Offline vs. online writing
Laura Spencer, over on Writing Thoughts, began an interesting discussion about the profitability of writing for online ventures vs. offline ventures. She noticed that many commenters assumed offline writing involved querying magazines.
I have a different take on the definitions of offline and online writing.
I consider online writing to be:
- A business transaction that takes place almost entirely online, whether it’s magazine or blogging. You email the prospect, discuss rates and deliver materials via email, and rarely talk on the phone (if ever). You don’t meet in person. And pay is conducted via PayPal.
On the other hand, I consider offline writing to be:
- A transaction that is mostly offline. You cold-call the prospective client, snail-mail a query or whatever, and then talk to them on the phone, meet in person, and deliver the materials in person or via snail-mail. Pay is via check.
Personally, I’m finding I do a combination of both.
My latest client needed help rewriting a website, and I initially contacted them via cold email. But then we met in person to brainstorm, and I was paid via a snail-mailed check. I emailed the finished work.
I actually consider this an offline client. I was paid my standard rate.
I’ve found that when I apply for blogging jobs or situations where the client lives in another state (so it will likely be mostly online), the pay seems to be substantially lower (more than half as much).
What about you? What are your definitions of online and offline writing, and have you seen a difference in pay rates?
Copywriting, Writing | Theda K. | November 1, 2007
Thanks for linking to the discussion. I guess by online writing I meant writing that would ultimately appear online.
Whenever i thought of online and offline writing, i never took into consideration the manner by which you would get paid or make initial contact. These are some good criteria that, now after having read them, seem to really help distinguish between online and offline writing.
I only based it on the medium for which i would be writing; whether it was an article in an actual magazine or content for a website or other online publication.