Contributed Post
A lot of people simply stumble into jobs. They go to school, get a degree and they take the first job offer to come their way without giving this career choice a second thought. That doesn’t happen with writers. You don’t fall into writing; writing pulls you in. Sometimes that can be in your 40s or later, however, sometimes people are lucky enough to know they are writers from a young age and go to school to study some form of it. But leaving school with a writing degree doesn’t mean you will become the next AA Gill or WHH. A career in writing needs to forged and fought for, tooth and nail, and relentlessly. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t writing careers to be had, good-paying ones too.
Copywriting
Becoming a copywriter in the advertising industry can be demanding, and that’s because it is a blend of marketing, journalism and media. What will you be writing? Well, that can change each day and sometimes five times a day. It will all have a promotional outlook, but the form it takes can be brochures, websites, slogans, billboard taglines, direct mail to subscribers, catalogues, scripts for tv spots and so on. Depending on the company you write for – whether that is as a full-time employee or as a contracted freelancer – you will have to adjust your voice to suit them and their target audience. This could be upbeat and quirky if it is a creative ad agency, or down the line and corporate if it is for a big business in the financial sector.
Bid Writing
A lot of writers don’t believe this is a viable option because the term ‘bid writer’ is so elusive. However, most employers with a bid department are looking for people with strong written skills able to produce tender responses that fit with the product or service they are selling. These often pay well, really well, but due to the fast-paced nature of bidding the hours can be long and unpredictable.
Blogger
You may be thinking that this isn’t a career option that will produce much in the way of money, but you’d be wrong. Writing your own blog may not start out as anything but a time-eater, however writing blogs for other people who have achieved success can be financially rewarding. Most pay between $5 and $10 for a 500 word blog. The internet has exploded with a need for bloggers and content writers, so why not jump on board.
Author
We know this is the dream, and we mentioned the likes of AA Gill and WHH. Well, the latter started out as a self-published author, with his debut book becoming a number 1 best-seller. It is all about finding your niche, writing a book that people will buy, getting a good book printing quote, and marketing it yourself. The risk is high, but if you have landed yourself a steady freelance writing gig, chances are you can write and market your personal book in the afternoon. That’s the end game right? Books.
