Blog Posts vs. Articles: Audience Expectation

Today we further our discussion on the difference between blog posts and articles for both the web and print. In “Blog Posts vs. Articles: Length and Point of View,” I discussed how many of the tools, tips and tricks I publish here on Article Writing are applicable to both blog posts and articles. Successful application of interviewing tips, lede creation, etc., depends on knowing how to cater your writing skills to the piece. Defining the difference between blogs and articles means looking at not only the length and POV, we also need to understand audience expectation.

When writing an article, writers should always think about the audience for which they are writing. Knowing their habits and meeting their needs is important to having a successful article and a successful freelance writing career. They want the latest news and gossip without the drawn-out teasers and commercials of television. Your reader could be a busy professional looking for an expert, or at least a knowledgeable person’s advice on a product; or a hobbyist looking for instruction or ideas on a new project. Imagine a busy parent, who in between tending to their kids, balancing the family budget, driving to activities and wiping mystery goo off the floor, has stopped to browse the net to connect with other parents or research a concern.

Now ask yourself, what do these readers want? What are their needs?

When readers hop on the ‘net they are often looking for a quick read, fix or solution to whatever is going on in their lives. They have limited time and blog posts are there to fulfill that need, while adding personality, opinion and community.

Articles have personality to an extent, many have opinion, but blogs are where the people go to read and talk – hopefully. Blog posts inspire people to read, respond and follow a particular blog. They become invested in the community, interacting with the writers and other commenters.

Articles for both the web and print will inspire comments and letters to the editors, but the expectations are different. The don’t really expect a response from the writer or editor and are often tickled, or horrified, when someone does respond. They also expect a journalist’s approach to the subject matter – information given and shaped by sources and facts rather than the writer. When a person settles down with a magazine they are doing just that – settling in for a period of time to read and they expect in-depth coverage.

So in short (too late) blog posts – quick, informative and community building; articles – in-depth journalism.

Coming Up: Blog Posts vs. Articles: Format

Day 2, 5 Ways to Enhance Your Writing Skills

Last week we talked about the first of five ways to enhance your writing skills with an editorial calendar: “5 Days, 5 Ways to Enhance Your Writing Skills.” Hopefully, everyone has either gotten one going or taken a second look at their current one with an eye on the details I pointed out, including using it consistently, as motivation and to plan more than due dates.

Today it’s time to talk about becoming an editor to improve your writing skills. Editing the work of others gives writers invaluable perspective on the writing process and their own work.

Learn about voice

Often when a writer becomes an editor, they become more aware of what it means for a piece to have a ‘voice.’ A key job of an editor is to make the article, blog post, etc. ready for print without losing the voice of the writer. The ability to give an article personality that works with, instead of detract from, the information in the piece is essential for effective writing.

Learn about writing for audiences

Every writer is aware they are writing for an audience when they craft their piece, however, when you’re on the other side of the keyboard with an editor’s pen in hand, you become the publication’s readers. For example, if you’re a gadget magazine editor, you see that guy in the city coffee shop reading the latest tech article online, you see the mom in the suburbs taking a brief pause in the middle of her day to read your magazine to determine which smartphone will make her life easier, you can hear the techies’ cyberspace arguments over a pros-cons article on the new PC tablet. As an editor, these people are as real to you as the dollars they bring to the website or magazine every month. Once a writer understands that they are practically indispensable.

Learn about the editing process

An editor has to coordinate so many things on their end. Whether it’s editing for grammar, content, tone or length, etc., they are working from a whole publication perspective. Writers taking a turn at editing can learn to pick up on common grammar mistakes, spot cliches and rushed work from a mile away and are better able to put themselves in their editor’s shoes which leads to cleaner, focused work and a better relationship and reputation with editors.

It may not be feasible for every writer who reads Freelance Writing Jobs to run out and get an editing gig, but you can still develop those all important editing skills through taking on editing gigs at local colleges for students, securing a few editing projects or even re-editing published pieces as test exercises. Believe me, there are plenty out there that will provide good practice. Ask yourself: “Who is the piece geared toward?” “How can I make the article flow better?” “What information is missing?” Asking these questions of other writers will make it easier to ask them of yourself.

Are you a writer who edits? An editor who writes? How does it affect your writing?

Writing Tip of the Day: Maintain Your Cool

It’s easy to get overheated as a writer. You put your talent out there to be observed, reviewed and critiqued and sometimes the criticism is unfair, biased or just plain nasty.

Blog comments, editor’s remarks, reader mail – it all has the potential to give you a serious case of the grumps, but keeping your cool in the line of fire can make you a better writer.

Instead of blasting a rude blog comment, taking a deep breath and responding in a professional manner, if a response is warranted, will go a long way in establishing your reputation as a pro who can take the heat with grace.

Firing back at an editor can earn you a reputation as “hard to deal with” whether fair or not, engaging in positive, constructive conversation (at least on your end) will earn you respect and will help you and your editor reach common ground.

Think of it as a writing exercise – you want to say “Go to Hades you life sucking troll! You wouldn’t know good writing if it showed up sitting on your morning donut.” Now think of a creative, positive and constructive way to voice both your concern and willingness to seek common ground.

How do you handle criticsm? Share your thoughts with us!

Writing Tip of the Day: Simultaneous Query Submissions

Every so often I’ll get a timeless writing question: What about simultaneous queries?

Old school rules dictated that unless the magazine indicated, you never submitted the same query to anyone else until you received a rejection from the first publication. This is a oft grumbled rule with writers because it could take months to receive a rejection for a piece and then after waiting those months you have to start the process all over again.

Editors cite concerns over their processes and the time it takes to approve an article, place it, pay for it, publish it only to see the same article in a competitor’s magazine.

Over time, the lag time between article submission and approval or rejection has been cut dramatically with the use of email submissions. Now a writer can receive a yay or nay almost as soon as they send it out, which can be a bit disconcerting when it’s a nay, for some reason fast rejection stings a little bit more.

Alternatively, editors have begun to understand and receive more pushback from writers who don’t want to wait on a long approval process. So they have begun to accept simultaneous submissions as long as the piece hasn’t been submitted to a competing publication. So what should you do?

Ask.

I personally like to wait on acceptance or rejection when the publication explicitly requests no simultaneous submissions. However, I’ve talked with writers who incorporate their simultaneous submission request in their query letter. There are others still who just take a chance and submit regardless of publication preference or notification.

I don’t recommend the last course of action because should you happen to get accepted at competing publications you’ll have some awkward explaining to do.

Got an opinion or tip on simultaneous submissions? Tell us below!

Writing Tip of the Day: Join a Writing Group

Joining a writers group can help a writer take their work to another level. You want to find a group with writers moving in different places in their career, established writers, newbies and middle-of-the-roaders. Too many of one kind may leave the group a bit one-sided. For example, a group with a majority of newbies may look to you to be the teacher of the group and while you can learn something from everyone, you want to have a an opportunity to learn from someone with more experience than you as well.

You also want a group that can offer constructive criticism. A bunch of haters will ruin the group and a bunch of yes men lead to the lemming scenario in the above cartoon and no one experiences much growth from either.

Online or in person the choice is up to you with upsides and downsides to both, but date around and see which group works for you.

Have you joined a writer’s group? What has been your experience?

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Writing Tip of the Day: Know your style guides

I love my AP Stylebook. It’s worn and scribbled up with notes and stains and Post Its with changes from the latest editions, etc. It makes me feel like a real writer and I browse through its pages just for fun. On the other hand, my Chicago Manual of Style guide is less than loved. I don’t have to use it often, but in an effort to be all the writer I can be, I’ve been trying to cuddle up to it and you should do the same.

Get to know your style guides. Writers faithfully follow the “don’t guess, know” mantra and will turn to their guides to fill in any uncertain areas of writing style or grammar, but just think of the time you’ll save if you begin to become one with your guides, slipping back and forth easily from each style.

Got a writing question for me? Email me! I’m taking your writing questions and answering them here!

Writing Tip of the Day: Ask the tough questions

By Terreece M. Clarke

Most of the time when say “ask the tough question” we are talking about asking tough questions of an interviewee, however, the term “asking the tough questions” can apply to almost any aspect of freelance writing.

Are you as well prepared before an interview as you should be? Could that article undergo one more round of edits before you turn it in? And yes, did you ask your interview subject questions beyond the superficial? Each day ask yourself the tough questions – it’ll make you a better writer.