Friday, November 02, 2007

On an attempt to classify Content Writing

I have broadly classified it into two categories; here we go:

1. You dedicatedly work on a particular topic. The advantage of this job profile is you get the opportunity to master the subject. With time you become an expert in that field and working becomes easier. Continuous reading, study and research enrich your knowledge. Chances are high that you will become indispensable for the organization because of your expertise and you can start using your knowledge in different kind of work there. You may contribute towards development and planning too.

However, the disadvantage of this process is: you do not get familiar with different writing styles. What I feel is: different domain of writing have different protocols. The site that sells 'Chinese Pearls' pitch their products in a polite and romantic voice, whereas a 'Business Solution Developer' shows a much professional and modern attitude. So if you work for the 'Chinese Pearls' website you are missing the writing style used by the 'Business Solution Developer' and vice versa.

2. You get to work on varieties of topics the way most freelance content writers work. Here the advantage is you get the scope to know varieties of writing styles. Added to that, as you need to do study the subject before writing to make an idea about the way things are spoken in the field; a larger aperture of exposure is what you get. But here the problem is: you do not become master in any topic though your writing style and capacity to learn become much much sharper.

What is ideal?

Well, there is nothing known as ideal! It may sound odd I know. Actually, what is ideal for me may not be worth considering for other. However, if someone asks me about my opinion I would suggest the second option for those who are starting their career as a content writer. For a fresher or a person with little experience of content writing, I would suggest jobs that involve working on varieties of topics first and get used to with different styles of writing. Then you can choose your own domain of work and shift to the first scenario.

It's completely my own opinion; let me know what you think!

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Can I call it Information Writing?

I think I can. Content writing, developing content for website – whatever you call it, you are actually providing your viewers with the right information they are looking for. It may be about any service or product or anything else; but it is Information for sure. So before you start writing on a topic it's important to get acquainted with the subject. Otherwise you may end up skirting the theme.

No one can expect that a content writer would know the topic he has been asked to write about. The thing that is expected is the writer would do some study in his own way, digest the topic and then start writing. Good and reliable resources are must for writing good content. As I said that it is nothing but pouring Information in your articles, without good resource it becomes not only difficult but impossible.

So a freelance content writer who follows this strategy of writing and always deliver quality articles, may not be satisfied with just $2 per 300/400 articles. Writing on a completely new topic demands lots of time and energy. So articles buyers beware, by paying less you are compromising with the quality of articles. Hence, to get quality articles, offer more.

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