Comments on: Are You a Writer, a Blogger (or Both)?

By: carla

carla — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:22:18 +0000

I think this is a really good question to ask, since writing online is constantly evolving and new ways to be a writer keep appearing. I’m a full time freelancer who writes articles for the web, and I have a blog on my own website. But I don’t like the term “blogger,” because it seems (all the professional blogsites out there notwithstanding) to carry some connotations of non-professional, personal-interest writing with it. If you’re serious about it, you’re a writer, whether that comes out in a blog or something else.

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:37:12 +0000

Hello, I’m new to this blog. I wanted to answer why I think I’m a blogger and not a writer. First, I blog because I love sharing information with others, I have no formal training, or excellent writing skills. I make common errors when writing and often notice them after I post, lastly, I have a lot of respect for those who are truly writers.

I subscribe to your blog hoping to get better at writing, I think that blogging can take me to be a better writer. Cool post, thanks.

By: Melissa Donovan

Melissa Donovan — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:51:12 +0000

I am a writer first, and a blogger second. Having said that, I absolutely love blogging, and what I love most is that it diversifies the writing process and makes it much easier to share thoughts, ideas, and of course, written work. -Melissa Donovan Writing FORWARD

By: Em

Em — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:02:46 +0000

In college I wrote a lot for a couple newspapers, but now I want to do more with editing and proofreading. There are a lot of sites for mainly writers, but I would love to find a site geared toward hooking up freelance proofreaders/copy editors with employers.

By: Tom Bonner

Tom Bonner — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:00:11 +0000

I consider myself a journalist. My work has been published in a variety of print publications, and I’ve worked on assignment often in the past. Today the majority of writing is for my blog, but I use many of the same techniques I did when writing for print. Blogging can be more relaxed in tone, but I attempt to maintain the standards my past editors demanded.

So I am a blogger, a writer and a journalist. Of course, I also use a camera to illustrate my writing…so that makes me a photo journalist as well…

Really enjoy your blog. I also follow you on Performancing as well.

Tom Bonner
http://alphatracks.com

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:41:32 +0000

I make most of my money writing abstracts, articles about drug discovery, and training materials for medical interpreters. I blog about Russian literature in my spare time. Beyond being fun, it’s a great way to build my writing portfolio.
http://lizoksbooks.blogspot.com/

By: S.

S. — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:29:04 +0000

I am a writer at the end of the day. I recently got a blog, and I am AWFUL at it! I feel lame because I can never get a feel of what to write since there’s no clear objective. I am slowly but surely learning, but enjoy writing articles, SEO, and copy far more. Check out my “work” here: http://style-television.com/

By: Erik Hare

Erik Hare — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:10:07 +0000

To make a living freelancing, you do have to be diverse. I’m looking at a real opportunity to break into PR and possibly publishing at the same time, but I’m keeping my grant writing work!

I say that I am a writer because you’ll never impress women at a bar saying you’re a blogger. Wait! I’m not single anymore! Scratch that!

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:27:38 +0000

Judging from all these responses, I think it’s pretty clear that in order to make a living freelancing, you’ve got to be fairly diverse.

My degree is in English, my work experience in PR writing, proofreading, and copy editing, yet now I find myself mostly providing health and environmental web content and/or blogging on the same topics.

And people think we sit around doing nothing most of the day! Freelancers are some of the hardest working people I know.

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:03:28 +0000

I’m both, but more clients seem to want blogging than anything else lately. Unfortunately, all the blogging I’m doing for everyone else is really limiting the time I have to blog on my own blogs. I don’t know how you do it, Deb!

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:56:07 +0000

I do editorial as well – proofing, copy editing, etc.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:38:37 +0000

I’m both. And neither, which I realize makes little sense. I have a degree in communication and a drawer full of writing samples from during and right after I graduated from college in 2001. But the full time writing job I was offered didn’t pay enough to support my kids, so I had to go in a different direction. I started blogging about two years ago, in an effort to keep myself writing in a public forum. But if I read all the advice on blogging, I’m not really doing that correctly either. (I don’t really have a niche.)

So, I’m both and neither. Eventually, I hope to drop the “neither” part completely.

By: Wendy Jo

Wendy Jo — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:30:48 +0000

Like Brooke, I do mainly editorial work–developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading.

By: argee

argee — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:16:49 +0000

I mainly write, I don’t blog for money but I guess “what’s the difference” is very much applicable for many of us.

This might be a bit off-topic but I just got this offer of “complimentary listings for writers, designers, translators and photographers.” at http://www.thenewsbox.com/
Anybody knows this site? Is it worthwhile to sign up? Thnx.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:06:05 +0000

I do both. I started blogging for a network, then got in with a couple of magazines then more blogging.

Blogging is nice, but there are certain perks that go along with magazine writing that are much harder to get than by blogging. For example getting test rides on new equipment would be much harder if I were just a blogger, but since I also write for ATV and Motorcycle magazines, I get invited to some cool stuff and get to see and feel technology that isn’t common yet.

By: Damaria Senne

Damaria Senne — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:24:16 +0000

I work as a journalist, write fiction and non-fiction for long-term career growth and started my first blog to promote my creative writing.

Recently my blogging came into its own, in that I see my blogs now as separate writing projects rather than just being marketing/promotion tools.

By: D-cal

D-cal — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:18:34 +0000

I’m a writer. But I was given some advice on http://www.filipinowriter.com/blog/rdacalos and I started blogging. I saw it as a good opportunity to get some of my writing exposed.

My blog is pretty much about me and my musings. I talk about freelancing, music, martial arts, philosophy, etc. I had a post about a freelance work place their too. You can check it out on: http://d-liberate.blogspot.com

In a week or so, my official website will be up too.

By the way, I’ve never gotten to thank you for having such a wonderful blog. So, thank you! Your job posts are particularly helpful.

By: Chilelle

Chilelle — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 23:59:52 +0000

To answer the poll question, both.

@Allison: To respectfully disagree, some of the most popular bloggers are celebrity gossip hounds like Perez Hilton…while there is wit and sarcasm involved, I don’t think the writing actually has all that much weight. Blogging has sort of become its own monster, where marketing and content seem to prevail.

By: Brooke

Brooke — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:36:18 +0000

I do a little writing, but 99% of my time is spent doing developmental and/or copy editing.

By: Allison

Allison — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:22:41 +0000

I’m not sure you can be just a blogger without also being a writer. Even though the technique is a bit different, one of the main tasks of almost any blog is good, quality writing. I’m not saying that a blogger is JUST a writer…but I think any blog that isn’t run by someone who is first and foremost a writer will suffer and eventually fail.

By: Amy J Volkers

Amy J Volkers — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:48:24 +0000

I am actually a professional astrologer who has written ‘for pay’ and I blog on my own. Clients and students have told me for years I should ‘write a book’ etc…and it’s time to do more in that direction so I am glad to find your site. I’ve got a client who has done freelance writing in the past and wants to do more so I’m sharing your site with her too. Thanks~ Amy
PS my blog is http://www.astrologicalinsights.info