by Michy Lynn

Created on: September 22, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

In the internet age, many business models are changing to accommodate the technology and habits of consumers who now acquire the majority of minor research and information by using the internet. There aren't many industries that have not been impacted by the exponential growth of the internet.

I am a writer and editor, and honestly, if it weren't for the internet, I probably wouldn't be able to do my job, or at least, not the way I currently do it. I would not be able to work in my slippers and robe with no make-up and my hair piled up on my head, that's for sure.

Years ago, freelance writing was rarely used, usually opting for staff writers. When freelance writing was used, it was special assignments, or you had to have a live contact in person. With the explosion of the internet as one of the largest forms of content, information and entertainment exchange, even newspapers, magazines and television now have some type of an online presence that has either replaced the traditional venues or added to them.

Some die-hard freelance writers still adhere to the old models of writing, expecting to be paid up front, or at least be paid upon publication, and demand certain rates that have been traditional of the freelance writing model of the past.

Now, however, with outsourcing of jobs, cheap content available all over the web, and keyword articles reigning in the content side of the internet, the entire freelance writing model has changed - and some people are not willing to change with it.

Granted, there are still traditional publications that pay in advance, or pay upon publication, and which do not require a writer to promote themselves or their content, but this is happening less in the field of freelance writing than ever before. Even major publishing companies that publish novels and books are now asking writers to submit marketing plans along with their manuscripts.

Why?

Because this on-demand technology that the internet affords us means that the pool of writers from which any particular publisher can choose is even more diverse and much larger than it ever has been. People who did not have "connections" in the past now have easier access to communication and writing tools.

With that competition comes the need to prove yourself to any given publisher, whether they pay in advance, upon publication, or through page views and ad revenue on internet sites. Quality writing takes a backseat to the ability to promote and sell that writing to consumers - but if you

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