Career Opportunities in Writing


"If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." Isaac Asimov

If the above lines are true for you, then for sure, plethora of opportunities await your undivided attention in the writing field. The art of writing is unique to every individual. We all have our own ways of expressing our emotions, thoughts and feelings in writing. For a writer, expressing something from his deepest corner of heart has a great spiritual significance. Good writing skills are an asset for people who're looking for various making a career in the writing field.

Much of the writing jobs in the past couple of decades were limited to the print media. But, with the dotcom boom, online writing has created a new legacy of its own offering numerous opportunities for people to test their writing skills. Becoming a writer for full-time is not possible for everyone unless one is willing to take the risk to become an author. There are some extremely lucky mortal souls (including me) who have landed in a profession that is quite similar to their hobbies; however, not many of us get the opportunity to work as full-time writers.

An Overview of Careers in Writing
To get into the writing profession, you don't have to follow a fixed path. In fact, there is no fixed path to land up in a writing job. Though you may graduate or postgraduate in English literature, linguists and similar writing related fields, you got to have the inner passion and creative ability to pen down your words on paper. Nevertheless, much of the print and electronic media is dominated by people who have prowess of expression that can shake the world. If you've got the wit, humor, vocabulary, critical observation sense and love for writing, you can select any of the numerous career options for you.

Journalism
Journalism is a large-scale practice of reporting incidents, events and happenings within a state, nation or all across the globe. Defining Journalism in the limitations of this content is next to impossible. Journalism jobs include newspaper reporters, news channel writers and columnists for variety of magazines and newspapers. If you have an eye for detail, critical analysis ability, then you can take a master's in journalism degree from some good arts college and step in this challenging field. Your writing skills like clarity of thinking, summarized information and research abilities will be tested at every step.

Blogging
Blogging is a favorite pastime for many people who wish to pursue writing as a hobby. All thanks to the search engine Google that it is now possible to earn decent money by blogging. Though blogging can't be called a full-fledged profession, it can be a great self - employment tool, if you have the passion to present authentic content on the Internet. Some of the most popular blogs like, the Art of Manliness and Zen Habits have redefined the art of blogging. By targeting a specific niche and some SEO efforts, you can certainly increase the chances of making your blog rank better. It is not possible for every blog to gain world-class success but certainly, if you're willing to work upon it, no one knows what future beholds for you.

Author
Have a tremendous flair for writing short stories, poems, fiction, non-fiction, romantic stories? If yes, then you can author a book on your own. Now, this is true that every writer at least once in his lifetime thinks of writing a book, no matter how unrealistic the objective may be. Being a full-time author again can't be called a career unless you succeed in it. This means that unless you don't dole out a book or two that is recognized in some literary circle or is appreciated by a large-scale audience, you may find it hard to continue in the same profession. Nevertheless, if you have thought of side income plans and you're willing to take the risk, it is worth to give it a try. But don't be unrealistic. To become a published author whose work has the caliber to receive critical acclaims, your concept must be appealing and different. And be ready to face the pain of running for good publishers.

Freelance Writing
Freelancing jobs have become a side income for a large number of housewives and people who stay at home. In freelance writing websites pay you for writing contents on their websites. Based on per article basis that may stretch to 600 - 700 words generally, a freelancer writer can earn good money.

Copywriter
In the field of social media and advertising, copywriter profession is of immense important. Copywriters are talented individuals who work in advertising agencies and they're the people who use the power of words to move the masses and promote an idea, business or campaign. Copywriting is one of the best opportunities for those with creative bent of mind.

Content Writer
If you love research work and you like to present information to readers in diverse topics, then you can pursue content writing jobs. Many websites offer paid writing options. Obviously, the content of your writing must not be plagiarized and it must be researched well. Content writing and SEO optimization have become an extremely commercial oriented market in the recent years.

Technical Writer
Technical writing is a part of online content writing wherein writers are expected to give information about latest technologies as well as help companies in publishing research papers for business and trade magazines of companies. Technical writer has become one of the most growing jobs

Script Writing
Flair for creativity can help you to become a script writer. Some of the most amazing movies that you watch with excitement are backed by strong scripts. It is the work of scriptwriters to add life to words and dialogs. One of the most difficult fields to survive and success is never guaranteed. Good contacts and right education can do the trick for you to sell your scripts to established TV producers or directors.

Since writing and editing go hand in hand, good writers can also become web editors or online editors earn a decent pay. Those who're employed as full-time content writer or online editors can expect to earn anywhere between US$20,000 to US$50,000. Readers must remember that earning potential in writing is never fixed and it all depends on a large number of factors. Moreover, it is one of the most difficult industries to survive as you really need to connect to your readers. Online content writing has nevertheless given a boost to many jobs in writing and you can look forward to them as your profession.

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