It was not long after I got my first Internet connection that I first thought to myself "Wouldn't it be cool if I could get paid for all this?" At the time, I was very absorbed in the process of writing lots of emails, and I had recently discovered forums, message boards and other sites with "user-generated content."
At the time-- around 1996-- there really wasn't much action in the writing online industry. The whole idea of "micropayments" was brand-new, and most of the pundits of the day were scoffing at the idea of users being PAID for their contributions. In fact, many people were still offended by the whole idea that the Internet was a commercial venue. I never could quite wrap myself around that idea... after all, the servers, and the people who put information online, the software driving it all... those things didn't just appear out of the goodness of someone's heart. SOMEthing had to buy them, drive them, and pay for their maintenance.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
The Changing Landscape of Writing
When I was in the process of changing my work life-- from being a business owner, to more of a focus of art, writing and creativity-- the landscape of the writing market was changing.
My initial exposure to seriously trying to "write for money" came in the late 90's, and my focus was more "technical" than "creative." Somehow, I didn't really believe that I had what it took to write fiction and get paid for it. So I took a "half-step" and wrote for (predominantly) Internet-based businesses, and the high tech industry.
One of the primary ways the business of writing was changing could be linked directly to growing Internet usage. Getting work-- and getting fairly compensated for it-- was becoming harder and harder. Where the market for contract technical writers had previously been the domain of "professionals," we now found ourselves competing increasingly with a demographic I can best describe as "Stay at home moms with an English degree."
Ultimately, I don't begrudge anyone the desire to write-- however, this particular set of players in the market helped perpetuate the old reality that writers tend to be "starving" and barely make a living. After all, they weren't dependent on making a living, they were just there to make a little "pocket money." For them, bidding a contract job at $6.00 an hour meant they'd win the bid, and get the pocket money, as desired. For me, it meant "no work," because I couldn't make a full-time living on that kind of income.
The writers market continues to change. More people than ever-- regardless of whether or not they can actually write-- call themselves "writers." The size of the "pot" is fairly steady to growing slightly, but it is spread among a huge number of folks. Where once (and granted, the process was far more laborious and protracted) a published article might earn a writer $500, now many people think it is "great" that they were paid $10 by some web site. With the exception of a few who write "mainstream blockbusters," getting a book published is harder than ever... and more and more writers turn to self-publishing and print-on-demand houses.
The landscape of writing is constantly changing, and keeping up with trends takes almost as much time and effort as the writing, itself.
My initial exposure to seriously trying to "write for money" came in the late 90's, and my focus was more "technical" than "creative." Somehow, I didn't really believe that I had what it took to write fiction and get paid for it. So I took a "half-step" and wrote for (predominantly) Internet-based businesses, and the high tech industry.
One of the primary ways the business of writing was changing could be linked directly to growing Internet usage. Getting work-- and getting fairly compensated for it-- was becoming harder and harder. Where the market for contract technical writers had previously been the domain of "professionals," we now found ourselves competing increasingly with a demographic I can best describe as "Stay at home moms with an English degree."
Ultimately, I don't begrudge anyone the desire to write-- however, this particular set of players in the market helped perpetuate the old reality that writers tend to be "starving" and barely make a living. After all, they weren't dependent on making a living, they were just there to make a little "pocket money." For them, bidding a contract job at $6.00 an hour meant they'd win the bid, and get the pocket money, as desired. For me, it meant "no work," because I couldn't make a full-time living on that kind of income.
The writers market continues to change. More people than ever-- regardless of whether or not they can actually write-- call themselves "writers." The size of the "pot" is fairly steady to growing slightly, but it is spread among a huge number of folks. Where once (and granted, the process was far more laborious and protracted) a published article might earn a writer $500, now many people think it is "great" that they were paid $10 by some web site. With the exception of a few who write "mainstream blockbusters," getting a book published is harder than ever... and more and more writers turn to self-publishing and print-on-demand houses.
The landscape of writing is constantly changing, and keeping up with trends takes almost as much time and effort as the writing, itself.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Beginnings, Part II
In college, I was one of those "strange people" who deliberately sought out courses that had a "heavy writing component." Truth be know, I'd much rather write a long essay, than have to get up in front of the class to present something, or be part of group work.
I was never an English major, however, as I was talked out of following any kind of writing track. Even my sophomore English professor-- who was an accomplished and published writer-- suggested that it was a bad idea to pursue writing for a living, and that fewer than 5% of writers actually made a living from the craft. Although the idea of being "a writer" really appealed to me, I had already been somewhat "conditioned" against the idea by family, so I didn't take a lot of persuading.
I did, however, take a number of creative writing courses, while in college. One of the primary lessons I got I learned in a short story writing class, where one entire 3-hour session turned into a Q&A with the professor, about becoming an author.
Naturally, one of the questions asked was "What exactly does it take to become a published author?" The professor responded that all it took was the ability to string together 75,000 words of prose, in some reasonably coherent fashion. This didn't sit well with the aspiring Hemingway's who were looking for an answer that involved words like "talent," "mastery of English" or "an original idea." Ultimately, the point was that less than 1% of what is published is "literature" quality-- the majority of books come from very mediocre writers who she the one commonality that they have the determination and discipline to sit down and write. And then to market the hell out of themselves, not giving up because they have received 85 rejection slips in a row.
I got a nice degree in Finance, and went into the business world, feeling largely like I didn't belong... but having the hope that I was doing "the right thing."
I was never an English major, however, as I was talked out of following any kind of writing track. Even my sophomore English professor-- who was an accomplished and published writer-- suggested that it was a bad idea to pursue writing for a living, and that fewer than 5% of writers actually made a living from the craft. Although the idea of being "a writer" really appealed to me, I had already been somewhat "conditioned" against the idea by family, so I didn't take a lot of persuading.
I did, however, take a number of creative writing courses, while in college. One of the primary lessons I got I learned in a short story writing class, where one entire 3-hour session turned into a Q&A with the professor, about becoming an author.
Naturally, one of the questions asked was "What exactly does it take to become a published author?" The professor responded that all it took was the ability to string together 75,000 words of prose, in some reasonably coherent fashion. This didn't sit well with the aspiring Hemingway's who were looking for an answer that involved words like "talent," "mastery of English" or "an original idea." Ultimately, the point was that less than 1% of what is published is "literature" quality-- the majority of books come from very mediocre writers who she the one commonality that they have the determination and discipline to sit down and write. And then to market the hell out of themselves, not giving up because they have received 85 rejection slips in a row.
I got a nice degree in Finance, and went into the business world, feeling largely like I didn't belong... but having the hope that I was doing "the right thing."
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Beginnings, Part I
When I was six years old, my mother bought some blank exercise books for me. It was her hope that I would turn out to be artistic, and the purpose of the books was to teach me how to "draw outsde the lines."
Within about two weeks, I had filled all three exercise books. However, it was not with the drawings my mother hoped for-- it was with words.
To this day, I believe she was a little disappointed.
My Life As A Writer has been a mixed bag. In a sense, you could argue that I have been in denial about the writing life. Although I wrote from a very early age, it wasn't ever a childhood dream to "become a writer." I had the usual childhood aspirations-- and even some of my more esoteric "what I'm gonna be when I grow up's" (like being a stamp dealer) did not include writing.
And yet I "knew" that I was a writer.
When I was in my teens, I briefly muttered some words to the effect that I enjoyed writing, but my intent was weak and the idea was easily tossed aside by my mother's insistence that writers were "flakes and people who had no direction in their lives, and besides, you can't make a proper living that way-- and people in our family do not live in poverty."
So I restricted my writing activities to journals, and to writing lengthy letters to friends and family. Friends who often told my mother what a good writer I was. She beamed at her "coolness by association," and then would say "don't give him any ideas."
Within about two weeks, I had filled all three exercise books. However, it was not with the drawings my mother hoped for-- it was with words.
To this day, I believe she was a little disappointed.
My Life As A Writer has been a mixed bag. In a sense, you could argue that I have been in denial about the writing life. Although I wrote from a very early age, it wasn't ever a childhood dream to "become a writer." I had the usual childhood aspirations-- and even some of my more esoteric "what I'm gonna be when I grow up's" (like being a stamp dealer) did not include writing.
And yet I "knew" that I was a writer.
When I was in my teens, I briefly muttered some words to the effect that I enjoyed writing, but my intent was weak and the idea was easily tossed aside by my mother's insistence that writers were "flakes and people who had no direction in their lives, and besides, you can't make a proper living that way-- and people in our family do not live in poverty."
So I restricted my writing activities to journals, and to writing lengthy letters to friends and family. Friends who often told my mother what a good writer I was. She beamed at her "coolness by association," and then would say "don't give him any ideas."
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