Careers For Writers: Here Are The Main Options And Paths Available
*Collaborative post
You might think that there are only one or two careers available for writers and people who are passionate about writing. However, this is not the case and there are numerous possibilities available. Let’s explore some of the best options and see if they could be the right choice for you.
Published Author
This is the big one for most writers and often the dream goal. You might want to work as a published author. There are a few things to consider here though. First, most literary agents now want you to have at least two novels ready to go before they are willing to publish the first. Second earnings on your first novel are lower than you might expect and usually around $15,000. Third, it’s incredibly difficult to get a deal with a publisher these days. That’s why a lot of people are turning their attention to self-publication.
The benefit of this is that you do keep more of the profits however it does limit your chances of reaching a large target audience. Although it’s certainly not unheard of and a lot of authors have found success here. Particularly when they have been able to build up their own personal brand online before publishing.
Copywriter And Marketing
You might also want to think about working as a copywriter or in marketing. A big benefit here is that you will gain a lot of chances to flex your creative muscle. You definitely need to have a certain level of imagination to find success in this type of field. It’s important that you are able to create wonderful articles that are going to be able to sell products and services while capturing the attention of a target audience. This is a career where freelancing is particularly common. It’s unlikely that you will find a position where you can work fulltime. However, it’s not unheard of and there are businesses like this on the market.
Another great thing about copywriting or marketing is that you’re probably going to find there’s quite a lot of different subjects and topics that you’ll be working on. This is going to give you a varied workday which stops things from feeling boring or monotonous. You can also earn a solid income here particularly if you have a strong work ethic and you keep the quality of your work consistent. You should also have a certain level of skill in research too.
Higher Education
There are lots of careers available in higher education. The one you choose will largely depend on the experience and qualifications that you have. If you want to work in administration then you’ll definitely need to consider a doctorate. If you want to operate as a professor, then you will need a post-grad. However, it’s possible that you already have a post-grad related to writing or literature. If that’s the case, then you will be able to work as a professor and teach writing to students. This is a great possibility because it’s a career that provides a lot of stability. You will also still have time to work on your own creative writing projects. You can even incorporate this into your lessons while helping boost the next generation of creative writers.
Earnings are also high for those in this particular field or sector and there are also opportunities to advance your career. While you may start as a professor, you could advance towards administration taking on a large role in your chosen school. You could also claim key benefits such as tenure which is basically career stability for life. It’s a fantastic achievement and one that you should be working towards if you go down this path.
Blogging
You might also want to think about blogging. Through blogging, you can earn money once you are able to attract businesses for sponsored promotion or a wide enough customer base. Don’t forget that the most successful blog in the world is the Huffington Post and it’s worth billions. Now, you probably won’t reach this point but you can turn blogging into a full-blown career. The first step will be setting up your blog the right way and you will need to invest in marketing solutions. You will also need to make sure that you are keeping the quality of your content high. This is something to consider if you do decide to hire other writers for your blog. It’s important they are able to maintain your own standards.
Next, you need to consider what your blog is going to be about. There’s no wrong answer here. You just need to make sure that you know how to appeal to and reach your target audience. This is largely about ensuring that you are working to create a personal brand image around who you are and what you can offer.
Journalism
Finally, you might want to consider a career in journalism. Usually, to operate as a journalist, you will require both an undergrad and a post-grad, particularly if you want to take on certain roles. However, it’s perfect for people who love writing because that’s what you’ll spend the majority of your time doing. The rest will be based on research and completing interviews with key individuals for stories.
It’s worth noting that you won’t start off on a massive salary as a journalist. You will need to work your way up. You should also note that a lot of companies are not taking journalists on with permanent contracts. Instead, they are hiring freelancers and paying them for their services on short or extended freelance contracts. This means that you miss out on a lot of the benefits of being an employee, but you do gain more career freedom. You are not tied down to one particular job. You can take on as many contracts as you are able to manage. It’s ideal if you do need a certain level of freedom in your career and don’t mind taking on a certain amount of financial responsibility.