Survival of the Smartest
I would have to say that most of the writers who take the
Topic Editor training on this site quit because they cannot
adapt to change. They are attracted by the opportunity to get
paid to write, and make a steady income, and get published.
They take the training because they like the promotion
opportunity, so why do they change?
They quit for the same reason the person in the grocery
line pulls items out of the bag because they never brought
enough cash.
They quit for the same reason the older gentleman stands in
the bank line for a half an hour to deposit his check, so he
can go home and mail checks to the utility companies.
That is the Way it Always has Been. It Works.
They quit because they have never learned how to change.
Change requires people to learn new skills. But, the ability
to learn new skills is a learned skill in itself. The
computer world has left many writers behind because they won't
take the time needed to find free courses on the web, that
will teach them how to use the web. We ask new Topic Editors
to use three codes, and the link code. But, many writers have
panicked because we want them to learn code. Of course, this
is not true, we just want them to learn four codes to put in
the content editing system, but their mind snaps at the
thought of sticking the code for a space at the end of a
sentence, instead of hitting the enter bar.
Writers also panic about publishing methods. Look at the
romance industry. Long after web sites are still selling $1
000.00 a month in ebooks, many of the romance associations
refuse to give ebook authors the same recognition as print
published authors. This also goes for self-published authors.
And, in our case, it goes for freelance writers.
Freelance Writers
Freelance writers need to keep ahead of trends. The web is
as viable a publishing resource as a print magazine. In fact,
web sites receive more views than a magazine will ever
receive. However, web site's readers do not want the same
content that they want from a print magazine.
Writers need to either embrace technology or be left behind
with the rest of the professionals who do not get it.
Computers were not a household item when I graduated from high
school. I went to college as a systems analyst, and they still
did not teach much about programming, because there really
were not enough jobs out there for programmers. I had to teach
myself how to use computers. I had to teach myself how to
publish web sites. I had to teach myself how to publish.
Although, my college training did prepare me for project
management.
"What will happen, if I don't change?"
Five years ago, no one knew what a wireless keyboard looked
like, or MP3s, or streaming. These are things that are
changing the publishing world. A writer who wants to thrive in
the new world needs to keep their eyes open for new markets.
What if magazines change to a system where they only listen to
the slush pile through streamline audio, letting them listen
and work at the same time? What if publishers start using
Internet conferencing and web cams to work with writers? The
thriving authors will be those who keep ahead, the surviving
authors will be those who keep up, and the rest will be like
that poor gent in the bank line, still depositing his check
and then mailing checks to the utility, instead of having his
pay direct deposited and then paying bills over the web.
New Publishing Trends
Many of today's magazine editors would rather skim through
larger magazines and offer to buy second or third serial
rights than hire an editor or two to manage their own content
and readers. However, too many writers are unfamiliar with
selling serial rights. Many writers rant on blogs about
publishers who want to pay two or three cents a word for
articles. These writers are in the Left Behind group.
They write an article, and then put it away instead of selling
it over and over. Their ignorance is costing them hundreds,
and even thousands of dollars a year. There can be more money
writing short, evergreen content articles for a small
publication at two cents a word, or selling serial rights,
than writing feature articles.
Look at all this amazing stuff in our lives; computers,
remote control everything, Satellite Internet, Palm Pilots,
camera phones, webcams, MP3 players, GPS systems, online
banking, streaming video on demand . . . my life is totally
digital and there's no end in sight. I've read more user
manuals in the past year, than I've read in the previous ten.
I choose to adapt, rather than become extinct.
"In the future there will be no medium -- a piece of
plastic or a spool of tape that will contain film or music
content. The DVD is the last digital medium for film -- beyond
it lies no medium."
George F. Colony, CEO of Forrester Research
The Right Way of Getting Published
Where will the future of Medium leave writers who want to
keep doing it the old fashioned way? They spurn web writing
and the Ezine. They turn their noses up at e-books and PDF
magazines.
It is a question for every freelance writer to ponder.
