Interview With Steve
Outing
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
Steve Outing is the CEO and co-founder of Content
Exchange (www.content-exchange.com).
He's also a columnist for Editor & Publisher Online, Writer's Digest magazine, and The Guardian newspaper (UK).
He is the author of "Newspapers and New Media: The Digital Awakening of the Newspaper
Industry" (just published by GATF Press).
How did you begin writing for the web?
It dates back to 1995, when I began writing a daily column for Editor & Publisher Interactive, the then-new Web site for
Editor & Publisher magazine. My column was the main content for the site, and covered
trends and news in the new field of interactive newspapers. Back then, it was still considered
unusual for a columnist to write purely for the Web.
(Before that, I was a traditional journalist. Graduated with a journalism degree in 1978, and worked for newspapers and
magazines until the end of 1993. My last "real job" was with the San Francisco Chronicle, where I was graphics editor. I've
been independent since then, writing for a number of publications and Web sites, and running my own Internet content businesses.)
What are some of the differences between writing for online markets
versus print markets?
First, realize that there's a wide variety of online venues that one can write for -- and working for some will seem similar to
writing for print. Others will be very different. In general:
* Writing online means writing concisely and economically. Online readers (especially of consumer Web sites) tend to browse rather
than read, so you have to write in a style that gets them the information they want quickly.
* You'll have more interaction with your audience -- more e-mail letters; you might participate in online discussion forums after
publication, or in live chat sessions with your users. Your users will give you great feedback (more than print readers), and they'll
give you lots of tips about what to write about and what they want to know about.
* Deadlines are likely to be drastically shortened. I write a print column for Writer's Digest (ePublishing), and my deadline
is more than 3 months before publication date! That's hard for me to get used to, because I'm used to writing for the Web and
seeing it published immediately.
Are the pay and exposure comparable?
I think they're getting closer. Just as in the print world, the pay writers get from online venues is all over the place. You've
got your struggling online zines that might pay 10 cents a word. You've got quality online
publications that pay $1 a word. And you've got specialized content sites and corporate sites that
require specific expertise and are willing to pay high rates for it.
I've run into a lot of writers in the last couple years who switched from print to purely online writing work. Most of them
increased their income substantially by focusing on online clients. This is partly
because they've been able to find online publishers/sites with money to spend on content, and because
there's a lot of writing work available online. Obviously, there's a ton of venture capital money funding
dot-coms, and increasingly those companies are realizing that they need good content to succeed -- and they're willing to pay good rates.
Isn't it riskier, since many fledgling "dot.coms" never really get off
the ground? How can a writer spot a fly-by-night operation?
Absolutely, it can be risky working for dot-com start-ups. Writers need to do some homework and check out a potential online client.
Obviously, you don't need to worry about the big online names, but with an unknown you should find some of its previous freelancers
and ask about their experience getting paid. And with a new site, ask for an upfront payment, and get a written contract specifying
how much and when you'll be paid.
We cover this issue a lot in Content Spotlight, the weekly newsletter that Amy Gahran and I edit for Content Exchange. Here's an article
Amy just did on this very topic: Click
here.
How can a writer find work online?
Please pardon the commercial pitch, but Content Exchange can help. Writers should create a profile (free) in our Talent Database,
which online publishers use to find content professionals. We also have a classifieds area, where online venues post help wanted
announcements.
There are many job listings services on the Web, and some including online editorial and freelance openings. Watch sites like
Elance.com, Ants.com, and Guru.com, for example. There are also several journalism job boards on the Web, and they often have
online writing and editing openings.
Otherwise, I recommend simply surfing the Web looking for sites that are in your interest or expertise area. Then contact those
sites to see if they use freelancers.
Amy and I have written numerous articles about finding online content work. I suggest reviewing the article archive of our
Content Spotlight newsletter: Click
here.
What kinds of writing assignments are available for online "content
providers?"
That's really difficult to answer, because it's so broad. You can find opportunities for traditional journalism on
a variety of Web sites. You can find venues for fiction, or just about any genre of writing you can think of. In
terms of getting paid, writers might want to consider writing for corporate Web sites
or intranets. (Editors or content managers at those types of sites also produce e-mail newsletters that use freelancers.)
There's a LOT of that kind of work available right now, and the pay often is excellent. E-commerce sites
are another good paying market for editorial content.
Content is why people visit Web sites, so there is a demand for content and writing at every site.
Increasingly, Web publishers are realizing this and they are beginning to pay for original
content. Where the money earlier on in the evolution of the Internet went to technology, increasingly it is now moving to
pay for quality content. It's a lucrative time to be writer now.
What is the mission of Content Exchange?
Content Exchange is about helping writers and other content creators find paying online markets for their
talents -- and vice versa, helping online publishers/venues find content talent.
We also serve as a publisher of news, information, and analysis of the online content industry -- with our
weekly newsletter and daily weblog feature (E-Media Tidbits).
How is it going, and what do you expect from this venture in the future?
Content Exchange is a work in progress. We're about to implement a redesign of the site, and have some
other plans in the works. My goal is to make it the principal resource and information
publisher about the online content field -- serving an audience of content talent and online content publishers. We'll provide
additional services as funding allows.
Right now, about 900 people a day use Content Exchange. Our weekly newsletter goes out to more
than 4,000 e-mail subscribers. And we have nearly 1,800 talent profiles in our database (which
makes it a useful recruiting tool for online publishers).
Would you ever suggest that a writer work for free to gain
credits/exposure?
If early on in a career, sure, it can make sense. I'd urge writers considering this to create their own Web sites to
showcase their writing, rather than earn money for someone else. Some Web sites publish quality content
and are not in it for money, and it's appropriate to write for those for free if you believe in their cause. I just
wouldn't recommend writing for any online venue that earns money and takes writing for free.
Any tips for writing a profile that will get noticed?
You mean in Content Exchange? Provide lots of detail, especially about your areas of interest and expertise.
Publishers tend to search our database looking for something specific -- rather than all-purpose writers.
And make sure you provide links to online clips. Many writers fail to do this, and they get
passed over as a result. Online publishers seem to want to check out a writer before contacting them -- to make sure they
are good enough to warrant further investigation.
What trends do you see forthcoming in the world of digital media?
* The increasing primacy of content to Web sites. The Web is such a competitive space that having great
content is what sets your site apart from the rest. As more publishers shift more of their
resources to buying original content, opportunities for writers will blossom even more so than they have already.
* Wireless or mobile content. As the mobile Internet market heats up (in Europe and parts of Asia first, then
later in the U.S.), there should be new opportunities for mobile content (published
to digital cell phones with larger screens than we have today, and PDAs and tomorrow's e-book readers).
* As broadband Internet access expands, online content will move beyond just words. As content
creators, we'll all have to adjust and decide if we want to move beyond words. (Even
comic strips artists are facing this. Some of them are starting to experiment with animated strips, javascript mouseover panels,
etc.)
Any further tips for writers?
Educate yourself on the differences between writing for online venues and print. Read books like Crawford
Kilian's "Writing for the Web" (or check out his The Online Writer column, which
we publish in Content Spotlight). Read some of the articles about online writing that are in the archive of that newsletter.
Be careful about rights. Don't let online publishers have exclusive rights to your work, unless they're willing to
compensate you adequately for that. (Many Web publishers are new to publishing, and they don't seem to
understand the concept that a writer should own copyright to his/her work. It's up to
writers to educate these "newbie" publishers.)
Steve and Amy Gahran produce a daily weblog, E-Media Tidbits, with news and opinion
about the world of online content/journalism/publishing. Visit
it here.
