I suppose I should start with this: I have a job. Rather, I have a few jobs. After over four years of college and two years of working unpaid internships, volunteer fandom websites and a thousand rejections or unanswered job applications, I finally found places to work. While it isn’t entirely what I imagined, I at least get to write about anime, video games and comic books; three things I didn’t think I would ever find work in. It’s a wonderful feeling, but with it I’ve learned a few things.
For those of you aspiring bloggers out there who are hoping to get that dream job, please don’t ever stop trying for it. Start small and grow. Never be afraid of criticism. I’m sure you’ve all heard these things before, but I believe it’s important for you to always hear. In addition to those things, I’d like to add three things I’ve learned now that I’m being paid for a lot of my fandom work.
One: My Hobby is Now My Job
This sounds like an absolute dream, and it is, but I’m talking about the new pressure that I didn’t think I’d ever feel while trying to binge watch a show. Before I got my jobs, the biggest pressure I had to keep up with the fandom scene and watch mass amounts of shows was probably this blog. Surely, I’d hoped to eventually get a job in the field and therefor felt that keeping up each season would be useful, but the pressure wasn’t difficult.
Things are a little different now. I feel an aching need to at least watch a certain amount each week and look into all the series I’d only heard about but never really looked into. Even if it’s well pass the original airing date, watching it is just one more thing I can add to my geek-filled knowledge. I’m not here to tell you that your hobbies in fandom will suddenly become unenjoyable, but it might feel different once you get that job. You’ll want to do it so you can be the best at what you do.
Two: Blogging Gets Rough
I have had a rough time with Ashley’s Anime since I moved, for a number of personal reasons. I used to have to take breaks every now and again because of school and other pressures, but blogs are supposed to be enjoyable. In my eyes, if you don’t like doing it in that moment, you should consider taking a break. The content won’t benefit from feeling forced. But now there’s a different reason for my absence and a lot of it has to do with a lack of creativity.
I knew before that if I ever was running out of content, the very least I could do was rely on seasonal reviews. I’m an anime blogger after all, so that should be completely acceptable right? But some of my jobs require me to also do reviews. If you’re a writer, regardless if your staff or freelancer, your employer will most likely want you to give them new and original work. You might even have to sign a contract, which is completely normal. I have no problems writing reviews for the sites I work for; I enjoy the staff and love my job dearly. However, I’ll admit that it does make my blogging life a little difficult. To do reviews for both means I’d have to pick completely different series; meaning more time with different shows. And the content I might have put on here will now be reserved for them. I’m fine with this transaction, it just means that I have to get more creative in regards to my own site’s content. If you’re in love with your blog now, consider a back up plan so that you can give your employer original work while also keeping your own site entertaining.
Three: I Can’t Know Everything
I used to be fairly confident in my geek knowledge. Ever since high school and deciding this was the dream, I spent a lot of time trying to up my game, especially in anime. Once you start working in this field, however, you won’t have quite the same feelings towards yourself. This obviously depends on when you got into anime and how long you’ve been crafting your knowledge, but this was certainly something I stepped in.
Sometimes I need to heavily research anime I’ve never even heard of or series that I’ve wanted to avoid like the plague. It is a part of the job. I’ve learned that it doesn’t make me less of a fan, it just means that I’ve got some work to do regarding my own fandom. We’re all afraid of the bully who tells us we’re not a “true” fan. We’ve seen it happen. What I’ve been taught is that you can’t possibly know everything. But if you’re a good writer, you’ll look into absolutely everything. Official websites, discussion forums, other blogs… Any resource that will help you master a series will help you know your stuff. It’s important that you take those steps, but it’s also okay if you haven’t heard of these things before. Be just as confident as you were before you started the job.
I love my work. The sites I write for have a wonderful staff and great people. It’s fun to be in environments that benefit me as a writer, but also connect me to the community. If you had told me a year ago that things were going to get better and that I was going to finally make it somewhere, I wouldn’t have believed it. I want other bloggers and writers with similar dreams to keep pursuing and never stop. That’s why I wanted to share a little bit of experience to help you know what the grass looks like on the other side so that you’re a little more prepared then I was!
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