At last night’s panel discussion of “Writing about Technology for Consumers” at Yahoo’s sprawling complex in Sunnyvale, CA, the concern of writer’s for their own livelihoods was so strong that the panelists and 40-odd attendees never got to the announced topic. Instead, the writers present spoke about their anxieties about earning a living in a technological age that is changing so rapidly and sought advice about how to survive.
Tom Abate, business reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, set the tone for the discussion by pointing to the layoffs sweeping through the newsrooms of many prominent newspapers. And in his opening comments, he referred to the emerging concept of the “attention economy,” characterized by the fierce competition for attention in all sectors of life. “If you aren’t familiar with the concept,” he said, “Google it.” The irony of his advice, delivered in the bowels of the Yahoo campus, underscored his meaning.
Wired Magazine’s Senior Editor Nancy Miller fueled the anxiety level by mentioning the vast quantities of free information that’s available on the internet. Readers don’t want to pay for their information anymore, she declared, hedging her comment with the observation that Wired is doing just fine, thank you. Further, she lamented that those of us writing content for websites are paid much less than traditional print journalists, if we are paid at all. That’s a frightening reminder that in many sectors of the US economy wages are falling, rather than rising. Rather soberingly, she also shared that Wired, when buying content, acquires all rights for publication “anywhere in the universe,” assuring us that that language is expressly in their contract.
Technology writer for the Los Angeles Times, Jessica Guynn, observed that established newspapers and magazines differ in the emphasis they place on moving content onto their websites, adding that all publications will simply be forced by market trends to put more of their content online.
Janelle Wang, co-host of ABC7’s View From The Bay, hammered home the point that content, in her arena anyway, must be direct, to-the-point and instantly clear. Otherwise, her viewers might stray away.
A concensus about several strategies for writers seemed to emerge, though no one explicitly brought the insights together from the rambling discussion.
First, today’s writers need to recognize that they must grab the readers attention, not in the first chapter, the first three pages, or even the first paragraph: they must lasso the reader with the first sentence, two at the most. Why is that? Because readers are increasingly browsing through long online lists of articles and book reviews, pausing at the headlines that attract them and reading the “balloon summary” or the RSS feed clip, seldom more than 50 words if even that. If you do not get their attention immediately, readers will pass on by, noting the article as “read” just from its initial words — “speed reading” on steriods.
Second, to survive, writers must become “vertical specialists,” choosing a narrow topic or two about which one will establish a reputation for authority. This specialty will become the writer’s “bread and butter.”
Third, today’s writers need to learn how to create material at various pricing levels. Much of what we write will be sent out for free, to create an identity. Some will be written for online pubication at reduced rates, while other pieces can be targetted at higher-paying print publications. And, finally, if a writer has selected a specialty with an audience hungry for authoritative content, then higher rates can be charged for print-on-demand books, e-books, newsletters and other narrow-cast publication outlets. [One attendee shared that she began blogging for free while unemployed, eventually attracting an out-of-the-blue book deal. When queried about her topic, she admitted that it was about her sex life. For sake of time, we didn't press for details.]
The two-hour panel discussion, with a wine and snacks buffet spread before and after, was co-sponsored by Yahoo Tech and MediaBistro. The discussion was moderated by Patrick Houston, Vice-President for Content and Programming, Yahoo! Lifestyles.
[With this post, you'll see that I'm finally heading back to my home base after a productive 5-week research journey through archives and libraries in the Philippines. I will again be posting on a more regular basis in a few days, once I no longer have to search out internet networks that I can plug into.]
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