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 hold true for you, then for sure, a plethora of opportunities await you 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 the deepest corner of his/her heart has a great spiritual significance.

Most writing jobs in the past couple of decades were limited to print media. But, with the dotcom boom, online writing has created a niche of its own, offering numerous opportunities for people to test and use their writing skills.

To get into the writing profession, you don't have to follow a fixed path. In fact, there is no fixed path to land a writing job. Though you may have a graduate or postgraduate degree in English literature, you must have the innate passion and creativity to phrase your thoughts in eloquent, flowery, mellifluous sentences―much like this one, in fact!

The print and electronic media is dominated by people who have a prowess over verbal expression that can shake the world. If you've got the wit, humor, vocabulary, and a love for writing, you can select any of these numerous career paths open to you.

Journalism is the 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. Jobs in journalism include newspaper reporters, news channel writers, and columnists for variety of magazines and newspapers. If you have an eye for detail, the ability to perform a critical analysis, you can take a master's degree in journalism from a good arts college, and step into this challenging field.

Blogging is a favorite pastime for many people who wish to pursue writing as a hobby. Thanks to Google, it is now possible to earn decent money via blogging. Though it 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 popular blogs, like the Art of Manliness and Zen Habits, have redefined the art of blogging. By targeting a specific niche and by taking some efforts at SEO, 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 if you're willing to work hard on it, no one knows what the future might hold for you!

Got a tremendous flair for writing short stories, poems, fiction, non-fiction, romantic stories? If yes, you can write a book on your own. Being a full-time author can't be called a career unless you succeed in it, and the annals are filled by failed writers.

This means that unless you don't deliver 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 this profession. Nevertheless, if you have thought of generating some income on the side, and you're willing to take the risk, it is worth to give this option a try.

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

In the field of social media and advertising, copywriting is of immense importance. Copywriters are 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 a creative slant of mind.

If you love researching and presenting information about diverse topics, you can pursue content writing jobs. The content of your writing must not be plagiarized, and it must be well-researched and reliable. Content writing and SEO optimization have become an excellent commercially oriented fields in the recent years.

Technical writing is a part of 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.

The best movies are always backed by strong scripts. It is the work of scriptwriters to add life to words and dialogs. This is one of the most difficult fields to survive and excel in, and success is never guaranteed. Establishing and maintaining good relationships 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 and earn a decent pay. Those who are employed as full-time content writers or online editors can expect to earn anywhere between US$32,000 to US$73,000.

Readers must remember that the earning in writing jobs is never fixed, and it depends on a large number of factors. Moreover, it is one of the most difficult industries to survive in. Online content writing has nevertheless given rise to many jobs in writing, and you can choose them as your profession.