Weblogs, electronic publications maintained as online journals or interactive discussions, have become so popular that as of August, 2008, blogs received 77.7 million unique visitors in the United States, according to Technorati, the blog-tracking site.
Because they are created and maintained by their owners, they allow their authors to bypass the complex submission, distribution, and marketing processes utilized by traditional print publishers. Writers once needed to submit work to an acceptance editor or agent, and then hope for the best. Today a “blogger” can release his/her work to the public with a few quick clicks on a keyboard.
The main drawback? Many weblogs contain errors in their texts, poorly formatted graphics, and malfunctioning links and media. The traditional publishing methods ensure that the material being released has undergone professional editing to improve its readability, formatting, and use of language to optimize the reading and usage experience of its intended audience. The informal nature of “blogging” requires that the owner of the weblog perform these functions, often with little or no training in the use of language, graphic design, and electronic tools such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language).
Clearly, electronic publishing requires skilled editing even as print publishing does, with special attention given to its features and functions that enhance its users’ experience. A blog post with no capital letters, that reeks of emoticons and “netspeak” abbreviations like “gr8” and “BTW” leaves its readers with a much different impression than a blog article containing proper punctuation, a clear, concise message, and correctly functioning links.
A well-written blog will reach out and grab its audience — a well-edited one will ensure that this same audience regularly revisits your site for updates.
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