Publishing Online

10.01.2014 | in Tips | by Benjamin Sullivan

If one thing is true of the internet, it's that the people who populate its forums, visit its websites, and consume its media are the driving force that make the platform interesting and valuable. The users of the web are legion, and they hold the power to bring any publication prosperity or chaos, in more ways than were ever possible in times dominated by print. That’s not to say that the voice of the people was any less important - simply that their words didn’t echo quite so loudly or so far. As a result, writing has had to adapt to the times, and the writers who are equipped to produce novels may find publishing online to be quite an alien sibling.

First and foremost, it may benefit the uninitiated 'web writer' to actively ignore the common misconceptions of writing for the web, that include styling your content for those in a hurry, dampening written word with galleries and video, or dropping the humanity to meet specific keywords or phrases. The focus should be on creativity and an effective workflow, not factoring these requirements into the production of content - at least not without sufficient demand. Not everyone is in a hurry while they browse, oblivious to all but images, or dedicating their reading queue to the top hits on a Google search. These staples are arbitrary until your readers have proven otherwise. Direct your efforts on generating useful content, and optimize based on real results.

Once you come to understand the effect that user feedback can have on the reach of your work, you'll see the only truth of writing successful web content that matters: your audience is going to determine your fate. Readership and genre will consistently influence the shape of content for web writers, and here's why: where groups of people with varied interests once gathered to consume traditional categories like fantasy, romance, news etc. there are now hubs of writing that have been custom-built to deliver specific interest-driven content. The internet has given everyone an accessible voice to announce their demands, and a bevy of platforms to consume highly customized information. The unique intricacies of your readers have never been more valuable to you as a writer, and to capitalize on those preferences will be to succeed where others stumble

Consider the most popular modern online publications you know. What makes them a hit? I’d wager that it’s a combination of meticulously crafted content based on community feedback or research, and industry-recognized contributors (likely labelled as such as a result of delivering on the former). This might mean publishing stats, change-logs, breaking news, opinion editorials, reviews - every inch of your relevance will depend on what format and information your audience wants to see on the regular, and how well you can give it to them. Indeed the focus has shifted away from who can deliver that customized experience the fastest (or at all) and onto who does it best. That’s where the conversations will occur, and that’s how you win when writing for the web.

The sooner you acknowledge that it’s OK not to write the sensational piece that highlights your journalism degree and puts you on the map, the sooner you can get started pushing out the good stuff and building what your readers really want. Never before has there been such an abundance of tools at the ready to help you craft a winner. All you need to do is spend the time asking your audience for the blueprints.

• Web Content
• Web Writing
• Web Communities