Check out Aaron’s 12 Steps of Bloggers Anonymous Club.
He pokes fun at Glenn Reynolds. For better or worse, most bloggers at one point or another aspire to get linked by the Instapundit. I wonder what I’d do if I had that kind of power…
If you want to vent your can’t-buy-a-link-from-Instapundit frustration, here’s your chance. 
For the record, I don’t aspire to linkage from the Instapundit. I’m a realist.
Self-deprecation aside, ask for what you want, and you shall sometimes receive. Covetousness is a sin, but a little link-love never hurt anybody.
The Real Ugly American (How ugly can he be?) says:
I have been completely blown away by the friendliness, and helpfulness of all the bloggers I have interacted with.
…“Who’s La Shawn Barber Honey?”
“She’s a really smart and famous blogger” I said. “Hugh Hewitt reads her articles on the radio she has columns in main stream newspapers, and does public speaking engagements.
Well-known blogger on the conservative side of the ’sphere, yes. Smart and famous? Debatable…
I don’t get a lot of link-love from Hugh Hewitt, but I’d heard from others that he mentions me on his show occasionally. (I confess that I don’t listen often.) Every endorsement helps, so I’m not complaining.
Bloggers have helped me, so I help bloggers. That’s what it’s all about…
Update: Ever heard of Blogniscient? Interesting new aggregator.
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Chocolates, flowers? Just a few of the suggestions I’d give to others if you were Queen of the Christian Blogosphere (and who is to say you aren’t?-)
Seriously, everyone loves a benevolent despot, and Instapundit has been just that – problem is he’s probably got ’success’ problems now.
Imagine a mother bird with one worm trying to feed an ever grown nest of chicks.
La Shawn, I may be one of the very few bloggers in the universe who not only has never sought a link from Glenn Reynolds, I don’t usually even read his blog.
On the other hand, I shamelessly sought a link from you, and cherish your endorsement on my blog! So you have more power than you probably even know.
By the way, I should mention that when I went after a link from you, I was fairly new to the blogosphere and didn’t realize it’s usually considered bad form to ask for links. Thanks for not making me feel like an idiot at the time. I’m sure your graciousness will be reaped in vast quantities.
I was fairly new to the blogosphere and didn’t realize it’s usually considered bad form to ask for links…
No, no, no, Cindy! To the contrary. Requesting links is part of blogging. Some bloggers don’t, but the ones who want to gain a readership should do so, at least every now and then. I still request links.
Links are like currency in the blogosphere.
Golly, thanks, LaShawn!
Is it bad if you have only been blogging for 2 weeks and you are already laughing at this post?
I know the comment disqualifies me for the club, but hopefully the trackback is geeky enough to get me back in and the emails to La Shawn don’t get me classified as a stalker.
La Shawn, thanks for your comment on the etiquette of asking for links! I’ve known of a couple of bloggers who were soundly embarrassed for doing so, so I’ve been a little fearful ever since.
I’ve only directly e-mailed three bloggers asking for a link: you and two others. You were the only one who granted my request; in fact, the other two never even replied to my e-mail.
You’re right; linkage is currency. And I’m not one to be content for my blog to languish in obscurity. If I’m going to take time to say something, and try to say it well, darn it, I want people to read it!
I know you’re not from ‘charm city’ but close enough that Real Ugly American should have written it as:
“Who’s La Shawn Barber Hon?â€
“Bloggers have helped me, so I help bloggers. That’s what it’s all about…”
I’m proof of that. My blog, nearing it’s first blogiversary, wouldn’t exist without La Shawn’s help. (Thanks again!)
Now then, once I find my niche, maybe I can pine for a little love from Instapundit, but I’m a realist also.
Don’t kid yourself… you give very good linkage.
Hey La Shawn, you live in VA, right? Did you vote today?
La Shawn,
You should do like a weekly “link-love fest” or something to that effect. Phil Johnson on his blog does “blog spotting”, similar idea of spreading the link love.
I do blogger round-ups and “Blogospheric Conditions” at least once a month. More often would be great, though.
There’s something I’m curious about but have never found the right time/place to ask about links. I’ve noticed some blogs have no links at all to other blogs, but seem to have a fairly healthy readership. Are there sound reasons why a blogger might not want to have links in their side bars? Aren’t these considered “dead end blogs”?
I read at least one blog with no sidebar at all, and that blogger is popular. I think blogrolls encourage readers to visit more blogs and bloggers to reciprocate links. It’s all about links in the blogosphere.
Reasons why a blogger may choose not to link to bloggers in the sidebar: blogrolls tend to get too long, some bloggers may be offended if you de-link them to make room for others, etc.
LaShawn,
In response to your Hugh Hewitt comment…as a regular listener to his show and frequent visitor to his blog, I would guess the reasons you don’t get much link love with him are:
1) You are far too critical of Bush. I love Hugh and agree with him more often than not, but I do think that he is far too much of a Bush apologist. To this day I can’t think of one thing Bush has done that Hugh has been critical of.
2) You don’t seem to write very often on political things. You focus much more on religious and cultural issues (and when you do delve into politics, it is to critique Bush). Hugh is a political commentator first and foremost, hence no reason to link to your blog.
Just a couple opinions from your average troll.
K
Some readers say I write too much about politics and too little about faith; others say the opposite.
– Admin
Well…I personally wouldn’t mind you writing more about politics. I respect your opinion, I love your boldness and would enjoy reading more on how you view things going on in the political climate. That being said, I am sure you are very busy and I know there are only 24 hours in a day.
K
Thanks for reading, Kevin.
I would definitely agree with many of the other commenters that bloggers, at least on the conservative side, are amazingly helpful and outgoing. Even some of the lefty bloggers I have interacted with have been decent – although most are not. In fact, I have even gotten personal email replies from a number of bloggers, with great suggestions for bettering my blog and artwork.
Although I certainly wouldn’t mind getting linked on Instapundit, I have never really given the whole idea too much thought either way. I did email him once, but never got a reply and didn’t give it much concern after that. So far I’ve gotten linked on a bunch of my favorite blogs, big and small, which has been wonderful. The only one really huge blog I crave to be linked on is Michelle Malkin’s, but I’m realistic enough not to hang my hopes on that.
Hmm. I’m linked to you La Shawn and had to pay to have you link back
No worries on that, but my point is is that it is impossible to link to everyone if you have hundreds or thousands of bloggers reading.
Brad
I don’t read Instapundit. I have nothing against it, I’m just not interested. And I don’t aspire to getting links from him, either. It would be nice, but it doesn’t cross my mind to try. But a link from Languagehat is a big deal to me–it’s an honor to be on his blog list, too. I would love to have the readership he has.
I want to thank you, La Shawn, for linking to my otherwise obscure blog on a couple of occasions. It’s nice to know that you will take time to consider the posts of others, “famous” or not, and that you judge people based on their work, not on whether anyone else has heard of them.
Did you know you’re in the running for Queen of Hearts, La Shawn?
Actually, it isn’t that difficult to get an Instalink. Just volunteer to host one of the major Carnivals. I got maybe 280 hits that way. Oh well. Every once in a while it comes to my attention that someone is reading my stuff; that’s enough egoboo for me.
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