Again for my lame college I interview Alison Agosti: Upright Citizens Brigade writer, twitter superstar, and tumblerrer. Also, she's waaaay into me. It's weird.
In your own words, how would you describe the market for writers these days?
Terrible. Sorry kid, we're in a recession. There's always boring copywriting, which pays well, but soul-draining.
Do you think you take on a friendlier tone with the reader when writing for the internet? Why?
No. I write mostly personal pieces on my blog, but I don't know how much my tone changes. It's more informal, more loose and obviously done for the sheer enjoyment of it, so there's that.
Do you think blogging helps writers find their "voice" and readership within the community of Tumblr? How has it helped you?
Yes! I think long-form writing and storytelling is the ONLY way to find you voice as a writer (duh). Blogging is instant gratification, and an easy way to cultivate an audience. Tumblr has a great community, and it has absolutely helped me meet other writers and like-minded folk. Plus, it's very user friendly.
What do you think is the reason people take more from the internet nowadays than they do from print (ie newspapers)?
It's more accessible, eco-friendly and most importantly: free.
As a writer, do you find it difficult to get your pieces published? Is it easier to get published in print or net for you? Why?
Print. They still pay way more and therefore still have old guys or friends that get hired more often. You can always write a piece and try to sell it after, but that means you're eating the cost up front and I can't afford to do that. Online sources are starving for content. I have editors that pester me for articles because I'm cheap and they need to have a constantly changing front page.
How does writing help you in your life?
Writing is what I want to do with my life. That's it!