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Web writing: contributing to Web publications

August 14th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

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With an ever-increasing flow of publications onto the Web, there are lots of opportunities for competent Web writers.

Print magazines which are developing their online venues need competent Web writers, because print writers usually don’t have the first clue about the Web. They look on the Web as a research library, not as a vibrant, living organism. This means that you can join the publication’s stable of writers, and become a regular contributor.

If you have Web writing experience, don’t be shy about approaching print publications to ask whether they’re developing a Web presence. If they have a site, then offer some ideas.

The keyword is OFFER.

Please don’t send your resume. No one cares. Editors are too busy to think about how they might use you. You have to make it easy for them to hire you by offering ideas of what you might do for them.

New online magazines are hitting the Web every day. Most will sink without a trace, but some are well-funded. They have money; they need writers. Again, approach them with ideas of what you could do for them.

You need Web writing experience first

Web writing is all about opportunities. To make the most of the millions of opportunities for writers you need Web writing experience first.

I’m continually shocked at writers who want to write for the Web, yet who have no Web site, and no blog. For a Web writer, a blog and site are not an optional extra. They’re essential.

When you use your own site and blog to experiment, not only will you understand Web writing at a visceral level, you’ll also find that you don’t need to hustle to get writing gigs because people approach you.

So get experience first: with experience, your Web writing opportunities are unlimited.

Web Site Writer Or Print Writer - Which Makes More Money For You?

March 25th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you’re developing a new writing career in 2007, or are revamping a sluggish career, you have an interesting choice to make. Will you focus on writing for the Web, or will you write for print publications? There are pros and cons for both kinds of writing.

Let’s look at them.

Web Writing: The Good, And The Bad

Let’s look at the good.

* When you write for the Web, if you’re a halfway decent writer, and take the time to explore this new writing world, you can make a lot of money. You can make this money without trying too hard, because “rejection” is pretty much unknown in Web writing. There are lots of buyers for your words, and if you know your own worth, you can set your own rates;

* Also good: payment is fast. You get payment just about instantly, and for most projects, you’ll get paid a retainer of half the free up front.

All good, right? Unfortunately, there’s some bad too, and you need to be aware of this. Here’s the bad in Web writing:

* For an experienced writer, the bad consists of the lack of editorial direction. If you’ve written for print, you know that a good editor is gold. On the Web, you’re your own editor. (Yes, this is good too, because you can make your own creative decisions, but as a print journalist, I like editors because they teach you to improve your writing.)

* For an inexperienced writer, the Web world is crowded with sharks. Inexperienced Web writers can make much less than their writing is worth, because of their inability to tell one Web site from another. Of course, over several months, the inexperienced Web writer does become experienced, but it’s a definite learning curve.

Now let’s look at the print media.

Writing For Print Media: The Good, And The Bad

Here’s the good about writing for print:

* The pay rates at top magazines are good;

* The editors will help you to improve your writing skills;

* There’s prestige in seeing your byline in top print publications.

Here’s the bad:

* You need a thick skin to deal with constant rejection - you’re researching and writing many, many proposals, most of which will never make it to acceptance, so you’re doing a lot of work for nothing;

* Although the pay rates are good (but moribund - some print magazines are paying writers less than they paid in the 1980s), you’ll wait a long time for your money. Even “pay on acceptance” publications can drag payment out for months.

So there you have it. The chief pros and cons of writing for the Web, and writing for print.

So, which makes more money for you? The Web.

This is my view, and it’s based on experience with both writing venues: for an experienced writer, the Web is a goldmine. Not only can you write for others and be paid well, you can also create your own instant publishing empire with blogs and sites.

For the less experienced writer, the Web will pay you to earn while you learn writing skills, so the world of Web writing is a good choice for a beginning writer too. The print world certainly won’t pay you to earn while you learn.

You can discover the profitable world of writing for the Web with my new, Beat Your Paycheck: Web Writing Secrets - if you need Web writing templates, and an overview of Web writing, my primer: Writing for the Web will help.

Copyright © 2007 Fab Web Writer: Join The Instant Publishing Revolution

Credits: Angela Booth's Web writing manual, "Writing For The Web" | Fab Digital Photography Blog - Digital Photography Tips And Inspiration - If you write for the Web, you need to take photos for the Web too.