This is a guest post by Jennifer Scott – [email protected]
Making a Career Out of Freelance Writing
Are you a student or postgraduate considering a career in writing? You don’t have to become the next Great American Novelist to earn a living wielding the written word, and an English degree isn’t the only pathway that will lead you there. Here are four other writing careers to explore while you practice your craft and hone your skills:
Blogging
Writing rich, informative, entertaining content that will be posted on business and professional websites can be quite fulfilling and lucrative, particularly if you enjoy doing online research and coming up with unique, creative ideas. As a freelancer, you’ll be writing blog posts for various companies on a variety of subjects, and you can even find your niche and specialize in certain topics. If you have a particular skill, talent, or passion you’d like to share, you can start your own blog, build a community and gain followers with SEO and organic traffic, and eventually make an income selling ads, through affiliate marketing, or selling your products or services via your website.
Copywriting
If you have your finger on the pulse of the latest digital and marketing trends, copywriting may be the ideal career for you. Copywriters are in charge of coming up with persuasive promotional content for printed ads as well as video and audio ads. Most businesses need copywriters to promote their goods and services, and since demand has been steadily rising over the past few years, you will easily find freelancing gigs either online or offline to start building your résumé and portfolio. After you meet a potential client, hand them a personalized business card that will leave a lasting impression and keep you top-of-mind for their next project. If you’re on a budget, you can design your own card using a free online template and letting your creativity take flight when it comes to your logo and company name.
Editing
If you have excellent spelling and grammar skills, and if you enjoy revising and improving content, you can find many job opportunities online for freelance editors. You’ll be able to work remotely, from just about anywhere, and you probably already own all the tools you need for the job. More than just a proofreader, the editor helps clarify and organize content to make it more reader-friendly. And depending on your assignment, you may also turn into a fact-checker to ensure the articles and posts you’re working on are factually accurate. With so much content both online and offline, editors will always be in demand, so you’ll never be lacking for a gig.
Technical Writing
Even if they don’t have a degree in English, literature, linguistics, or journalism, technical writers use their skills to compose manuals, white papers, documentation, and other materials that companies and businesses need both for their employees and their customers. So whether you hold a degree in IT, science, finance, business, engineering, or any other technical field, you have the potential to make a living as a writer if you know how to turn a complex subject into a readable, easy-to-understand format. Technical writing is definitely a market you should look into if you enjoy doing research and are a good communicator, and if you want to be even more competitive in that field, consider learning to use graphic design tools and software that will allow you to add images, graphics, and charts to your documentation.
You don’t have to be a novelist, a playwright, or a poet to be a writer. If you’re interested in writing for a living, find your niche and go after your target market. Many opportunities await, both online and offline, for creative freelancers like you.
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