Ever marvel what the distinction is between writing an article and writing a weblog put up? It’s a subject that comes up rather a lot when folks first begin asking how one can change into a contract author. Moreover fashion and analysis, you is perhaps stunned by one of many key variations between blogs and articles.
There’s a number of confusion on the market within the freelance-writing world about weblog posts and articles. Additionally, about what every of these forms of writing ought to pay.
A number of years in the past, I bought a number of response to my name for freelance writers to cease writing weblog posts. Many writers had been confused about simply what the distinction is.
So let’s focus on. As a result of issues have modified. And understanding the variations between these two writing kinds will enable you to earn extra.
Writing an article vs. writing a weblog put up
For years, weblog posts and nonfiction articles had been distinctly completely different:
| Weblog Publish | Article |
|---|---|
| Largely your individual opinion | Your opinion not allowed |
| No interviews or analysis | Has interviews and analysis from credible consultants and analysis companies |
| Quick | Longer than 300 phrases |
| Constructed round search engine marketing key phrases | Key phrases not vital |
| Good spelling and grammar non-obligatory | Spelling and grammar are impeccable |
| Informal writing fashion | Extra refined writing fashion |
| No editor concerned; self-published | An editor cleans it up for you; revealed by a print journal |
| Freelance pay charges often very low; a lot work within the $5-$20 per piece vary | Pay charges from $0.10-$1 a phrase and up |
Then one thing occurred, and over the previous few years, the traces turned blurred.
Weblog-article convergence
Over time, weblog posts began to get extra like articles. As a bazillion blogs crowded the Web, the bar started to lift.
Weblog posts started to have extra interviews. They offered fascinating knowledge. Posts bought longer as bloggers sought to face out and ship extra worth, till 1,000 phrases has change into pretty customary, and a pair of,000-word posts should not unusual. search engine marketing key phrases’ worth lessened as Google cracked down on keyword-stuffed content material. Additionally, as blogs bought extra skilled, many employed editors.
On the article-writing facet, there was additionally motion. Many print magazines started posting copies of their articles on-line. All of the sudden, journal headlines wanted to drive site visitors, identical to blog-post headlines, and headline types advanced. They revealed extra opinion-driven items from thought leaders. Some additionally put up blogs the place they let writers hit the “publish” button on their very own.
Wordcounts shortened for print, as advert income migrated on-line. Some magazines went online-only. Their fashion bought breezier and extra informal.
To sum up, the 2 forms of writing started to merge into one. Definitions bought squishy, and now there’s a number of confusion.
Besides about one factor: Weblog posts are likely to pay crap, and articles are likely to pay higher.
Consumer confusion
Uneducated shoppers who don’t actually know these two kinds have been busy muddying up the dialog about them for years. That’s made it arduous for writers to outline writing tasks and bid them appropriately.
There are many shoppers on the market who name the 300-word quickie posts they need articles, however nonetheless need to pay $5 for them.
There are additionally many purchasers who’d such as you to put in writing 1,000-word weblog posts with two interviews and a analysis stat, however they’d wish to pay $20 as a result of it’s a weblog put up.
Your job as a contract author is to chop by the bull and get to what the task actually is, then, discuss what that task ought to actually pay.
How writers can earn extra writing an article or a weblog put up
The actual fact is, shoppers are at all times going to attempt to get issues low cost. It’s as much as writers to coach shoppers about what they’re asking for, and what’s truthful pay for what they need you to put in writing.
The excellent news is, the convergence of weblog posts and articles ought to supply writers higher pay alternatives. Weblog posts are rising up, they’re more and more not the ugly stepsister of articles. So that they must pay extra just like the articles they usually are.
But it surely’s as much as the author to take the steps to capitalize on this modification within the market.
Some recommended steps
- Outline it. When a shopper tells you they need articles, or they need weblog posts, ask them to outline what they imply. Are there interviews concerned? What number of? What’s the piece size?
- Sway them. Promote them on the concept what they need is taken into account an article by professional writers. It’ll immediately increase your charges. Make your case for why it’s an article and never a weblog put up
- Promote articles. Once you’re speaking to shoppers who don’t fairly know what they need, promote them on the concept you need to be writing an article for them, somewhat than a weblog put up, if they need their content material advertising to achieve success. Share the information of how Google is frowning on brief keyword-driven posts
- Promote weblog upgrades. If they need posts for an current weblog, promote them on the worth of taking their weblog to the following degree, to extra of a reported-story, magazine-type really feel, and what that would do for his or her repute and visibility
Writing an article vs. writing a weblog put up: What to cost
The place most writers are fortunate to get $100 a put up for weblog posts (and I like to recommend you attempt to make that your flooring for weblog writing) article charges are often a lot better. I’ve written many at $300 to $500, and lots of extra at $600 to $2,000, relying on size and complexity.
Many smaller every day papers pay within the $75 to $100 vary for brief articles, however have the benefit of providing you with extra spectacular clips to your portfolio. You additionally get the bonus of studying to report a narrative, which lays the groundwork for getting better-paying articles in future, from companies or magazines.
Getting the win
The actual fact is, articles and article-style weblog posts convey extra authority. They impress extra of your shopper’s clients. The tasks will probably be extra profitable, and people shoppers will probably be extra prone to rent you again to put in writing extra. It’s a traditional win-win: you possibly can cost extra in the beginning, and can seemingly find yourself getting extra work from the shopper, too, as a result of they’ll be happier with the outcomes they get.
This all units you as much as go after better-paying journal markets too, when you’ve got that aim this yr.
Do you’ve got recommendation on article writing vs. weblog writing? Let’s focus on on Fb.
