WRITERS MAKING A LIVING VIA THE INTERNET

More from the endlessly restless and energetic Jules Older (pic left by Effin Older) via his website Writer's Lifeguard

WRITER’S LIFEGUARD

And the hits just keep rolling in.

Travel writer and children’s author Christine Loomis brings us news from Denver:A small group of writers has formed to brainstorm this very issue.

Here's the bottom line from my perspective: I think the core issue on which writers will succeed or fail in this environment is partnerships. Yes, we all have to migrate away from print and create a presence on the Internet, and the best way to do that remains unclear, at least to me. But in the end, it's all about forging relationships--maybe groups of writers banding together, writers partnering with potential ad sources, maybe even partnering in some way (with writer integrity remaining intact) with industry folks. For travel writers that can be a slippery slope, but I think it may end up being the primary slope. I know one writer who has had a website almost since the beginning and was one of the early About.com experts. She does a lot of lodging reviews, among other things. In addition to Google ads on her site, she has links to hotels she recommends and through some vehicle (I don't know which), she gets $ if her viewers click through to the lodging and make a reservation. She doesn't recommend hotels based on that, she doesn't have any deal directly with hotels to be on her site, she just mentions lodging the same way she always has, except there's this vehicle for the reservation aspect.

Apparently all of the longtime About.com folks do this. What do you all think?

And England by way of Crete, writer and ex-editor David Kernick offers an appreciation or three. He’s an ex-editor because he quit when he couldn't get his writers paid. A tip of the toque to you, brother.

Yours, sir, was a good question; so good that I haven't anything remotely resembling a passably upbeat answer. I've been thinking about it while travelling to Greece and settling into my ever-so-long delayed gap year in Crete (and worrying about whether I'm going to be able to afford it; how come these guys think they put the same price tag on a cup of coffee or a jacket dry clean as you'd find in London or Berlin?).

Having located the best - and worst - bar, stocked up with Weapons Mass Mosquito Destruction (perhaps that was what Saddam had?) and sent messages home (Send money, and make it fast), I've read the responses you've had, and reckon that I don't need to chuck in my twopenny's worth, because Mr McKinley and Ms Shinn have said for me, and eloquently.

I figure what they figure. The Web problem, (I fear I don't see it as an opportunity) is perhaps the same as that posed by free so-called newspapers.

You give junk news and features away; an increasing number of people appear to be content with the 'product'; the market for quality journalism (stuff written and edited by educated adults) declines. With the Web, most publishers have not only signed but also sealed the industry's death warrant by giving away the good stuff, too, after which they wonder why people ain't buying it. As one of your respondents says, there have been blogs that have morphed into best-selling books.

The only examples I've noticed have been the alleged diaries of upscale whores in London and NYC. I don't have any hang-ups about erotic literature (as long as it's literate), but not everyone can or want to do it. Like Ms Shinn, I'm skeptical about brand-ism and all the jargon that comes with it. It may be that the only premium Web publishing is the one that was there right from the start in the old Gutenberg world: seriously high-grade information, analysis and comment (technical, scientific, medical etc) that people want, can't get anywhere else and are prepared big bucks for. Perhaps it's that or Debbie Does Dallas, and Delaware, and Des Moines and Denver, and ....

Gotta go; those WMDs aren't destructing.

Finally, it’s jules again.

Since I posted the original piece, I've made a decision and acted on it. No, two decisions.

First, I read — no, devoured — Tom Brosnahan’s incredibly generous http://www.writerswebsiteplanner.com/. I took his advice and began to stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like a publisher. That meant I'd soon start online publishing, hopefully for profit, either alifeofcrime.org or something based on it.

Then, I called the amazingly helpful travel-writer/photographer/online publisher/tele-coach Ellen Barone, http://www.ellenbarone.com/, who filled my head with useful tips on the multiple paths to Web success.

The next decision: whether to do it myself (which actually means using iWeb, iGoogle and the minds of my tech-savvy friends), or paying SiteSell/SBI to do the heavy lifting for me. SBI — http://www.sitesell.com/ — is a teaching tool, site-building tool and monetizing tool all in one; a Leatherman for websites. It cost me $299 for a year, and should you join, please tell ‘em jules sent ya — I think I get a small commission or a sincere handshake or something.

I joined SBI to save time and curse words, and to let me focus on content, not things that interest me much less, e.g. HTML, monetization, Google rankings, et al.

So far (I'm only on Day 3) it’s been interesting, frustrating, challenging and thought-provoking. Despite some organizational glitches (thus, the frustration), I think it will prove more than worth the investment. I’ll let you know.

Finally, here's a dose of courage, care of J. Cliff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGE4dnrPPZQ

Peace.

jules