Thad McIlroy - The Future of Publishing

The Elevator Pitch for the Future of Writing

 

Page Index

• Introduction to the Future of Writing
• The Practice of Writing for the Web
• The Web as a New Communications Medium
• Recommendations for Writers

Introduction to the Future of Writing

The nature of the writing profession has changed because of the Internet. Certainly there have been many media influences that have altered the nature of writing in the past, the distant past. The Web is by far the most profound in recent history. (Although email's role should also be considered in this equation.) I follow the master, Jakob Nielsen when it comes to thinking about writing on the Web. Nielsen's many papers on the subject are at the very least, provocative, at best, absolute models to live by when writing for the Web. The enormous effect that the Web has had on verbal communication has, in my opinion, uniquely influenced all other forms of written communication. As much as writing changes when the Web is the output medium, so too has the Web changed the nature of verbal expression in all media - a change perhaps equally profound as that found on the Web itself.

There's no question in my mind that the Internet and the Web have changed the writer's role in society. But how? Let's go back in the time tunnel before the Internet. Who were the writers? Mostly they were either journalists who published in newspapers and magazines or "authors," who wrote books. Plus a smattering of others. Writing has indeed changed.

The nature of the change in writing wrought by the Internet must be divided into two distinct segments:

1. How the Internet (or, more primarily, the Web) has changed the way that written communication is practiced.

2. How the Internet (or, more primarily, the Web) has changed the way that writing can be communicated. It is a new medium.

The Practice of Writing for the Web

As I noted above, Jakob Nielsen has, in my mind, become the definitive commentator on the subject of the practice of writing for the Web. His seminal essay, How Users Read on the Web begins with the very memorable words: "They don't."

Nielsen continues: "People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. In research on how people read websites we found that 79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word."

There are numerous other studies by learned observers that essentially confirm these observations (give or take). Google lists "about 539,000" entries to a search for "writing for the Web."

The general consensus is similar to Nielsen's: "Writing for the Web is different. Surfers often have short attention spans, so you have to grab their attention with graphics and great text" (Catherine Titta). Ms. Titta goes on to recommend "avoid narrative paragraphs whenever possible," the kind of advice guaranteed to make most professional writers cringe.

Melinda J. McAdams Tips for Writing for the Web points out that "a 100-word paragraph looks pretty long on a Web page. Long paragraphs send a signal to the reader: This will require effort."

And, of course, there are now numerous books available on the subject (Amazon.com has 48 listings), such as Crawford Kilian's Writing for the Web 3.0, which includes advice such as "use simple sentences," and "don't use extended metaphors."

The Web as a New Communications Medium

This site is devoted to the future of publishing. It would not exist except for the Web. As explored in numerous other sections of this site, the Web changed the way that all publishers communicate with all readers. The purpose of this section is to examine the implications for writers.

I explored above some aspects of the ways in which the Web changes the nature of how traditional communication is influenced when communicated via this medium. Just as important, if not more so, is how the Web has altered the means by which writers can reach their audience, and what form(s) those communications can take.

Blogs get much of the press. They have become so numerous that an early blogger of some repute, Jerwin Maximo (goluboy), wrote to me in late May this year "unfortunately, now that everyone and their Aunt Edna is doing the whole blogging thing, I'd kinda lost interest in it and am now seriously considering going against the grain by not having an online presence." He added that he may reconsider that decision...

But the "social media" - MySpace, YouTube, Flickr - amongst many others - have all grown from the Web as a medium we've not previously encountered. They're immediate, intimate and media-rich. They're interactive, and tend to spawn additional sites and communities as quickly as each new compelling site is created.

This aspect of "writing for the Web" is brand new, developing, and promising a fascinating and fulfilling future for writers. Equally true, they may pass like the wind (don't forget GeoCities, purchased by Yahoo for more than a billion dollars - where are those cities now?).

Recommendations for Writers

1. Look at the most popular Web sites and observe how they present both text and images.

2. Consider the interactive nature inherent in the Web. Few sites take advantage of the interactivity of the Web. Could your communication benefit from increased interactivity, or might it hinder your message?

3. Read blogs and then more blogs. Why has this form of communication exploded? What value do you feel that bloggers derive from their efforts? What does/could it mean to you as a writer?