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Game 2: #4 Seed Confident Writing Versus #5 Seed Renegade Writer Blog

The Matchup

Today we have a first round face-off between fourth seeded Confident Writing and fifth seeded The Renegade Writer This should be a good matchup. The two blogs share similar goals, with both aiming to teach and inform as a way to help promote the writing-related services or products that each blogger offers.

Introductions

Confident Writing is the blog of writing coach Joanna Young. Because she is a writing coach, the primary goals of the blog are to help people improve their writing, find their voice and become more confident writers.

The Renegade Writer is the blog of Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell, who are the authors of a freelancing book called The Renegade Writer and another more recent book, The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock. The central premise of their book and blog is that many of the rules of freelancing are invalid and they believe there is a better path toward becoming a successful freelance writer.

Archives

Confident Writing

Confident Writing has archives dating back to April of 2007. Since then, the posts appear to come several times a week. Many of her articles address basic writing issues such as the use of apostrophes the splitting of infinitives and the proper application of bullet points. Other articles address more advanced writing issues such as the proper way to cut extraneous words from your writing, writing with clarity and even larger topics such as business writing. Confidence is, of course, a major running theme in her articles.

Result: Confident writing dribbles confidently down the court and scores a quick layup for two points.

The Renegade Writer

The Renegades have archives dating back to May of 2006. While there is the occasional flurry of posts, the general frequency seems to be about three to four a week. After two years of posts, that leaves them with a fairly substantial archive. The main focus appears to be advice, and they frequently answer questions from their community. The site does have an archive page, but it does not have individual articles. Instead the archive separates into categories and months.

Result: The Renegades answer back with a six- foot jump shot to score two points of their own.

The score is tied at 2-2.

Design

The Renegade Writer

The Renegades use a stock WordPress theme. It is reasonably attractive, and certainly a step up from the BlogSpot crowd. There is no major clutter to detract from the look. There is an advertisement for their E-courses, but the graphic blends well into the rest of the masthead so there is no real minus there. They occasionally run a graphic with an individual blog, but it is an exception rather than the rule. All in all it is a respectable, though unspectacular design. There are no real high points or low points.

Result: The Renegades shoot a ten-footer o ff the backboard, scoring another two.

Confident Writing

Confident Writing has a clean and simple design. While I don’t immediately recognize the theme, it looks like most standard blog themes. The masthead has the name and tagline, along with some key links. The right side contains links, ads and some social media widgets. None of it detracts from reading the actual posts. The posts themselves often contain pictures and other graphics that add to the look, but others are left to stand on their own, which is fine. Not every post needs a cool picture.

Result: Confident Writing drives to the lane and lays in another two-pointer.

The score is once again tied at 4-4.

Usability and Navigation

Confident Writing

On the usability front, Confident Writing has some nice things to offer. It is especially easy to subscribe to the site. You can quickly subscribe to a syndication feed, a standard email feed and a weekly digest. The only hole in their otherwise impressive list of subscription options is the lack of a comments feed. Confident Writing also offers podcasts, a guide to recent comments and the standard category lists. There isn’t a site map but there is an archives section. Unfortunately it is buried halfway down the page in a category called “Useful Stuff”. That archive is the standard blog build of a list of months and a list of categories. You are better off using the Writing Tips link at the top of the page. It will take you to some of the better posts.

Result: Confident Writing launches a three, it almost rattles out but just manages to fall in.

The Renegade Writer

The Renegades don’t deviate much from the stock blog template. You get all of the basic offerings such as a regular feed and a comments feed. Their archives section is easy to find, but is still the standard categories and months, with the addition of a calendar. They do have a section called pages and interesting links, but it doesn’t really lead to old posts, just things they want to sell you and other web sites they like. They do have one really nice tool, The Renegade Writer Markets Wiki , which tracks some freelance markets.

Result: The Renegades score two from the paint.

Confident Writing grabs a 7-6 lead.

Purpose

The Renegade Writer

The Renegades are up front in their sales pitch without being distracting about it. Their tagline says it clearly “You read the book … now read the blog. ” They also include an ad for “E-Courses for Writers” as a part of their masthead. The main theme of the blog is breaking the rules of freelancing when they need to be broken. Some of the posts address that very well, but there is plenty of standard advice as well, such as Beating Burnout Creatively, which gives fairly well-trod advice for dealing with burnout. The blog does have helpful articles for writers, but it also has posts that are promotional in nature. I have nothing against a blog that also wants your business, as long as they are upfront and reasonable about it, and the Renegades are.

Result: Two more points for The Renegade Writer as part of their steady inside game.

Confident Writing

Confident Writing’s Joanna Young is also upfront about the fact that she is offering her services as a writing coach. Her main, stated goal is to turn people into more confident writers, and she does so with a mix of practical advice and “Yes You Can” encouragement. Her posts each month run along positive emotional themes , which keeps the posts focused. The fact that she can weave so many elements into the basic premise of writing with confidence is impressive.

Result: Confident Writing finds it’s groove, hitting a clean three-point basket.

Confident Writing extends its lead to 10-8.

Personality

Confident Writing

Joanna Young isn’t just a writing coach, she’s a life coach, and it shows. Her posts are enthusiastic and affirming. With posts like, To My Muse: 10 Reasons Why I Love You, you don’t go to Confident Writing looking sober analysis or angry rants. Her posts are written in the first person and she will tell you about what she hopes for and dreams of. It is most definitely a blog that manages to give clear advice in the first person, which is a skill I’m still working on.

Result: Confident Writing scores on a finger tip role and adds a free throw after some incidental contact. Three points.

The Renegade Writer

Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell do give their opinions and often write in the first person. Unfortunately, I can’t really tell which one is writing without looking at the name, and the blog does not come with an option for selecting just one person view their articles. Overall, the blog does have a personality, but with a name like The Renegade Writer, I feel as if there should be more.

Result: Another two-pointer. This is starting to become a habit with them.

Confident Writing starts to pull away, 13-10.

Five Most Recent Posts

The Renegade Writer

Kudos for Elaine Grant’s E-Course

This is a sales pitch. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it won’t get you to the top either.

Thank God Something’s Gone Wrong

Guest writer (and now Renegade travel writing instructor) Alison Stein Wellner tells of a recent disaster on a trip to India and how she turned it around to benefit her as a writer. It’s a nice little article that made me wish I could hear more about India.

Breaking a Broken Rule

This piece is about the rules of freelancing and how you can break them. In a double switch, she follows one of the rules that she normally breaks. It plays to the central theme of the site and is a good piece.

10 Things I Learned While on Assignment in India

This is my favorite of the five articles. It is about Diana Burrell’s adventures and misadventures in India, and comes complete with a few rules that should be followed (not broken). It has the most personality of any of the posts. I would suggest that she try to incorporate her adventures in India into more posts. It is a unique way to approach the material.

Do Your Own Thing

This posts goes back to the rules and discusses the “image” that some people have of a freelance writer and the fact that you can do whatever you want. It’s an ok piece, but the image of a freelancer they think most people have doesn’t sound remotely like the image I have, so it does not really engage me.

The oldest of the five posts is eight days old, so you can see that they are keeping up a steady stream of new articles.

Result: The articles on India almost got them into three point territory, but the rest just didn’t impress. Their toe was on the line. Two points.

Confident Writing

Group Writing Project Reminder And Other Goodies

Much like the Rebel Writer, Confident Writing takes a time out for a little self promotion. It also discusses how she dropped the ball on this week’s podcast. That was a missed opportunity.

Are You Inspired To Be An Authority?

This is a substantial post about the benefits of authority. She lists the reasons to be an authority writer but I do feel like she misses a central point, which is that authority doesn’t just come from confidence, comes from experience and knowledge.

Inspiring Words That Connect Us Together

This is a response to a meme in which she lists her favorite quote. There isn’t much meat to it.

What’s The Opposite Of Inspire?

This is another quick post in which she lists some of her reader’s thoughts on what the opposite of inspire is.

Feel The Fear And Podcast Anyway

This post refers to a podcast interview. Some highlights or a transcript would have given it more value.

The oldest post is six days old, so she is putting out plenty of material.

Result: With a solid lead, Confident Writing takes it easy down the stretch and pulls up for a five-foot jump shot. Two points.

Final Score: 15-12

Post Game Analysis

The Renegade Writer is a classic mid-level blog. There are no real low points or high points. The writing is solid but could be a little better. The design is attractive but far from unique. The sales pitch isn’t distracting, but doesn’t add anything either. It is a good but not great blog. Confident Writing shows the difference attention to a few details and personal touches can make. There is more attention paid to usability and purpose, and that gave it the edge.

What They Can Work On

The Renegade Writer

Their stock theme is an attractive one. I once used it for a blog (not this one) myself. It has a lot of limitations though, and is not very customizable. I would suggest that they either spend some money on blog design or look for a more adaptable stock theme. I would also suggest that they play up their “rebel” status a little more and try some more daring entries.

Confident Writing

A better archive page would improve both the usability and my opinion of her archives. It’s a two-for-one improvement. The design could be a more attractive as well. It is perfectly usable, but lacks the polish of a big-time blog, which I think Confident Writing could be with a little improvement in the daily writing and a little less emphasis on sales.

Tune in next time when we get to watch third seeded The Copywriting Maven take on sixth seeded Be the story.