mark on the comments page anymore, and thats what keeps me coming back! I love your honesty in talking about how you feel about blog popularity, its something we all crave in differing amounts for different reasons. I started my blog because I moved countries and my friends and family wanted to keep up with what we were up to. Now I am struggling a little with why I blog. I don't seem to email people as much and I don't get much feedback from the actual blog so sometimes it feels like I am blowing air out my ass, so to speak! But I do get a wonderful sense of satisfaction when someone comments, or mails me to say they liked what I had to say or enjoyed a photograph. Its a hard thing to balance, blogging for other people or for oneself. I think you have perfected it to a fine art!

So thats why I read you, because you have blogging integrity, and of course, I love your photographs!

I keep coming back everyday to see if you have posted about Roller Derby or your Cruiser Bikes. It has nothing to do with your coolness. ;)

I come back every day (sometimes twice) because of your style and topics. Your photos are a bonus!

You know I'd hang on every word you said about your nose hairs and then ask for more - simply cos I think you're super!

Welcome new readers; you'll love it here! Leah's style is appealing and entertaining, and she totally amazes me with her use of words in an age when such things are sliding away at an alarming rate.

Since I am too elderly to be a contemporary, Leah has graciously allowed me to "e-adopt" her! ;->

Loved your picture with KD, another favorite much missed. Please tell her that for me!

Judie Ashford

It was great to meet you.

JenB's comment above cracked me up. Of course... isn't that why we all keep coming back ;-)

That was something that sort of bugged about the weekend -- I was going to the conference to share my weird little internet hobby and learn a little about it -- but now I have to have a tagline and point and tags and cross-references and legal disclaimers.

I like your internet site. Very much.

i found you through a friend, not through blogher, but am glad nevertheless!

definitely well said. i write in a blog but i don't write that often and don't have a lot of readers and sometimes that bothers me because i think it would be awesome to be ms. popular but at the same time, i just don't have time. and it's not really that high on my list of Important Things.

Leah, I wanted to introduce myself as a new reader. My name is Sabrina. My finding your blog has nothing to do with BlogHer. I actually have no idea how I stumbled across your page, however from the day I found it (I guess a couple months ago) I have been a very intrigued reader. So, I just wanted to say HI.

I can relate to this. After attending BlogHer last year, I can say that the main thing I got out of it was meeting some really cool women, making a real-life friend, and learning about some new blogs that I now read regularly. I really have no desire to make money off my blog (I plan to take down the Google Ads I put there as an experiment just as soon as I get that first check -- I'm halfway there!) or to increase my readership. I have no ambition to blog for a living; I love my day job. I blog because I enjoy it, because it's a handy way to keep track of events in my life, and because it helps me get perspective on how far I've come (and how far I've yet to go). I'd be writing even if no one read a word I wrote.

Re: the business cards, I had none last year, either. (Well, I did, but they were my work business cards -- because *that*'s my job, not blogging.) I wrote down your URL last year after talking with you (I have the piece of paper right here, in fact, and it's filled with the URLs of other interesting women who are now in my RSS reader. I tossed most of the business cards).

Sorry for the novel in your comments. :)

I guess it depends on who you are breastfeeding in terms of how much money you can make, right?

(heh)

It's hard to find new blogs when you're not able to click around and comment everywhere -- that's one of the reasons why BlogHer is great. You get to meet new people and new blogs. I've been rummaging through my cards just so I can read new folks and find out what else is going on.

You are right that it's hard to read and comment. You have to do what you can -- no apologies. If folks don't understand we all have lives outside of blogging, then well. Boo on them.

Good to know I wasn't the only chicky with no cards at the conference. I'm such a rebel...I shun any sort of professionalism. (Um, sure...that and I'm a fucking airhead and didn't think about it.)

I came here the first time because I remember you standing up with the microphone and introducing yourself and explaining that a boy and a girl does not mean your kids...just you and your man.

I will come back because the writing is fresh and original.

And Simon is freaking hot....