FAQ, or “A Self-Interview With Rebecca Brightly”

How much of this site pertains to lindy hop? How much can I apply to other partner dances?

Obviously, I am heavily influenced lindy-hop, and most of my readers are lindy hoppers. However, many dance tango, blues, west coast swing, or salsa. They often tell me my articles are “equally applicable” to these other dances. You will have to judge for yourself.

Where are all your dance videos? Your fancy photos?

I’m really introverted. Because of that, I’ve made a firm decision to focus on the reader, not promoting myself. However, I do have a Youtube channel! Video is a great way to test out my teaching ideas.

What competitions have you won?

Competition is a thing, huh? I don’t write about it much because I’m not exceptionally good at it. I’m not exceptionally good at it because I focus ridiculous amounts of time on other things, namely writing and teaching (pedagogy, if you want to be more precise).

I do sometimes win competitions, but I find myself unmotivated to keep track of them. Here’s some videos of me dancing.

So, you don’t travel for teaching?

Not so much. Here’s the deal: I really try to do my thing. My thing is not the same as other people’s thing. I’m not trying to be like anybody else; I’m trying to build a livelihood around who I am. That means I do a lot of things differently.

Besides, traveling is draining! You should really respect the people who do travel and teach for a living.

How much time do you spend working on the blog?

A lot. 20 or more hours a week. And before you ask, yes, it’s mostly a labor of love. I do make some money, though! I teach private lessons, classes, and have an eBook for sale. No, I’m not rich yet. Still working on that.

How much does this site make? Hm? Hmmmm?

Because you’re on my FAQ page, which almost nobody reads, I’m going to reward you with an answer to that question. I’ve sold over 100 eBooks (you do the math). I get a handful of change from Amazon affiliate links. I make money from other endeavors, too: classes, privates, etc.

It’s not a lot, but it pays for hosting and other web services, travel, and my own continued education. I’m always scheming on new experimental projects for my readers and students, though. Perhaps one day you’ll visit this page and the answer will be “10 gazillion dollars. And fourteen cents.”

Where did you learn to blog?

Hundreds of hours on the internet. It’s amazing what you can learn when you start googling (HINT HINT). I take it very seriously. I’ve taken courses and read books on blogging, marketing, and social media.

So can you help me with blogging/marketing/social media?

Only if your project is super cool and you put your customers/readers first. Contact me here if you have actual dollars to spend to hire me. If not, google!! Seriously. You either gotta pay money or put in a lot of time to learn this stuff. Possibly both. But don’t worry. Since consulting is my side thing, I don’t charge like the big guys. :-)

April 15, 2012   ★   0 comments