Naked PR No More
After a lot of thought recently, I’ve decided that it’s time to let go of Naked PR.
Obviously this decision was recent. There were actually several new features planned for the site, including a newsletter that was due to launch tomorrow.
So why leave? I haven’t really made it a secret that I’ve been moving out of PR work. I quit taking on new consulting work a few weeks back, and am soon through with existing contracts. I’ve been taking on freelance business writing work for a few years now, and I run more than a dozen websites and blogs with nicely growing revenue and audiences.
I decided a while ago on a two-part transition in my business. First, I’m moving from PR work to full-time writing. I’m already nearly at that point. As soon as I reach specific targets with my Web publishing, I’ll be focusing on that full-time, and moving further away from client projects altogether.
In order to make this transition, I’m eliminating a few of my current sites to spend more time expanding others. Being that I’ve never cared for all of the so-called “PR bloggers” who yap endlessly about the industry without actually working in it, I don’t want to hypocritically become one of them. I’ll still blog about PR issues from time to time within other blogs I’m sure, but I don’t feel right maintaining a blog entirely devoted to the subject anymore.
Naked PR will remain archived online. You’ll still be able to access old posts, and perhaps someday I’ll come back and do something new with this site, especially if I later choose to be more directly involved in PR work again. All I know for sure at this point is that between now and the end of this year, I plan to be absent. It’s been fun!
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Comments
Honest and open to the end. Naked indeed.
Glad to hear you’re just closing a door, and not locking it…
Thanks folks. If anyone decides they miss me badly enough (and you know you will), I’ll still be around the blogosphere posting away.
I’ll still be talking about PR, marketing, and social media on niche-specific blogs like AllBookMarketing.com, AllFreelanceWriting.com, and AudioXposure.com. I’ll also likely be talking about them all much more on my business blog with some coming changes to inject a bit more personality into the blog - BizAmmo.com. And then there’s a pretty new one that will become the home of most rants (although not generally PR-related) as well as other things (more personal in nature, sharing cool shit I love and ripping into the BS that drives me nuts) - JennSays.com.
I’ll also likely be upping my comment frequency on other blogs just for the sake of keeping up-to-date, so do anything too stupid, and I’ll still call you out… somewhere. ;)
Oh no! Just read this. Sorry to see you go, I love your insight/take on the “2.0″ stuff, very sane and balanced.
Like others have said above, sucks for us, good for you!
All the best of wishes for your business writing.
Jen
I remember I “found” you via a comment on a third-party blog. Up until then I was unaware of you or your various social media initiatives, but I was impressed with your independent thinking and critical analysis of a specific situation (where the principals were also unknown to you). Do you recall that? It was one of those “PR” blogger pile-ons, with lots of of blogged/twittered (mainly) collective outrage from the so-called community builders/influencers. They were showing their “former hall monitors” stripes (hat tip to Jeffrey Eisenberg for that phrase) in deciding to dictate the rules and teach one prominent blogger a lesson.
You did a breakdown of what was a legitimate complaint, and what was just hooey. “You had me at the hooey.”
Anyhow, I tracked you down to express not only my appreciation (given that the blogger in question was a friend) and admiration. That was about a year ago, naked chick, and my respect for your “spin-free zone…dedicated to cutting through the crap in online public relations and social media issues with blunt honesty, hard questions, and a healthy dose of skepticism” has done nothing but grow since. So I hope that you do keep commenting elsewhere, so a greater audience can benefit from your targeted PR/social media analysis and wisdom.
And of course the fact that we will remain in frequent contact is a given….
I look forward to hearing about continued success in your more focused employment plan, as well as those writing initiatives.
Thanks for the send off lady. Actually, I’d almost completely forgotten about the whole Debbie thing. That was probably the start of the real bullshit-bashing around here.
I’m just sorry to go before I had a chance to release the evolving PR shit list, and give a solid Naked PR style public lashing to a few folks in particular for their ignorance and pigheadedness over the last few weeks. Then again, some folks aren’t worth the energy, and this blog was sucking me dry on that front. Of course, I loved every minute of it.
OMG! But I just found you! *Sob* You rock and I’m sure you will do great in your future plans. You are a breath of fresh air in an industry full of windbags. Thanks. Michelle
Live long and prosper. You have certainly improved my own limited PR skills and effectiveness. Thanks for all the insights.
I know I’m a little late to the farewell party, but this blog will be missed.
Thank goodness you have other websites, filled with amazing insights and tips for your online fan club to devour. (Yes, I am a proud member of the JHMattern fan club.)
I agree with Michelle Lamar’s quote above, “You are a breath of fresh air in an industry full of windbags.” You are supremely talented, and I wish you continued success.
I have to admit, it’s sometimes tough to stay away. I recently found myself longing to log into NakedPR and unleash a bit of my own brand of fury on a certain someone’s typical ignorance and arrogance, but I fought to keep my mouth shut. All in due time, as I figure out just the right blend of online business, online PR, internet marketing, and related goodness for the business blog before moving full steam ahead. In the meantime, I’m having a bit of fun blogging much more casually on my “personal” blog, writing an e-book in another niche, playing with my fiction projects, and just enjoying the transition from online PR nut to full-time writer. - good stuff.
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I understand, but am crushed. Yours was one of the few I looked forward to reading.