Guardian Q&A

Email Q&A I completed for The Guardian Media section, although they didn't hang around to receive it before running a short column :(

Why should bloggers turn to you rather than sell their stuff directly and
commission-free? will you be able to get them better rates?

The vast majority of bloggers are unfamiliar with pitching editors, copyright, contracts, word counts and word rates. Everyone at ScooptWords has a combination of journalistic, editorial and commissioning experience. We believe we can take the donkeywork out of selling content for bloggers. We think 'if it's good enough to print, it's good enough to pay for'. We don't distinguish between journalists who blog and bloggers who want to be journalists. Quality content, fit for print, should demand a fair price regardless of the source.

What sort of quality control will you apply? presumbaly not all bloggers
can register - some of them might not be very good.

ScooptWords is open to all bloggers. Quality control comes in phase two when we begin aggregating content and presenting it to editors. We have teamed up with Tim Worstall and his NightCapSyndication service to do this. We will shortly be announcing a series of partners who will aggregate niche area content from the quality end of niche area ScooptWords member blogs. We want to keep ScooptWords open to all for one main reason: No-one knows where the next big story will come from, or who will blog about it. Someone blogging about their tapestry club in Tahiti might suddenly find themselves the only source on a major story. We want to give bloggers like that the same chance as the word savvy or journalistic elite to sell content.

Do you think newspapers and magazines feel threatened by blogging? or are
they just going to incorporate it into what they offer as the Guardian has
done?

Not threatened by blogging, probably more threatened by the shift of advertising money away from print and into online publications. There's this big myth about there being some big bloggers vs. journalists thing going on and it simply does not exist. Bloggers are now firmly part of the media scene. You only have to look at the visitor statistics of some of the popular one man, one woman blogs to see the audience for blogs is there. If anyone should be embracing blogs it's newspapers and journalists. It's revolutionary stuff. Nothing like this has happened since the Guttenburg press. The slowness of newspapers and magazines to recognise this will see the many of them disappear.

What do you think of this "hardcore" blogging notion that they should
somehow be distinct from newspapers, that they exist in a word apart?

Completely disagree. As I already said, bloggers, journalists, we're all part of the same mix and we both need each other. I can well understand the perceived value of bloggers remaining independent from newspapers and/or advertising. But there are a lot of blogs out there, a lot of different opinions and there are plenty of bloggers who are wannabe journalists. Bloggers who would relish the opportunity to see their name in print. We supply the bridge. It's up to the editors to cross that bridge. That's the great unknown. Will they? We think some will.

Comments

[Linda Jones]

Hi Graham.
I find your answers really interesting and encouraging - especially the last one.
I have a few questions.
How 'warm' have editors been so far about the prospect of buying bloggers' content? Are there any particular sectors of the media who seem more 'up' to the idea than others? How familiar is the team with different sectors of the media and what are you doing to 'crack' new markets?
I'm also interested in the legal side of things when it comes to libel, contempt and copyright, - do you foresee any problems in dealing with newer writers who haven't had any training in this area?
Will the rate for something that has already been 'blogged' ever be as good as something that is pitched as an exclusive to a paper and if not, will this mean that bloggers may want to go to a paper first?
Good luck with it all.
Linda

[Graham]

Still early days Linda, we've had a good mix of reactions from this, "No, not for us." to the "Hmmm, this could work."

You'll have to hold on for phase two when we push content and blogs to editors. We can't push anything until we know who and how many bloggers sign up and therefore want to be pushed.

Between us we've worked on national papers, trade publications, magazines, foreign corrs offices, books and corporate writing. Everything from Time Magazine to technical writing.

As for libel etc. Remember we are merely acting as a bridge offering a way for editors to purchase blog content.

As for rates, it all depends on what content and who wants it. Just because something is already blogged doesn't neccesarily make it any cheaper, although it's a fair point. Bloggers may well want to go to a paper first, that's not really where come in. At the moment we're dealing with what's on blogs, not what might be.

[Linda]

Thanks Graham. I do have a load more questions but as you say it's early days so if I watch with interest, I'm sure many of them will be answered. Okay one last one - what happens if someone signs up and actually you don't feel anyone is going to 'bite' - whether because of the quality of writing or for other reasons - do you have a standard "It's not one for us" response?

[Graham]

This is something we mulled over when we started discussing the idea - from as early as November 2005. We came to the conclusion that we shouldn't shut anybody out. Just because someone is blogging about their cat today doesn't mean they won't be the major source on a story tomorrow. Having said that, when we start aggregating we won't be highlighting cat blogs. And we won't approach cat blogs to sign up with us. Well maybe one or two we will :)