(Originally published in 2017, slightly updated)
This question came up in a Facebook discussion … what IS the difference between a writer and a blogger?
As someone who has blogged since February 2006 and was a print writer before that, here was my answer:
A writer writes.
A blogger:
- Writes
- Shoots photos
- Shoots video
- Operates online publishing software like WordPress, used on this website
- Knows how to distribute and promote her/his work to email subscribers, via social media, and using savvy SEO (Search Engine Optimization.)
Crummy writing is still crummy writing. You have to be able to write your story or be informative in a compelling way, with rich vocabulary and a narrative flow that makes sense, but the blogger skill set is much larger. It has to be, given the demands of today’s digital content platforms.
Even though I never imagined having to learn how to be a better photographer, or having to hone some basic video skills, it is a necessity if I want to reach people when publishing online. Video in particular is not easy for me; I have to push and push myself to keep shooting, get better, and create in both vertical and horizontal formats.
I’m happy to say that I’m a writer, but I’m even more proud to call myself a blogger.
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When I shared this post on Facebook, one of my friends and fellow writers felt that I hadn’t given proper credit to all that goes into good writing.
She noted that “It is difficult enough these days to receive respect for any sort of intellectual work. Perhaps you did not intend it that way, but to me your words come off as disparaging the work of those of us who are known as writers….Perhaps we could agree on ‘differences of gifts but the same spirit’?”
Here’s my response, so the discussion doesn’t get lost on a social media thread instead of being anchored to the original post, Old School style…. 🙂
I responded,
“When I started out as a freelancer in 2006, I learned to introduce myself as a ‘writer’ because no one seemed to know what to do with a ‘blogger.’ There was very little appreciation of the skill set involved in blogging/online publishing, and the demands have only grown over the years (I never thought I’d have to figure out how to shoot video or become a much better photographer.)
It’s a little better now, but many of those who do not publish online really have no idea what goes into it, so I decided to lay it out as simply and clearly as possible.
Anyone who appreciates writing knows that a TON of work and skill goes into that simple sentence in my post, ‘Writers write.’ I did not want to get sidetracked into that; I wanted instead to shine a light on all the other things you have to do in order to really rock online publishing, as opposed to pure print work.
There was no intention to disparage anyone, although if any pure-print writer still has his/her nose in the air about blogging, I’m happy to tweak that nose. 🙂
I do love to see print writers and book authors like Susan Orlean, Anne Lamott, and J.K. Rowling show their stuff online, and especially on social media, where their writing skills and turns of phrase really shine in pithy updates and spontaneous conversations that haven’t been run through an editor.”