How to Approach the Learning Process as a Writer

Writers are learners. When you write for a living, you need to constantly be learning or else you will simply run out of things to write about. Most writers embrace the learning lifestyle. They want to discover new things. Some writers explore one or two areas in depth while others hop from subject to subject, learning a little and then moving on. There is no right or wrong when it comes to learning a little about a lot or a lot about a little. The choice is up to the writer.

If you do want to explore a new area in depth, there are ways to do this that will make approaching a new subject easier. There are many ways to start. Some people learn by reading. Some people learn by listening and watching. Some people learn by actively doing the thing they want to learn about. While any of these approaches can work when you want to learn a little about a subject, you will need to embrace all three if you want to develop a deep understanding of a subject.

Write as you learn

The important thing to do, as a writer, is to write about your learning process. Take notes about what you read and what you do. Record your story or book ideas. Express your thoughts as you go through the learning process. Doing so will put you ahead of the game when you start to try to make a living writing about the new area. Preparation always pays off in the end.

The reading approach

The quick and cheap way to start is with the web. Find blogs and other web sites that discuss the subject and read what they have to say. After that, you should invest in one or two well-regarded books on the subject. An introductory textbook is always useful, and they can often be found used through sites such as Amazon.com. See if the subject has any dedicated magazines, and subscribe to the most useful ones.

The watching and listening approach

Some people prefer to learn by watching and listening to others. People who like to learn this way should consider taking classes or purchasing video and audio guides such as documentaries and lectures. Apple’s iTunes store has a section called iTunes U which is filled with college level lectures on hundreds of topics. You can watch and listen to podcasts that are, for the most part, free. Another option available to writers is the interview. Find knowledgeable people in the area you want to learn about and interview them. This is a way to write and sell articles while you are still learning about the subject and will allow you to make valuable contacts in the area.

The action approach

The action approach is simple and direct. You learn by doing the thing you want to learn about. In many cases, this is the only way to truly get a feel for a subject. If you have never snowboarded, then all the reading, listening and watching in the world won’t make you a snowboarder. You have to actually go out and do it. If you want to write about something, you shouldn’t just do it. You should join groups of other people who do the same thing. Make connections within the community of people with similar interests. Embrace the activity.

Put them all together

To move beyond the basics, you need to use all of these approaches. Read about the subject. Interview people. Take classes. Listen to lectures. Join groups. Go out and get active. Just remember to write about it as you go.

Demand Studios is NOT Evil

Do you know what I’m sick of reading? I’m sick of reading articles about how freelancers are underpaid. I’m especially sick of reading articles that point a finger at a particular company or website and accuse them of causing the problem. No one caused this. If you want to point a finger at anyone or anything, point it straight at the Internet. The Internet made it possible for anyone who can put a sentence together (and plenty who can’t) to be a writer. Some created their own blogs (like me). Others became freelance writers.

Everyone is a writer

Writing isn’t like engineering or chemistry. Most people know how to write. There are people who write especially well, either because of training or talent, but there are millions of people who can write a basic article or blog post that is good enough for the Internet. Some of those people aren’t out to make a living as a writer. Their day job pays well enough or they have other means of support. They just want to get published. Others realize that they need to become better writers if they want to make a living. They take less money so that they can develop their skills as well as their portfolios. You can complain about these people all you want. It doesn’t matter. They aren’t going anywhere.

Companies are in business to make money — Shocking!

On the flip side there are companies that cater to these writers. Demand Studios is one of those companies. Demand Studios has clients who want articles written for them. Some of those companies are major players, others are small businesses and a few are fly-by-night dreamers. The client tells Demand Studios what kind of article they want written and Demand Studios then finds writers to write the articles. The pay is not high, but it is far from the worst in the industry. One of the key complaints against Demand Studios is that their editors are strict. Writers are frequently told to make rewrites and edits. For some reason, these rewrites are viewed as onerous. The prevailing complaint is that they pay far too little to expect so much. Because of this, many writers refuse to do the rewrites. This is viewed as a fault of the company rather than the writer. The company is too demanding. They should settle for less or they should pay more. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.

The bottom is where people start

For most writers, especially the inexperienced beginners who are attracted to low-paying assignments, a strict editor is the best thing they can possibly hope for. They need to have someone guiding them. Having a good editor is like having a free writing instructor. The editor isn’t just fixing your article. The editor is teaching to become a better writer. Not all editors are great. Strict doesn’t always mean good. Some Demand Studios editors may suck. The wonderful thing about freelancing is that you don’t have to work for someone you don’t want to work for. If you don’t like writing for someone, stop writing for them.

You choose who you write for

As I said earlier, Demand Studios has many clients, both large and small. They have those clients because they provide quality articles for low prices. If the prices were higher, they might lose clients. If their articles were of lower quality, they might lose clients. This is their business model. I don’t write for Demand Studios. I don’t write for them because I have clients who are willing to pay me substantially more money. I have a high paying specialty (software documentation), fifteen years of experience, a graduate degree and some really terrific contacts in the industry. I don’t need what Demand Studios offers (although I often need a good editor). On the flip side, when I was twenty-two years old and trying to establish myself as a writer, I would have jumped at the chance to write for a company like Demand Studios. I wanted then what they offer now: experience, guidance and money. Unfortunately, that was twenty years ago, and the closest thing I had to the Internet was AOL on a 2400 baud modem.

More skills and experience equals more money

Don’t get me wrong. I would like Demand Studios to pay higher rates. A higher rate would attract (I hope) a higher caliber of writer and help create a better product. I also know that you can go on Elance or Odesk and find plenty of people who pay less than Demand Studios and expect more. That is the nature of the freelance writing world in 2009. The low end is far lower than it used to be, and there is more competition for even those jobs. The good news is that you don’t have to write for anybody you don’t want to write for. You can start your own blog and market yourself from there. I did.

I now have no trouble finding clients who are willing to pay me a substantial rate to write. It isn’t luck that got me there. I struggled for years. I made mistakes. I learned. I now have skills that most of my competitors don’t have. I have a strong resume that gets me interviews and offers. I’ve even gotten smart enough, over the years, to turn down offers when they aren’t right for me.

Move on, move up

If Demand Studios doesn’t feel right for you, don’t write for them. All I ask is that you give up on complaining about them or the people who write for them. Focus your energy on something productive. Go write something.