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How to Become A Writer: 10 Modern Writing Careers
Always wanted to be a professional writer? From copywriting to screenwriting, we list 10 day-jobs for the modern wordsmith.
Vivien Luu
May 11,2015
If English was your favourite subject in high school and you’ve nursed vague dreams of being paid for your witty one-liners or clever story arcs, chances are you’ve toyed with the idea of pursing a career in writing.
If this is the case, there’s also a high chance that when you shared those ill-defined aspirations of becoming a writer with your high school career adviser, they immediately whipped out their journalism pamphlets.
Yes, being a journo is great. But there’s so much more to professional writing than working for the fourth estate. From copywriting to video games writing, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of writing jobs for the modern wordsmith.
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1. Copywriter |
| DESCRIPTION: | Copywriters work on the ‘creative’ side of advertising. They’re usually employed in-house or by an ad agency, and are paired with art directors to generate ad campaigns and write the accompanying copy. This might include slogans, jingles, TVC scripts and eDMs. |
| SKILLS: | Copywriters need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | Copywriters can specialise in:
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| TRAINING: | – AWARD School: Is Australia’s most prestigious school for advertising creatives. Tutors are hand-picked from the top ad firms, and candidates must submit a stellar portfolio of ideas to gain entry.
– Certificate IV in Advertising: Is a great course to study if you’re a professional writer by trade but don’t have an advertising background. |
| RESOURCES: | – Campaign Brief and AdNews: Comprehensively cover both Australian and international industry news.
– mUmBRELLA: Lists advertising jobs in Australia and covers industry news. |
| PAY: | $39 – $82k |
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2. Speechwriter |
| DESCRIPTION: | As highly specialised PR professionals, speechwriters help politicians and top-end business executives give powerful and compelling speeches. They often collaborate with their client and other media professionals to research the subject matter, define the desired effect of the speech, and target the right audience. |
| SKILLS: | Speechwriters need to be:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | Speechwriters can specialise in two areas:
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| TRAINING: | Due to the high-stakes nature of speechwriting, the profession usually calls for at least a bachelor’s degree in communication and writing. A background in PR is also a plus. |
| RESOURCES: | – Must reads for speechwriters: Michael Long, a White House speechwriter, has put together a comprehensive list of recommended reads.
– Get advice from the best: Jon Favreau, President Obama’s speechwriter (who incidentally brings home $US172k a year), has some insightful speechwriting tips. |
| PAY: | $78 – $100k |
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3. Journalist |
| DESCRIPTION: | Half of a journo’s job is to be a great writer, but the other half is about finding the stories. News is, after all, exactly that – new. Journalists can work for networks or publications and chase stories, build relationships with sources and often face very tight deadlines. |
| SKILLS: | Journalists need to be:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | By style:
By medium:
By genre:
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| TRAINING: | – Charles Sturt University: Is one of Australia’s most prestigious universities for journalism. Noteable alumni include Andrew Denton, Jessica Rowe and Melissa Doyle. Popular courses include:
– Short courses: Are also great if you’re a writer by trade, but not trained in journalism:
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| RESOURCES: | – The Walkey Foundation: Is Australia’s peak body for journalists, and is responsible for the nation’s most prestigious journalism award. They host industry events, offer internships and publish a trade publication.
– ABC cadetships and work experience: The national broadcaster offers a number of highly-regarded cadetships and work experience programs that are great for new graduates. |
| PAY: | $36 – $73k |
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4. Screenwriter |
| DESCRIPTION: | Whether it’s a Hollywood blockbuster or HBO drama, film and TV shows all have one thing in common – a killer script, and a screenwriter who’s behind it.
There are two general types of screenwriters. TV show writers, who work in a ‘writers’ room’ to break a story and bounce episode ideas around, and features writers who work on their own scripts, which they then sell to studios. |
| SKILLS: | Screenwriters need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | By medium:
By genre:
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| TRAINING: | – Australian Film Television and Radio School: Is the national film school, and considered one of the most prestigious places to study screenwriting in Australia.
– Useful courses:
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| RESOURCES: | – The Australian Writers’ Guild: Are a peak body that represent Aussie screenwriters. They run annual competitions for unproduced screenplays and also offer industry advice on legal issues and pay.
– The Black List: If you want to write great scripts, you need to read great scripts. Every year The Black List releases their top 100 unproduced scripts of the year, based upon Hollywood executives’ feedback. The website also have a great screenwriting blog for aspiring writers. |
| PAY: | $0– US$5m (capped at the price of Déjà Vu – the most expensive script ever sold) |
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5. Video games writer |
| DESCRIPTION: | Unlike other writing professions, video game writers not only have to tell a story, they have to tell a story that can be played. These writers collaborate closely with level designers and programmers to help bring a game to life. Game writers often work as part of a ‘narrative team,’ and focus on driving the story forward by working on things like character arc, dialogue and world building. |
| SKILLS: | Video game writers need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | By genre:
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| TRAINING: | Writing for video games is still a relatively new field, so there aren’t any courses dedicated entirely to game writing yet, however having training in game design is definitely a bonus: |
| RESOURCES: | – Kotaku: Do a great job covering news from the video games industry, and often interview game designers, writers and creators.
– PAX: Is an annual games conference held in Melbourne that is great for both fans and game creators alike. |
| PAY: | US$53 – US100k |
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7. Blogger/digital content writer |
| DESCRIPTION: | Digital content writing or blogging is a unique part-journalism, part-marketing. Content writers can be employed in-house or recruited by content marketing agencies. They work with strategists to generate content that is rich, sharable, and helps to build a brand’s voice. |
| SKILLS: | Content writers need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | The great thing about being a blogger or content writer is that you can specialise in whatever it is you’re passionate about. This might include:
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| TRAINING: | Open Universities Australia offer single units of study which are great for both new bloggers and seasoned writers interested in content writing:
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| RESOURCES: | – Blogs to watch: DailyTekk compile an annual list of the hottest blogs out there. Knowing what works and what audiences like is a great starting point for your own blog writing.
– Marketing case studies: Salesforce have also compiled a list of case studies that highlight what great content marketing looks like. |
| PAY: | $38 – US$9.6m (capped at 2014’s highest earning blogger – owner of TechCrunch, Michael Arrington) |
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8. Author |
| DESCRIPTION: | Perhaps the most well understood, and most desired writing profession is that of the author. Authors can either be commissioned to write a novel, or if they’re not signed with a publishing house, will work on their own manuscripts before sending them out to firms. |
| SKILLS: | Authors need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | By genre:
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| TRAINING: | Writing a novel is a daunting task, especially if you’ve never been trained in the craft of creative writing. We recommend the following for aspiring writers: |
| RESOURCES: | – The Australian Writer’s Marketplace: Is a fantastic resource for aspiring authors, and serves as a comprehensive guide to the Australian publishing market. The book is updated annually and is like the Yellow Pages of literary agents and publishers.
– Pitch events: For unpublished authors, pitch events such as Allen & Unwin’s Friday Pitch are an opportunity to get noticed by industry professionals, and more importantly – to get published. |
| PAY: | $0 – US$94m (capped at 2014’s highest earning author, James Patterson) |
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9. Technical writer |
| DESCRIPTION: | The job of a technical writer is to make technical information digestible and easy to follow for readers. Technical writers produce a whole host of technical documents such as user guides, white papers and system manuals, and can also work with experts such as scientists, engineers and doctors to help produce journal articles and important documents like clinical study reports. |
| SKILLS: | Technical writers need to:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | By industry:
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| TRAINING: | Technical writers are often required to hold at least an undergraduate degree in communications: |
| PAY: | $48 – $124k |
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10. Ghostwriter |
| DESCRIPTION: | This list would be replete without a nod to ghostwriters – the invisible forces who work behind the scenes on novels, screenplays and autobiographies for the pay, rather than the fame.
Ghostwriters are often commissioned by two types of clients: those with no writing background (celebrities and media personalities looking to pen a novel or autobiography), and professional writers struggling with writer’s block. |
| SKILLS: | Ghostwriters need to be:
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| SPECIALISATIONS: | Ghostwriters can be commissioned to help with:
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| TRAINING: | Ghostwriters are trained as professional writers, ideally with a background in publishing or journalism. For aspiring ghostwriters, we recommend the following courses:
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| RESOURCES: | – A closer look at ghostwriting: The Australian Society of Authors has compiled a comprehensive overview of ghostwriting.
– Learning from the best: Andrew Crofts, one of Britain’s most successful ghostwriters, has released a book with rare insights into the world of professional ghostwriting |
| PAY: | $25 – $500k per book |
The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Hone your greatest weapon today with our range of online writing courses!
Sources:
– Payscale
– Australian Government Gazette
– Gamasutra 2014 Salary Survey
– Writers Marketplace
About the author
Viv is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about creativity, how the human mind works, and neuro processes. She values creativity above all else and admires people who pursue their career dreams, no matter the sacrifice. In her spare time, she binges on HBO shows and epic fantasy novels.
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