My Multiple Writing Voices

I write this blog and a few web oriented things at the TV station. For the last few months I’ve also been writing for AppScout.com and Gearlog.com, both owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of PC Magazine.

Unlike my other writing, those two websites have an editor. Someone is looking at my work and making sure it passes muster.

It only took a few entries to figure out most of what Carol Mangis (my editor) wanted. I changed my voice and the structure of my writing to fit their website–but I’ve only changed it there. I’ve tried to leave my voice on this site as it was. It’s the literary equivalent of an actor performing in dialect, right?

This site uses very short paragraphs.

Carol likes longer paragraphs, which is what she gets. Posts for her also, contain, fewer, commas. I’m too free with commas. My tone there is more snarky and openly opinionated.

I find it interesting my own blog is less opinionated than what I write for others.

I’m not complaining. It’s actually fun to write for an editor. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I’ve often wished I had one here.

I had no idea I could adapt my style to fit someone else’s expectations. As with writing in general, there’s satisfaction in that for me.

Writing On The Side

I’m branching out and doing a little writing ‘on the side’ for Ziff Davis, the publisher of PC Magazine and other tech publications.

I’m branching out and doing a little writing ‘on the side’ for Ziff Davis, the publisher of PC Magazine and other tech publications.

My web posts will appear on gearlog.com and appscout.com, to name the two I remember off hand.

Here are my first posts: One on a free Photoshop book download, another on my little GPS receiver and a third on Animoto.

Why am I doing this? Trust me, it’s not the money!

Ziff Davis – Bankrupt

At the moment, I can’t think of one business sector in America that’s doing well or has a promising future. I’m sure I’ve oversimplified and one of you will point that out in a comment. But, by and large, business sucks.

I just read that Ziff Davis, the big tech publisher, has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They publish eWeek and PC Magazine, two big tech publications, plus a slew of others. They were the owners of TechTV, before selling out to Vulcan, which sold it to Comcast, which promptly folded it.

Somehow, ZD has a quarter billion dollars of debt. It always boggles my mind to find how deep in hock companies can get. Aren’t the lenders doing research?

Maybe I don’t want that answer.

When this is over, the company will have ‘only’ fifty some odd million dollars in debt… but those who owned 100% of Ziff Davis will then own 12%. Ouch.

At the moment, I can’t think of one business sector in America that’s doing well or has a promising future. I’m sure I’ve oversimplified and one of you will point that out in a comment. But, by and large, business sucks.

Among those doing the worst are print publications, which is where Ziff Davis comes in. The print business model seems very last century – though so do plenty of others.

Computer Shopper used to be a favorite magazine of mine. It was hundreds and hundreds of ad laden pages. Now, Kate Moss thin, I am dropping it.

In fact, I have allowed a few of my tech magazine subscriptions to expire rececntly. By the time the magazine gets to me, I already know what’s in it! The Internet has trumped pulp.

There’s some good news in all this. Business tends to be cyclical. Once the weakest players in an individual sector fold, or are absorbed, the remaining companies should thrive again.

That’s little solace to those cast aside in business closings and downsizings.

ZD won’t be the last bankruptcy we’ll be hearing about this year. It’s still sobering to hear an 80 year old business can get that deeply in trouble while staying pretty true to their historical core model.