Web Writing Info

I ran across a post on the Warrior Forum the other day asking this very question. Why aren’t more writers marketers?  The response to this question in the thread ranged from “I’m trying!” to “There’s no way I’d want to market…writing is much better.”

I used to ask this question myself, until I started doing more marketing projects myself. After going back and forth on it for a while, right now I’m firmly in the “writing is better” camp for a few specific reasons:

-Instant Gratification - While marketing certainly CAN pay more in the long run, it doesn’t mean it will. I could spend a day or two writing a ten page report for $200 to $300 and have that cash for sure. I could spend the same two days plus several others on a personal report that *might* sell for that much in the long run.

-More Work - Internet marketing takes a lot of work. There’s a big learning curve if you just have writing skills under your belt. There’s the right keyword research, web design, autoresponder marketing, article marketing and a whole bunch of other things left to learn. It’s an education alright, and it takes time. If you don’t have the time, writing is the only way to go.

-Less Stress - Did my autoresponder go out on time? Is my site getting enough hits? Who should I joint venture with next? These are all questions that marketers deal with on a daily basis. When you write, you only have to worry about getting the writing done on time and well.

Don’t take my attitude to mean that I think that Internet marketing projects are completely useless, or that I don’t do them myself. They are definitely worth pursuing and can, as I mentioned, increase your income. And marketing online doesn’t have to be limited to Internet projects like products, blogs and the like. Marketing yourself online as a writer is important as well. Even if you don’t do “traditional” IM…you’re still in charge of marketing your writing business.

Perhaps the question shouldn’t even be asked at all. Perhaps all writers ARE marketers…at least the writers who consistently have people inquiring about their services.

Although I agreed with (most) of what the posters in this thread were saying, there were a few responses that made me seethe a bit. For example:

“Being a writer (for a fee) is a zero-leverage operation.

Building a business is a different thing entirely.

You can’t compare the two.

-Chris”

Wait a minute here! Writers don’t have businesses? I know the person who posted this is a very successful marketer, but I think he got this one wrong. Writing is most definitely a business. There’s no difference between the person who chooses writing over marketing or vice versa. It’s simply a matter of preference, skill set and taste.

Yes, running a service business has its challenges. When you want to increase your income, you’ve got to increase your output. But I’d argue that marketing is the same way. You can’t create one website and then let it sit there hoping it will turn a profit. You need to work at it consistently, just like you would with writing.

Any thoughts? Are writers and marketers different creatures? Is writing a business? Can you do both?