Comments on: What is "Legitimate" Writing?

By: 47 Sunday Link Love Articles | Writer's Resource Center

47 Sunday Link Love Articles | Writer's Resource Center — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:34:46 +0000

[...] What is “Legitimate” Writing? [...]

By: Alexa

Alexa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:51:16 +0000

@Tania: Your post makes no sense to me. None of the above posters stated that bloggers were ignorant. So, I’m not sure how you got to “nor do I consider myself ignorant.” And I, at least, did not say bloggers necessarily were not journalists. That logical construct was not even introduced in my post.

Glad you got your advertising in. And, there are multiple typos in your post, not just that one. (wink) Hope you do extremely well.

By: Tania

Tania — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:13:17 +0000

I made a typo on previous comment my first word was (I) not (U)

By: Tania

Tania — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:10:46 +0000

U do not consider myself a journalist nor do I consider myself ignorant. I think that Journalists should understand that they can learn alot from us as we do from them.

Thank you for the post and vistit my blogs (I write in spanish about telenovelas (soapoperas) at http://www.casatelenovela.com or http://telemundo33.wordpress.com

thanks great post Ive done alot of reading on the suject.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:44:06 +0000

Ah, now we get back to that word “legitimate.” There are lots of freelance “jobs” or gigs advertised on the Web, but I’m not sure most of THEM are “legitimate.” The ones that are will not take a chance on the 1 cent per word types.

I realize that I have the luxury of a pension from a respected publisher to back me up, which not everyone does — but I just don’t worry about those 1 cent per word folks, either the ones who post the “jobs” or the ones who will work for them for that amount. What they do for 1 cent per word is not the same as what you do — they know it as well as you do.
Scouting for gigs is hard, and at this point I’m barely making it in this business. But I know what I can do, and I understand that it’s worth so much more than 1 cent per word. I’ll come down in price sometimes to get the gigs I want, but I do have limits.
Good luck, Alexa.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:22:57 +0000

Hazel, Thanks for the post. I understand the difference, and I understand the distinction; but, unfortunately, many companies hiring seem willing to take a chance on the 1 cent per word types.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:47:47 +0000

@ Alexa: I’m also a journalism graduate with a long career behind me as writer-editor and now freelancer. I DO “get” blogging, and I don’t think it brings down the pay for the other kinds of writing I do. You just have to distinguish between the effort it takes to write a magazine cover story, or a news analysis, versus posting your thoughts to a blog. Once that distinction is made, it’s easier to figure out how much you should be paid for each job.
I also don’t think all writers and bloggers are journalists, just as not all journalists are writers. Journalism and writing are both professions, with standards at both ends of the spectrum.
Cheers!

By: Alexa

Alexa — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:15:54 +0000

I’m one of those “went to journalism school,” don’t get blogging-type people. But…and this is an important but, if people want to do it, great for them. It is a natural evolution of the Internet and the opening up of the communication media. It’s great for the 1st amendment, and allows more people to have access to authorship. However…and this is an important however, I do think blogging waters down what paid writers can ask for work. This is all irrelevant now b/c blogs are here to stay and are a major source of entertainment and news. The current entertainment and news economy is built on the willingness and ability of talented people writing for little to no compensation. There is good and bad. For an old hack looking for paid writing gigs, it’s bad. For a proponent of free speech and the democratization of the media, it’s wonderful!

By: china-matt

china-matt — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:18:09 +0000

I suppose I would have to go along with what I was taught by some of my teachers on this one. All writing is legitimate. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting paid or not–that’s a personal choice to some extent. So long as you write and you publish in some way for people to read, you’ve done your job. Writing is an action; good writing is an art. But both are legitimate.

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:46:50 +0000

I have to admit that taking writing advice from someone in the pastel section of the bookstore is a bit frightening. What I suspect, though, is that the person doesn’t read blogs and is making the comment more out of ignorance. I’ve only, within the last six months or so, really gotten into blog reading (one day maybe even writing) but before venturing into this medium I though, “nah – it will never last.” I also thought this of rap back in the 80’s (but I digress). The point I would most like to make is that I think comments such as the legitimacy of blogging comes more from ignorance of the medium than the work done by people who participate.