Print vs. Web Writers: Is There A Great Divide?
March 29, 2008 by Deb
Filed under Freelance Writing
Outspoken regular James Chartrand AKA one of the Men with Pens often talks about "The Great Divide" between web writers and print writers. According to James many of us web writers (him included) experience snobbery from those who have their name in print.
Let’s explore this a bit shall we?
I do believe there are many who feel it’s more prestigious to have one’s name on the spine of a novel or the byline of a newspaper or magazine article, but is one better than the other? Personally, I’m of the opinion that if you enjoy what you write (and I do) and you’re making good coin writing it (and I do) it doesn’t matter whether you work for print or the web.
I also believe that we’ve had many discussions here over the past three years regarding the type of writing we like to do, but I don’t believe we’ve had a lot of heated print vs. web arguments. I honestly don’t see this great divide James speaks of. What we do debate about mostly is wages. Do I look down on a job paying a low wage, yes. I admit it. I definitely think a $1 gig is beneath me.
If print markets paid $1 per word, or ebooks paid $35,000 upon publication, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion.
I think there are people who are more comfortable writing for print and appreciate the higher wages most print markets offer. I also believe many of us web writers love the instant gratification of seeing our work published almost immediately and quick payments. I don’t believe one is better than the other and I don’t believe many of the FWJ regulars believe this either.
What do you think?
Is there a great divide? Do you look down on another form of writing as beneath you? Do you feel others look down on you?
Discuss…
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@ Sue – No, arTEESTEs are in a class all their own. There are some really haughty people out there that put *themselves* on a pedestal that’s so high, I think they scrape the sky. They’re in a class all their own, and they can be web writers, content writers, designers, you name it.
I’m just talking print versus web for the Divide.
@ Mary – Thanks for seeing what I’m trying to get across. You have the right of it.
And… uh… no, I don’t like classic literature. Personal preference, nothing at all against it. Or those who write it.
Some of us have the best of both worlds. I write professionally under my ‘real’ name. I write for the internet using a pseudonym. I see this turning into a war similar to the Mommy Wars (to work outside the home or not). Why can’t we all just do our own thing, and let everyone else take care of their own business?
I do both, and don’t prefer one over the other. I appreciate how you get paid quicker when writing online but it is also quite thrilling seeing your name in print.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time for everything so in any given month, the balance may be tipped to favor one over the other.
I do feel the divide as well – it’s almost as if the two sides don’t understand each other. But, I am one of those writers who does both and enjoys both.
BestofBothWorlds – Why do you use a pseudonym for your Internet work?
Well, I followed James over here and was surprised to see that the great debate continues on. For the record, I am off of my chair now…
I just posted my own thoughts today on this subject after having a few days to think about it, and I believe I fall into the catagory that writing is still an art. Anyone that looks down on anyone else who feels the desire to express themself through the medium of the written word, in my opinion, should zip the lip.
We all have a right to express ourselves through the written word in the way that suits our creativity, our needs and our budgets. No one way is better or worse than an other.
Any time one person feels the need to make another person look or feel bad, I am checking to see where they are feeling insecure within themselves.
oh.. and Herbie J. Pilato..I agree.