The Rise of the Writing Class

Every day vast quantities of new content are published to the Web; blog posts, Microblog postings, images, videos, films, documentaries, books…anything that can be translated digitally can be put somewhere on the Web using various types of instruments (thanks to Shannon Paul for her blog on “instruments” not “tools”.)

So in the Web economy we can safely say the adage “Content is King” rings true. Which got me to thinking that if “Content is King” then a truly good writer must be Emperor. A good documentary or film can live or die by the writing. A blog can die with bad writing. As can a proposal or a website.

Yes, anyone can write anything and put it on the Web. But the blogs, news sites, microbloggers and such that write well are the ones that truly get the eyeballs and the chance at monetizing their words. Some pundits have argued that the English language (and many other languages) are dying due to abbreviations in email, microblogs and txt messaging etc.

I argue quite the contrary. If you’re a wordsmith, you can shape ideas and opinions, spark discussion and debate. If you can’t convey ideas well and concisely, you lose the ability to gain an audience, unless of course, your audience is small and just some friends, then that’s fine.

Regardless, what you write is who you are. Writing therefore, is an art still and perhaps ever more so. Good blog writers like Chris Brogan, Beth Harte, Connie Reece, Shannon Paul and even topical writers like Benjamin Boudreau who writes about his Dachsunds gain followings because they write well. If they wrote poorly and without purpose and passion, they would have few followers (which in some cases is fine.)

If you want to be regarded as knowledgeable and gain attention in the “Attention Economy” then the best writers who wield words deftly and craftily will be the emperors.

Is this the rise of the writing class? Is being a good writer essential to online success?