Whenever I get asked what I do for a living, the answer of being a writer evokes two main responses. Either I get a polite nod, which means they consider my answer somewhat above "bank robber" but below "actually employed" or I get an eager look from somebody who wants to know how to become a writer. This is usually followed by a request to read something, often a poem.

Being a writer is a form of gainful employment. Would-be writers generally ask me questions about writing. I am almost never asked questions about the business of writing.

The business of writing separates the sheep from the goats. A writer who sees her writing as a business can actually make money in the field, even pretty decent money. A writer who sees her work as her passion, her creative outlet, or her hobby generally does not make money.

Writers who want to support themselves writing need to stop thinking and talking about writing and focus on the business.

If you want to earn a living as a writer, you have to sell what you've written. One way to do this is to get a job at a corporation as a writer. You may not realize it, but most large corporations (and many smaller businesses) have full-time writers on staff. You may wind up writing manuals or reports or brochures or web content, but you can write for a living.

Just about any organization that puts words on paper, whether in shareholder newsletters, annual reports, product manuals, ads, strategic plans, and so on has a need for writers.

Freelance writers can also write for businesses but instead of being on staff, they work from their own office. Some companies contract writers to do writing work on-site for specific durations or projects.

Landing freelance assignments from businesses can be pretty lucrative work but you have to know what you're doing. Businesses tend to be sort of humorless about deadlines and quality of work. A freelancer working for businesses needs to maintain regular office hours, answer the phone professionally (don't let your toddler grab the phone before you), and have all of the equipment businesses expect. This means you need e-mail, business phone, and fax line. It doesn't hurt to have a website, even if it's just basically a business card online.

To start looking for work at businesses you should first try to network. Referrals are a great way to get jobs, but you need to start telling people about your services. It's easy to start with folks you know. From there, expand into people whose contact information you can get.

You can prepare a simple mailing with a letter introducing yourself and your services and contact information. Send it out to businesses in the fields you'd like to work for. Mention any special expertise, training, or background you have.

As an example, let's assume you have written a newsletter for a dentist in your town; you can contact other dentists or physicians and tell them about your writing expertise in this "specialty." With the Internet, you don't need to be local anymore. If you can get permission from the dentist, send out some copies as samples to show off your work (called "clips").

Page 1 of 3 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 3 | Next