The other day I was reading an article from Jennifer over at CatalystBlogger, and it got me rethinking about an issue that comes up from time to time. That is the difference between writing for print media versus writing for online. That wasn’t the focus of her post (her post was about setting your freelance prices), but it was something that came up in the comments.

Although some writers would argue that writing for print should be the same as writing for the web, the reality is, it is different. That’s not to say the same care and commitment to quality shouldn’t be there regardless of what you are writing, but the requirements for magazine articles is not the same as articles for web sites.

Unlike magazines, which have marketing budgets to attract readers, most websites rely on their articles ranking well on the search engines. As a web writer, you have to be able to write for people, while at the same time giving the search engines what they want. You need be able to work in the requested keyword phrases enough times that the SE’s will notice them, but also do it in a way that the article doesn’t appear clumsy and repetitive.

When you’re writing for print, you focus on the content of the article; you don’t need to concern yourself with keyword density. You get to focus on building your article, and focusing on the content. that’s not to say writing for print is easier. Most web site articles don’t require close to the article length that you need to provide for print. Most web site owners prefer short, sweet, and to the point. For issues that are more complex,, you may be writing several smaller, more focused articles.

The web does provide many more creative outlets and opportunities to work on your craft. There are numerous sites that allow anyone to write, post, and hopefully earn a few bucks. It is a great way to practice your writing, and build up a few clips in the process. Many print editors want to see what you’ve done in the past. It’s the age old Catch-22; you can’t gain the needed experience because you don’t have any experience. Writing for the web will give you an opportunity to get your foot in the door.

Is one easier than the other? That depends on the project. Print does tend to pay more, but the web tends to pay faster, and it is easier to find work It’s not about one being better than the other, just be aware that they’re different. Figure out what your good at, and what you want to do, then strive to do it well.

Check back at Writing a Better Blog for more tips on building your blog. If you like what you’ve read, give me a link, a Digg, or a Stumble. There are links on the right make it easy for you. Thanks for reading.

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