Online Publishing

Posted by L. Shepherd

It always saddens me to see newspaper layoffs happening. These days it's almost weekly that we hear about another layoff at a major newspaper. There is even a newspaper layoff map that tracks the locations where it's happening.

But, I still don't think that newspapers will ever go extinct. I don't think the Kindle or a similar device will replace them. People really do enjoy the tactile experience of holding a newspaper and carrying it with them. People blame the online media for the decline, but I think that's only half the story.

The other half is that far too few people are really interested in the news these days. Knowing about the news just isn't valued by people as much as it once was. That has the potential to reverse itself, though. It is always possible that values will change and knowledge will be sought in all its forms- even paper ones.

Posted by L. Shepherd

Thinking about the nature of online publishing, it occurred to be how alike it really is to print publishing. The market itself is different because the costs of publishing are so different. But, the basics are pretty much the same.

The Internet publishing market changes rapidly, and it must, given how quickly content is added and new needs for that content. But, the print world really isn't that different. From seasonal needs to yearly trends and new subjects, both mush change to survive.

One of the big differences that I notice about online publishing is that there are so many more markets available with new ones starting up every day. However, there are plenty of startups in print as well. Just like websites, there are new imprints, magazines and journals starting up- and going out of business- all the time. There may not be as many, but both print and online publishing ebb and flow with the market, the costs of doing business and the needs of the customer base.

Posted by L. Shepherd

I keep being amazed at how versatile WordPress is. I was recently hired to revamp the content of a website for a local company. I'm no computer whiz and I wasn't sure that I could do much more than deliver the content to the client and tell them how to arrange the pages to deliver the best impact.

I was shocked to hear that the whole site was actually made with WordPress. There was no way to tell it was WordPress simply by looking at it. It was not a blog format, had no comments sections, no blog entries and no visible tags. It wasn't a blog at all, but was just as easy to edit as a blog.

That's what's possible with WordPress. At one end of the spectrum you can simply enter text and tags and do little else. At the other end you can build very different sites that look nothing like blogs. And, the fact that it's free means that anyone at all can use it.

Posted by L. Shepherd

I think that a lot of people who are interested in keeping a blog or two may not realize how easy it is to get started. It doesn't have to cost a dime and there are no real rules.

There are guidelines and expected things for bloggers to do, but all that really matters is that a blogger expresses herself and communicates effectively. Whether that's done through humor, pathos, dramatic prose or photos, it's all up to the blogger.

I've been reviewing various free blog sites and plan to continue that for the next week or two. I know from experience that when choosing a free blog it's a good idea to know what features you will need and which sites have those features.

When thinking about starting a blog, sometimes it's best not to think too much. The best blogs are the ones that are personal expressions of a point of view. Those are the ones that generate cult followings and legions of fans. They can even lead to book and movie deals. Movie deals? Yes. It actually does happen.

Posted by L. Shepherd

Ebooks are still finding their way among the print publishers and buyers. There are a number of publishers that are experimenting with publishing print books as well as publishing the same books online in ebook form. There are also independent ebooks writers that publish the books themselves and do their own marketing and site building.

The ebook markethas been around for a few years, but it still doesn't seem to be close to replacing the print market. It's likely that it never will. But, the two are leaning to co-exist and to enhance each other by making rading more convenient instead of competing against each other for customers.

Posted by L. Shepherd

To me, a Web writer is someone who writes for pay, usually writing Web content, ebooks and the like. But, with the opportunity for anyone to be published, there are an enormous amount of opportunities for self expression that don't come with pay.

Writing for someone else, i.e., for their website or to promote their product, should always, always be paid. But, there are a number of times when a person just wants to express themselves without worrying about finding a buyer. Many times, blogs fill that mission. Blogs are a relatively new phenomenon, but they are becoming a pervasive part of our culture. A blog can be a journal, a communication with friends or a communication with the whole world.

Posted by L. Shepherd

When I was 15 I was in the middle of a riot in Italy. This wasn't a small group of people- it was a city-wide riot marked by roadblocks, fires and people throwing themselves in front of cars. I wondered whether the whole spectacle would be on the national news back home. But, as my mother pointed out, there were no news crews around. How would anyone find out about it?

That's no longer a problem. Nowadays it's simple for anyone who witnesses news happening to capture it on camera and broadcast it to the world. It's pretty hard for anything newsworthy to go unreported these days. That may be a problem in many cases, but I think that most of the time it's something that we should all be grateful for. If you see news happening, you don't have to relegate it to anecdotes. You can be a part of the international news scene for however brief a time.

Posted by L. Shepherd

When starting to work in Web writing and online publishing, having multiple streams of income can prevent a problems when the market changes. There have been many, many websites that paid for freelance content and then closed up due to a lack of funds. This can break someone who was counting on the money from publishing on the site, or it can be just one of several revenue streams.

Someone with their own site can also benefit from several ways to bring in income. I've been experimenting with a lot of these ways and am finding out the ones that work best for me. Of course, different types of sites can benefit from different types of revenue generators. I think I smell an article coming on about it...

Posted by L. Shepherd

Citizen journalism is one of those buzz phrases that makes the rounds so quickly that many people are left wondering exactly what it is. Everyone seems to have a different definition of what it really means. To some, it's citizens training themselves to be journalists. To others, it's people who look around them for the stories that they want to see covered and take it upon themselves to do so.

I think often it's someone who is in the right place at the right time to cover a story that may not wait for a journalist. I'm starting a new series of articles about citizen journalism today. I hope that it gets a few discussions started about what the term really means and how interested parties can become citizen journalists. Feel free to enter the discussion area and start a conversation of your own.

Posted by L. Shepherd

There are a lot of writers out there who dream about being published but don't expect it to happen to them. In the past, few people did have that opportunity, and far fewer had the chance at a worldwide audience. Online publishing has made it possible for anyone at all to become published. Besides writing blogs, there are many areas of online content that are open to freelance writers.

After leaving the newspaper world, I thought I'd never be published again unless I worked for another newspaper or had a book published. Not true! There are thousands of opportunities out there for writers to get their work published and to have it read by people all over the world. There's no reason to wait around- get to it and find out what your strengths and weaknesses are.