Game 13: #1 Seed Writers Write Versus #8 Seed Publishing Careers
April 8, 2008 by J.C. Hewitt
The Matchup
It’s a fresh-faced rookie versus an aging veteran. Top-seeded Writers Write has been an Internet staple since 1997. Eighth-seeded newcomer Publishing Careers is only a year old. How do they compare?
Introductions
Writers Write
WW has been on the web for years, and for the most part, it hasn’t changed a bit. The look and feel of the site is almost exactly the same as when it began. The blog has a strong emphasis on news with some commentary.
Publishing Careers
PC, a blog by publishing veteran Lori Cates Hand, is a little different from many of the blogs here. The emphasis is on publishing and editing more than the writing process. Perhaps the topic is a little too far from straight writing, but at this point it should be a refreshing change from the copywriting, web writing and freelancing sites I’ve been reviewing for most of this contest.
Archives
Publishing Careers
PC has a little over a year’s worth of archives. The posting frequency kicked into high gear last August and has averaged about 25 posts a month ever since. The archives are available from every page via a widget that allows you to view articles by month without leaving the page. The blog has a fairly loose focus, blending articles about literacy, indexing, copy editing, cubicle life, career advice and publishing.
Result: PC puts up a three pointer based on frequency of posting and a solid interface for finding their best stuff.
Writers Write
While WW is ten years old, the blog itself dates back to July of 2004, which is still three and a half years. The emphasis is on news, such as publishing trends, new books, lawsuits, movie adaptations and quotes from writers about different subjects. Because of the news emphasis, some of the older material feels dated, but the site serves as a nice (recent) history of the writing world. New posts appear almost daily, so there are plenty of archives to wade through. In this case, the month-by-month archive listings make a little more sense, because chronology is a factor in the postings.
Result: WW answers with a three of their own.
Both teams start the game strongly, with a 3-3 tie.
Design
Publishing Careers
I have to give PC some credit for making the most out of a Blogspot template. The look is clean. The few advertisements on the site blend well. By keeping the design simple, PC avoids most of the sins of the Blogspot template nightmare.
Result: PC pulls up and shoots a two.
Writers Write
The WW blog faces two design problems. The first is that the blog is not the focus of the site. This means that it gets buried at the bottom of the front page underneath six different ads for various WW services and sponsored products. The second problem is that the overall design is a little odd looking, with the top of the page having uneven columns that give the whole site a lopsided look.
Result: WW scores a point from the charity stripe.
The underdog, PC, manages to take a 5-4 lead.
Usability and Navigation
Publishing Careers
PC has some nice usability features, such as a list of popular posts, the archive widget and a bookmarking button. The only real flaw is that they bury the feed subscription button at the bottom of the page.
Result: PC makes a six-foot jumper for two points.
Writers Write
WW has a major usability flaw. There is no comment feature for their blog. Without a comment feature, there is no sense of community. A second flaw is the placement of the blog so low on the page, forcing readers to scroll through a series of ads. There are some usability features such as feed subscription buttons, but overall you get the feeling that user experience is a distant second consideration to sales.
Result: WW picks up a point from the charity stripe.
PC extends its lead over the top-seeded blog to 7-5.
Purpose
Publishing Careers
This blog is aimed more at publisher / editors than writers. To me this is all part of the writing process, but the topic may be a little farther afield than some of the other blogs. PC includes interviews with writers, analysis of book marketing strategies and discussions about Agents. To me that is key writer information but perhaps it should have been left along with Freelance Switch on the almost list. PC stays true to its purpose, but the purpose isn’t quite writing.
Result: PC is limited to a free throw. One point.
Writers Write
The WW blog advertises itself as a writer’s blog without providing any deeper. The blog does have a fairly specific focus on writing news though, with a little room for commentary.
Result: WW scores a layup for two points.
WW narrows the gap, with PC leading 8-7.
Personality
Publishing Careers
Hand is not shy about giving her opinion and I find the opinion of someone in the publishing trenches to be very valuable. Far too many writers are blind to the realities of publishing, especially print publishing. While I don’t think the blog survives on the basis of Hand’s personality, I would much rather hear her opinions on this topic than read some bland how-to articles.
Result: PC banks a two-pointer in off the glass.
Writers Write
Some of the blog entries are opinionated and the opinions can be interesting, but I’m not even sure who writes this blog. There is no information on the author that I can find.
Result: WW scores a point from the free throw line, though I can’t for the life of me figure out who shot the basket.
PC increases its lead to 10-8. The crowd smells an upset in the making.
Five Most Recent Posts
Writers Write
- George Clooney’s Secret Battle With the WGA
- New HarperCollins Imprint Won’t Pay Author Royalties
- Roger Ebert Returns to Reviewing Movies
- New Giveaway: Set of Three Hot New DVDs
- James Patterson Unhappy With Bookstore Placement
Four of the five most recent blog entries are writing news. The other is a promotion for another (non-writing) site owned by the same company. The four legitimate posts are all focused and worth reading, but DVD giveaways can’t earn you any points in this competition.
Result: WW shoots a short jumper for two.
Publishing Careers
- More About Penelope’s Grammar Rant
- Not Another Grammar Blog!
- On Agents and Advances
- London/Moscow Plans Are Falling into Place
- “This Book Would Be Perfect for Oprah!”
PC has some interesting material about grammar pests, but On Agents and Advances is the post most writers should read. If you are looking to get rich in the publishing industry, I wish you luck, but the odds are against you. Hand also gives the details of her upcoming trip to Europe. That post isn’t about writing or publishing, but at least it isn’t trying to sell me something.
Result: PC answers with two points of its own.
PC pulls off a remarkable upset. The final score is 12-10.
Post Game Analysis
Writer’s Write is a good site, but it doesn’t appear to be fully committed to the concept of blogging. Its priorities are clearly elsewhere. Publishing Careers provides excellent information and makes the best of a bad blogging platform to give a good user experience.
What They Can Work On
Writers Write
Writers Write is probably satisfied with where it is. The site gets good traffic and most likely makes a lot of sales with its advertising-heavy pages. If they do want to change, they should embrace blogging fully. That means allowing users to comment and putting advertising in less obtrusive places, as well as letting people know just who id doing the blogging.
Publishing Careers
Anyone who has been following this contest knows that my first suggestion is for PC to move out of the blogging ghetto and get its own web site. At minimum, I suggest moving the subscription link to the top of the page if Hand wants more subscribers. There is valuable information here, and it would be nice if more people found the site and learned from it.
Our next matchup is between #4 seed Writing on the Web and the comment kings, #5 seed Men with Pens.
Hey! Congrats to Lori Cates Hand on the upset (. . . especially considering that she’s working from the “blogging ghetto” of Blogspot! )
[...] who’s next in John Hewitt’s March Blog Madness? Yes, that’s right. The Men with Pens go head to head against Writing on the [...]
Oh boy… got serious competition coming… WothW and Men with Pens. This is worth tuning in, folks!
[...] a first-round victory against a very strong opponent. Eighth-seeded Publishing Careers had the biggest upset of the first round when they took down a number one seed that didn’t bring its A game. MWP [...]