Good Writers Wanted.

Good writers are not only in demand, but have been especially needed since the advent of digital content websites 20-some years ago. And the need is growing. Just look at all the freelance writers making a better living today.

Today Content is King. There will always be journalists and freelancers, but these days journalism, storytelling and technical (factual) writing have merged, creating huge readership markets for new topical articles, magazines, journals, special reports, manuals; all clear and personable writings on thousands of different, even specialized, websites. Today, there are over 933 million, and increasing at the rate of one per second per "Internet Live Stats," a website itself. Like facebook, and even blogs, some have over 100 million users. Versus U.S. in print newspapers with circulations of over 70,000 subscribers each, which total 100. The largest circulation is the Wall Street Journal with almost 2.4 mil. (Wikipedia)

When I worked for both for 6 months each in 1969, for the two Trenton papers, there were only two types of writers: byline journalists and ad copywriters, who were kings, along with magazine article writers. Oh, and add in AP and UPI (since 1907). First I worked in circulation at the Times, driving a small truck or station wagon to deliver bundles of papers, in a loop of stations from Hightstown, to Levittown PA. Then their weekly paper could be 35 pages thick, not the 22 they are in 2014. I also handled circulation's "gifts and prizes" to the newspaper boys, as incentives, to increase their 5 cent per paper paychecks; much higher now, for delivering fewer papers door-to-door.

I drove a truck for the Trentonian as well. I had the run of both papers buildings, seeing the huge operating presses and hearing their pounding, swooshing noise, and touching the 6 foot tall and wide rolls of newsprint stacked 5 high in the Times warehouse. Sunday papers especially, and weeklies to a lessor degree, had "booklets" of  inserts --  flyers and supermarket ads spouting local sales, whom ruled the day. 30 or 60 minute TV news, always a big deal, and radio news shows that lasted only minutes, mostly announcing weather reports, later followed by traffic reports, garnered larger and larger audiences.Compared to 5 to 7 pm news shows, on the same station, today.

But all that has changed. Let me give an example of this explosive need for GOOD writers.

Take possibly the oldest and premier Information Technology hardprint magazine, COMPUTERWORLD. Only it existed, it seemed, years ago. Before popular PC and PC World Magazines and the subsets like Information Week, Federal Computer News and dozens (hundreds?), of others. Like CW has morphed today, all have free (paid for your clicks on ads, like all sites), or subscription online versions. And look what you now get to feed your IT interests: whitepapers, webcasts, newsletters, research centers, magazine, topics, reviews, opinions, events and even jobs. So much written content required! That's just from CW.

And to blow your mind, I subscribed to hundreds of Energy and IT news sites, and email subscriptions for my past business, RR Energy & IT Consulting. All free online. All also offering free online webinars, and I partook in as many as three every week.  And even more, 10 CW daily emails, individual separate newsletters! And five emails daily from Network World alone, etcetera.

If you don't believe me yet, check out Marty's recorded interview today on Radio Times on WHYY-FM, 10-11 am, on this very subject.Not the first time they've discussed the new online business model for newspapers.

My point is proven. For the past few years Content is King, and will continue so forever, as the world's knowledge discoveries grow every second. Our brains continue to expand and rearrange themselves to keep up (impossible). New forms of expression (art, photos and videos like TED Talks or Soul Pancake's) are all exploding also.

Keyword: Expanding, like the universe. Exploding.

Non-stop unless we annihilate ourselves first with pollution. 

So I encourage you to write well. Learn Elements of Style, practice, even if you print when you "write," and learn keyboarding. Share your writing with others in free writing groups, or if wealthy, inundate yourself with hundreds of paid writing, freelance and publishing classes. Look at Writer's Digest's for example.

You'll have a great job for life. But only if, a big IF, it's good.


by Rodney Richards, copyright 2014

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