|
Interaction
E-mail Discussion
List
Stay connected with others in the writing business. This is a friendly list
sharing tips, markets and the ups and downs of writing from home.
Subscribe
Publishers...
If you are a paying market
send
your needs and/or guidelines and they'll be printed in the Busy Freelancer
e-zine. This is a free
service.
Make Write From Home your
Homepage.
| |
Dabbling for
Dollars . . . .
Print Vs. Online: Who's the Real Writer?
by Alyice Edrich
Copyright © 2004, Alyice Edrich
I've been writing for online markets since 1999.
I've been publishing electronic books since 1999. And I've been publishing an
online magazine since 1999. And can you believe that I still get negative
feedback from a few authors, editors, and publishers who still live in the dark
ages? They actually believe that I m not a REAL writer, editor, or publisher
simply because my stuff isn't in print? (Little do they know that I do have
stuff in print too, I just mainly work
online.)
Is e-writing for real? Can a writer be taken seriously if he (or she) chooses to
only write for the Internet? And if taken seriously, who is more professional?
The person who merely writes for online markets or the one who gets his name
into print publications?
I'd like to believe that it doesn't matter whether you've only been printed
online, whether you've only been printed in print, or whether you've been
printed in both. A writer is someone who weaves words together to tell a story,
to teach, to inspire, to educate, and to inform. A writer is someone who works
hard at his craft to be the best he can be. And a writer is someone special
whether he writes for print or online markets.
But one doesn't become a "professional" writer until he takes the time to study
the industry, learns to better his writing skills, and actively seeks
publication of his written words.
Personally, I write a lot for online markets and businesses because I don't have
the patience to wait for a "publication" date, payment comes faster, and online
markets build links to my Web site which helps with my rankings in the search
engines, drives more traffic to my site, helps more parents, and in turn helps
me sell more electronic books.
At first, I would become highly offended by others who would discount my skills
and abilities as a real writer, because I knew that I was just as good as them
and in the event, that I wasn't, I knew that I one day would be. But now, I just
chuckle.
There's a saying that goes something like this:
Ignorance is bliss. And to be quite honest, those who feel I am less of an
author, writer, editor, or publisher simply because I spend most of my time
working for and writing for online markets are living in ignorance.
That having been said, I also have to admit with them on one thing: There are
many "wanna-be" authors and writers who give e-writing, e-books and e-publishing
a bad name. They do so because the quality of work isn't up to industry
standard. They aren't concerned with how the industry works, how well something
is written, or the laws of English and writing. They simply want to make a quick
buck, see their names in print, or start their own businesses.
The truth of the matter is that you cannot simply throw a bunch of thoughts
together and call it a publication, book, magazine, or article. Each piece of
written work must be properly groomed: editing, tweaking, resources, formatting,
etc. And each piece of written work must show professionalism.
In life, we all make choices. What is good for the goose is not always good for
the gander, but that doesn't make the decision wrong or any less valid. Both
online and offline markets offer something very valuable to the public. And good
writers and authors abound in every walk of life. When you can't reach someone
in print, you can most definitely reach him online and vice versa.
 Alyice Edrich is the author of several
work-from-home e-books, including Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books where
parents earn hundreds of dollars selling information they already possess. She
invites you to stop by
http://thedabblingmumpress.com to order a copy today!
| |
Read the
Busy Freelancer Archives
New to freelance writing?
Read
this informative article.
Read
Glossary of Writing Terms
Authors Area
Agents &
Publishers
Book Marketing
Publications
(Electronic & Print)
Resources
Associations &
Organizations
Job Boards &
Guideline Databases
Research & Reference
Classes, Workshops &
Seminars
Links
Author &
Writer Web Sites
Writing Sites
|
Writer's
Market 2011
Writing
and Illustrating Children's Books
