Writing for Newspapers Vs. Writing for Online Publication

After writing for in-print publication, it is quite a transition to writing for online publication.

For the former, it was canary-yellow legal pads, a portable typewriter, and the Editors' deadline of "have everything in by four o'clock every Friday." Working online, it seems very unusual to not even know who "The Editors" are, much less not interacting with them either in person or on the telephone. Deadlines must be made by the writers themselves-- the "how much material" and the "when" decided upon based on a combination of one's motivation, talent, and need for cash.

The techniques are certainly different. One huge difference is the emphasis on "keyword density." Finding that online, when writing not only for readers and the Editors, but also for search engines, this type of emphasis is something to strive for, is a transition from writing for a newspaper where such repetition is discouraged as being monotonous and even annoying to those who will read it.

The format of the finished product is also something to get used to. The way an article or story appears in a newspaper looks entirely different from the form it takes in an online site. It is difficult to describe; but if you either write or read, it is quite clear that in-print and on-site bear little resemblance to each other.

In addition to online editors being more or less anonymous, so too is the rest of the staff which work together to bring the finished product to the public. When working for a newspaper, one generally knows the staff members personally, as they are one's employers and coworkers.

Unfamiliarity aside, working for online publication does have its benefits. First of all, a writer is not bound to the specifics of a newspaper job-- instead of assignments, it's a matter of "the more you produce, and the better you produce, the more you will get paid." There is also the topic of "performance bonuses"-- when working for an in-print publication, you may receive a "Thank You" on your Christmas card, but it isn't likely that your material will net extra money for you based on how many people read it!

Last but not least, there is the factor of one's audience itself-- newspapers, regardless of their range of circulation, have a limited readership, whereas this is not the case with online publication. It's called "the WorldWideWeb" for a reason-- your material has a much wider chance of being read by a much wider range of people.

But for those who began writing careers before "technology" became widespread and popular, making the transition is much easier when it is not necessary for everything to be done differently. The canary-yellow legal pads and pencils are just as good now as they ever were. Just don't expect many of your fellow online writers, especially the Technology Generation, to be able to relate to the phrase "Smith-Corona Portable."