I brought a similar issue up on the latest podcast. But instead of clients taking the "just a blogger" stance, it was the issue of some writers (the "gurus" as Paula would put it) basically telling freelance bloggers there's some huge difference between "blog posts" and "articles" and that's why bloggers don't make as much.

Absolute BS. As I pointed out there, a blog post isn't a type of writing. It's any type of content on a blog, which is nothing but a type of publishing platform where content is displayed in reverse-chronological order. That's it.

Blog posts can be long-form articles, news stories, profiles, interviews, opinion pieces, reviews, and so much more.

Just because our work appears on a specific kind of publishing platform does not mean we should be paid less for it.

That's more true now than ever as more journalists get into blogging (even through major media outlets) and more bloggers get into journalism. The overlap is so strong these days!

So thank you for bringing this issue up. I hate seeing new bloggers assume that what they do isn't as valuable as what other writers do.

That's nonsense. And you covered all the reasons why beautifully in this post. 🙂

BUT I have had ONE case in which a client was talking about how he could get a "highly recommended English student" to write for $X (practically nothing) and I said, OK good luck with that (but nicer!). Then he admitted he was afraid it wouldn't be as good as a professional could do. So we kept talking. THEN he started haggling price even more when it came down to contract time. Red flags were everywhere! I don't know why I went through with it, but I did one project for them, which they loved. So now I'm working on a multi-project contract for that client.

I know that's a very rare case that something would work out well that started so badly, but stranger things have happened 🙂

Actually, I'm a regular reader. I know I should be leaving comments more often…

Keep up the good work. 🙂

Laura, great seeing you here! Sharon is the best. 🙂

There are plenty of cheap writers out there, so I guess that will always be a frustration.

But most of the time you really do get what you pay for when hiring a writer (or anyone really). I've found that those who complain the most about bloggers and have the "just a blogger" mentality are usually those who pay the least.

I love this post, and especially the part about bloggers getting airtime and being recognized as experts. Obviously this wouldn't be happening if bloggers had nothing to offer.

@Cathy, I'll join you in a Kumbaya 😀