Some writers make their entire living by writing for online markets. I used to earn most of my income from e-zines, and now divide my time about evenly between print and online markets. If you’re a fan of instant gratification, online writing may be for you, too. While print magazines often have lead times of several months, most web sites will post your work within a few weeks (or even days) of submission.
Nevertheless, that also indicates that deadlines are tighter. You’ll likely have less time to research and write pieces for the internet.
Stylistically, online writing tends to be shorter, snappier, and more irreverent than print counterparts. You must be very concise, since most web surfers click faster than they turn pages they skim, rather than read. The glare of a computer screen is less friendly to the eyes than the pages of a magazine or book. Your writing must hook them in the first sentence, and if your article drags, your audience will probably stop reading.
Another perk of online writing is the response it generates. According to Steve Outing, columnist for Editor & Publisher, “You’ll have more interaction with your audience more email letters; you might participate in online discussion forums after publication, or in live chat sessions with your users.
Your users will give you great feedback (more than print readers), and they’ll give you lots of tips about what to write about and what they want to know about.”
If you’re looking for good pay, you should pay attention to corporate web sites (especially if they produce e-newsletters, auto-responders, or news updates) and big e-zines. In general, the more traffic a web site gets, the more you can expect it to pay for writers. Advertisers pay according to traffic, so a site that gets plenty of it should be earning much more than low-traffic sites. Sites sponsored by well-known companies also tend to pay well.
Be aware, though, that some major magazine editors scoff at clips that have been published about the internet. No matter how well you’ve been paid for it, that article you wrote for SomeBigWebsite.com is probably not going to impress editors at GQ. So, online markets can help you build up a readership, learn the editorial process, and make some cash, but they’re not the best rsum boosters.
They’re about on par with small newspapers in many editors’ minds. Very few web sites such as Salon.com, Wired, Slate, and Office.com are even worth mentioning in your bio. Think of it this way: If the editor is unlikely to have ever heard of the web site you’re referencing, she’ll assume it’s not a decent publication with high editorial standards like hers.
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