 An iPad screenshot of the USA Todayfree e-version I had a conversation with someone who isn’t in the publishing industry recently and we covered the typical acquaintance topics: Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it? Are you from around here? What do you do for a living?
When it was my turn, I told him I’m a writer who probably edits more than he writes because of the changes in the industry. He tilted his head, so I explained a few of the changes. Why pay for a print magazine or newspaper subscription when you can read the same articles online for free? He nodded. “But somebody still has to pay those writers. And I don’t understand why, but readers who were willing to pay periodic $20, $30 or $50 subscription fees for print versions of magazines and newspapers are unwilling to pay a single penny for e-versions. Somehow, a switch hasn’t flipped in their brains yet – the one that says, ‘I’m paying for content, not a piece of paper I’m going to recycle tomorrow.’” “So what does that mean for a writer like you?” he said. “Journalists who are staffers live in constant fear of losing their jobs – many already have, and for the ones who remain, they often have to produce the content of two writers,” I said. “As a reader, you’ll probably see more ads and fewer pages. The math has to work for them to keep the doors open. “For freelancers like me, it means fewer paying markets. I was the sports columnist for a newspaper here in town, but the paper shut down a few years ago. I covered sports for a magazine and it only lasted nine months. I covered high school sports for another newspaper here locally and they cut their rate to the point that I couldn’t accept any more work. And the major daily in town gobbled up all of the small-town newspapers in the vicinity and they share content, so they don’t need as many writers (guys like me). ” “I had no idea,” he said. “Not many do, but I’m not pessimistic. Instead I’m trying to re-invent myself – much like everyone else in the industry. But as difficult as this time is, it’s also a great time to be a writer. We have fewer gatekeepers than ever before and independent publishing is a viable option for entrepreneurial-minded authors. I waited too long to think this way, so I’m slowly making the shift now.” ***** Yesterday, author Philip Yancey addressed the changes in the industry on his blog in an article called Farewell to the Golden Age. He has a rather cynical view because the old way (walking into a book store and purchasing a book) is dying and it’s the only way he has ever known, but if you are looking for an overview of what has taken place, his post is a good place to start. **** New Links to Lee’s Articles: A kinder, gentler Manny Ramirez (SB Nation) – includes an anecdote about how he treated one photographer at a minor league game recently and how that type of treatment is a picture of who he has become post-scandal(s). Why the PCL HR leader isn’t an All-Star (SB Nation) – for the diehard minor league baseball fan with a curious mind. The PCL announces ’14 All-Star team (SB Nation) – a list of all thirty Pacific Coast Leaguplayers bound for the Triple-A All-Star Game in Durham, North Carolina on July 16. Comments are closed.
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