Are You A Blogger Or A Writer? You Can't Be Both.

Are you a blogger or a writer? There is a distinction. And you can’t be both.

Writers write. Bloggers blog. Is Seth Godin a blogger or a writer? He has one of the most successful blogs on the Internet, yet nowhere in his bio does he mention being a blogger. Well, you may say, he wrote books long before he wrote a blog. What about ProBlogger, one of the most successful bloggers out there? “Blogger” is right there in the name and in the first sentence of creator Darren Rowse’s bio: “… I’m a full time blogger.”  So he, Darren Rowse, must be a blogger, right?  No, he’s a writer.

What Makes A Blogger Just A Blogger?

Simple. Bloggers just blog. They get into blogging because it is an outlet: an online diary, a way to market themselves or their company, a way to vent their feelings about certain issues, or a way to share their opinions on certain products. There are no doubt other reasons why people start blogs, but the point is that these folks have looked to the blog as their sole outlet. The only channel they use to express themselves is the blog. This is what bloggers do.

Then What Do Writers Do?

For writers the blog is not their only channel. In fact, in many cases it’s not their primary channel of writing at all. Good writers have learned the power of a blog’s reach and have leveraged that to their advantage – an additional way to get their work out there in the world. Writers were writing before blogs came along and will write when blogs are no longer around.

But Bloggers Make Money, Right?

Blogging for dollars is a very hot topic and has been for several years. Can a blogger actually make big money? ProBlogger claims to make a decent living and tells others how they can do it,too. However, Darren himself claims after all is said and done that very few bloggers actually make a living at the venture. About 9% of bloggers he has surveyed say they make money. He should resurvey and see who among those 9% were writers before they began blogging. My guess? 100%.

Getting paid royally for writing a few hundred words a day in your pajamas seems like a helluva deal. What people who create blogs to make money are not realizing, though, is that simply writing a blog does not make you a writer, it makes you a blogger. Writers get paid and bloggers don’t. If you’re looking to make money as a blogger, you’re missing the point. What you’re saying is that you want to make money as a writer. Somehow that just doesn’t sound as glamorous and fun, right?

Ask yourself: Am I a writer…really? Have I ever been published outside of me clicking the “Publish” button on Blogger? Do I love to write or do I love the idea of blogging? It’s ok if you’re just a blogger, by the way, more power to you. Just don’t belly-ache about not making money at it or not having any readers. Only writers get money and readership.

Writers Know A Secret.

What writers who publish blogs understand is that blogging is not just about writing. It’s THE most important part, but what successful blogs like CopyBlogger understand is this: You need to be the writer, editor, distributor, and publisher all in one. Blogging is a business. Writing is the product, but you need marketing, strategy, process, and sales to make it successful. It is not for the undedicated or passionless. It is for the business savvy writer who knows power when she sees it. 

So, own up. Are you a writer or a blogger? Or do you have an opinion on this concept as a whole?

Photo credit: Benimoto

Comments

[Easton Ellsworth]

By these definitions, I hope I'm a writer. I strive to be a writer, an ideator. Someone who takes ideas and turns them into real things - words and blogs and better businesses. So, not just a blogger. Thanks for the thought-provoking post, Chris.

[Rick Wion]

I remember back in journalism school, a professor frequently said, "You are either a writer or a reporter. You can't be both."

This begs the question--Are bloggers journalists? Are journalists bloggers? As a PR pro, I'm continually discovering the answer is yes, but as with all titles and labels, there are varying degrees to which a person has mastered their chosen craft.

[Geekazine]

I agree on the distinctions, but I disagree with the fact that Writers cannot be bloggers and vise-versa. I write articles all the time. I also blog once a week on what has happened in life.

Why is "Blogger" such a bad term? It's like saying "Secretary" instead of "Business Assistant". Come on! Lets come down to earth and forget the stigma of a moniker.

"Writers get paid and bloggers don’t."

This is probably the one thing I absolutely can't agree with. All writers don't get paid, so does that demote them somehow?

There are bloggers that get paid, so they have to call themselves writers?

I'm positive there have been writers who wrote just for the love of it and never got paid.

This statement is just too specific.

[Sarah]

I disagree with you. I think you're right in that SOME bloggers who call themselves writers aren't, and vice versa, but what about the writers who have their own blogs (or full time bloggers who write novels/short stories/poems on the side) because they enjoy that outlet TOO. Can't we have 2 outlets? Or more? How about the writer who also paints... are they not both a painter and an author? Why do they have to pick?
A lot of what you say has to do with compensation, but a lot of writers don't get paid (yet) and a lot of bloggers don't want to... so why the distinction that way?

[Chris Bonney]

Sarah-
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your feedback. I posted a follow up to further clarify my stance. Not sure if it muddies the waters or clears them.

You be the judge.

http://chrisbonney.typepad.com/chris_bonney/2008/06/part-2-are-you-a-blogger-or-a-writer-you-cant-be-both.html

[Writer Dad]

If I'm committed to one, then I am a writer.