Are Bloggers Writers?

Sometimes there’s an underlying “elitism” within the literary community that suggests that bloggers are not serious writers, or that we don’t work as hard at our craft as those who solely embrace the title of “writer”.
Not true.

I’ve been blessed to have the best of both worlds.
Long before blogging became the “new black,” I earned pay for my say as a columnist, copywriter, feature writer and award-winning poet.

And I must admit, contrary to popular opinion, blogging can be harder and more time consuming comparatively speaking. It all depends on the nature and scope of one’s projects, and the type of blogging.
Consider this.
Blogging is by nature very competitive, as there are greater numbers of people who pursue it collectively than other genres.

So to stand out and stay in the mix, you’ve got to bring your “A” game. On the regular!
Additionally, even after conceptualizing your post, penning it, then posting it, your work is still not done. You’re not home free yet, my friend.

You still need to interact with blog commenters, promote your pieces through social media sites, pitch guest posts, all while prioritizing and balancing other creative projects. Oh my!

In fact, today’s post was not originally on my “to-do list”.
Rather, it was inspired, as a result of a conversation with another writer, who in discussing our projects, insinuated that her work was more involved and more valuable.
Maybe. Maybe not.

The whole situation sort of reminds me of how some in the field of academia view substitute teachers as “hired help“ rather than credentialed professionals who provide a very important supportive role.
But, that’s a whole ‘nother post, people. :-)

Don’t get me wrong; there’s a difference between recreational bloggers and those who are professionals. And those who don‘t know the difference “need not apply“.

In the words of disco queen, Donna Summer, “I work hard for the money. So hard for it honey.”
And many bloggers do.
Don’t get it twisted, yo! :-)

What say you? Are all Bloggers writers? Is Blogging to be considered as seriously as other genres of writing?