How To Turn Your Love For Writing Into A Full-Time Job

If you have a passion for writing, then you can turn it into a full-time job. A lot of people have done it. But you have to want it first. Then, make sure that you can work on dreadful hours, like midnights, weekends, and early mornings. You may need to be willing to give up a few things first before you can give writing your full-time job. The payoff is worth it. It’s not difficult to get paid. You can choose an hourly rate or a fixed rate. Once you become a successful writer, you could be earning over six figures and you could do anything that you want.

But the question is...how to get started?

Get a degree

It can be any college degree. However, having a bachelor’s degree in journalism can surely help. Keep in mind that if you want to have a full-time writing job in a magazine, you need a solid education related to writing. You must also have proofreading and editing skills. And you can learn and hone them while getting a college degree.

Apply for an internship

Many companies in one of the best cities for writers can offer internships. However, they’re often unpaid. Nevertheless, they can provide you with a valuable experience. Apart from providing you an insight into the writing process, the experience will look good on your CV. Furthermore, some publishing companies give their interns a chance to work for them.

Build a client base

As you accept more writing jobs, never sacrifice quality for quantity. You should also choose your clients who are looking for a long-term working relationship. It’s an ideal way to build are more stable client base. So start investing your time with repeat clients and don’t focus your energy on one-time clients. But it can take some time. However, as soon as you found long-term clients, you must hang onto them.

Try any writing jobs

There are various writing jobs you can take. You can be a copy editor, a content marketer, or a digital marketer. If you’re good at content marketing, don’t just accept a job in that category. Instead, you must take invitations that require you to write SEO articles or website writing. Also, you should try new topics every day. For instance, if you’re good at technical writing because of your background, you must not be afraid to write about romance, health, and sports.

Email the client

If you come across a potential gig that you like, don’t hesitate to send an email. In your email, state your specific writing experience, who you are, and how your writing skills could benefit the company.  It’s just like sending a resume. After writing those details, make sure to encourage the potential client to interview you through a phone call or video chat. Some of them would say no. But others would give you a chance.

Never listen to people who said you couldn't be a full-time writer

As mentioned earlier, it’s not easy to venture into a full-time writing job. There are many obstacles that you need to face and challenges to win. But don’t stop achieving your dream. If there are people who said that you couldn’t become a successful writer, don’t listen to them. You’re already a writer the second you declare it.

Learn to accept rejection

Even expert writers get rejected. So don’t be too hard on yourself when some clients rejected your writing. If you received a crappy review, don’t stop. Instead, hone your skills and do better with the next writing gig.

Read a lot

You don’t know everything. But by reading about topics related to writing, it could help in sharpening your skills and make you an expert in your craft.

Create a website or a blog

Your website will be the online portfolio that you can show to your clients. Because you want to showcase your writing skills, you should consider starting a blog on your website. You don’t need to update it several times a day. The goal here is to have a website that showcases your best work. You can use it as an online business card.

Build a following

Apart from having a website, you must also start building a following by having a social media presence. You may consider your followers as your fans. If you could reach thousands of followers, then that would be better. That’s because the more followers you have, the better your chances of standing out from the crowd.

Develop a style

Although it’s perfectly fine to be a general writer, it’s ideal to find your niche and style. In this way, you’ll be motivated to do more, and lets you gain authority in a certain niche. Your niche doesn’t have to be extremely narrow. You can focus on broad topics, such as food, entertainment or sports.