what is the education needed to be a writer

How to become a writer

CareerExplorer’s step-by-step guide on how to become a writer.

Is becoming a writer right for me?

The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:

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High School

For high school students aspiring to become writers, there are several courses that can help develop essential skills and knowledge in writing, literature, and language arts. Here are some recommended courses:

• English Language Arts: English Language Arts courses are fundamental for aspiring writers as they provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and literary analysis. These courses typically cover a wide range of topics, including literature appreciation, creative writing, essay composition, and critical thinking skills.
• Creative Writing: Creative Writing courses offer opportunities for students to explore different forms of creative expression, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama. These courses often include writing workshops, where students receive feedback on their work and learn techniques to improve their writing style, voice, and storytelling abilities.
• Literature: Literature courses expose students to a variety of literary genres, periods, and authors, helping them develop an appreciation for literature and expand their literary knowledge. Studying literature can inspire aspiring writers by introducing them to diverse writing styles, themes, and techniques used by accomplished authors throughout history.
• Journalism: Journalism courses teach students the principles and practices of journalistic writing, including news reporting, feature writing, interviewing, and ethics. These courses help students develop research, interviewing, and writing skills essential for careers in journalism, media, or non-fiction writing.
• Public Speaking or Debate: Public Speaking or Debate courses help students develop communication skills, confidence, and persuasive writing abilities. These courses teach students how to articulate their ideas effectively, engage with audiences, and present their arguments coherently and persuasively, valuable skills for writers who may need to promote their work or speak publicly about their writing.
• Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition: AP English Literature and Composition courses are rigorous, college-level courses that prepare students for advanced literary analysis, critical thinking, and writing skills. These courses may offer opportunities for students to earn college credit by taking the AP exam and demonstrate their proficiency in English literature and composition.

Educational Paths

Aspiring writers have various educational paths to pursue to develop their craft and advance their careers. Here are some common educational options for writers:

• Bachelor's Degree in English, Creative Writing, or Journalism: Many colleges and universities offer Bachelor's Degrees in English , Creative Writing , Journalism , or related fields. These programs provide students with a comprehensive education in writing, literature, language arts, and communication skills. Students may have the opportunity to study various genres of writing, participate in writing workshops, and gain hands-on experience through internships or campus publications.
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing: For writers seeking advanced training and mentorship in creative writing, pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree can be beneficial. MFA programs typically offer focused instruction in writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or screenwriting, along with opportunities to workshop manuscripts, receive feedback from faculty and peers, and develop a portfolio of writing. Many MFA programs also offer teaching assistantships or fellowships to help students fund their education while gaining teaching experience.
• Master's Degree in English Literature or Composition: Some writers may choose to pursue a Master's Degree in English Literature or Composition to deepen their understanding of literary history, theory, and criticism. These programs offer opportunities to study classic and contemporary literature, literary analysis, and scholarly research methods, which can enrich a writer's knowledge and inform their writing practice. Students may also have the option to focus on creative writing within a literature or composition program.
• Certificate Programs and Workshops: Writers looking for shorter, more specialized training may consider certificate programs or workshops offered by universities, writing centers, or literary organizations. These programs often focus on specific genres, topics, or aspects of writing, such as fiction, poetry, screenwriting, memoir, or professional writing. Certificate programs and workshops provide opportunities for intensive study, skill development, and networking with other writers and industry professionals.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development: Even after completing formal education, writers can continue to hone their craft and stay current in the industry through continuing education courses, conferences, seminars, and online workshops. Many organizations, such as writing associations, literary festivals, and writing retreats, offer opportunities for writers to further their skills, connect with fellow writers, and gain inspiration from established authors.

Writing Workshops and Conferences

There are numerous writing workshops and conferences that offer valuable opportunities for writers to improve their craft, connect with fellow writers, and learn from industry professionals. Here are some popular options:

• The Writing Excuses Workshop and Retreat: Organized by the hosts of the Writing Excuses podcast, this workshop offers intensive writing sessions, critiques, and discussions on craft and career development. It takes place in different locations each year and focuses on various aspects of writing, such as worldbuilding, character development, and story structure.
• The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference: Held annually at Middlebury College in Vermont, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference brings together writers of all genres for workshops, lectures, readings, and networking opportunities. It features faculty members who are established authors, editors, and literary agents, providing valuable mentorship and feedback to participants.
• The Tin House Summer Workshop: Hosted by Tin House magazine, this workshop offers week-long intensives in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Participants have the opportunity to work closely with acclaimed authors, attend craft seminars, and participate in readings and discussions. The workshop takes place in Portland, Oregon, and welcomes writers at all stages of their careers.
• AWP Conference & Bookfair: The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) hosts an annual conference and bookfair that brings together thousands of writers, editors, publishers, and literary professionals from around the world. The conference features panel discussions, readings, book signings, and networking events, making it a valuable resource for writers looking to connect with the literary community and learn about the latest trends in publishing and writing.
• GrubStreet's Muse & the Marketplace: Held in Boston, Massachusetts, GrubStreet's Muse & the Marketplace conference offers workshops, seminars, and one-on-one manuscript consultations for writers of all genres. It also features keynote presentations by bestselling authors, literary agents, and editors, as well as networking opportunities with fellow writers and industry professionals.
• The Writers' Digest Annual Conference: Organized by Writers' Digest magazine, this conference offers workshops, panels, and pitch sessions with literary agents and editors. It covers a wide range of topics, including writing craft, publishing, marketing, and author platform development, making it a comprehensive resource for writers looking to further their careers.

Build a Strong Portfolio

Building a strong portfolio as a writer is essential for showcasing your skills, experience, and versatility to potential clients, publishers, or employers. Here are some steps to help you create a compelling writing portfolio:

• Select Your Best Work: Start by reviewing your past writing projects and identifying pieces that demonstrate your strengths, creativity, and expertise. Choose a variety of samples that showcase your range as a writer, including different genres, styles, and formats.
• Tailor Your Portfolio to Your Audience: Consider who will be viewing your portfolio and tailor your selection of samples accordingly. If you're applying for a specific job or freelance project, include samples that are relevant to the position or industry. For example, if you're applying for a content marketing role, include samples of blog posts, articles, or social media content.
• Showcase Diversity: Include samples of different types of writing, such as articles, blog posts, essays, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, copywriting, technical writing, or scripts. This demonstrates your versatility as a writer and your ability to adapt your writing style to different audiences and purposes.
• Provide Context: For each sample in your portfolio, provide a brief introduction or explanation that gives context to the piece. Include information about the purpose of the writing, the target audience, any relevant research or interviews conducted, and the results or impact of the piece if applicable.
• Polish Your Work: Before adding samples to your portfolio, review and revise them to ensure they are polished, error-free, and representative of your best work. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling, and overall clarity. Consider seeking feedback from peers, mentors, or editors to help refine your writing.
• Create a Professional Presentation: Present your portfolio in a professional and visually appealing format. You can create a digital portfolio using a website, blog, or online portfolio platform, or compile a physical portfolio using printed samples or a PDF document. Choose a clean, organized layout that highlights your writing samples and makes them easy to read and navigate.
• Update Regularly: Keep your portfolio up-to-date with your latest and best work. As you complete new writing projects, add them to your portfolio to showcase your ongoing growth and development as a writer. Consider periodically reviewing and refreshing your portfolio to ensure it remains relevant and engaging to your audience.

Employment Opportunities

Writers have a wide range of employment opportunities across various industries and sectors. Here are some common employment options for writers:

• Publishing: Writers may work for publishing houses, literary magazines, or online publications as staff writers, contributing writers, or freelance writers. They may write articles, essays, reviews, or features for print or digital publications, covering topics such as news, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, or specialized fields like science, technology, or finance.
• Advertising and Marketing: Writers can pursue careers in advertising agencies, marketing firms, or corporate marketing departments, creating content for advertising campaigns, promotional materials, websites, social media, and other marketing channels. They may write copy for advertisements, slogans, product descriptions, email campaigns, press releases, or branded content.
• Content Creation: With the rise of digital media and online platforms, there is a growing demand for writers to create content for websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, and social media channels. Writers may work for media companies, digital agencies, content marketing firms, or as independent freelancers, producing articles, blog posts, videos, infographics, or other multimedia content.
• Journalism: Writers can pursue careers in journalism, working for newspapers, magazines, online news outlets, or broadcast media organizations as reporters, correspondents, editors, or columnists. They may cover local, national, or international news, investigative reporting, feature stories, opinion pieces, or specialized beats such as politics, business, sports, or arts and culture.
• Technical Writing: Technical writers specialize in creating documentation and instructional materials for technical or specialized audiences. They may work for technology companies, engineering firms, healthcare organizations, government agencies, or software companies, writing user manuals, product guides, technical specifications, training materials, or software documentation.
• Publishing and Editorial: Writers may work in publishing and editorial roles, such as editors, copywriters, proofreaders, or literary agents. They may review and edit manuscripts, provide feedback to authors, develop publishing strategies, or negotiate book deals. Some writers may also pursue careers as literary translators or ghostwriters, helping others bring their ideas to life.
• Education: Writers with expertise in writing, literature, or language arts may pursue careers in education as teachers, professors, or writing instructors. They may teach writing workshops, literature classes, composition courses, or creative writing programs at schools, colleges, universities, or community organizations.

Certifications

Unlike some professions that require specific certifications or licenses, writing as a profession typically does not have mandatory certifications. However, there are several optional certifications and credentials that writers can pursue to enhance their skills, credibility, and career opportunities. Here are a few examples:

• Certified Professional Writer (CPW): Offered by the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC), the CPW certification is designed for professionals who specialize in resume writing, business communication, and other forms of professional writing. This certification demonstrates expertise in writing effective resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and other career documents.
• Grant Writing Certification: Many organizations and institutions offer certification programs or courses in grant writing, which can be valuable for writers interested in pursuing careers in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or fundraising. These programs typically cover grant research, proposal writing, budgeting, and grant management.
• Technical Writing Certification: The Society for Technical Communication (STC) offers a Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) certification for technical writers. This certification demonstrates proficiency in technical writing, editing, and communication skills, as well as knowledge of industry standards and best practices.
• Editorial Certifications: Editors may pursue certifications such as the Certified Professional Editor (CPE) credential offered by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS) or the Certified Copyeditor credential offered by the American Copy Editors Society (ACES). These certifications demonstrate proficiency in editing skills, grammar, style, and publishing standards.
• Project Management Certification: While not specific to writing, project management certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) can be beneficial for writers who work on large-scale writing projects or in project-based environments.
• Creative Writing Programs: While not certifications in the traditional sense, completing a creative writing program or obtaining a degree in creative writing from a reputable institution can provide writers with valuable training, feedback, and mentorship from experienced authors and faculty members.

Associations and Organizations

There are several professional associations and organizations that cater to writers, providing resources, support, networking opportunities, and advocacy for their members. Here are some notable associations for writers:

• The Authors Guild: Founded in 1912, The Authors Guild is the oldest and largest professional organization for writers in the United States. It provides legal assistance, advocacy on issues affecting authors' rights, contract advice, and resources for professional development.
• The National Writers Union (NWU): The NWU is a trade union representing freelance writers in all genres and fields, including journalists, authors, poets, and technical writers. It offers contract advice, grievance assistance, health insurance, and other benefits to its members.
• The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA): ASJA is a professional organization for nonfiction writers, including freelance journalists, authors, and content creators. It offers networking events, professional development opportunities, and resources on topics such as contract negotiation and copyright.
• The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA): SFWA is an organization for writers of science fiction and fantasy literature. It provides advocacy, networking, and resources for its members, including access to professional guidelines, legal assistance, and health insurance options.
• The Mystery Writers of America (MWA): MWA is a professional organization for writers of mystery fiction, including authors, editors, publishers, and agents. It offers networking events, awards programs, and resources on writing craft and industry trends.
• The Romance Writers of America (RWA): RWA is a professional association for writers of romance fiction. It provides networking opportunities, educational resources, and advocacy on behalf of its members, including support for diversity and inclusion in the romance genre.
• The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP): AWP is an organization for writers, teachers, and students of creative writing. It hosts an annual conference, publishes a literary magazine, and provides resources on writing education, publishing, and literary events.
• The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI): SCBWI is a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children's literature. It offers networking events, conferences, workshops, and resources on writing and publishing for children and young adults.

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So you’re wondering how to become a writer. The short answer is: anyone who writes is a writer. However, becoming a writer who’s serious about their professional career requires lots of work, and if you’re wondering how to become a professional writer, you’re here to start your journey towards a productive and successful literary career.

How do you become a writer? You don’t need a degree to be a writer, nor do you need to be a certain age. Becoming a writer simply requires an admiration for—and a longing to create with—language. So, don’t worry about becoming a writer later in life or lacking a formal education. (That’s what Writers.com is here for!)

No one can teach you how to admire the written word, but the instructors at Writers.com are experts at turning longing into language. That’s why this article covers everything you need on how to become a writer. From the personal to the professional, let’s dive into everything writers need to build a successful literary career.

How to Become a Writer: Contents

How to Become a Writer: Anyone Can Become One

It’s never too late to become a writer, how to become a writer: where to begin your writing journey, how to become a professional writer: what “professional” means, how to become a writer: resources for becoming a professional writer, how to become a writer: developing a writing habit.

Even today, there’s a persistent myth that writers are elite, born-with-it Ivory Tower folks who possess some ineffable gift of the Muses. Yes, some great writers were born with greatness (and plenty were born with wealth and privilege), but anyone who calls themselves a writer does so because they labor with the written word.

Becoming a writer simply requires an ardent exploration of language.

In others words, you don’t need an MFA from the University of Iowa to call yourself a writer. Becoming a writer simply requires an ardent exploration of language. If we had to boil a writer down to three requirements, it wouldn’t involve age or degree. The 4 traits for becoming a writer are:

• Passion for the written word,
• Desire to expand the boundaries and possibilities of language,
• Persistence and patience, bordering on stubbornness, and
• Willingness to grow and learn continuously.

Many writers who have these traits stop themselves from writing, maybe because they’re wondering how to become a writer without a degree, or simply because they don’t believe in themselves without the privilege and connections writers seem to have. Now, writers certainly benefit from a university education or a family legacy in literature, but countless writers have acquired respect and success without a degree or name recognition.

Ernest Hemingway never went to college, but he still won a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize; neither did Maya Angelou attend university, yet she’s celebrated as the “black woman’s poet laureate” and later accepted a professorship with Wake Forest University. Degrees are just paper; it’s words that matter.

Degrees are just paper; it’s words that matter.

Becoming a writer has no age restriction; the act of writing is rated G for the General Public, and those aforementioned traits are found in writers from ages 2 to 99+.

Many writers discover their writing talents in their later years. Why, exactly? Neurology reveals there are two types of intelligence : fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. “Fluid” refers to creative and adaptive thinking, including activities like writing and problem solving. “Crystallized” refers to the solidified body of knowledge people draw from—all the words, definitions, and experiences that build a foundation for the world.

Generally, younger adults have more fluid intelligence, whereas life experience builds one’s crystallized intelligence over time. The two intelligences tend to converge in a person’s 40s, since this is an age where the faculties for fluid intelligence haven’t declined, and crystallized intelligence abounds. Not-so-coincidentally, many writers see their careers flourish in their 40s and 50s!

Many celebrated writers didn’t put pen to paper until middle age or later.

In fact, many celebrated writers didn’t put pen to paper until middle age or later. Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t start writing until her 40s, and her Little House series didn’t start printing until she was 65. Likewise, Most of Wallace Stevens’ work was published after he turned 50; despite being a poet, he worked at an insurance company, and most of his coworkers were shocked when he won a Pulitzer at 75. Nobody knew that he wrote!

Finally, many university students return for a writing degree after establishing a career elsewhere. BFA and MFA programs around the world educate students in their 30s and beyond; in 2017, the average age of a low-residency MFA student in the U.S. was 35.4, according to LitHub and AWP .

Whether you’re 19 or 90, you’re never too old to write. The best time to write is yesterday; the second-best time is today.

Rather than an If-Then structure, the writing profession follows a Became-Because structure.

How do you become a writer? Where do you begin? The writing profession is unlike most professions, which follow an If-Then structure. If you get a bachelor’s degree, Then you can work as a nurse, computer scientist, or accountant; If you join a worker’s guild or apprenticeship program, Then you can find work in a number of trade jobs.

The writing profession follows a Became-Because structure. Zora Neale Hurston became a writer because she obtained degrees from Howard University and Barnard College, encouraging her to dissect the African American experience through a literary and anthropological lens.

Conversely, Haruki Murakami became a writer because of a baseball game .

The qualifications for becoming a writer are unique to the individual, and every writer is formed by personal interests and experiences. As a result, no one can tell you where to begin your writing journey; however, if you’re wondering how to become a writer, you’ve already started your journey by thinking about it.

If you’re wondering how to become a writer, you’ve already started your journey by thinking about it.

One distinction to help you think about your writing journey is the difference between amateur and professional writers. If you’re not sure what you want to become, start with the following question: what does “professional” mean?

There are, generally, two classes of writers: amateurs and professionals. Before describing the professional writer, let’s be clear: “amateur” is not derogatory, and professional writers are not “better” than amateurs. Amateur comes from the Latin amator , “lover.” An amateur writer loves the written word just as much, sometimes even more, than the professional; amateurs simply have less pressure, deadlines, and financial dependence on writing. It’s a pastime, not a career.

If you want writing to be a significant portion of your income, then you aspire to being a professional writer.

If you want writing to be a significant portion of your income, then you aspire to being a professional writer. Professional writers have to approach their writing as a business, building a literary audience and keeping a regular writing schedule. Professional writers need to understand the ins and outs of the publishing industry—which they often learn through obtaining a university degree—and it also helps to have formal training in the publishing world and experience operating literary magazines.

How do you start to work toward becoming a professional writer? Below are resources to get you started.

At some point, the professional writer needs to know the ins and outs of writing as a business. This list covers the essentials of how to become a professional writer.

How to make money as a writer

• Explore freelance writing opportunities (updated weekdays at F.W.G.)
• 6 writers explain how they make money (NY Mag)
• Self-publishing versus traditional publishing (Self-Publishing School)
• Writing to market (Funds For Writers)

Taxes as a self-employed creative

• Taxes on freelance writing and royalties (TurboTax)
• Tax tips and unique situations (The Balance Careers)

Resources on publishing

• Poetry journals
• Fiction journals
• Creative nonfiction journals
• How to get published in a literary journal (Reader’s Digest)
• Book: What Editors Do by Peter Ginna ($25 at UChicago Press)

Becoming a writer online

• Basic guide to each social media platform (Kindlepreneur)
• Building an author’s website (The Write Practice)
• Free website template for authors (Copyfolio)
• Running a mailing list (Your Writer Platform)

Things to know before taking writing classes

• Poetry courses
• Fiction courses
• Creative nonfiction courses
• Why take a writing course?

Additional resources for learning how to become a writer

• Setting SMART goals
• Reading like a writer
• The golden rule: show, don’t tell
• Overcoming writer’s block
• Becoming a poet
• 8 tips on learning how to write
• Best online creative writing classes
• Creative writing programs (answering the question: should you get an MFA?)

How do professional writers spend their workdays? Perhaps the trickiest part about becoming a writer is establishing a writing habit. For example, Haruki Murakami runs a 10K every morning to support his writing, and Charles Dickens wrote (and slept) facing north to improve his creativity.

Perhaps the trickiest part about becoming a writer is establishing a writing habit.

What works for one person rarely works for another, so experiment with writing habits—and when you find one that works, stick with it.

Generally, you can parse the writing business into 3 separate components:

• The writing life—putting pen to paper at regular intervals.
• Scheduled time for “the business of writing”—literary submissions, applying for grants, etc.
• An active media/marketing presence—blogging, tweeting, emailing, etc.

You’ll want to schedule time for each of these elements in your daily writing habit. Of course, this is easier said than done. Budding writers often overestimate their ability to work: they think they can spend 3 hours writing, 2 hours replying to emails, and 2 hours submitting work to journals. Then they spend the afternoon watching reruns of BBC quiz shows. (Yes! I did do this recently.)

That’s why forging a consistent writing habit is essential—for amateur writers as well as professionals. Writing at the same place at the same time encourages your brain to write every day. And, if you can’t keep yourself focused on writing, try experimenting with different writing rituals. If a 10K helps Murakami write, something equally unique could help you, too.

How to Become a Writer: Take Your Next Step with Writers.com!

The classes we’ve curated in our upcoming schedule will take your writing life to the next level. Whether learning a new writing style or mastering the business of writing, becoming a writer feels a whole lot simpler with Writers.com.

Sean Glatch

12 comments.

Brilliant review Misty

I hope, I can be a better writer with your support.

Yeah. Same thing as with all other fields. Practice, practice, and once again, practice! It’s like a sport, you should always find new ways to practice.

This really helped me out. Thank you so much!

I’m 14 and i hope to become a writer someday. Thank you so much for the info.

Thank you for the information About to start my writing journey and thus really helped.

I’m a senior that would like to turn my love of writing into a profession. The information you have presented here has inspired me to continue moving towards that goal.

I live in a rural area of Uganda with very little education but always aspired to write a book on families. I am much encouraged. started it but got stuck ..

I love writing and thank you for information you have given meand am obliged to say thank.

i am very eager to become a writer be that script know how or fiction. i am a sponge for knowledge so i learn as i work. i treat everyday as a school day. i want to learn every single part of the writing career-be that if the editor drinks tea or coffee and how they like there papers folded. i soak information as i do a task. i love to build the bullet points for a story because everything needs a beginning. if you are baking a cake the eggs and flour are needed before you think about putting anything in the oven. to prepare a cake you need a tray to put it in-before you build a story you need a starting and then ingredients to put in along the way. i really love to build a story from different snippets of things. i have a thirst for many different aspects of life having spent a majority of time in hospitals and then being taken advantage of my my family because of my brain injury. so i know more than most in a lot of different subjects and matters in life, i have lost more than most in life but i am here telling my version of it to the big bright world. 0874762400 is my contact number

Discovering the path to becoming a writer is both exhilarating and daunting. It requires a blend of passion, persistence, and honing one’s craft. From mastering the art of storytelling to navigating the intricacies of the publishing world, the journey demands dedication and resilience. Embrace every word written, every rejection faced, for they are stepping stones on the road to literary success.

[…] Writers.com: A comprehensive guide covering personal and professional aspects of becoming a writer1. […]

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Last updated on May 02, 2022

How to Become a Writer: 7 Practical Steps

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Linnea Gradin

The editor-in-chief of the Reedsy Freelancer blog, Linnea is a writer and marketer with a degree from the University of Cambridge. Her focus is to provide aspiring editors and book designers with the resources to further their careers.

If you’re dreaming of turning your passion for writing into a full-time career, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll go through a series of actionable steps that you can take to start writing professionally. 

Here are 7 steps to help you become a writer:

1. Create a solid writing routine 

Here are a few tips for establishing a writing habit:

Make writing a priority. If you want to be a professional writer, set non-negotiable time in your calendar for writing and arrange your other commitments around it. 

Define your writing goals. Whether it’s a daily number of words or completing a task in a set number of days, goals help break larger projects into manageable chunks — so you’ll be less overwhelmed and more likely to knuckle down and write.

Identify your ideal writing times . Do you tend to get the most done right after waking up in the morning, or during the quiet hours of the evening? Figure out your windows of productivity and capitalize on them.  

FREE COURSE

How to Build a Solid Writing Routine

In 10 days, learn to change your habits to support your writing.

However, no matter how watertight your writing routines are, every author can benefit from a helping hand to perform at their best and become an even better writer. Thankfully, there are some apps for that.

2. Use writing tools to improve your output 

Different tools can impact your output in different ways: for example, online whiteboards like Miro can help you visually sketch out your book’s outline and character bios, and help you define the mood of your world-building. Tools like Grammarly can identify and fix typos and grammatical errors, whereas browser blockers like Cold Turkey can help to minimize distractions and stay productive. 

When it comes to using professional writing software, you could use tools like Reedsy Studio to enjoy smooth collaborative editing, keep track of your word count goals, and format your book for distribution. 

Which writing app is right for you?

Find out here! Takes 30 seconds

Finally, workspace tools like ergonomic chairs and standing desks can also largely influence the quality and proficiency of your writing (we also hear that houseplants can boost creativity, but don’t quote us on that).

But, before you get too comfortable in your writing nook surrounded by all your lovely tools, you may want to consider going back to class…

3. Take classes to pick up credentials

• Journalist — write for newspapers and magazines. Requires top-notch research skills, the ability to be objective, and to meet strict deadlines.
• Columnist — write for newspapers and magazines. Unlike journalists, columnists offer their subjective opinion and insight on current events.
• Travel writer —  chronicle your adventures across the globe to give advice and inspiration to other travelers.
• Copywriter — write marketing copy for brands, companies, or organizations.
• Technical writer — turn complex jargon into concise information that users of a product or clients of a company can clearly understand.
• Web content writer — write online blog posts and articles for brands, companies, or organizations.
• Ghostwriter — write content on behalf of other people or organizations. Learn more about becoming a ghostwriter here!
• Grant writer — write documents to help organizations seeking grants.

The options are plentiful. But if you think you’ll need academic credentials, let's take a look at your choices in closer detail. 

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You needn't look too hard to find authors who emerged from MFA programs to establish glittering literary careers. For example, both Flannery O’Connor and Rachel Kushner are MFA babies.

Then again, you can find just as many authors who didn’t study anything related to writing and worked in completely unrelated industries before becoming bestsellers  — like Charles Bukowski (a postman), Haruki Murakami (a jazz club manager), and even Harper Lee (an airline ticket clerk). After all, life experience is a key ingredient of any good fiction.

Becoming a novelist doesn’t require any specific credentials beyond the ability to write (and market) a great story. Pursuing an MFA can certainly help you develop your craft , network with established and aspiring writers, or lead you to some creative writing gigs, but it’s not a shortcut to success. In addition, the majority of MFA programs focus on literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. So if you want to become a genre fiction writer rather than express yourself in verse , an MFA is likely not a necessary stepping stone for you.

Bachelor’s Degree (BA)

While higher education is not a required credential for becoming a novelist, academic qualifications can be more important for nonfiction writers. In many cases, success as a nonfiction author relies upon your subject authority and often necessitates the relevant credentials as proof. That might include a degree or other relevant experience in the field. Imagine yourself picking up a nonfiction book and turning it over to read the author's bio: what kind of credentials would assure you this is someone who knows what they’re talking about?

In terms of journalism, most news outlets will require applicants to have completed a Bachelor’s degree before adding them to the payroll. While majoring in journalism is certainly a sound option, many news outlets require a literature degree or similar, as you’ll have many of the same skills but no biases in your journalistic practices. It's also typical to double-major or major-minor in a combination of journalism and the field you’re interested in writing about.

Doctorate (Ph.D.) 

A Ph.D. in literature or creative writing is often preferred by people who want to teach literature or writing at college or university levels. Overall, a doctorate may also be appropriate if your writing draws extensively from academic research or scientific findings — as it will give you more subject-matter authority. 

Associate Degree

An associate degree typically lasts two years and can be more industry-focused than a BA. If you’re hoping to become a copywriter or web content writer, pursuing an associate degree in media, marketing, or writing might be a good way to lay the foundation for your career.

Certificate

Certificates are short-term programs that provide foundational education and skills-based training. They typically last a few weeks to a few months, and, as with the associate degree, it’s a good option if you want to get paid for your texts .

4. Seek opportunities to publish your work

If you’re an aspiring fiction writer, follow the likes of Ursula K. Le Guin and Ernest Hemingway, and get your foot in the door by submitting your short stories to magazines and contests. Here are a few places where you can do just that:

• Literary magazines accepting submissions: here
• Vetted writing contests and their deadlines: here
• Reedsy’s own weekly short story contest: here
• Publications accepting short story submissions: here

To ensure your t’s and i's are all properly crossed and dotted, here is a submissions checklist that’s sure to keep you straight!

Make the process of writing your first novel easier by using a story template like the one below.

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

Nonfiction writers have ample opportunity to get their byline out in the world too. If there’s a particular niche you’re interested in, start by putting together a list of relevant publications. Most websites will have a submission section with guidelines for submitting a piece. 

Follow specific editors on Twitter to keep up with when magazines are accepting pitches. They will usually tweet when their inbox is open (and what they’re looking for in a pitch) — plus many of them are open to questions. If you don't know where to find them, look for names via magazine websites, the publication’s LinkedIn page, or simply use the Twitter search function. Editors of magazines usually tell you who they are in their Twitter bio!

Put your pitches and deadlines in a calendar

Next, get your ‘pitching calendar’ organized by listing the outlets you want to write for, your premise for each pitch, and any deadlines to keep in mind. You might also want to make note of any feedback you receive. For instance, an outlet might let you know that your piece wasn’t right for them “at this time,” or they might clarify what they’re looking for in more specific terms. 

Here are a few resources that connect writers with publications looking for submissions:

• Authors Publish Newsletter
• NewPages Classifications
• Funds for Writers Newsletter

Consider self-publishing

If you have a book idea you can’t stop thinking about (or are searching for inspiration ) and your goal is to see it materialized, then you might want to consider self-publishing. Getting your book out into the world is easier than it’s ever been, and we’ve detailed the whole process in another guide. Plus, you can do it in your own time. 

Though some traditionally published household names nab hundreds of thousands in advances, those are the outliers. Many more self-published authors make a living from their writing than their traditionally published counterparts: this report found that the number of indie authors earning five to six figures per year from book sales was much higher than the number of Big 5 authors earning the same. 

If you’re still on the fence about which publishing route to take, why not take this one-minute quiz to find out for sure which option is the most viable for you?

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

Takes one minute!

Once you start to get a few publications under your belt, it’s time to put them together in a nicely bundled portfolio that shows the world (and potential clients) what you’re capable of. 

5. Create a strong portfolio 

Create a website

To create your own website, you must first register a domain name on services like GoDaddy or Namecheap (e.g. authorname.com), or sign up for a free site with services like WordPress, Wix, or SquareSpace (e.g. authorname.wordpress.com) 一 although the first option is more professional. If you're not too confident in your tech skills, consider hiring a professional web designer who can help you build a website that stands out.

Use a portfolio site

If you don’t want to spend too much time designing a website, you can always turn to a trusted portfolio site. All you need to do is create an account with them and input your personal information. Here are a few popular options:

• MuckRack: a popular platform for journalists and PR professionals.
• Contently: a useful site for content writers.
• Clippings.me: provides a clean-cut design for every kind of writer.

Perfect your website

Your author website should reflect your personality, list your credentials, and most importantly — show your work. 

There are different ways to present your portfolio: you could divide your writing into different niches like Jennifer Fernandez , or you could go for a concise bio that packs a punch in terms of insight into your professional background as in Alice Driver ’s portfolio. For author websites, it’s key to give visitors a clear route to buying any books you’ve published (check Austin Kleon ’s example). 

Once your website is live, it might take a while for word of mouth to spread and for job opportunities to come your way. So, while you get the ball rolling, consider reaching out to organizations that could help you support your dream (read: paying the bills!).

6. Apply for writing grants 

Here’s a reliable list of grants for you to peruse — some will have no stipulations regarding what the money is spent on, and others will be for specific reasons, like traveling to a writers’ retreat or conference. There are also many grants specifically intended to help marginalized communities get a leg up in the industry. Make sure you check out our video guide for some helpful advice on making a successful application.

Whether or not your career will benefit from scoring a grant, you’ll soon learn that if you want to reach new literary heights and establish yourself as a writer, you’ll need the help of other professionals in the space.

7. Collaborate with professional editors

An editor’s bread and butter is to revise your work so that it’s ready for the big stage, from spotting plot holes, improving text quality, and examining your manuscript for inconsistencies before its release. More than that, working with an editor will teach you about the ins and outs of the publishing industry — including the all-important standards and best practices of the literary world. 

Finding a good editor is always a type of collaboration worth investing in if you want to speed up your development and make a leap forward in your journey to become a professional writer.

Hopefully, this post has shown you how to get things going so that you can make writing a financially viable career. To wrap things up, there’s nothing quite as inspiring for budding writers as words of wisdom from those who have achieved writerly acclaim. So tuck into these brilliant books about writing, and then pick up your pen and get going. We look forward to seeing your name in print!

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How to Become a Writer in 2024 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Wherever you look, you’ll see tons of words: on product packing, in your mobile banking app, or across billboards in town. Behind those are amazing people like yourself.

Wondering how to become a writer and get paid for your craft?

This guide covers:

• Popular writing careers
• Average writer salaries
• Ways to sell your own writing
• In-demand writing jobs

…and step-by-step instructions for breaking into the writing industry.

Types of Writing Careers

Writers get paid for their words, and many industries need them.

Here are popular types of writing you can do.

Creative Writing vs. Nonfiction Writing

Creative writing  includes prose and poetry writing. Fiction writers invent worlds, populate them with characters, and artfully build a compelling narrative using various canons of storytelling and poetics.

Nonfiction writing  is a broader category featuring all written materials that are not based on a fictional storyline. Nonfiction writers can specialize in biographies or memoirs, create instructional materials, or use their writing skills to create business communication and marketing materials.

Nonfiction writing has three subcategories:

• Academic writing . Producing scientific research articles and creating various instructional materials — textbooks, curriculums, instruction manuals, and other types of educational workbooks.
• Journalism . Writing timely, accurate reporting of recent facts, events, and ideas. You can specialize in investigative reporting or write personal essays, have a regular column, or switch between different beats.
• Business writing . This niche has the widest subset of jobs, ranging from copywriting and blogging to proposal writing and grant writing. Business writers create various content for the industry they work in.

Overall, beginning writers have no shortage of career options today.

Popular Types of Writing Careers

• Advertising copywriter
• Health writer
• News writer
• Technical writer
• Editor/copyeditor
• Scriptwriter
• Content marketing specialist
• Medical writer
• Resume writer

How Much Money Does a Writer Make?

As in any other profession, compensation for writers varies by industry, seniority level, and area of expertise.

In the publishing industry, authors make money from advances and royalties. Authors receive an average advance of  $49,360 , based on “ Publishing Paid Me”  spreadsheet data.

Royalty rates vary depending on the publishing method.

Self-published authors retain up to  70% royalty per book sold . In  traditional publishing , authors get  5%-8% royalties on paperbacks , 1 5% on hardcovers , and  20% on eBooks .

Compensation for professional writers, working full-time, part-time, or freelance writing varies a lot by profession.

Here are median salaries for full-time writing careers as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Technical writer salary : $78,060
• News reporters and journalists : $49,300
• Public relations specialists : $62,810 ‍
• Editors : $63,400

How to Become a Writer in 2024: 6 Step-Guide

If you want to seriously pursue writing as a career, here’s how to get started.

1. Decide on Your Writing Niche

You have many writing careers to choose from. But too many choices breed decision paralysis.

To narrow down your options, ask yourself: do you want to primarily do nonfiction or fiction writing?

You can always do both and change niches later on. But you have to channel your efforts into one lane to make progress faster.

Next, think about a narrower writing specialty, also known as your niche.

A writing niche is your area of expertise, where you are familiar with the subject matter, content requirements, and popular formats.

Each type of writing — medical, UX, or technical writing — requires knowledge of the industry’s best practices. For example, technical writers need to know the industry jargon, have a sharp, instructional tone of voice, and understand technical documentation formatting requirements. You can develop these skills both on the job or via formal training.

You can select your writing niche based on:

• Type of writing . Journalism, academic, fiction, or industry-specific.
• Content format . Blog posts, emails, web copy, eBook, business reports.
• Industry . Law, marketing, healthcare, retail, etc. ‍
• Your background.  Personal or professional. For example, as an accountant, you can work with finance brands.

By selecting a writing niche, you concentrate your effort on understanding the market better. This helps you develop the right knowledge and skill set, do better work — and earn more money eventually.

What Type of Writing Makes the Most Money?

Specialized writing, requiring niche expertise, pays the best.

For example, entry-level UX writers earn a median salary of  $90,000 , and senior professionals earn north of  $150K .

Medical writers have a median pay of  $95,609  annually. Content strategists, in turn, earn  $102,989/year  on average.

Fiction writing can be lucrative as well as you have no earning cap. Popular authors receive six-figure advances per book (plus royalties).

For example, Hanya Yanagihara, fashion editor and published author, received a  $1 million  advance on her third book. Elizabeth Gilbert got  $200,000  for the cult  Eat, Pray, Love  novel.

At the same time, popular self-published authors can also make it big.

Former lawyer, L.J. Ross,  sold over 4.5 million copies  of her first novel via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. She now earns a comfortable living from 19 other self-published novels.

But not every writer is as successful. More often, budding writers don’t make a bank from fiction alone.

Many also hold a day job, writing or non-writing, to pay the bills.

The publishing world is hugely competitive. Careers in business writing or journalism offer better job security and more stable income.Want more? Read more about  how to make money from writing .

Interviews With Writers Who’ve Done It

We interview writers from all fields and ask them how to get where they’re.

• How to Become a Technical Content Producer
• How to Become a Sportswriter
• How to Become a Freelance Content Writer
• How to Become a Published Author
• How to Become a Freelance Writer
• How to Become a Psychology Writer
• How to Become a Creative Content Writer
• How To Become a Freelance Journalist
• How To Become a Sustainability Copywriter
• How to Become a Freelance B2B SaaS Copywriter
• How to Become a B2B SaaS Technology Writer
• How To Become a Health Writer

2. Practice Writing Every Day

Good writing isn’t just talent — it’s tradecraft.

You need to continuously practice your ‘technical’ writing skills — sentence structure, narrative flow, tone of voice — and build your core skills to advance your career.

A good writer has:

• Impeccable grammar
• Rich vocabulary
• Strong research skills
• Adaptable tone of voice
• Editorial and fact-checking skills
• Interviewing skills
• Business acumen (in their niche)

Perhaps, you were taught some of those skills at high school or as part of your bachelor’s degree. But theory alone isn’t enough to produce good writing. You also need regular practice.

As Stephen King  says :

“Sometimes you have to go on [with writing] when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.”

The point of writing regularly is to build your writing muscle. The ability to produce good writing even when you are not inspired, face writer’s block, or battle your impostor syndrome.

That’s called professionalism.

To help you get to this stage, try these simple  writing exercises.

Practice free writing . Block 20-30 minutes each morning or evening to put down just about any ideas on paper. Don’t sweat about making it perfect. Try to use a tone you’d want to assume in your writing.

Transcribe others.  To develop a distinctive voice, fit for the type of writing you do, rewrite content from authors you admire. This can be a top-performing copywriting ad or a reported article. The point of this exercise is to internalize the other writer’s syntax , cadence, and ton — and absorb it into your writing.

Start a (micro)blog . If you want to specialize in online writing, which is most writing these days, start your blog. You can publish short posts on  LinkedIn ,  Medium , or  Typeshare . That’s an easy way to create several writing samples and start building a personal brand as a writer.

3. Fill In the Gaps in Education

Do you absolutely need to have a writing degree to make it big? No.

Many writers obtained unrelated associate degrees or never even went to college. Instead, they relentlessly practiced their craft.

Formal education can accelerate your writing career in the early days, especially if you’ve developed some industry connections in school. You also get to study literature, learn copy-editing basics, develop fact-checking skills, plus…expand your vocabulary and improve your grammar.

But you can also develop marketable writing skills at your own pace and on a much smaller dime.

These are some of the best ways to learn more about writing.

Books . Pick up several  books on writing  to grasp the basics of building a good story, doing reported writing, and writing at a good pace.

Online courses.  You can find free courses on  Coursera ,  edX , and  Udemy  (including those from top universities).

Alternatively, you can invest in an authored online course from a successful writer.  Copyhackers  and  Copybloggger  have two highly sought-after writer certification programs.

Writing communities  offer a great way to network and bounce ideas with peers. You can get your pressing questions answered, plus receive feedback on your work.

Some communities are free (and less structured) e.g.  Female Freelance Writers  or  Writers Unite!  Others are paid and offer carefully curated information and original content such as  The Copywriter Club  or  Workfrom Slack group .

Mentorships and apprenticeships.  Some pros offer personalized mentorship services to aspiring writers, where they share tips for building a successful career. Less often, experienced writers hire and train apprentices. Oftentimes, by subcontracting their client work to you and coaching you on the quality standards. Freelance writer Kaleigh Moore discusses these arrangements in  greater detail .

Short-term academic programs.  If you want to get a professional credential and mingle with academic advisors, you have  many MFA programs  at a four-figure price tag.

4. Start Writing Part-Time

To become a writer, you don’t need to go all-in immediately.

Elizabeth Gilbert writes in  Big Magic :

“I never wanted to burden my writing with the responsibility of paying for my life. I knew better than to ask this of my writing, because over the years, I have watched so many other people murder their creativity by demanding that their art pay the bills.”

Gilbert herself lived by that principle. Despite writing short stories and pitching book deals most of her adult life, she also held another job until Eat, Pray, Love became a roaring success.

Many other talented writers also began their careers in other niches:

• David Ogilvy , Father of Advertising, used to  train as a chef  and sell cooking stoves.
• Aaron Orendorff , pro copywriter and former Editor-in-Chief at Shopify, was once a  pastor .
• Sally Rooney , the first great millennial author, used to be a  professional debate participant .

Writing part-time is a safe way to start your professional career (unless you already have a job offer at your desk).

You can give yourself time to find your niche, create a small portfolio, and make yourself more employable by developing complementary skills.

Below are some of the most  in-demand skills for writers  (apart from writing).

Fact-checking.  Verifying facts and data; investigating sources and claims. Requires accuracy and attention to detail.

Interviewing and transcription.  Ability to interview subject matter experts (SMEs) and sources, then transcribe their input to incorporate into your writing.

Target audience research.  Requires basic market research skills and experience in working with primary and secondary data sources to create audience segments for marketing.

Search engine optimization (SEO)  includes knowledge of keyword research techniques and on-page SEO best practices — related to content structure, keyword placements, interlinking, and so on.

Content strategy.  Creation of frameworks and systematic approaches to content production based on the set marketing goals. Requires knowledge of content marketing.

Editorial planning.  Content and  editorial calendar  development and ongoing maintenance. Helps you ensure that you are producing the right content and publishing it at the right time.

Content management system (CMS) knowledge . Familiarity with WordPress, Webflow, or Squarespace CMS interfaces. Basic HTML/CSS skills are a plus.

Email marketing.  Familiarity with different types of email marketing emails. Newsletters, promo sequences, transactional emails, onboarding emails, and so on.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO).  User research, heatmap session analysis, and other types of investigations and improvements performed to optimize conversion rates.

Social media marketing.  Visual and written content creation for popular social media networks. Copy performance analysis and optimization for higher click-through rates.

Line editing and copy-editing.  The first means editing for clarity, lengths, and grammar. The second is checking the text for accuracy and consistency.

Set some basic writing goals for each month. Divide them into three groups:

• Income : target earnings cap.
• Education : training or knowledge you want to get.
• Client outreach : number of pitches or job applications to make.

Then block time to work on each. Prioritize gigs that would help you develop new skills rather than do the same work repeatedly.

Should Writers Work for Free?

It’s something you need to decide for yourself.

By publishing your writing as a guest post or magazine submission, you can land your first byline and build your credibility as a writer.

But doing bigger client projects for free devalues your qualifications and often leads to a lifecycle of poorly paid work. Writing is a job and therefore entitles you to compensation.

5. Find Paid Writing Opportunities

As a professional writer, you have plenty of options.

At the basic level, writing jobs can be:

• Contract-based

The first two usually come with an official employment contract, fixed annual salary, and extra benefits or perks.

Contract-based and freelance jobs assume self-employment. You are hired as an independent contractor, meaning you get to set your rates (mostly), but also pay income taxes and social security contributions.

You can also double as a freelance writer on the side while having a regular job. That’s a good way to supplement your income and progressively transition to full-time freelancing (which often pays more!).

Also, full-time in-house roles may be hard to get as a newbie. So you can try to combine  writing internships  with gig-based work to build out your portfolio first.

Where to Find Writing Jobs?

Job boards  like  Best Writing Jobs  curate full-time and freelance jobs. You can also check industry-specific job boards like  Mediabistro  (for marketing and copywriting jobs) or  Journalism Jobs .

Freelance writer platforms.  Instead of joining general platforms like  Upwork , look into writer-specific talent networks such as  ClearVoice ,  Contra , or  Skyword .

LinkedIn  is an easy way to connect with employers directly through networking, apply for relevant jobs (based on your profile data), and  list your freelance services  on your profile.

Online writing communities  are a great way to connect with peers, plus receive a fresh scoop on possible jobs and leads from others.  Peak Freelance ,  Superpath , and  Freelance Writers Den  are the best.

Where to Publish Your Writing?

Online and print media.  You can pitch individual publishers, follow editors on Twitter and respond to posted calls, or use  Pitch Whiz  to get centralized updates.

Trade journals  specialize in industry content for B2B decision-makers. They accept reported articles, interviews, educational and informational content from experienced writers. Muck Rack has a great guide for  pitching trade editors .

Literary journals and almanacs  publish short stories, personal essays, and narrated pieces across all genres, from love writing to sci-fi.

Most have monthly or quarterly calls for submission. Book Fox has a  list of top 100 literary magazines  to pitch.

Self-publish via Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP ). You can publish fiction and non-fiction eBooks yourself  using the KDP platform from Amazon .

6. Work on Your Brand

To become a writer, you need to publicly present yourself as one.

In other words: develop a personal brand, a promotion strategy for cultivating a certain perception of yourself. So that when people look up you online, they can understand what type of writing you do and what makes you a pro in it.

The main elements of your personal brand are the following.

Portfolio or personal website . A place where you communicate your niche, curate your clips (writing samples) and explain what services you provide.  Clippings.me  lets you create a simple portfolio website for free.  Webflow  is a more advanced builder to try out.

Social media accounts.  LinkedIn and Twitter, for example, the two platforms where people can connect with you and chat up on things. Follow  Kat Boogard  on Twitter for tips on freelancing or  Liz Willits  for advice on LinkedIn branding for writers.

Online appearances.  These range from bylined posts to personal blog posts and podcast appearances. Think of these as “breadcrumbs” you leave for potential clients to hire you.  Copyhacker’s guide  explains how to build your personal brand using guest appearances.

You don’t have to get each element perfect immediately. Treat personal branding as a work in progress.

Start with a simple portfolio website to organize your clips. Refresh your LinkedIn profile and connect with more people in the industry.

Block some time to strategize your positioning as a writer.

To do so, answer these questions:

• What industries do you want to work with the most?
• Which size of the company is ideal for you?
• What type of writing services do you excel at?
• What makes you more competitive than others in this space?

Then summarize all of the above into a short professional statement.

For example,  Marijana Kay  positions herself as a  “Freelance writer for SaaS & marketing brands, specializing in long-form, actionable blog content.”

Copywriter  Kira Hug  is a conversion copywriter for businesses who are  “ready to own who you are — the good, the bad, the surprising.”

Source:   Kira Hug .

Your positioning statement helps you communicate who you are and what type of work you like.

Also, by narrowing down to a specific niche, you can quickly develop an acute skillset and become an in-demand writer with a glowing reputation.

Conclusion: Where Do I Start as a Writer?

To start writing for a living, you should first decide on your niche, and the type of writing you want to (mostly) specialize in. Then work on creating your first writing samples.

First, mimic what other writers in your industry are doing. Pay attention to copy structure, formatting, titles and subheads, tone of voice, the pace of the narrative, and story flow. Try creating content in a similar style.

At the same time, learn extra skills. If you want to specialize in online writing, learn about SEO and content marketing. There are plenty of online courses and industry blogs with in-depth content.

Once you have some working samples, look for part-time gigs. If you can afford to, sign up as an intern or apprentice to get some on-the-job training from others (but likely no pay). Alternatively, look for entry-level freelance jobs, offering guidance and instructions to new writers.

To become a better writer, always ask for feedback on your work and try to improve each time.

Fill in the knowledge gaps and learn new things about the industry you are covering. To be a well-paid writer, you need to have an open, curious mind, passion for learning, and dedication to constant self-improvement.

FAQs About Becoming a Writer

Here are answers to several other questions new writers have.

Can you become a writer without a degree?

Yes, absolutely.  Formal education in a relevant field is helpful, especially at the early stages of your career. But it becomes less of a factor as you gain real-life work experience.

Published authors like Ray Bradbury and William Faulkner and many professional business writers became successful without a degree.

What is the difference between a copywriter and a content writer?

Copywriters specialize in persuasive and promotional copy (printed ads, landing pages, sales copy). Content writers create informational, educational, or entertainment content (blog posts, articles, news reports).

While both try to speak to a target audience in the most appealing way, copywriting attempts to encourage concrete action. Content helps develop familiarity and affinity towards the brand that publishes it.

How do I start freelance writing with no experience?

Create a set of writing samples.  These don’t have to be commissioned pieces for clients.

You can write personal blog posts, landing page samples, or short-reported pieces in your niche. Then show these to clients as a sample of what you could do for them.

Most clients are interested in your skills, not your resume. So focus on building out a small portfolio in your niche first.

What kind of careers involve writing?

Nearly every job these days involves a lot of writing — from emails to meeting notes and team reports. But if you want to primarily do writing, look into careers in content marketing, communications, PR, or journalism.

Do writers have day jobs?

Yes, many authors and freelance writers also have day jobs. In fact, it’s better to keep a day job as a published (or unpublished) author instead of living from one advance to another. Likewise, many people grow a writing business on the side and switch to it full-time when they reach a certain level of income.

Where can I sell my writing?

You can sell your creative writing to literary magazines, anthology publishers, almanacs, and individual magazines. Online platforms like  Medium  and  Narratively  also pay writers per story or per number of views. Also, you can sell non-fiction writing to print and online magazines, newspapers, and blogs. Many have open calls for submissions. You can (and should!) also connect with individual editors and pitch them your ideas.

How do authors get paid?

Authors get paid in two ways — via advances on books and through royalties. Publishers offer signed-on writers an advance to help them complete their books. Then pay out a percentage of each copy sold. Self-published authors make money from royalties only. But they get to keep a bigger percentage.

Are professional writers in demand?

Absolutely! The demand for online content writers, in particular, surged as businesses shifted to online marketing over the past 18 months. Also, writers are actively employed by tech firms to provide copy for new and current products. Between 2020 and 2030, the employment of writers and authors is projected to  grow by 9% .

How do beginner writers make money?

New writers often end up working for ‘content mills’ — platforms that pay peanuts for an unreasonable volume of work. Some also sign up for popular freelance marketplaces like  Upwork ,  Fiverr , and  PeoplePerHour .

Again, these don’t always offer great pay. A better way to make money is to apply for freelance writing jobs directly or build relationships with clients online — via LinkedIn, niche communities, or social media. In this case, you can name and negotiate your rates.

Tomas Laurinavicius

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How to Become a Writer in 9 Simple Steps [2024]

by Sarah Lentz

on Aug 12, 2024

You’re here because you want to learn how to become a writer.

A quick Google search led to mountains of advice, leaving you with more questions than when you started!

But you’re determined to figure out, once and for all, how to grow your talent on a career path that not only puts food on the table but changes your life in ways you can’t put a price on.

In the simple steps below, you’ll learn how to decide what kind of writing to focus on and where to find the best writing jobs once you do.

Ready to take those first steps toward becoming a professional writer ?

Let’s dive in.

How to Become a Writer in 9 Steps

Who doesn’t love a step-by-step approach to making great things happen?

No one’s saying it’ll happen overnight. But, by giving each of the following steps your full and patient attention and taking action every day, you’ll make steady and measurable progress.

This is how you go from being an aspiring writer to landing a great writing job.

1. Choose a Path

Your decision to become a writer is just the beginning. When it comes to professional writing for an income, you have several rewarding paths to choose from:

• Blogging : Build an audience by writing on your own platform (or guest post on other blogs)
• Freelance writing : Write high-quality content for clients and publications
• Copywriting : Write marketing copy and assist with branding
• Writing nonfiction books : Share knowledge and earn royalty income
• Fiction writing: Tell stories and earn royalty income
• Ghostwriting : Merge your skill with another’s voice to write books or create viral content
• Journalism: Write for a newspaper and/or magazines
• Technical writing: Write technical manuals, instructions or reports

Some of these probably excite you more than others. And you wouldn’t be the first writer to try more than one path before settling on the best fit.

How do you decide where to begin?

• Learn as much as you can about the paths that interest you.
• Talk to experienced bloggers, journalists, ghostwriters , etc.
• Try your hand at writing jobs for different paths (part-time).

Whatever you try, be honest about your inclinations. For example, if you have a passion for creative writing, you probably wouldn’t enjoy working as a technical writer. The truth is, when you’re writing what you love (or what you don’t), it shows.

2. Get Over Yourself and Just Get Started

You’re sitting there in front of a blank page, wondering, “Why did I think becoming a writer would be easy? How do I start a writing career if I can’t think of what to write?”

Both are fair questions. The first step to writing more easily, though, is to stop self-editing in your head before the words get a chance to come out.

Get over the idea that every sentence you write has to be perfect. Your fear of making mistakes, or of making something less than perfect, is the monster behind writer’s block and procrastination.

But to be a great writer, you need something stronger: R esilience .

It’s in there, I promise.

And it’s what makes it possible for all types of writers to face harsh criticism, to get back up, and to keep on writing .

3. Write Every Day

Writer’s write. And professional writers write every day.

That might sound inflexible. But those who take their writing seriously make time for it in their daily routines.

If it’s something you only do when you feel inspired, it’s a hobby, not a career.

Unless you’re nocturnal, you probably have more energy in the morning than you do in the evening; carve out some of that time for your new writing habit.

Here are some ideas on what to write:

• Journal entries
• Blog posts and ideas
• Emails or letters
• Freewriting with prompts
• Creative writing exercises

Along with using a habit tracker app (like this one ), many writers find it helpful to set a minimum word count target for the day – or a minimum number of minutes spent writing.

Apps like PomoDoneApp use the Pomodoro technique to help you accomplish more in manageable chunks of time.

Start with something you know will be manageable for you, even when you’re tired and your brain just doesn’t wanna (because those days will come).

But a year from now, if you stick with your daily practice, you’ll have sharpened your writing skill and learned how to keep going when the going gets tough. And both will serve you well.

4. Focus on “Deep Work”

In order to do your best work, you need a writing space that’s free of distractions. Only when you immerse yourself in your writing can you enter a flow state, where the “deep work” happens.

It isn’t so much about working “smarter, not harder.” It’s working smarter and harder to get the best possible results. And that doesn’t happen when you multitask.

It happens when you take the following steps seriously (including #6):

• Clarify your goals and prepare. Know what you want to accomplish before each day, each week, each month, etc., begins.
• Automate what you can. Use project management tools to automate your workflow and free up more time for deep work.
• Focus on one thing at a time. Choose one task and give all your attention to that for 40 minutes to an hour or two.
• Create a daily ritual. Create a dedicated space and allocate a specific time period for your daily deep work sessions.
• Silence social media. It’s a distraction you don’t need. Allocate separate, small blocks of time for this.
• Quit when you’re done. No points for overdoing it. Your brain needs quality rest to do quality written work.
• Read the book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World , by Cal Newport, and keep it as a helpful reference and reminder.

5. Read More

Being a good reader is essential to being a good writer. And what you choose to read will often influence the way you write.

With that in mind, we’d like to recommend a few good books on writing :

• On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser (best book on the mechanics of the language)
• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (best book on story structure)
• Story Engineering by Larry Brooks (storytelling and novel writing)
• CA$HVERTISING: How to Use More than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone by Drew Eric Whitman (structure and mechanics for copywriting)
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (best book on being a writer)

You don’t know what you don’t know yet. And you’ve yet to discover how the books you read will change your path as a writer.

One way to make sure you get some quality reading in during the year is to make yourself a monthly reading list with books in the following categories:

• Books on the craft of writing
• Books like the ones you want to write
• Books you read for fun

Your list doesn’t have to look like every other writer’s, but don’t underestimate the value of a sincere recommendation.

6. Always Be Learning and Leveling Up

If you’re wondering what kind of education you need to be a better writer , we have some good news: you don’t need a college degree to earn a good income with your craft (though, it doesn’t hurt ).

What you do need is to keep learning and developing as a writer.

Aside from reading good books, there are other ways to continue your education:

• Take online courses on platforms like Udemy , Skillshare , or MasterClass.com
• Level up with certification-based writing programs like those offered by Smart Blogger
• Take a college writing course or earn a writing degree, such as an MFA, a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Communication Studies, or Journalism, or an industry-focused Associates degree
• Submit your best work to writing contests
• Set up a writer’s website and learn how to develop it into an asset

As you’ll see in the next tip, you can learn plenty from your fellow writers as well as from readers (particularly those who read the kinds of written content you want to write).

Leveling up your interaction with them should be an integral part of your plan.

7. Join a Writing Community

No writer is an island. That’s especially true if you plan on getting paid.

It’s never too early to join a writing community and to start learning from other members and sharing what you know.

• Facebook groups for writers (Search “writing,” and you’ll find plenty)
• Facebook groups for your chosen genre or writing path
• LinkedIn groups
• Local writing groups (Look up “[nearest city] writing groups”)
• Online communities like CampNaNoWriMo and Critique Circle
• Networking events for writers like the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference

Put yourself in situations where you’ll meet other writers, particularly those drawn to the same paths that interest you.

Whatever stage you’ve reached, you have valuable insights to share, and so do they.

Learn what you can to help each other grow.

8. Find Paid Writing Opportunities

Once you’re ready to start writing for money, it’s time to get acquainted with all the best places to find paid writing opportunities:

• Job boards: Problogger , FlexJobs , and FreelanceWriting.com
• LinkedIn: in writing or industry-specific groups
• Facebook: in content writing or niche-specific groups
• Writer guidelines for magazines and book publishers
• Social media channels like Twitter and Instagram

Make time for daily checks of job boards .

Look through guidelines for magazines and publishers that interest you. And allocate some time for job searching on social media channels where you’ve built connections with fellow writers, editors, and publishers.

9. Cultivate Credibility

Once you’ve received your first payment from a client, don’t forget to ask for a testimonial. Think of it as a way to ensure you’ve met all their expectations.

Each well-crafted testimonial benefits you in the following ways:

• Shows client satisfaction, gratitude, and even loyalty
• Articulates exactly how you benefited each client
• Acts as a referral to build trust in potential clients
• Gives you a chance to increase a good client’s visibility
• Helps you discover areas that need improvement

With that last one, you may have to read between the lines and ask your client for clarification. But none of these benefits come without asking.

And when you’re starting out, it’s an easy thing to forget.

If you’re worried the client will be annoyed by your request, we can tell you (from experience on both sides) if your client is happy with your work, they’ll be happy to write something complimentary about it.

If they’re not sure exactly how to write a testimonial , you can even write one for them to review and approve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do writers get paid well.

It’s not hard to find success stories of writers who earn six figures (or more) with their craft. Famous authors like Liane Moriarty and Stephen King come to mind.

That said, no content writer starts out with the promise of a six-figure income, no matter how good they are. And it’s best not to quit your other job until you’ve met one of the following enviable conditions:

• You’re consistently earning enough with your writing to replace the income you’d lose, or
• You have solid evidence your writing income, plus any other household income, will more than make up for it.

Do I Need a Writer’s Website to Be Successful?

While you can host your writing profile on sites like Contently or LinkedIn , you wouldn’t own the platforms. With a self-hosted website, you can create a profile on your own piece of online real estate.

But those aren’t the only benefits of owning your own platform:

• You can start a blog of your own with niche-focused content
• You can earn affiliate income with your blog posts
• You can create stylized links to your writing samples and portfolio

Your writer’s website displays your qualifications and gives future clients a taste of your personality, too.

Don’t worry, maintaining an online platform doesn’t have to be a full-time job. And using a site builder like Elementor (affiliate link) makes it that much easier.

The sooner you create one, the sooner you can share your new online address.

How Do I Start a Writing Career When I Still Have a Job?

You don’t need to be unemployed or have loads of free time to get started on building a profitable writing career.

Whatever path you choose, you can set aside time for the following:

• Daily writing
• Skimming job boards
• Creating a writer website
• Taking an online class
• Connecting with other writers

Do what you can every day to get closer to your writing goals.

Final Takeaways on How to Become a Writer

Whatever writing path you choose, nothing happens until you take action.

The secret to becoming a successful writer isn’t magic or destiny. It lies in what you do consistently, even when you’d rather do something else.

Take a moment now, look through the steps again, and jot down some ideas for this week to get the wheels in motion.

Then hit the Freelance Writing Hub and read up. Or make time for some of our favorite podcasts for writers .

Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is just the beginning . Smart habits are what will get you there.

Sarah Lentz

The ultimate toolkit for becoming one of the highest-paid writers online. Premium training. Yours for free.

Written by Sarah Lentz

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How to Become a Writer: A Guide

So you want to be a writer. Awesome choice, if we do say so ourselves. 

But now you might find yourself wondering how to be a writer. Is a writer simply somebody who writes, or is there more to it? How much writing do you need to do before you can officially call yourself a writer? Do you need to get paid for your work in order to earn that title? Does it need to be published somewhere? 

Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate the way you intend. Write with Grammarly

The answer to all of the questions above is no. As long as you’re writing, you’re a writer. Even if it takes ten years to get your first book published, you’ve been a writer since you sketched out your very first book outline. And although writing a book is one way to become a professional writer, it’s hardly the only way. Read on to learn more about the different writing careers you can pursue and how to get started. 

Determine the kind of writer you want to be

Writers fall into two very broad categories: writers who write simply for personal enjoyment and writers who write professionally. Many, perhaps even most, professional writers also write for fun and personal fulfillment—but not every writer who does it as a hobby also does it for a living. 

If you’ve determined you want to become a professional writer, there are a lot of different career paths to choose from. Take a look at a few of the most common career paths for writers:

Copywriters write the taglines, product descriptions, ads, and other short, emotion-packed bits of writing (known in the biz as “copy”) that drive people to take specific actions. Within this field, there are lots of specializations, like direct response copywriting, email copywriting, SEO copywriting, marketing copywriting, and brand copywriting. While plenty of copywriters are employed full-time, plenty more work for themselves, taking clients on a freelance basis. 

Beyond these specializations, copywriters typically focus on specific industries, like the medical industry, arts and entertainment, SAAS, pets, subscription services, and more—basically, any industry you can think of employs copywriters.  

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for copywriters in the United States is $57,864.*

Content writer

The blog post you’re reading right now was written by a content writer. In fact, all the content you’ve ever read on a website, like how-to guides, informational articles, and the text on infographics, was written by content writers. Even the ads you’ve watched on TV come from content writers—after all, somebody has to write the scripts.  

Bloggers fall into the category of “content writer.” Just like copywriters, content writers typically specialize in one or a few specific industries. And just like copywriters, they can work in-house or freelance. 

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for content writers in the United States is $47,233. 

Technical writer

Technical writers create documentation that teaches people how to use applications and tech equipment. They do this by writing instruction manuals, how-to guides, articles, and product guides. They write similar kinds of material as content writers, but the difference is that while content writers generally aim to engage readers, often as part of broader marketing strategies, technical writers write to explain how a product or system works. 

A technical writer’s work needs to be highly detailed and leave no room for misinterpretation or error. It’s fairly common, but not necessarily universal, for technical writers to have degrees or other formal training in STEM fields. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for technical writers was $74,650 per year in 2020.

Communications officer

A communications officer acts as the spokesperson for a brand or another organization, publishing content like press releases and responding to media inquiries. Communications officers are sometimes referred to as public relations specialists or communications specialists. 

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a communications officer is $57,896.

Journalists write timely news stories. A career in journalism requires more than writing skills; it requires strong research and interviewing skills, too. Journalists work in a variety of settings, from online outlets to radio and television to print publications. 

According to Payscale, the average annual salary for journalists in the US is $41,624.

Grant writer

A grant writer—also known as a proposal writer—researches, writes, and submits grant requests on behalf of individuals and organizations seeking funding. Generally, this role involves finding specific grants and determining whether they’re appropriate for the organization seeking them. It can also involve acting as a liaison between the funding provider and recipient. 

According to salary.com, the median salary for grant writers in the US is $72,645.

Columnists write and publish short essays from their personal points of view. Their publication platforms are known as “columns” and can be found in newspapers, magazines, and online. Often, a column covers news and evergreen topics within one specific area, like cryptocurrency or fashion design, and the columnist writing it has some sort of credential to write authoritatively on that subject—like a lengthy career as a crypto trader or an MFA in fashion design. 

According to salary.com, the average annual salary for columnists in the US is $66,725.

When you say “I’m a writer,” most people’s minds automatically jump to authors, as in published book authors.

For authors, it’s close to impossible to list an accurate annual salary. For every mega-bestselling author who rakes in millions, there are thousands of other authors sporadically publishing in literary magazines for a few hundred dollars per story. Even authors who publish books regularly and semi-regularly have wildly varying incomes, with the average coming in at $51,103 per year according to Payscale . If you’re considering the author path, the reality is that you’ll most likely need to work a full-time job while writing and publishing on the side. This is true whether you plan on pursuing traditional publishing or self-publishing, both of which have unique benefits and challenges for writers. 

>>Read More: How to Write a Book

If your primary focus is poetry, you’d refer to yourself as a poet. Similar to authors, poets’ incomes vary widely and typically, writing poetry is more of a monetized hobby than a full-time job. That said, there are commercial opportunities for poets, like writing for greeting card companies, but these are often on a freelance basis. 

Create realistic goals and expectations

The reality is this: You’re not likely to sit down and bang out a bestseller on the first try. Similarly, you’re not guaranteed to pitch a bunch of articles to websites and get them all accepted with no prior experience. Like every other pursuit, a writing career is something you cultivate and nurture over time. 

When you’re first starting out, set realistic goals for yourself. Maybe you want to become a full-time blogger . Choose a platform, set up your blog, and start publishing posts, giving yourself a reasonable but consistent schedule like one or two posts per week. Or maybe you’ve decided you want to give copywriting a shot. Some realistic starting points for an aspiring copywriter include listening to podcasts like The Copywriter Club and Copy Chief Radio , researching different areas of specialization, and applying for entry-level copywriting jobs and internships. You could even reach out to an already established copywriter for an informational interview .

The more you write and try out different kinds of writing, the better you’ll get to know yourself as a writer. Maybe you’ll find that you’re at your best when you’re working under a tight deadline and you have to focus on nothing but the work in front of you. Or you might find that’s the complete opposite of your style and you need lots of time to be able to write at a comfortable pace. Maybe writing is the creative outlet you need after spending the day at a boring desk job—or your best ideas come to you in the middle of the night. 

There are lots of different types of writers , and nobody fits neatly into one box or another. But taking the time to determine which type of writer you can primarily classify yourself as can help you identify your strengths and areas of opportunity. If you’re planning to pursue writing as a career, it can also help you determine which kind of writing career suits you best. A meticulous plotter, for example, can find a ton of success as a technical writer, but they might not have the spontaneity necessary to make it as a direct response copywriter. Similarly, an idea generator can be their blogging client’s best-kept secret, but they might not make a great grant writer. 

Work with the tools writers use

There are a lot of apps and other tools available to help you organize your writing, take notes on the go, write faster, and make sure your work is free of mistakes (hint hint: there’s one that starts with a G and ends with “rammarly”). 

Explore these tools and if you plan on going into a specific writing-focused career field, familiarize yourself with the tools writers in that industry use most frequently. A few of the most common tools professional and hobby writers use are:

• Google Docs
• Wordstream Free Keyword Tool
• FX Flesch-Kincaid Readability tool
• Citation Machine
• StayFocused

There are more tools and resources available for you—a lot more. Many of them are specific to certain kinds of writing, like Yoast, which is a search engine optimization (SEO) plug-in. 

Become a regular reader

You’ve probably been told that if you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader. And it’s true—just like listening to a variety of music is key to being a skilled musician, reading lots of different kinds of writing will help you become a stronger writer. 

Don’t just read the kind of writing you want to do; read about writing. Here are a few great books for learning about different types of writing and the craft of writing:

• Breakthrough Copywriting by David Garfinkel
• Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
• Telling True Stories by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call

Other valuable resources for writers include blogs and social media groups about writing. Reading doesn’t have to be a formal, sit-down-and-don’t-get-up-until-you’ve-finished-the-chapter kind of thing; you can easily get some valuable reading in by scrolling the r/writing subreddit or another forum for writers while you’re standing in line at the store, sitting on the bus, or on your work breaks. 

Common questions about becoming a writer

Do you need a degree to be a writer.

Not necessarily. But it can help, and if you’re looking for full-time writing jobs, a degree may be required. 

Common degrees to pursue if you want to be a writer include English, journalism, and communications. It also isn’t uncommon for a professional writer to have a degree in another area and focus their career on writing in that niche. For example, you might have a degree in economics and decide you’d like to become a finance journalist. 

Advanced degrees and beyond

Just like you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to become a writer, you don’t need an advanced degree—in most cases. As you search for writing jobs, you’ll likely come across listings for higher-level positions that do require advanced degrees. Usually, these listings are for candidates with highly specialized knowledge in one area, like a listing for a legal writer requiring that all applicants have a JD. But do you need an MFA in Creative Writing to publish your novel? Of course not!

Do I really need to write every day?

You’ve probably heard that if you want to be a professional writer, you need to write every day. What this advice really boils down to is practice makes perfect. You don’t necessarily have to write every single day, but carving out a block of time to focus on your writing regularly will help you become a stronger writer. 

Where can I connect with other writers?

For a lot of writers, being part of a writing community is important. This is especially true if you go the freelance route—it’s always helpful to have peers you can bounce ideas off and ask for advice. 

You can find lots of writing communities on social media as well as other places online. Some are free and open to everybody, while others are industry- and niche-specific and may require membership dues. You can also find in-person writing groups through platforms like meetup.com. 

Become a better writer instantly

As Hemingway said, good writing is rewriting. But before you can rewrite your work, you need to know where you made mistakes and where you can make changes to make your writing stronger. Grammarly can help with that. 

No matter what kind of writing you’re doing, Grammarly catches issues with punctuation, grammar and syntax mistakes, and tone inconsistencies. This way, your writing doesn’t just shine but also helps you reach your goals—whether that’s to teach your reader something, to convey important information, or to make them feel something deeply. 

*All salaries cited in this article were the averages at the time of this article’s original publication unless noted otherwise.

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• Writers and Authors: Jobs, Career, Salary and Education Information

Writers and Authors

Career, salary and education information.

What They Do : Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media.

Work Environment : Writers and authors may work anywhere they have access to a computer. Many writers and authors are self-employed.

How to Become One : A college degree in English, communications, or journalism is generally required for a full-time position as a writer or author. Experience gained through internships or any writing that improves skill, such as blogging, is beneficial.

Salary : The median annual wage for writers and authors is $69,510.

Job Outlook : Employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Related Careers : Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of writers and authors with similar occupations.

Following is everything you need to know about a career as a writers or author with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:

Top 3 Writer and Author Jobs

Author , co- author , critically edit, and format clinical/regulatory documents, including New Drug ... Develop and manage medical writing timelines for assigned documents to ensure on-time deliverables ...

Required application materials include a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample (two to three pages from your academic or work experience of which you are the sole author ). EEO/AA ...

Own the technology transfer from Process Development to cGMP Manufacturing operations - author the ... Must have experience writing and reviewing GMP documentation * Strong analytical, problem-solving ...

See all Writer and Author jobs

What Writers and Authors Do [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media, including advertisements; books; magazines; movie, play, and television scripts; and blogs.

Duties of Writers and Authors

Writers and authors typically do the following:

• Choose subject matter that interests readers
• Write fiction or nonfiction through scripts, novels, biographies, and more
• Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail
• Write advertising copy for newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, and the Internet
• Present drafts to editors and clients for feedback
• Work with editors and clients to shape the material so it can be published

Writers must establish their credibility with editors and readers through clean prose, strong research, and the use of appropriate sources and citations. Writers and authors select the material they want to use and then convey the information to readers. With help from editors, they may revise or rewrite sections, searching for the clearest language and the most appropriate phrasing.

Some writers and authors are self-employed or freelance writers and authors. They sell their written content to book and magazine publishers; news organizations; advertising agencies; and movie, theater, and television producers. They may be hired to complete specific short-term or recurring assignments, such as writing a newspaper column, contributing to a series of articles in a magazine, or producing an organization's newsletter.

An increasing number of writers are producing material that is published only on the Internet, such as for digital news organizations or blogs.

The following are examples of types of writers and authors:

Copywriters prepare advertisements to promote the sale of a good or service. They often work with a client to produce written content, such as advertising themes, jingles, and slogans.

Content writers write about any topic of interest, unlike writers who usually specialize in a given field.

Biographers write a thorough account of a person's life. They gather information from interviews and research about the person to accurately portray important events in that person's life.

Bloggers write posts to a blog that may pertain to any topic or a specific field, such as fashion, news, or sports.

Novelists write books of fiction, creating characters and plots that may be imaginary or based on real events.

Playwrights write scripts for theatrical productions. They come up with a concept, write lines for actors to say, produce stage direction for actors to follow, and suggest ideas for theatrical set design.

Screenwriters create scripts for movies and television. They may produce original stories, characters, and dialogue, or turn a book into a movie or television script.

Speechwriters write speeches for business leaders, politicians, and others who must speak in front of an audience. A speech is heard, not read, which means speechwriters must think about audience reaction and rhetorical effect.

Work Environment for Writers and Authors [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

Writers and authors hold about 142,800 jobs. The largest employers of writers and authors are as follows:

Writers and authors may work anywhere they have access to a computer.

Jobs are somewhat concentrated in major media and entertainment markets—California, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC—but improved communications and Internet capabilities allow writers and authors to work from almost anywhere. Some writers and authors prefer to work and travel to meet with publishers and clients and to do research or conduct interviews in person.

Writer and Author Work Schedules

Some writers and authors work part time. Most keep regular office hours, either to stay in contact with sources and editors or to set up a writing routine, but many set their own hours. Others may need to work evenings and weekends to produce something acceptable for an editor or client. Self-employed or freelance writers and authors may face the pressures of juggling multiple projects or continually looking for new work.

How to Become a Writer or Author [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

Get the education you need: Find schools for Writers and Authors near you!

A college degree in English, journalism, or communications is generally required for a salaried position as a writer or author. Experience can be gained through internships, but any form of writing that improves skill, such as blogging, is beneficial.

Education for Writers and Authors

A bachelor's degree is typically needed for a full-time job as a writer. Because writing skills are essential in this occupation, many employers prefer candidates with a degree in English, journalism, or communications.

Other Work Experience for Writers and Authors

Writers can obtain job experience by working for high school and college newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, advertising and publishing companies, or nonprofit organizations. College theater programs offer playwrights an opportunity to have their work performed. Many magazines and newspapers also have internships for students. Interns may write stories, conduct research and interviews, and gain general publishing experience.

Employers also increasingly prefer new applicants to have the ability to code and program webpages or manipulate data to create a visual story using tables, charts, infographics, and maps. Online publications require knowledge of computer software and editing tools that are used to combine text with graphics, audio, video, and animation.

In addition, anyone with Internet access can start a blog and gain writing experience. Some of this writing may lead to paid assignments regardless of education, because the quality of writing, the unique perspective, and the size of the potential audience are the greatest determinants of success for a piece of writing.

Writers or authors can come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences as long as they demonstrate strong writing skills.

Writer and Author Training

Writers and authors typically need to gain writing experience through on-the-job training. They may practice writing and work with more experienced writers and editors before their work is ready for publication.

Writers who want to write about a particular topic may need formal training or experience related to that topic.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Writers and Authors

Some associations offer certifications for writers and authors. Certification can demonstrate competence and professionalism, making candidates more attractive to employers. For example, the American Grant Writers' Association (AGWA) offers the Certified Grant Writer® credential.

Certification can also increase opportunities for advancement.

Advancement for Writers and Authors

Beginning writers and authors can get a start and put their name on work immediately by writing for small businesses, local newspapers, advertising agencies, and nonprofit organizations. However, opportunities for advancement within these organizations may be limited because they usually do not have enough regular work.

Writers and authors can advance their careers further by building a reputation, taking on more complex writing assignments, and getting published in more prestigious markets and publications. Having published work that has been well received and maintaining a track record of meeting deadlines are important for advancement.

Many editors begin work as writers. Those who are particularly skilled at identifying stories, correcting writing style, and interacting with writers may be interested in editing jobs.

Important Qualities for Writers and Authors

Adaptability. Writers and authors need to be able to adapt to newer software platforms and programs, including various content management systems (CMS).

Creativity. Writers and authors must be able to develop new and interesting plots, characters, or ideas so they can come up with new stories.

Critical-thinking skills. Writers and authors must have dual expertise in thinking through or understanding new concepts, and conveying it through writing.

Determination. Writers and authors sometimes work on projects that take years to complete. They must demonstrate perseverance and personal drive to meet deadlines.

Persuasion. Writers, especially those in advertising, must be able to persuade others to feel a certain way about a good or service.

Social perceptiveness. Writers and authors must understand how readers react to certain ideas in order to connect with their audience.

Writing skills. Writers and authors must be able to write clearly and effectively in order to convey feeling and emotion and communicate with readers.

Writer and Author Salaries [ About this section ] [ More salary/earnings info ] [ To Top ]

The median annual wage for writers and authors is $69,510. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $133,580.

The median annual wages for writers and authors in the top industries in which they work are as follows:

Job Outlook for Writers and Authors [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

Employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 15,200 openings for writers and authors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment of Writers and Authors

As traditional print publications lose ground to other media forms, writers and authors are shifting their focus to online media, which should result in some employment growth for these workers.

Careers Related to Writers and Authors [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

Announcers and djs.

Announcers present news and sports or may interview guests on media such as radio and television. Disc jockeys (DJs) act as masters of ceremonies (emcees) or play recorded music at weddings, parties, or clubs.

Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

News analysts, reporters, and journalists keep the public updated about current events and noteworthy information. They report international, national, and local news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.

Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.

Public Relations Specialists

Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They craft media releases and develop social media programs to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.

Technical Writers

Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization's communications channels.

More Writer and Author Information [ About this section ] [ To Top ]

For more information about writers and authors, visit

American Grant Writers’ Association, Inc.

American Society of Journalists and Authors

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

National Association of Science Writers

Society of Professional Journalists

Writers Guild of America East

A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.

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How to Become a Writer

LearnHowToBecome.org Staff

Contributing Writer

Learn about our editorial process .

Updated February 28, 2023

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Are you ready to discover your college program?

From the copywriter working on Madison Avenue in New York to the self-employed screenwriter trying to find a break in Hollywood, writing is an extensive and diverse professional field. Although it offers multiple ways to break into the industry, there are three consistent factors to achieving success: talent, training and experience. Learn more about what it takes to start a writing career, the type of training available, and the overall occupational outlook for writers today.

What Does a Writer Do?

Using their command of the common language of their audience, writers conceptualize, research, write, and edit polished manuscripts, poems, articles, and other types of written content. In their role, they may work across genres, from nonfiction to poetry, fiction to satire. In a business environment, writers may work as copywriters, technical writers, blog and feature writers, and as editors.

There are numerous different types of writers, such as copywriters, journalists, novelists, web writers and editors. Writing professionals are broadly employed in different industries, ranging from academia to business, journalism to entertainment. It's a unique occupation, as a majority of writers are self-employed (approximately two-thirds), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Along with superior writing skills, it often falls upon writers to do exhaustive research when writing, so they must have superior research skills as well. They may be called upon to parse data and find the story within that data and write about it, so they should be able to understand data and data sets.

Writer Salaries & Job Growth

Writer salaries across the us.

Writing is a diverse field, with a broad assortment of well-paying career paths. The national median salary for writers and authors was slightly above $60,000 in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the top paying industries include science writing ($64,380), grant writing ($58,920), and arts & entertainment writing ($58,400). Explore the earning potential for writing careers in different locations using the map below.

Writer Job Growth

The Internet, online publishing and social media have not only transformed publishing, but the entire communication industry as well. This disruption has led to the emergence of new writing careers, those with a greater emphasis on Web writing, editing, and media production. These changes have created a more competitive marketplace for talented writers with digital skills. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2 percent growth for writers between 2014 and 2014. Learn more about the occupational outlook in each state using the map below.

Steps to Becoming a Writer

Not all writers work as or want to be novelists, poets or authors. Writing is an extremely diverse occupational field with multi-faceted career paths. There isn't a single route to becoming a writer, which is one of the major benefits of the profession. Yet, two-thirds of writers are self-employed freelancers and the information below outlines example steps someone can take to become a writer.

Choosing the Right Writing Degree Program

Preparing for a Writing Career: Writing Degrees & Programs

Not every writer has a degree in English. However, an English degree is one great way to get started on a career in writing. Prospective writers can concentrate their studies at the undergraduate or graduate level in an area that aligns with their professional goals. Learn more about these degrees and academic specializations below.

Certificate in Writing

Writing certificates are short-term instructional programs that teach students applied writing skills, knowledge about mechanics and style, and insight into how to write for different audiences. As professional development programs, certificates include curriculum in multiple niche areas. These areas range from fiction to feature film writing, television writing to grant writing. The length of certificate programs vary, but typically require five to eight classes to complete.

Associate Degree in Writing

The associate degree is an industry-focused academic program. It provides students with practical knowledge they can use to transition into an entry-level career or continue into a four-year bachelor's degree program. They typically require between 60 and 66 credit hours to complete, which usually requires at least two years of full-time study. The curriculum is designed to nurture student's creativity while helping them build writing proficiencies they can use to become a professional writer or editor.

At this level, there are two types of emphases within the Associate of Arts in English: writing and creative writing. The creative writing major serves as an introduction to genre writing, nurtures student interest in creative writing, and uses workshops and classroom-based instruction to improve their writing. The writing emphases major covers both literature and writing. Students study the fundamentals of literary theory and take classes aimed at professional skill development in technical writing, business communication, advanced composition and editing, and news and informational writing.

Throughout the program, students craft a writing portfolio they can use as a building block to employment or future studies.

Bachelor's Degree in Writing

Bachelor's degree programs generally require four-years of full-time study and expose students to general education coursework and classwork in their chosen writing specialty. At this level, the most common majors include English literature, creative writing and English with a writing emphasis (composition). These writing degrees offer students multiple academic pathways that can lead to either work as a writer or into further graduate studies. Below is an overview of the different writing majors at the bachelor's level.

English Literature

This major blends the study of writing and literature. Along with an introduction to different elements of writing (e.g. fiction, novel, expository writing), the curriculum also includes coursework in contemporary American and English literature. These programs teach students how to critically analyze written texts and use workshops to help students gain insight into how to improve their own writing.

English Composition

This major exposes students to the fundamentals of professional writing, skills required across writing careers in nonprofit groups, government agencies, publications, entertainment, media and business. The curriculum provides an overview of composition, business writing, grammar and rhetoric, and language theory. Through this curriculum, students develop talents in critical writing, research and analysis.

Creative Writing

Creative writing traditionally covers one of six genres: non-fiction, fiction, children's literature, young adult literature, poetry, and scriptwriting. This major integrates literary theory and experiential practice in composition and revision. The goal of the major is to prepare students for professional opportunities as writers and, most importantly, to become published authors. Many creative writing programs also include hands-on internships that allow students to gain real-world experience.

Master's in Writing

The master's in writing can take several forms, including a Master of Arts in rhetoric and composition, Master of Arts in literature with a writing emphasis, Master of Arts in creative writing, Master of Arts in professional writing, and a Master of Fine Arts. These programs require between one and two years of full-time study to complete and may require a thesis or final project to graduate.

Rhetoric and Composition

Curriculum broadly covers academic and professional writing and research methodologies, helping students develop their skills in literacy studies, composition, and written communication. After graduation, students are positioned for careers as teachers, professional writers, and media specialists.

In these programs, students focus their studies in a single concentration: fiction, nonfiction, poetry or professional writing. In addition to classroom-based instruction in literary theory, students also participate in writing workshops in and outside of their genre to develop their writing skills. Graduates of these programs can move into an assortment of writing careers – everything from authors to journalists, bloggers to educators.

Literacy Studies

These programs serve as an introduction to the study of writing and literature. Typically serving as a bridge to a PhD program, literacy studies is a flexible course of study for students seeking careers in publishing, professional writing or editing.

Professional Writing

This program is geared toward students interested in careers in editing and writing in government, business or industry positions. Curriculum covers skill-based writing in policy development, grant writing, white papers, and other forms of workplace writing.

Master of Fine Arts

The Master of Fine Arts in writing allows writers to singularly focus on developing their creative writing skills. Curriculum includes an emphasis (e.g. fiction, poetry, nonfiction) with coursework that teaches students about the theories of that emphasis, along with practical, real-world skill development.

PhD in Writing

Doctoral programs in writing are for students who want to work in academia as scholars and educators at the university level. The most advanced studies of writing, PhD programs can require between four and six years to complete. Like undergraduate degrees, students select from a specialization in English. Example specializations include rhetoric and composition, creative writing and literature. PhD programs are competitive as they offer students the opportunity to conduct original scholarship and position themselves for tenure-track positions at the university level after graduation.

Writing Graduate Degree Program Admission Requirements

There are two main types of master's degrees in writing: the Master of Arts (MA) and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The MA has an academic focus on literature, but does offer concentrations in writing, including creative writing and is a stepping stone to a PhD. The MFA is considered a terminal, or professional degree, that is dedicated to teaching students about writing and honing their craft. Both have similar admission requirements. However, the requirements do vary school to school. Below is a list of sample admission requirements for an MFA program.

A bachelor's degree in English, journalism or related field from an accredited college or university. Student must also meet minimum GPA requirements – usually a 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale.

Letters of Recommendation

Students must supply between two and three letters of recommendation that speak to the candidate's experience and writing aptitude.

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts must be submitted. Official transcripts are usually required upon acceptance to the program.

Graduate Record Examination

Most MFA programs do not require students to take the GRE for admission to an MFA program.

Prerequisites

Prior to starting their graduate courses, MFA applicants should be familiar with their writing specialty, e.g. fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. This includes taking undergraduate prerequisite courses in writing and literature.

Statement of Purpose

Students must write and submit a two- to three-page statement of purpose that describes their experience, education and why they want to earn an MFA in writing.

Writing Sample

The writing sample demonstrates the student's skills in their chosen writing field. It may be between 30 and 50 pages in length (up to 10,000 words in length). It may include multiple pieces of writing, each of which must have been written in the past five years. Examples include short stories or a part of a novel for fiction writers, biography or personal essays for nonfiction writers, or a selection of poems for poetry students.

Writer Career Concentrations

Writing degrees span a variety of concentrations, including professional writing, business writing, technical writing, creative writing and science writing. By specializing in these fields during their degree programs, students can develop marketable skills and pursue numerous career paths after graduation. Below is an overview of five example occupational career roles for writers, with 2015 median salaries reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Technical Writer

Technical writers work in a variety of fields, such as engineering and manufacturing, and translate complex information about products and systems into instruction manuals, technical documentation, how-to guides and other materials. Collaborating with product designers, project managers, and other staff, technical writers organize content plans for specific audiences (e.g. internal staff, consumers), select appropriate channels for messaging (e.g. videos, memos), and generate easy-to-understand copy.

Grant Writer

Grant writers work with nonprofit and public organizations to research and write proposals to receive funding from government agencies, charities, and private foundations. Like a matchmaker, grant writers have to locate funding opportunities that align with the mission, activities and goals of the group they are trying to fund. It's a role that requires understanding of the funding process and a keen organizational eye as grant applications can be complicated, requiring cover letters, project descriptions, narratives, supporting documentation, and financial records.

Science Writer

Science writers cover the field of science, writing about advancements and discoveries in areas such as astrophysics, biotechnology, climate change, and genetics. They turn the esoteric into something any reader can understand, making science accessible for all readers. Writing for websites, magazines, and other publications, science writers often position this news into a larger historical context. This larger context allows the general public to be informed about the latest developments in science.

Screenwriter

Screenwriters are typically self-employed freelancers that develop and write screenplays for television shows and films. These pieces can be entirely original or based on existing content, such as a novel, short story, comic book or another film. Screenwriters have unique understanding of how to construct a narrative and connect it to a larger plot and story. In turn, screenplays become the master plan for a producer, director, and actors to follow when shooting a film.

Copywriting is a broad employment field and copywriters are employed in nearly every industry, from healthcare to advertising. As versatile writers, copywriters create content that has an agenda, such as advertising and public relations material. They create copy for specific audiences in numerous formats, including white papers, social media posts, emails, blog posts, and fliers. They are content marketers with a keen understanding of how language can be used to convince readers, sell products, and tell a story.

Components of a Successful Writing Career: Skills, Credentials, Tools & Technology

Although some writers are born great, most require experience, education and training to become proficient at their craft. Learn more about some of the qualities writers should possess, the tools they use in their daily work, and credentials they can earn to develop new skills and advance in their careers.

Writing skill alone is not enough to make it as a professional writer. Writers need to have a well-rounded skillset to be successful. Explore the skills required in today's writing careers below.

Language Skills

Writers must have solid language skills, including grammar, spelling, word usage, and diction. They should have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely with the written word.

Imaginative

Writers start with a blank page, filling it with their imagination. They should be creative thinkers, able to generate raw material—whether for a poem, screenplay, grant application or article.

Because many writers are freelancers or self-employed, they must be self-motivated and determined, taking a strategic approach to landing new clients and producing strong materials.

Writers need to be able to research and write about any topic, even those that are unfamiliar. Research skills are a core component of the professional writer's toolbox.

Writing is an iterative process that may take numerous drafts to complete. Beyond spelling and grammar, writers know how to check their work for accuracy, errors, correctness, and overall quality.

Digital Media

In today's marketing landscape, writers should know the basics of HTML, CSS, and search engine optimization. This skill set allows them to create in-depth content focused on web publication and performs well for an online audience.

Communication

Writers should have good communication skills, able to work with clients, sources, editors, and readers. People skills is a must.

Writers rely on traditional (pen and paper) and new technology (dictation and publishing software) to conduct research and produce written material. Below is a sample list of some of the tools and technology writers may use in their day-to-day work.

Note Taking Software

Evernote; Microsoft OneNote; Google Keep

Dragon; Express Scribe Pro; Nuance OmniPage

Notebooks; Pens; Pencils; Paper

Writing Software

Microsoft Office; Pages; Open Office

Style Guides

Elements of Style; AP Stylebook; Chicago Manual of Style

Cloud Storage

Google Drive; Box; Dropbox

Digital Devices

Kindle; iPad; Desktop Computers; Laptop Computers

Credentials

Professional development and continuing education are two important components of career advancement and skill building for writers. Certification programs are one way for writers to specialize in their careers, gain experience and qualify for new opportunities.

Medical Writer Certified – American Medical Writers Association

Certified Professional Technical Communicator – Society for Technical Communicationc

Certified Grant Writer – American Grant Writers' Association

Certified Content Marketer – Copyblogger

National Certified Resume Writer – The National Resume Writers Association

Related Careers at a Glance

Communications and media are varied industries with numerous occupational pathways for individuals who may be interested in writing, but not necessarily writing careers. Examples range from public relations to entertainment. Learn more about some of the potential employment options to consider in the table below.

Median Salary 2015:

Minimum Educational Requirement:

Bachelor's degree

Multimedia Artists and Animators

Bachelor's degree, professional experience

Public Relations Specialists

Fundraising manager, photographers.

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do Related Occupations Make?

Graduates of writing programs also pursue careers in editing, public relations, print journalism and broadcast journalism. Data about writing-related occupations is below.

Writing Degree & Career Resources

Whether a seasoned professional or a beginning writer, there are always new ways to improve your writing skills, develop more effective habits, connect with other writers, and find employment opportunities. Professional associations are a great resource for these activities and below is a list of organizations that support writers.

American Society of Journalists and Authors

The American Society of Journalists and Authors is a national organization for independent nonfiction writers and has more than 1,100 members who work as freelancers.

Authors Guild

The Authors Guild is a professional organization for writers and literary agents that provides legal assistance, legislative advocacy, and assistance with contracts.

Association of Writers and Writing Programs

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs is an organization that supports over 500 college creative writing programs, approximately 50,000 writers, and 150 writing centers and conferences.

National Writers Association

The National Writers Association is a membership-based organization that supports writers across the country and offers networking and workshopping opportunities through local chapters.

Women's Fiction Writers Association

The Women's Fiction Association is a volunteer organization that helps women writers through mentoring programs, newsletters, expert workshops, and conferences.

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Do You Need a Creative Writing Degree to Succeed as a Writer?

by Melissa Donovan | Mar 7, 2023 | Creative Writing | 50 comments

Do you need a creative writing degree?

Young and new writers often ask whether they need a creative writing degree in order to become an author or professional writer.

I’ve seen skilled and talented writers turn down opportunities or refuse to pursue their dreams because they feel their lack of a creative writing degree means they don’t have the credibility necessary to a career in writing.

Meanwhile, plenty of writers with no education, minimal writing skills, and scant experience in reading and writing are self-publishing, freelance writing, and offering copywriting services.

It’s an oft-asked question: Do you need a creative writing degree to succeed as a writer? Is it okay to write and publish a book if you don’t have a degree or if your degree is in something other than English or the language arts?

Before I go further, I should reveal that although I did earn a degree in creative writing, I don’t think a degree is necessary. But there is a caveat to my position on this issue: While I don’t think a degree is necessary, I certainly think it’s helpful. I also think that some writers will have a hard time succeeding without structured study and formal training whereas others are self-disciplined and motivated enough to educate themselves to the extent necessary to establish a successful writing career.

Five Things I Learned in Creative Writing Class

Do you need a creative writing degree.

First of all, a degree is not necessary to success in many fields, including writing. There are plenty of examples of individuals who became wildly successful and made meaningful contributions without any college degree whatsoever: Bill Gates, Abraham Lincoln, and Walt Disney, to name a few.

In the world of writing, the list of successful authors who did not obtain a degree (let alone a creative writing degree) is vast. Here is a small sampling: Louisa May Alcott, Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, William Blake, Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, Edgar Allen Poe, Beatrix Potter, and JD Salinger.

So you obviously do not need a creative writing degree in order to succeed. After all, some of the greatest writers in history didn’t have a degree. Why should you?

A Creative Writing Degree is Not a Bad Idea

On the other hand, the degree definitely won’t hurt your chances. In fact, it will improve your chances. And if you struggle with writing or self-discipline, then the process of earning a degree will be of great benefit to you.

A college education might indeed be necessary for a particular career, such as a career in law or medicine. In fields of study where a degree is not a requirement, it often prepares you for the work ahead by teaching you specific skills and techniques and by forcing you to become knowledgeable about your field.

However, there is an even greater value in the the process of earning a degree. You become knowledgeable and educated. You learn how to learn, how to work without close supervision, and you are exposed to the wisdom of your instructors as well as the enthusiasm and support of your peers. College is a great environment for development at any age or in any field.

Earning a degree is also a testament to your drive and ability to complete a goal without any kind of immediate reward or gratification. College is not easy. It’s far easier to get a full-time job and buy lots of cool stuff. It’s more fun to spend your nights and weekends hanging out with your friends than staying in and studying. A college degree is, in many ways, a symbol representing your capacity to set out and accomplish a long-term goal.

Know Yourself

If you possess strong writing skills and are somewhat of an autodidact (a person who is self-taught), then you may not need a degree in creative writing. For some such people, a degree is completely unnecessary. On the other hand, if your writing is weak or if you need guidance and would appreciate the help of instructors and peers, maybe you do need a creative writing degree.

If you’re planning on going to college simply because you want to earn a degree and you hope to be a writer someday, you might as well get your degree in creative writing since that’s what you’re passionate about. On the other hand, if you hope to write biographies of famous actors and directors and you already write well, you might be better off studying film (and possibly minoring in creative writing).

You may be the kind of person who needs the validation of a degree. Maybe you’re an excellent writer but you’d feel better putting your work out there if you could back it up (even in your own mind) with that piece of paper that says you have some expertise in this area. Or you might be the kind of person who is confident enough to plunge into the career of a writer without any such validation.

You might find that time and money are barriers to earning a degree. If you have responsibilities that require you to work full time and if you’re raising a family, obtaining a degree might not be in the cards, either in terms of time or money. You might be better off focusing what little free time you have on reading and writing. But there are other options if you’ve got your heart set on a creative writing degree: look for accredited online colleges, find schools that offer night and weekend classes, and open yourself to the idea that you can take ten years rather than four years to complete your higher education.

Finally, some people have a desire to get a degree but they feel they’re too old. I personally think that’s a bunch of hogwash. You’re never too old to learn or obtain any kind of education. When I was just out of high school, I attended a college with many students who were middle-aged and older. I had tremendous respect for them, and they brought a lot of wisdom to our classes, which balanced out the youthful inexperience of my other, much younger classmates. I don’t care if you’re eighteen, forty-two, or seventy, if you have a hankering to do something, go do it!

Making Tough Decisions

Ultimately, the decision rests with each of us. Do you need a creative writing degree? Only you can answer that question.

If you’re still not sure, then check with a local school (a community college is a good place to start) and make an appointment with an adviser in the English Department. If you’re in high school, get in touch with your school’s career counselor. Sometimes, these professionals can help you evaluate your own needs to determine which is the best course of action for you. But in the end, make sure whatever decision you make about your education is one that you’ve carefully weighed and are comfortable with.

And whether you earn a degree in creative writing or not, keep writing!

Most Successful People Who Never Went to College Famous Autodidacts

50 Comments

I think in some cases it can hinder or stifle creativity. I am actually glad I did not go to school for writing. When I hear the words creative and degree together they don’t mesh for me. You can go to school and learn about punctuation and grammar, but creativity comes from real life and growth and learning through experience. Just my opinion – but I only learned about poetry in climbing tree.

Hi Nicole. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter, but since you didn’t go to school for writing, how can you know that creativity cannot come through academic means or through study? I strongly believe that a degree is unnecessary for success in writing, but I personally found that it sped up my development and did in fact stimulate my creativity. Specifically, I would say that being surrounded by creative people (other students, in particular) is excellent for promoting creative thinking. Also, writing is only one small piece of what a successful writer must do. In fact, I learned very little about punctuation and grammar during my time in the creative writing program and I learned a lot about my own creative process. Probably the biggest benefit for me, personally, was exposure to many wonderful authors and poets that I otherwise might not have discovered. While I don’t think college is necessary, I have to strongly disagree that it stifles creativity. But I do respect your opinion and perhaps you had some experience in school or observing other writers in which it did stifle creativity. I can only speak from my own experience, which was highly positive.

Hey all! I’m torn too: I went to art school for 4 years for a degree in painting. I learned a lot and am grateful, because art school added: ways to be cognizant of art, writing about my art and the work of others, and how to be a really great critic.

Only problem was, in a lot of ways, art school also beat down my self confidence and robbed me of some of my intrinsic motivation to make art. It became less spontaneous and more cerebral.

As of late, I’ve turned to creative writing for a creative outlet that has not been…well, I won’t say ruined, so I’ll go with, hasn’t been tampered with. And I find myself in a place where I can definitely improve (A LOT!), but I’m not sure if a formal degree will do it. I am playing with the idea of taking some informal workshops though…

Do you think school for the visual arts is at all comparable to school for creative writing? Maybe it doesn’t help that the folks in my year of art school had some pretty nasty and rude people when it came to critiques!!!

Ray, thanks for sharing your experience. I was hoping someone would offer a different perspective. I can understand how undergraduate work may seem to inhibit creativity and make the process more cerebral. This is where we get into an extremely hazy area of art and creativity. I believe that the spontaneous expressions come from our emotions and personal life experiences. They are strictly expressions. When we bring a cerebral quality to our work, we are usually looking to make a statement or observation. The former cannot be learned. It comes from the inside. The latter, however, is the result of critical thinking. I think it’s unfortunate that you did not find yourself in an educational setting that was positive and supportive. I am not sure how visual arts schools are similar or different from schools for creative writing. If you’re interested in pursuing creative writing, my suggestion would be to sign up for a class and try it out or request a meeting with someone in the creative writing department to get a sense of the program and the people in it.

One final note – it’s my personal opinion that people being rude or nasty during critiques is absolutely unacceptable. If there was an instructor present, I would say the responsibility falls to him or her. Their job is to moderate critique sessions and provide an environment conductive to positive development. I once signed up for a class, and within the first two weeks it was clear to me that the instructor did not have students’ best interests at heart. I dropped the class and the following semester, took the class with another teacher.

I can see where you’re coming from, but college is so very different from high school. The public secondary education focuses on “STEM” (science/math, basically) rather than STEAM (science/math and the arts — as in. a liberal education.) Most universities (public or private) encourage creative thought, even in degrees that are not considered ‘uselessly’ artistic by ignorant politicians. It depends on the university one attends (although I am transferring, the University of Oregon pushes for artistic and creative thought in all fields, and is not at all stifling) but, for the most part, a writing degree would not detach students from ‘real life’ experiences. Many students are living on their own and working full-time. Some are married and have a family and bills to pay, etc. Normally they would not have encouragement from highly knowledgeable faculty to pursue a craft that is not considered practical in the ‘real world.’

I agree with this. I started a masters in professional writing and took a class on nonfiction essays (creative essays) and I tell you what, I have NEVER produced so much writing, and so much good writing. In this class, we just BOUNCED off one another SO WELL. I left each class on fire with ideas and feedback. Best class I EVER took.

I have a BA in English and it’s helped me get paid to write. I freelance for companies, websites and magazines, and many of them love to see the degree. So, I stand out from the crowd a bit. It’s been helpful.

It’s amazing how being surrounded by other creative writers promotes our own creativity. I had the same experience when I was taking classes – I was constantly writing and coming up with ideas. I also feel that having a BA boosts my credibility as a self-employed writer. While I don’t think the BA is necessary, I also know some clients and employers consider it a requirement.

I have to agree with Allena. I have a BA in English and I think it really helps in the freelancing career. Many clients want to hire a professional qualified in English literature, journalism or another field related to writing.

I have pondered the idea of going back to uni and getting a degree in the Arts but I am not sure if it is entirely worth my time and money. I have, however, invested time in some short courses in writing, in order to learn about structure, pace and all those tools which you really need to understand to be able to write well.

There was also the added benefit of spending time with like-minded people who understood my passion and encouraged me to fulfill my potential. I may not have earned a piece of paper at the end of them but they were definitely worth my time.

It’s one of those decisions each person has to make for herself. I think it depends a lot on your personal goals, lifestyle, and available resources. I am a huge advocate for higher education. My general advice is always this: if you can go to school and want to, then do it. On the other hand, if you want to be a novelist and already have the skills and self-discipline, your time is probably better spent writing the novel.

I agree that a creative writing degree is not necessary but certainly very helpful. I believe getting proper education will always be good for anyone; whatever career you are in. As for me, I did not major in writing or in a course related to it because I was still undecided back then. I was passionate about writing but I just did not pursue it because I was afraid that I will not succeed as a writer.

Now, I really want to enroll myself in a writing course. While waiting for that opportunity, I try my best to self-educate through reading and learning from other writers.

I couldn’t agree more!

A great topic for discussion! I have a Creative Writing degree but augmented it with writer’s conferences and online research. So much helpful information out there these days. I posted this on the Writing Platform Facebook page. Well done.

Writing is one of those crafts for which learning never ends. Thanks for sharing this post on Facebook. I appreciate it.

Hi, Melissa! I studied psychology for 4 years in university. I had to quit, so I didn’t get the degree, but studying there gave me lots of knowledge and I also met really awesome people – students and teachers, and I made great friends. You can’t have such things if you learn only by yourself at home. Meeting other writers while getting creative writing degree is probably one of most important reasons for doing it. Unless you don’t like humans at all 😀

Yes, and I would add that for many people, simply taking a few classes can make a world of difference. For example, one could take a creative writing class at a local community college. If a writer is working on their own and struggling with grammar, a single, basic course in English or writing may be just the solution. Taking a class here and there may or may not lead to pursuing a full degree, but it will definitely impart many benefits to any writer.

Great article! Very encouraging. Most of what I’ve read online has been much the opposite.

What would you say about majoring in an education degree not specific to English, while also pursuing a master’s in creative writing?…with the intent to eventually teach writing and social studies at a college level. I know that’s incredibly specific and probably abnormal, but I honesty do not want to major in English. I love literature and all forms of composition (even the dreaded academic essay) but my true interest lies in the intricacy of the human psyche and how the past has shaped our contemporary world..

Katie, it doesn’t really matter what I think because the choice you make will shape your life, not mine. Having said that, I think you’ve got a good, solid plan. Also, I think social studies and creative writing go together quite nicely.

I am in India. I just passed 10th grade. The thing is i want to become a writer/novelist/author. 3 reasons-

1. Writing is my passion 2. I have started writing( 1st novel almost complete). 3. I love literature. I mean that’s the only thing that gets inside my brain and i always excel in English.

So my question are– 1. Do i need to take up arts/humanities? ( because i want an environment with political views and literature and wont only be writing novels and stuff, i would also like to write for magazines etc. Doing arts will help me write and improve whereas in non-med i have study science which i have started hating though its easy but because of this realization that my writings will take years to reach the people ) Is it really that important?

2. Is a college degree in creative writing required? Will it help me?

Tanvir, plenty of writers carve out a career for themselves without a college degree at all, so you can go forth and study whatever you want in school. Certainly, a degree in creative writing will do a lot to make you a better writer, but you can also accomplish that on your own through work and study. If you are absolutely positive that all you want to do is become a writer, then I say study creative writing. I earned a BA in creative writing and I wasn’t even sure that’s what I wanted to do with my life. What I learned in college has served me well. However, and I can’t emphasize this enough, it is by no means a prerequisite. Good luck to you.

Hi I am a young women who has always been told that being a writer is not a very good feild to work in because you must move to the city, it is hard to support a family on the income,and it is hard to get a book published, or maintain relationships, if you are successful. I have always wanted to be a writer and now i am considering college but the thing is that i am not sure if i should become a nurse or writer or both? or neither and just try my luck with writing with out an education in the feild since i feal as though i am good enough at creative thinking.

Why would a writer have to move to the city? Writing is one of the few jobs that you can do from just about anywhere, as long as you have a computer (journalism being the exception). I also don’t see why it would be hard to maintain relationships if you are a successful writer (at least not any more than with any other career). I’m not sure where you’re getting this advice, but I think it’s a little inaccurate. It’s true that most writers don’t make a living from their work at first, which means they need a day job. It is hard to get a book published through a traditional publishing house, but it’s also possible. Self-publishing is another option.

If you truly want to be a writer, there’s no reason you shouldn’t pursue it. Will you make it? That’s entirely up to you.

I also think studying nursing and writing sounds like a good idea. You can double major in both or you could minor in creative writing. That will give you a solid nursing career for your day job and you can write on the side.

Hey there Melissa,

I’m planning to do a course in Creative Writing, and I’ve been looking everywhere for the perfect one. Which university did you do your Masters at? Were you completely satisfied? Was it everything you were expecting? I was looking out for a one year Masters course, most are for two.

I didn’t do a Masters, I did a BA, so I’m afraid I can’t give you any advice on which ones are good.

I think if you check on Google you will find a few. Most are two years like you said but the one year programs are usually scholarships and are kinda jam-packed. check carefully and you’d find what suits you for sure.

Melissa, keep the flag flying.

Surely, it is important to define what you mean by ‘writing’. If you want to have any chance of breaking into published work, tthen I would say a writing degree is a prerequisite. If you are writing for a small group — or just for yourself — it doesn’t matter a hoot. Many of the examples you gave us aren’t really relevant as so few people in the past went to university to do anything at all.

I went to a school decided upon by a selective examination and we were told when we started that only about 2% of us should have any thoughts of going to university, and that techincal qualifivcations, such as National Certificates, were the best we could aspire to for the remaining 98%.

Essentially, the whole thing comes back to the old, and quite impossible to answer question of talent vs skill. If you have the talent, an arts degree will help; if you don’t, all you can expect to be is an amateur (and usually not very good) scribbler. The ability to write a grammatically correct sentence does not make you a story-teller — and it never will.

I have to respectfully disagree with you, opsimath. Most of the authors I know who are currently building successful careers did not go to college at all, and few of those who did attend university studied writing. You can (and many have) become expert writers and storytellers without learning how to do it in school. In fact, I would say that I learned very little about grammar and storytelling in college, and I was a creative writing major. Also, the very fact that historically, authors did not study the craft in formal settings is proof that formal study is not a necessity. History has produced hundreds of eloquent authors who managed to master the craft without formal schooling, and writing hasn’t changed so much that we’re living in times where a degree has become mandatory.

Having said that, we all have to put in the time and work in order to succeed. The point is that whatever you might learn in school, you can also learn outside of school if you know how to find the right mentors and resources. A degree gives anyone an advantage, but in the field of writing, it is not a prerequisite for success or expertise. And I say that as someone who is a firm advocate for higher education. Obviously, there are some exceptions; for example, you probably do need a journalism degree or a computer science degree if you want to be a journalist or technical writer, but for storytellers and other creative nonfiction writers, it is an option, not a requirement. There are other ways to acquire the skills and expertise you need to succeed as a storyteller.

A good idea, I think, would be to take a few courses at the local community college, or online if there isn’t a school nearby, to get an idea on how effective a class environment will be for you. I need a structured peer group to thrive at anything in life, yet my husband was miserable at a liberal arts college. I have to sign up for a class at the gym to lose weight – I can’t just get up in the morning to jog or do laps at the pool alone, even with a partner I’m not as motivated as when I’m in a group lead by an experienced mentor. The same goes for writing. I have to join writing groups to find inspiration to work on my novel, otherwise I don’t have enough self-discipline to finish it. Yeah, maybe that makes those of us like me kind of lame, but if we know how to fix it we can get motivated greatness (:

Also, look into financial aid, grants, and scholarships if it’s not something you can afford. You’d be surprised at what is available to those from all walks of life.

Excellent advice, Katie!

I graduated with a Creative Writing degree. In some ways, it’s been beneficial for the reasons you mentioned. I feel like I’ve earned the right to call myself a writer. But if you’re boy putting those skills into practice, then what was the point of slaving for four years? On the flip side, I feel like I really didn’t understand the skills and techniques of other writers. Part of it was due to a lack of reading other works. Some of it was I was busy comparing myself to others that I didn’t pay attention to nuances in their work.

Sometimes, I feel like I entered the wrong field because I haven’t done anything with my degree. I haven’t published anything, nor am I working on something grand like a novel. But then I remember why I pursued the major in the first place: I have a passion for writing. The validation is nice and I can claim the fact that I graduated from college. At the heart if it all is the passion to create stories. Recently, after some soul searching, I decided to take up the pen again. But because I’ve been out of practice for so long, I feel like I beef to go back to school and brush up on my craft. Maybe take an online course or two or get involved in a writing group.

Degree or not, I love writing, and my desire is to get better at what I love.

For me, the greatest benefit of going to college and earning a degree in creative writing was that it broadened my worldview, which has little to do with a career or even writing. I gained a better understanding of the world on various levels. Much of the knowledge I gained isn’t practical as far as making money, but I feel like it made me a better person.

I think we in the western world are programmed to think that any kind of learning must translate directly to dollars. This leads someone to ask a question like what’s the use of my degree if I’m not working in the field? . But I think it’s safe to say that most of us who attended college gained something intellectual or emotional that can’t be measured in financial earnings or career development.

It’s never too late to get back into writing! If you’re feeling called to it, I say go for it, and have fun! Good luck to you.

Really interesting to read this post as I started my degree in Creative Writing last year through the Open University. Whilst I’ve always had a writer’s soul, I’ve been away from writing for around a decade (having picked up a camera instead) and felt doing the degree would give me the jump start I needed to get back on the writing path. It’s already doing that and I’m keen to start working for myself in the next year or so, whilst also finishing off my degree.

I have had people say to me, “Why are you doing that, it’s a pointless degree!” But, when I suddenly decided late last year that I wanted to get myself a qualification so I could leave my long-term career as a Paramedic, once and for all, I knew I should only take on a subject that I had a passion for, otherwise what was the point?!

I’m looking forward to getting started with the second stage this coming October and I can’t wait to start writing for a living as well!

Over the years, I’ve heard from a lot of writers whose decision to study creative writing was challenged by the people in their lives. I think a lot people view college as nothing more than a path to some kind of guaranteed high-paying job, such as a position in business, law, the medical field, etc. A career in writing is probably more risky, but it’s just as valid as any other career. Anyway, congratulations on your return to writing. I also think it’s great that you’re a paramedic and have something to fall back on or rely on while you launch your writing career.

I graduated in BSc Nursing in India…I did it because it has good scope but failed to develop interest in the field…I always loved writing and want to pursue my career in writing…I am not sure if it requires a bachelor’s degree in arts or literature or creative writing ! Also i am thinking of moving to Canada for my postgraduation …And this is the time when i can change my field from nursing to writing and finally do what i like doing… my question is ….is it necessary to have a bachelors degree in creative writing for doing master’s in it ?

Hi Prachi. You would need to check the requirements for the Master’s program that you’re applying for.

Thank you for your perspective on the value of obtaining a degree in creative writing. I found your argument balanced and, on the whole I agree with your view, which is (as I understand it “horses for courses”, I.E. what suits one person (a creative writing degree) will not, necessarily suit another individual.

I agree with you that a degree demonstrates commitment (mine is in history and politics, plus a MA in political theory). I don’t feel the need to obtain a degree in creative writing (and I understand the concerns of those who fear that doing so may actually stifle their creativity). I do, however no of several writers (who’s work I enjoy) who do hold degrees in creative writing. However I have another friend who writes extremely well but does not hold a creative writing qualification of any description. So it is, in the final analysis “horses for courses”.

Best – Kevin

Everybody has different learning styles and curves and talents. Writing is one of those fields in which if you’re willing to put in the work, you can do fine.

This is an interesting post, Melissa. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 — Suzanne

Thanks, Suzanne.

You’ve hit the nail on the head when you cite the people who are great in their fields without a degree to prove it. The creative writing degree probably didn’t exist when they were in education. It didn’t when I was at college. One of the important things to do at college is something you like, that you will put the necessary effort in to show that you know how to learn, how to express yourself, and how to get by in life. But if you want to write successfully now, you owe it to your readers to learn about the business, learn how to be a good writer, and a better writer, and to value the continuous process of learning. That doesn’t necessarily mean a degree. And yes, it might well stifle your creativity before you can let it free again.

That’s true. For many of them, such a degree might not have been available. At some point, I believe “English” would have the relevant degree. My degree is technically an English degree “with a concentration in creative writing.” Semantics. I agree with you 100% about putting in the work to learn the craft!

Great Article, Academic writing is so different from creative writing, and that is so different from Copywriting. I am a self-taught copywriter. Most of my learning had to do with learning how to market. My creative writing diploma was a big plus.

Yes, every form of writing is different. Some skills are necessary to all forms, however.

Thank you very much for this reading. I think it was exactly what I needed right now. 😉

You’re welcome, Dave!

Hi Melissa! My son is about to graduate high school and is not college bound, he has an extreme lack of interest in school. He is an extremely talented and creative writer and his passion is to have a career in writing. What would be your advice to a young writer, like him, who doesn’t know where to start or what his next steps should be to start working toward a career in creative writing? Have you had any experience with Masterclass courses? Any other workshops or clubs, etc that would be good for him to check out so he can meet with other like-minded individuals and network and find mentorship?

Hi Darcy! Well, the first thing I would say is that if college is an option, then studying creative writing in college is tremendously valuable. I realize your son isn’t interested in that path, but it would be my first suggestion. If a full college education is not an option (for whatever reason), then perhaps some courses in language arts, English, and creative writing. One can attend college (universities or local community colleges) and focus on certain classes rather than getting a degree, which requires a lot of general education. I don’t have experience with Masterclass yet, but I intend to take some of those courses. They look good to me.

Having said all that, there are other things that your son can do: read as much as possible, write every day, and study the craft — if not through courses then through credible books on the craft. Beyond that, each writer’s needs are very different, so I’m afraid I can’t be more specific. I wish you and your son much luck.

Hi Melissa, my name is Abi I very much enjoy writing and I graduate from high school this May. I’ve looked in to multiple possible career choices and I’ve realized that most of what I want to do is telling stories and I’ve also realized that writing is how I express myself when words fail me, I write. I’ve written some stories some are very short, and some still need finished. I’m struggling because I don’t know what I want to do in college but I know I want to go. I’m thinking about taking a gap year and figure stuff out and possibly travel a small bit and since I’ll hopefully have a decent amount of time, work on writing as well as my stories, do you have any advice for me when it comes to writing?

Hi Abi. Thanks for commenting here about your interest in writing. It’s a good sign that you’re already thinking about your future and planning at such a young age. Your path is yours alone, and nobody can make the decision about taking a gap year or choosing a major except you (although your parents might have significant say in these matters). I can tell you this: I majored in creative writing in college and I have never once regretted it. My only suggestion would be that if you take that route, include some business and marketing courses, even if it means taking an extra semester to graduate. All authors need business and marketing skills–no exceptions, and this was the one thing that was not covered when I was in school. This stuff is not fun or creative, but it’s necessary, and it will free you to do the fun stuff.

I wish you the best of luck with your future. Keep writing!

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How to Become an Author: 8 Steps to Bestselling Success

Wondering how to become an author? Well, that answer will depend on the type of author you want to be.

Maybe you’ve always been a writer at heart, and are ready to share your story with the world and earn the title of “author.”

Or maybe you’re passionate about a certain topic and are ready to help others by sharing your expertise.

Regardless of your reason – the issue still stands: you want to know how to become an author of a book and a bestselling one at that. So what is an author anyway? And how does becoming an author work?

To learn how to become an author, the short answer is: You write a book.

Sounds simple, right?  

But writing is rarely simple. So, let’s go for the more complex dilemma: How to become an author of a book that actually gets read .

You want to author a book that’s phenomenal, polished, and packed with content that readers will truly connect with.  So how do you do that?

In this guide, we’ll focus on how to become an author of a book that sells . But before we dive into the steps on how to become an author, it’s important you understand exactly what an author is.

This guide to how to become an author will cover:

What does it mean to become an author.

When you learn how to become an author, it means that you ideated, created, and produced a written work, most commonly a book, novel, short story , poem, or other literary work of prose.

Traditionally, an author meant someone who had written a book, and this connotation still stands today, but it has expanded with societal changes. The term author can actually pertain to journalists, essayists, and those in the digital space such as bloggers or article writers.

Writer vs author

What’s the difference between a writer and author , you ask? Great question.

While writer and author are often used interchangeably, there is definitely a difference between the two. An author is a writer, but a writer isn’t always an author.

How hard is it to become an author?

While the path of learning how to become an author is easier with today’s technology and the rise of self-publishing, learning how to become an author takes determination, hard work, and usually a specific set of skills (which we’ll cover more on later).

For some, opportunity comes easier than it does for others. Some people become an author and find quick success, whereas others struggle for years to complete their book and publish it.

For most people, creating a consistent writing routine and actually getting the words written is the hardest part – in which case a book writing coach could be just the person you need in your corner, keeping you motivated and accountable.

It also depends on the book publishing method, which we’ll explain more on in the publishing section of this article. For example, traditional publishing deals are hard to come by, and it is a lengthy process. On the other hand, self-publishing makes becoming an author more accessible.

How to become an author in 8 simple steps

Now that you have a deeper understanding of what being an author entails, it’s time to dive into the exact process of how to become an author.

When learning how to become an author, here are the eight steps you should take:

1. Invest in education

Learning how to become an author doesn’t have any formal educational requirements. But at minimum, a high school degree is recommended. Becoming an author mainly requires that you have a strong set of skills, like the ability to read and write well.

When learning how to become an author, having a degree isn’t required, but it can help.

There is a wide range of educational levels for authors, from those with a basic high school education to those who have completed doctorate programs. Pursuing a higher formal education degree can certainly help you learn how to become an author, but it’s not a requirement.

Whether you get a degree or not, you must be an exceptional writer and avid reader to improve your chances of becoming an author of a book that actually gets read .

Our society values higher education . When you’re exploring new careers, the first question is usually: What kind of education is needed for this job?

So, it isn’t any wonder that people researching how to become an author immediately ask what type of education or credentials are needed to write a book.

A caveat to this: If you’re looking to publish a book on a specific topic , you must be an expert in that field or industry. A college degree helps build your credibility significantly, even though it is not completely necessary.

Common degrees to consider for aspiring book writers

• English . Anyone with a college degree in English has spent the majority of their college career taking classes on writing development and reading literature for deep analysis. Those with an English degree usually have a strong command of writing, and study the works of famous authors.
• Literature . Similar to a degree in English, a degree in Literature follows the same course syllabus in the sense that it is heavily focused on reading, analyzing, and writing about literary works.
• Creative writing . Writers with a degree in Creative Writing have undergone extensive academic courses surrounding creative writing fundamentals and storytelling. Creative Writing students are expected to write rigorously to improve their craft.
• History . Because history goes hand-in-hand with many literary subjects, those with a degree in History will have a well-rounded skillset to apply as an author.
• Journalism . Writers with a journalism background are likely educated on news-style writing, features, interview processes, and more. Those with a journalism degree often have experience as newspaper columnists or feature writers, which can translate well into an author career.
• Psychology . Those who study psychology have an in-depth understanding of human behavior and interaction, which makes for great writing, especially in fiction.
• Communications . People with a communications degree often have experience in news-writing, marketing, public relations, and more, which are all fields that rely heavily on great writing skills.
• Theater/cinema . Those with a theater background make great authors and writers due to their creativity, understanding of character dynamics, and screenwriting skills.
• Liberal arts . Any degree in liberal arts is likely to be focused on heavy research and writing – no matter the field. Therefore, a liberal arts degree can set you up well for learning how to become an author.
• A degree in any subject you want to write about! If you have a particular industry or niche that you want to focus on in your writing, pursue a degree in that! For example, if I could re-do college all over again, I would pursue a minor degree in Women’s Studies, because I love to write about those topics.

Alternatives to college degrees

There are also non-degree online education options for aspiring authors to consider. These are a great choice if you want to learn how to write a book or publish a book on your own. Programs like these are focused on achieving a specific goal, and can be completed at a quicker pace. (Example: Himalayan Writing Retreat )

If you get a traditional college degree, you likely will NOT learn how to write and publish a book. So, if you know for sure that you want to learn how to become an author, you’ll save time and money by investing in a course or program that’s specific to publishing.

For example, there are many online education programs specifically for aspiring authors, including self-publishing courses.

Be sure to thoroughly do your research to make sure the program is a good fit for your needs.

Online education options

• Self-Publishing courses . Start here if you want to join an education program that provides a complete roadmap to becoming a bestselling author.
• Coursera . Consider a program where you can select specific topics to learn about.
• Udemy . You can find cost-effective micro-courses based on specific topics around writing and publishing.
• MasterClass . There are limited courses for aspiring authors on this platform, but if you’re particularly interested in learning how to improve your writing from bestselling, world-renowned authors like Margaret Atwood, check this out.
• CreativeLive . Another option for creative courses specific to certain topics around developing certain creative skills.

2. Learn the skills to become a successful author

While there aren’t any formal education requirements to learn how to become an author of a book, there are certainly some important skills that many successful writers have in common.

Consider these skills like prerequisites – you should aim to improve these skills if you truly want to learn how to become a writer.

In a society of high competition, possessing many of these skills will set you apart and increase your chances of gaining a solid readership.

The top skills needed to learn how to become an author are:

Exceptional writing development skills

Being an excellent writer who can communicate effectively through words is the premise of learning how to become an author successfully. We’ll cover more on the fundamentals of writing that you should master in the next section, but you can check out these writing websites to learn how to be a better writer.

Creative storytelling that engages

It’s an art in itself! Whether you’re writing nonfiction or fiction, no matter what genre your book falls in, you need to be able to craft an engaging story that pulls readers in.

The ability to research well

Ask any successful author, and they will tell you that a major factor in successfully writing a book is to conduct thorough research . You need to know your content in and out – whether you’re writing historical fiction, a children’s picture book , or a self-help book.

Since you’re reading this article and researching how to become an author, there’s a good chance you’re already research-savvy!

The tendency to naturally observe people and places

In order to create life-size characters, make your story come alive, and describe people and events vividly, you need to possess the power of observation. If you’re not one to naturally sit back and watch from the sidelines, try improving your observation skills .

Vulnerability and grit

Authors put everything they possess into their writing. It takes vulnerability to put your words out there, and resilience to keep at it when the going gets tough. To learn how to become an author, you’ll need to overcome some serious mental blocks, and be courageous even when you’re overworked or fearing judgment.

3. Master the fundamentals of book writing

Having an excellent command of writing skills builds a solid foundation on which to begin your author journey.

Many people can write, but not many people can write well. And if you can’t write well, that’s okay!

The good news is that there are a number of ways to improve your writing.

Writing isn’t necessarily a talent, it’s a craft. It can be cultivated. It can be strengthened. And with a growth mindset, you can improve your writing skills by mastering the fundamentals.

Some basic examples of the fundamentals of writing are being able to express ideas clearly and in an organized fashion, using powerful word choice , developing a clear point of view , and using proper grammar and punctuation .

However, there are a lot more fundamental writing techniques to learn and implement in your own writing.

• Learn the writing fundamentals. First, learn all there is to know! You can learn basic writing fundamentals by taking writing development courses, and reading books on writing.
• Study the fundamentals. Be an avid, deep reader. Don’t just read to understand the story. Read to analyze how the author told that story. Study the author’s style, specifically in the genres you want to write in. By doing this, you’ll start to identify characteristics of remarkable writing.
• Practice, practice, practice. Put what you’ve learned into practice. Remember all the literary elements you learned about in school. Start actually using those in your writing. Try mirroring an author’s style that you admire. Write often and make it part of your everyday life. Write in a journal , complete writing prompts, write letters to friends, or write short stories.
• Explore different genres. Part of finding your author’s voice and developing yourself as a writer means experimenting with other genres that you may not have written on before. Use creative writing prompts to help you practice your writing fundamentals.
• Show, don’t tell in writing . This is the number one rule to writing , and it’s important for you to master it. Practice showing and not telling in your own writing, and understand when to use it.

While you shouldn’t cut corners on your writing development, it’s important to not get stuck in this phase.

At the end of the day, you can read and take all the courses in the world, but the most growth and development you will experience is when you’re actually writing.

4. Create a positive author mindset

Many writers experience feelings of insecurity. Ernest Hemingway supposedly said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

If writers are figuratively transforming the essence of their being into words on paper for others to read, then it’s no wonder the best writers suffer from their own insecurities and fear of judgment !

Feeling inadequate is expected, and totally normal. But the ability to pursue your goal to learn how to become an author (despite your fear) is what will set you apart from all the other aspiring book writers out there.

Steps to build a positive author mindset:

• Overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt as a writer . Give yourself permission to be an author. Don’t shy away from calling yourself a writer – start owning it.
• Accept that you’re a work in progress. Don’t strive for perfection in writing. Maintain a growth mindset , and understand that there is always room for improvement. You are constantly learning, and improving, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. If you wait for perfection, it’ll never get done.
• Set a writing habit. Making writing part of your daily lifestyle is super important. If you tend to wait for inspiration as a writer, you’ll be left high and dry more often than not. We’ll cover more on how to set a writing habit in the next section.
• Focus, focus, focus. We’ve all been there. You sit down at the table to write, and find that an hour has passed and you’ve only churned out a few sentences. Find a focus technique that works for you and stick to it.
• Think courageously. Try not to get too bogged down in the negative “what-ifs.” What if no one likes my book? What if my writing sucks? What if this book is an entire flop? It’s okay to fear failure, but learn to shake it off and be courageous instead. For every negative thought you have, try to think of two positive thoughts!
• Define your own success. Success means something different for every author. Some writers want to share their words with the world, while others simply want to build an author’s salary to support their writing. Whatever your reason is, get clarity around your definition of success.

5. Write Your first book to learn how to become an author

To truly learn how to become an author, you have to write a book first.

The world is full of great writers with stories to share. The trouble for many is – they never get around to actually finishing a book.

It also depends on what type of book you want to write. If you want to write a nonfiction book , the process is different than learning how to write a novel . The same is true if you’re learning how to write a memoir .

This is where it can really get tough. But with grit, determination, and a clear game plan, you can do it. We’re cheering for you!

Here are the steps to write a book and learn how to become an author:  

Get clear on your foundation

Because writing a book can be an uphill battle, you want to make sure your foundation is rock solid. This means getting clear on why you want to become the author of this book. Once you’re super clear on your foundation, you’ll be able to write your book with intention.

Foundational questions you’ll want to ask yourself are:

• When do you want to have this book done by?
• How will you position the book?
• Who are you writing this book for (your target reader)?
• What is your book’s topic or genre?
• To grow your income
• To build a reputation/authority
• To fuel a passion project
• To share a story or knowledge

Brainstorm with a mind map

Letting your ideas flow freely with a mind map is an effective way to get those creative juices flowing. With so many ideas to explore for your book’s topic, mind map exercises will help you “brain dump” all your thoughts.

Follow these steps to create a mind map for your book:

• Set a timer for 10-15 minutes to start.
• Always be writing – don’t worry about grammar or spelling, just write out your thoughts without reservations!
• Start with a central idea, topic, or concept.
• Add connecting branches of key ideas that relate to that central idea.
• Jot down any words that tie ideas together.
• Use colored highlighters or sticky notes to organize similar concepts or ideas.

Create an outline

Using your mind map, start creating a basic outline for your book. Don’t get hung up on the details. Think of it in terms of a beginning, a middle, and an end. A simple outline will help you get the ball rolling as you start writing your first draft. As you dive deeper into the writing, your outline can get more detailed, and be revised as needed.

Set a writing schedule

Commit to your writing goals each and every day if you want to learn how to become an author. Set a specific plan for yourself, and set small milestones or goals, whether it’s by word count or time spent writing .

You can have all the ideas in the world, but if you aren’t setting time aside each day to actually write, then the chances of your book being completed will be low.

Tips for setting a writing schedule:

• Set up a distraction-free writing space
• Plan for short brain breaks to avoid burnout
• Set a daily word count goal
• Do NOT edit as you write
• Have a buddy keep you accountable
• Use book writing software to help you meet your daily goals
• Set a deadline to complete your book by

Write your rough draft

Sounds simple, but it’s definitely easier said than done. You can do it! The only way to write a book is to actually sit down and do it. You become a book writer by writing a completed book. Use your outline for guidance, and remember – don’t edit while you write !

Self-edit your book

Once your rough draft is completed, it’s important that you focus on self-editing your book. Although your book will go through a professional editing phase during the publishing process, if you self-edit thoroughly, your editor will be able to focus on other edits that you weren’t able to catch.

Tips for self-editing your book:

• Do a verbal read – through to find areas of improvement in your sentence structure and storyline.
• Work chapter by chapter to increase productivity and focus.
• Don’t get stuck in the editing phase.
• Remember that any points of uncertainty will be cleared up in the professional editing phase.

6. Publish your book

Through blood, sweat, and tears, you’ve committed to writing your book, and have officially become a writer.

Now, it’s time to take the next step and learn how to become an author. And that means publishing your book!

Here’s how to become an author of a published book:

Decide how to publish

Modern book writers are faced with a major decision on how to publish a book . There are two ways to publish: traditionally publish or self-publish .

You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of each, including the cost to publish , and determine which route is more advantageous for you.

If you traditionally publish your book , this means that an actual publishing company will publish your book for you. However, landing a book contract with a traditional publisher is extremely competitive, and the chances are slim for most authors.

So what is self-publishing , you ask? If you self-publish your book , this means that you will be in charge of the publishing process yourself. There are many benefits in going this route, but you’ll need to make sure you are self-publishing the right way to ensure book quality and success .

Steps to traditionally publish a book

• Pitch your book draft to literary agents.
• If your manuscript is accepted by an agent, your book will be pitched to publishers.
• If a publisher accepts your work, you will be offered a book contract.
• The publisher will have your book edited, formatted, and designed.
• You earn royalties based on the number of books that are sold.

Steps to self-publish a book

• Find a book editor for each type of editing needed
• Hire a formatter (if needed) for your book.
• Hire a professional book cover designer to create an engaging book cover.
• Choose which self-publishing platforms to sell your book on.
• Upload the book to the self-publishing platform.

If you still need help deciding how to publish, compare your earning potential with our Book Royalties Calculator .

Book Royalties Calculator

1. my book will be published by a..., 2. my book will be an:, 3. my royalty rate will be:.

*Please note that this royalty rate is based on the market averages for paperback books. Actual royalty rates for traditional and indie publishing can vary by author depending on several factors.

4. My book’s retail price:

5. the # of books sold:, your results, your profit per book sold, for books sold, you earn:, for 1,000 books sold, you earn:, for 10,000 books sold, you earn:, royalties comparisons for 10,000 books sold, want to receive personalized tips on how to sell more books right in your inbox, 7. market your book to become a bestselling author.

Whether you traditionally publish or self-publish, you need to launch and market your book to learn how to become an author successfully.

This step is crucial because if you don’t market your book, how are you going to reach potential readers?

You dedicated time, effort, and – at times – your sanity, to get your book out. Now it’s time to let the world know about it.

You’ll need a strategic book launch and marketing plan in place, which should include a number of techniques to gain readership and sell your book.

Book marketing strategies to consider

• Build a launch team before your official book release
• Social media marketing , such as on Pinterest and Instagram
• Effective book pricing that appeals to prospective readers
• Build an author website to create your own author platform
• Use book advertising on various book promo sites like BookBub
• Get book reviews to increase visibility, reach, and credibility

To dive deep into your book marketing , plan ahead, set a budget, do research, and reach out to your network!

8. Write another book!

Your first book is a learning experience, and once your first book is published, you’ll realize how many ideas you have for more books.

And that is where the real success comes in. In today’s digital author landscape, it’s important to keep writing books in order to build a career as an author.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that one book will find instant success. While that does happen for some writers, it is the exception and NOT the rule.

So keep going! Write your next book. The more books you write, the smoother your process will become.

Are you ready to become an author?

Great books make the world go ‘round, which is why we’re all about helping writers learn how to become authors.

As you research how to become an author, one thing becomes clear: it’s a process that takes time, dedication, and some serious effort.

But nothing worth having comes easy.

Books are life-changing, not just for the book writer, but for the book readers all across the world that will learn from your story.

Becoming an author can be one of the most rewarding, and fulfilling accomplishments of your life. You deserve to celebrate it!

Ready To Learn How to Become An Author? This FREE eBook Will Walk You Step-By-Step Through The ENTIRE PROCESS

Faqs about how to become an author.

Here are answers to commonly asked questions about what an author is and how to become an author:

What is a writer?

A writer is someone who writes or expresses ideas or concepts through the written word. There are many people who write for a variety of reasons – whether it’s part of their occupation, or for creative expression.

Types of writers that aren’t necessarily authors:

• Technical writers
• Ghostwriters
• Copywriters
• Content writers
• Songwriters

Can anyone be a writer?

It depends on the type of writer, but yes, technically anyone can be a writer as long as they know how to write. However, specialized writers, such as technical writers and copywriters often require advanced experience and/or degrees in order to be qualified for a writing position. Of course, learning how to become an author is a different story, entirely.

What is an author?

Authors are people who write books, novels, short stories, poems, literary prose, and even screenplays.

What is an author, exactly? An author is someone who has written and published a complete literary work. The publishing is key. If you haven’t published your work, then you are a writer but not an author.

How do authors get paid?

Authors can be paid in a variety of ways, but most commonly authors are paid through book advancements and royalty fees.

How much do authors get paid?

The average author salary has a very wide range, and an author’s income depends on a number of criteria, such as the number of books published, the publishing method, the book genre and topic, and the success of the book.

As of writing, the current average author salary is between $35,000 to $135,000.

How do i get started as an author?

Really, you just need to start writing! Finish a manuscript, edit it, hire a book cover designer and a marketing team, and learn how to self-publish a book . It may seem like an overwhelming process at first, but there are self-publishing companies that can help you with every step along the way.

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What education is needed to become a writer?

What does a writer do?

A writer’s job is to communicate a variety of concepts through the written word. Writers can take on many forms, they can explain concepts with simple straightforward instructions, they can entertain with dramatic or humorous stories in scripts and novels, or even persuade you to purchase a product with a witty copy in advertising.

The great thing about writing is that it’s transferable. All you need is a laptop and internet access, then you can work wherever you desire. According to the  Bureau of Labor Statistics , approximately two-thirds of all writers are self-employed, but there are still many who work in-house for companies and marketing agencies.

Education for writers

A writer’s educational requirements vary on the type of writing they do. Below we will discuss a variety of writing ‘genres’ and techniques along with their corresponding education requirements.

Regardless of what type of professional writer you wish to become, you should develop strong computer skills as most writers do research on the internet as a fundamental part of their work and submit and send their work via email.

Creative writing

To pursue a career in creative writing you will first need to be a creative person. Creative writing can see you writing long fiction novels, witty poems to short stories. Creative writers send their writing to various editors in the hope of publication and remuneration; however, there are opportunities out there for  ghost writing .

If you want to freelance with creative writing then technically no educational background is necessary, beyond that of spelling and grammar taught in high school. However, if you want to write creatively for a company, you will need excellent written English skills and you will find it beneficial if you have a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, English or liberal arts. You can also practice your writing by writing every day to perfect the craft, or you could undertake a marketing course available in colleges to help sell your work.

Copywriters

Copywriters use their writing to advertise a product or service and to persuade customers to buy that product or service. If you decide to freelance write then you will usually need some sort of writing experience and be educated to a degree standard. If you are aiming for a fixed position within a company, then those positions usually require a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, business or liberal arts. However, if you have a degree in another subject, a  copywriter training course  can help you move into this sector.

If you are short on experience, you can write for charities, or community projects to increase your skills. The higher the education and experience, then the higher the career progression. Copywriters can become ‘copy chiefs’ or supervisors who coordinate the work of others.

Technical writers

Technical writers are those who develop technical guides such as quick-start sheets, operations guides or any other style of documentation that is designed to help the general population understand how to use a particular service, machine or product. The education required for this type of writing is typically a bachelor’s degree in English, communications, or of course, technical writing. Some employers may require you to have a major in a ‘technical’ subject such as engineering, medicine or computers or equivalent experience.

Journalists

Journalists or reporters write stories to explain important events or happenings. This can range from local news, national news or international news. It can also vary depending on genre. For example, fashion journalists will write stories based on trends, runway shows, entertainment news etc, whereas political journalists have a pure focus on an area of politics.

The education required for this type of writing is typically a bachelor’s degree in either communications, English or journalism. However, employers also accept degrees from other areas of study if applicants have related work experience. Remember, communication skills are just as important as writing skills in a journalism role as a high proportion of your writing will come directly from interviews.

Experience is key

To succeed in any role of writing, your experience is just as important as your education. You need to build up a strong portfolio in the style of writing you most enjoy. Experience can be gained through a  variety of platforms , including writing for free as a guest blogger on a variety of websites; interning in a local newspaper or magazine; or writing for a non-profit organization.

Regardless of whether you’re just beginning as a writer or you are a professional, you should always be looking for ways to  improve your writing skills , find employment and connect with other writers. Professional associations are a great resource for doing this and some brilliant organizations that support writers include  The American Society of Journalists and Authors , National Writers Association and  Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

More than a degree…

Along with possessing the skills of written English, in today’s world, writers need to have a well-rounded skill set to be successful. This includes impeccable language skills in all forms of grammar, written, reading and word usage, digital media skills including the knowledge of basic HTML, CSS, and search engine optimisation and diligence so that writers can check their work for errors, accuracy and overall quality. These skills can be taught and improved online via online courses.

After reading this, it is probably best to jot down what qualifications and experience you currently hold as a writer. Next, identify what necessary qualifications and skills you will need to hold in order to reach your intended position. After that, it’s a not-so-simple case of matching the two up and filling in any necessary requirements. Just remember, it’s never too late to learn a new skill and going back to college or university, or indeed studying a new qualification in your spare time, should be viewed as a step forward, not a step back.

Main image credit:  Visha Angelova

Image credits:  michael d beckwith ,  esther vargas , tayloright.

Bradley Williams

With a background in digital marketing and website development, Bradley is a copywriter with a special interest in SEO. A keen traveller, the freelance lifestyle suits him perfectly as he is always on the road! Conveniently, Bradley has also built and maintains his own travel blog and is interested in health and fitness.

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What type of education do you need to be a writer.

Writers communicate concepts through the written word. They entertain with dramatic stories in novels and scripts, persuade with witty copy in advertising and explain with straightforward instruction in computer manuals. With a computer and Internet access, they may work anywhere, including at home or in an office. Their educational requirements depend on the type of writing they do.

Creative Writers

Creative writers pen fiction ranging from short poems to novels running hundreds of pages. They send their efforts to editors for possible publication and payment. No educational background is necessary beyond the knowledge of grammar and spelling taught in high school. A bachelor’s degree in liberal arts or creative writing can be helpful, according to author Jennifer Weiner, because you can learn how to read, write and reason better. Acquiring life experiences is more important. You may do this by working and then writing every day to practice the craft. Marketing courses available in community colleges and technical schools can help you sell your work.

Technical Writers

Technical writers develop operations guides, quick-start sheets, help screens and other documentation designed to help users understand machines, services and procedures. They typically need a bachelor’s degree in technical writing, English or communications. Some employers require writing education and a technical major, such as computers, engineering or medicine. When starting out, technical writers may work on parts of bigger projects under supervision until they learn their employers' writing style. They can then advance to independent work or lead complex writing projects.

Journalists

Journalists, also called reporters, write stories explaining important happenings that can range from the local to the state, national and international level. They typically need a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications, and many intern or work on college papers to obtain experience. Employers also accept degrees from other fields if applicants have related work experience. Journalists typically work for news organizations and publish their stories, sometimes several times a day, in newspapers and magazines and on websites. People skills are just as important as writing ability, because journalists obtain much of their information through interviews.

Copywriters

Copywriters use writing to persuade customers to buy a product or service. Positions usually require a bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, liberal arts or business. Experience is important, however, especially for advertising agencies, and many only hire those with at least three years of experience. Writing for community projects, charitable organizations and the school paper are some ways of gaining experience. Copywriters can become supervisors or copy chiefs, who coordinate the work of subordinates, or account executives, who handle sales and service to particular clients.

Technical Writers salary

• Top 10% Annual Salary: More than $41,220 ($19.82/hour)
• Median Annual Salary: $32,620 ($15.68/hour)
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: Less than $24,660 ($11.86/hour)

Related Articles

Document writer job description →.

How to Become a Research Writer →

Technical Editor Job Description →

What is the career description of a script writer →.

How Many Years of College to Become a Writer? →

Setting Goals & Objectives in Technical Writing →

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: How to Become a Technical Writer
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: How to Become a Reporter, Correspondent or Broadcast News Analyst
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Technical Writers
• Career Trend: Technical Writers

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and is a frequent contributor to many online publications, specializing in consumer, business and technical topics. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

Christopher Robbins/Photodisc/Getty Images

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How To Become A Journalist: Steps, Skills And Career Data

Expert Reviewed

Updated: Mar 22, 2024, 2:22pm

Breaking news: No matter where you are in your career path, it’s possible to become a journalist.

Journalists play a vital role in keeping the public informed. These professionals analyze current events and tell important stories on local, national and global levels.

Keep reading to discover how to become a journalist, including the education and skills you’ll need to succeed in this fast-paced, ever-evolving career.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

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What is a Journalist?

Journalists wear a large variety of hats. Below we explore the overarching role of a journalist.

Role and Responsibilities

Journalists investigate and report stories for newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television and online news outlets. Most of the time, journalists work for specific news organizations. Some work as independent freelancers, contributing to multiple outlets at a time.

Journalists’ responsibilities vary depending on their employers. Generally, journalists pitch story ideas and follow through on editors’ assignments. They also find and interview story sources. These interviews may inform written articles or be recorded for television, radio or web show broadcasts

Beyond interviewing sources and telling stories, some journalists are involved in story editing, presentation and broadcast. This is especially true for multimedia, TV and radio journalists. These journalists typically edit their own clips and create media packages for broadcast.

How to Become a Journalist

In most cases, becoming a journalist requires a formal education and plenty of on-the-job training. A journalism degree isn’t necessarily required, but it can help with building critical writing and interviewing skills and securing industry relationships early on.

Earn a Degree

Journalists usually earn a bachelor’s in journalism or a related field such as communications or English. Some go on to obtain a master’s in journalism or in a field concentration like broadcast or investigative reporting, but this isn’t required to gain a foothold in the field.

Gain Experience

Most colleges and universities offer opportunities for students to gain valuable journalism experience. As a college student, you might get involved in your student newspaper, radio station, TV station or magazine. You could also seek out internships at local papers and broadcast stations.

If you’re interested in entering a particular field of journalism, such as sports or the arts, make sure to attend and report on as many related events as possible. Doing so can help you develop a robust portfolio of clips to demonstrate your interest and skills in a specific niche.

Get an Entry-Level Job

After you graduate, it’s finally time to go out into the world and report. You can start by finding an entry-level job that builds on the skills you learned in college and prepares you to climb the ranks in your organization.

Several entry-level reporting jobs suit recent college graduates. A news assistant, for example, takes on clerical duties for editors, writers and other staff in a newsroom or broadcast station. News assistants collect and distribute communications and press releases and assist with research and reporting when needed.

You might also consider finding a job as a fact-checker. Fact-checkers are vital to upholding the credibility of news organizations. These workers evaluate the validity of facts portrayed in a story and confirm data, dates, historical information and identities.

Move Up the Ladder

As you advance through different jobs in journalism , you’ll take on greater responsibilities and can move into new roles such as manager, editor or news anchor . Becoming a news director or manager of a radio or TV station is another option. You might also expand to larger news markets if you started in a local newsroom.

The skills you gain in entry- and mid-level positions set you up for success in managerial or editorial roles. Managers and editors require sharp communication skills and a constant finger on the news pulse. They’re responsible for determining which stories to publish, managing reporters and editing stories for release.

Important Skills for Journalists

Savvy journalists rely on an arsenal of skills across various disciplines. These include technological, communication and interpersonal skills.

Communication

Expert communication skills and sharp writing abilities are critical for success in journalism. A strong grasp on storytelling is especially important, whether you’re reporting for print, online, TV or radio organizations.

Journalists should not be afraid to chase sources and dig deep to find answers. They need thick skin and a strong sense of dedication, especially if sources are hesitant to divulge information.

The news never stops. Journalists should be prepared to chase after breaking stories as they occur and adhere to tight deadlines.

Familiarity With Technology

From cameras to microphones to video editing software, journalists require a firm understanding of the technology used every day to tell their stories.

Interpersonal Skills

The best stories include authentic, personal accounts from sources. Obtaining such accounts is only possible by creating genuine rapport with sources.

Journalist Salary and Career Outlook

Journalists make a median salary of $55,960 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects careers in journalism to decline by 3% between 2022 and 2032. However, an average of 6,000 openings for news analysts, reporters and journalists are expected to open up each year throughout that time frame.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Becoming a Journalist

What qualifications do you need to be a journalist.

A bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum qualification needed to become a journalist. You’ll also need to demonstrate strong writing skills and present a well-developed portfolio to enter the field.

How many years does it take to become a journalist?

Completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field takes four years on average. If you’ve completed an internship or reported for a student news organization during that time, you may be equipped to launch your news career directly after graduation.

Is it hard to become a journalist?

Journalism is a competitive industry. Even after obtaining a bachelor’s degree, breaking into the field in the face of newsroom closures and declining demand is difficult. Furthermore, the nature of journalism requires some grit and mental toughness—but it can also provide holistic growth opportunities for the right candidates.

Can you do journalism without a degree?

While most journalists hold at least a bachelor’s degree, it is possible to become a journalist without a degree. You can build reporting skills through volunteer reporting or online and community college courses. You can then develop a professional portfolio through self-publishing, such as blogging, and freelance work.

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Cecilia is a freelance writer, content marketing strategist and author covering education, technology and energy. She is a current contributor to the Forbes Advisor education vertical and holds a summa cum laude journalism degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

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Fiction Writer Education Requirements

The educational requirements for a fiction writer typically include a high school diploma, but a bachelor's degree in English, history, writing, journalism, or psychology is preferred. According to Dr. Wilma Davidson , Instructor at the University of South Florida, "All businesses need good writers. Technology makes it easy for an excellent writer to write productively from anywhere." This suggests that while a degree is important, location may not be a significant factor in finding work opportunities for fiction writers.

What education do you need to become a fiction writer?

What degree do you need to be a fiction writer.

The most common degree for fiction writers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of fiction writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 7%.

• Bachelor's , 72%
• Master's , 12%
• Associate , 7%
• Doctorate , 5%
• Other Degrees , 4%

What should I major in to become a fiction writer?

According to Joanne Diaz Ph.D. , Chair and Professor at Illinois Wesleyan University's Department of English, English majors excel in traditional forms of analytical and argumentative writing, as well as in creating content for podcasts, videos, and other web platforms. Therefore, the best college majors for a fiction writer are English, Journalism, and Communication.

• English , 26%
• History , 9%
• Writing , 9%
• Journalism , 6%
• Other Majors , 50%

Most common colleges for fiction writers

Fiction writers often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, Montclair State University, and University of Southern California. Here are the most common colleges for fiction writers in the US based on their resumes.

Best majors for fiction writers

Best colleges for fiction writers

The top colleges for fiction writers, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Cornell University, offer valuable opportunities. These institutions stand out due to their competitive admissions, high retention rates, and strong graduate earnings. Moreover, a significant portion of their graduates secure jobs in the field, showcasing the schools' effectiveness in preparing students for fiction writing careers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

2. Harvard University

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

4. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

20 best online courses for fiction writers

1. Teaching Reluctant Writers

All educators will encounter students who struggle with writing. This course first focuses on the reasons student writers may be reluctant and then provides learners with a variety of strategies and practices to help reluctant writers develop a greater comfort and confidence with writing. Learners will examine classroom relationships, mentoring, scaffolding, conferencing, low-risk writing and mini-lessons, all tools and techniques that can be brought right into the classroom to help struggling...

2. Create a Syllabus using Libre Writer

In this project, you will learn how to create a visually appealing course syllabus in Libre Writer. The key components of a course syllabus will be discussed. While adding these components to your document, you will use various features in Writer. You will apply styles, insert a bulleted list and a table to organize information, insert an image, and modify a table and image. Included Universal design formatting tips will describe options to help make your document accessible to all learners...

3. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)

A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories...

4. Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

Turn your idea into a published novel or screenplay in one of today's hottest genres...

5. Writing Fiction That Sings: Write Novels With Great Voice

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fiction writers

The most affordable schools for fiction writers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for fiction writers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for fiction writers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

Cost of Attendance

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

8. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fiction writers.

The hardest universities for fiction writers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for fiction writers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for fiction writers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

4. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

5. Harvard University

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

10. Boston University

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fiction writers.

The easiest schools for fiction writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fiction writer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for fiction writers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

3. La Roche College

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

8. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Average fiction writer salary by education level

According to our data, fiction writers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $87,036 annually. Fiction writers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $82,789.

Fiction Writer Education FAQs

What is the best college for fiction writers, search for fiction writer jobs.

Updated April 5, 2024

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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• About Mass Literacy
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• Students Experiencing Reading Difficulties
• Leading a Multi-tiered System of Support
• Equity in Early Literacy
• For Families and Communities
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• Top Resources
• Recommended Reading

Writing Craft: What Is This and Why Does It Matter?

Craft refers to "the artistic skill or technique with which an author puts together narrative and other elements in order to convey meaning and produce effect" ( Massachusetts 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Framework ).

Students need explicit instruction, practice, and feedback in the techniques of writing craft in grades K-3 in order to become proficient writers. Skill with writing craft can be learned and students can blossom as writers with instruction, practice, and feedback. In the Massachusetts 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Framework , Writing standards 1–3 for each grade level articulate expectations for techniques of writing narrative, informational, and opinion/argument texts. "Examples of good writing and techniques for writing in specific genres can help students write more effectively for different purposes and audiences" ( Graham et al., 2018 ).

Culturally Responsive Practice and Writing Craft

Student agency and choice is an element of a culturally responsive learning environment. Allowing students to make some decisions about their own learning has benefits for all students in terms of engagement and motivation (see Universal Design for Learning: Optimize Individual Choice and Autonomy for more information) as well as development in writing (Graham et al., 2012). Supporting students to select and develop ideas, topics, or styles of writing that they find relevant is essential to the ultimate purpose of writing instruction: equipping and empowering students to communicate their own ideas through writing.

Writing craft is a natural place to emphasize student choice. When students engage in authentic writing, they make substantive choices about their writing and the writing becomes meaningful and purposeful. Depending on the purpose and structure of the task as designed by the teacher, students may have the opportunity to choose their piece's genre or purpose; the topic or subject of their piece; and/or their intended audience and the techniques they will employ to reach the desired effect. According to the Institute for Education Sciences Practice Guide for Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers , "prompts enable teachers to emphasize specific content standards as well as promote engagement and community-building" (Graham et al., 2018).

One meaningful way to approach this is through connecting with student's cultural knowledge and traditions. Incorporating storytelling traditions from student's families, backgrounds, and communities and connecting with these traditions and practices to "tell personal stories, pass along history, raise consciousness, and make sense of their lives" supports relevance, empowerment, and connection for students (Flores, 2021.) Further supports for such connection, affirmation, and exploration include the use of oral histories, folklore, and including families and community in writing instruction (Flores, 2021).

Strong mentor texts from which students can model their writing are important as well. The complex texts used within comprehension and language development lessons can also be used to support and model strong writing instruction. Colorin Colorado provides resources for culturally responsive writing instruction and how using diverse books can support students' writing across genres .

Research-Based Instruction to Support Students with Writing Craft

"Techniques [that are specific to a purpose of writing] should be taught explicitly and directly through a gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student until students are able to apply the techniques independently. Teachers should describe the technique, articulate how it relates to specific writing purposes, and model its use" ( Graham et al., 2018 ).

Building upon explicit instruction that uses a gradual release model, opportunities for independent writing with feedback are necessary. Revision, an essential step of the writing process for more extended writing tasks, is based upon the writer's own reflection on their writing as well as feedback from readers. "Students need to know whether their writing is accurately and appropriately conveying its message. One way students can determine this is by sharing their writing and responding to written and verbal feedback from the teacher and their peers" ( Graham et al., 2018 ).

• Examples of writing strategies for each stage of the writing process ( Graham et al., 2018, page 16 )
• Writing for a Variety of Audiences, from Institute of Education Sciences (Video)
• Teach Students to Identify and Use Text Organizational Structure, from Institute of Education Sciences (Video)
• Patterns of Organization , from Keys to Literacy
• Growing Writers: A Room of Writers, from Reading Rockets ** (Video)
• Sample Grade 3 lesson "Using Descriptive Language — Inventing Your Own Bug!" from PBS Learning Media for Massachusetts Educators

Leveraging Linguistic Assets for Multilingual Learners

English learners must have equal opportunity to meaningfully participate in all literacy instruction. The WIDA Can Do Descriptors and 2020 ELD Standards Framework highlight what language learners can do at various stages of language development and help educators plan for instruction that fosters high expectations and equity of access for ELs. For additional information, see this set of Five Instructional Practices and Instructional Strategies for Centering MLLs in Early Literacy Instruction (Instruction Partners).

• Until basic reading skills become more automatic, ELs may not notice subtle elements of author's craft ( Graham et al., 2018 ). Explicit instruction and modeling of author's craft alongside strong vocabulary development is supportive for students' growth in this area.
• Engage ELs in observing and participating in the teacher's composing processes to gain insight into the many aspects of writing. ELs are fully capable of strong content knowledge and ideas and need explicit modeling with syntax, vocabulary, and techniques of writing.

Supports for English Learners

• Plan for additional processing time when students are writing.
• Use language-based supports such as graphic organizers, templates, and sentence starters when and where students need them to plan and start their writing (Kim et al., 2011).
• Prior to a writing task, review target academic vocabulary that students should use as well as relevant transition and linking phrases (Kim et al., 2011).
• Configure students in small groups or pairs to provide opportunities for working and talking together about their writing ( Baker et al., 2014 ).
• Assess students' writing on an ongoing basis to determine areas that should be the focus of classroom writing instruction (Kim et al., 2011).
• Provide a visual context for writing by having students draw a picture before they write.
• Donovan, C. and Smolkin, L. Supporting Informational Writing in the Elementary Grades ** , from Reading Rockets
• Graham, S., Bollinger, A., Booth Olson, C., D'Aoust, C., MacArthur, C., McCutchen, D., & Olinghouse, N. Teaching elementary school students to be effective writers: A practice guide , from the Institute of Education Sciences (2018).
• Massachusetts Writing Standards in Action Project , with annotated writing samples by genre and grade level
• Providing Feedback on Student Writing , from Achieve the Core
• Student Writing Samples for Argument/Opinion, Informative/Explanatory, Narrative, from Achieve the Core
• Writing Samples , from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Baker, S., Lesaux, N., Jayanthi, M., Dimino, J., Proctor, C. P., Morris, J., Gersten, R., Haymond, K., Kieffer, M. J., Linan-Thompson, S., & Newman-Gonchar, R. (2014). Teaching academic content and literacy to English learners in elementary and middle school (NCEE 2014-4012). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Flores, T. (2021). Using diverse books to support writing instruction .

Graham, S., Bollinger, A., Booth Olson, C., D'Aoust, C., MacArthur, C., McCutchen, D., & Olinghouse, N. (2012). Teaching elementary school students to be effective writers: A practice guide (NCEE 2012-4058). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Kim, J., Olson, C. B., Scarcella, R., Kramer, J., Pearson, M., van Dyk, D., … Land, R. (2011). A randomized experiment of a cognitive strategies approach to text-based analytical writing for mainstreamed Latino English language learners in grades 6 to 12. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4(3), 231–263. doi:10.1080/19345747.20 10.523513

Disclosure Statement: Reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Our office is not responsible for and does not in any way guarantee the accuracy of information in other sites accessible through links herein. DESE may supplement this list with other services and products that meet the specified criteria. For more information contact: [email protected] .

Last Updated: September 7, 2022

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Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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Project 2025: A wish list for a Trump presidency, explained

It is billed as a policy "wish list" for the next Republican president that would vastly expand presidential powers and impose an ultra-conservative social vision on the US.

Donald Trump has disavowed the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 document, though many of its authors worked for his previous administration.

Links between the Trump campaign and Project 2025 have been highlighted by the former president's critics, and this attack line will likely continue at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this month.

Here's your guide to what the document contains.

Who wrote Project 2025?

It is common for Washington think tanks of all political stripes to propose policy wish lists for potential governments-in-waiting.

The conservative Heritage Foundation first produced policy plans for future Republican administrations in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was about to take office.

It has produced similar documents in connection with subsequent presidential elections, including in 2016, when Trump won the presidency.

A year into his term, the think tank boasted that the Trump White House had adopted nearly two-thirds of its proposals.

The Project 2025 report was unveiled in April 2023, but liberal opposition to the document has ramped up now that Trump has extended his polling lead.

The Republican nominee himself has distanced himself from the proposal.

"I know nothing about Project 2025," he posted on his social media website, Truth Social. "I have no idea who is behind it.

"I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."

But the team that created the project is chock-full of former Trump advisers, including director Paul Dans, who was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management while Trump was president.

Mr Dans left the project in late July, clearing the way for Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts to take over. He said he was leaving during the presidential election season in order to "direct all my efforts to winning, bigly".

Russell Vought, another former Trump administration official, wrote a key chapter in the document and also serves as the Republican National Committee’s 2024 platform policy director.

More than 100 conservative organisations contributed to the document, Heritage says, including many that would be hugely influential in Washington if Republicans took back the White House.

The Project 2025 document sets out four main policy aims: restore the family as the centrepiece of American life; dismantle the administrative state; defend the nation's sovereignty and borders; and secure God-given individual rights to live freely.

Here's an outline of several of its key proposals.

Project 2025 proposes that the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies such as the Department of Justice, be placed under direct presidential control - a controversial idea known as "unitary executive theory".

In practice, that would streamline decision-making, allowing the president to directly implement policies in a number of areas.

The proposals also call for eliminating job protections for thousands of government employees, who could then be replaced by political appointees.

The document labels the FBI a "bloated, arrogant, increasingly lawless organization". It calls for drastic overhauls of this and several other federal agencies, as well as the complete elimination of the Department of Education.

What does the Republican party platform say?

The party platform includes a proposal to "declassify government records, root out wrongdoers, and fire corrupt employees", pledges to slash regulation and government spending. But it stops short of proposing a sweeping overhaul of federal agencies as outlined in Project 2025.

Immigration

Increased funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border - one of Trump's signature proposals in 2016 - is proposed in the document.

Project 2025 also proposes dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and combining it with other immigration enforcement units in other agencies, creating a much larger and more powerful border policing operation.

Other proposals include eliminating visa categories for crime and human trafficking victims, increasing fees on immigrants and allowing fast-tracked applications for migrants who pay a premium.

Not all of those details are repeated in the party platform, but the overall headlines are similar - the party is promising to implement the "largest deportation programme in American history".

What a Trump second term would look like

Climate and economy.

The document proposes slashing federal money for research and investment in renewable energy, and calls for the next president to "stop the war on oil and natural gas".

Carbon-reduction goals would be replaced by efforts to increase energy production and energy security.

The paper sets out two competing visions on tariffs, and is divided on whether the next president should try to boost free trade or raise barriers to imports.

But the economic advisers suggest that a second Trump administration should slash corporate and income taxes, abolish the Federal Reserve and even consider a return to gold-backed currency.

The party platform does not go as far as Project 2025 in these policy areas. The platform instead talks of bringing down inflation and drilling for oil to reduce energy costs, but is thin on specific policy proposals.

Abortion and family

Project 2025 does not call outright for a nationwide abortion ban.

However, it proposes withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market, and using existing but little-enforced laws to stop the drug being sent through the post.

The document suggests that the department of Health and Human Services should "maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family".

On this issue at least, the document differs fairly substantially from the Republican platform, which only mentions the word "abortion" once. The platform says abortion laws should be left to individual states and that late-term abortions (which it does not define) should be banned.

It adds that that access to prenatal care, birth control and in-vitro fertilisation should be protected. The party platform makes no mention of cracking down on the distribution of mifepristone.

Tech and education

Under the proposals, pornography would be banned, and tech and telecoms companies that allow access would be shut down.

The document calls for school choice and parental control over schools, and takes aim at what it calls "woke propaganda".

It proposes to eliminate a long list of terms from all laws and federal regulations, including "sexual orientation", "gender equality", "abortion" and "reproductive rights".

Project 2025 aims to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools and government departments as part of what it describes as a wider crackdown on "woke" ideology.

Project 2025's proposals in this policy area are broadly reflected in the Republican platform, which in addition to calling for the abolishing the Department of Education, aims to boost school choice and parental control over education and criticises what the party calls the "inappropriate political indoctrination of our children".

Social Security

Although Heritage has long supported reforming the country's public pension plan, Project 2025 barely touches this third rail of American politics.

The platform says Social Security is a "lifeline" for millions of retired Americans and Republicans will "restore Economic Stability to ensure the long-term sustainability" of the programme.

The plan's future

Project 2025 is backed by a $22m (£17m) budget and includes strategies for implementing policies immediately after the presidential inauguration in January 2025.

Heritage is also creating a database of conservative loyalists to fill government positions, and a programme to train those new workers.

Democrats led by Jared Huffman, a congressman from California, have launched a Stop Project 2025 Task Force.

And many of the proposals would likely face immediate legal challenges from Trump's opponents if implemented.

Four surprises that could upend the 2024 US election

Where biden and trump stand on key issues, four things that could decide who wins us election.

What qualifications are needed to become a technical writer?

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NAPLAN results reveal one in three students not meeting basic literacy and numeracy expectations

Topic: Education

The 2024 NAPLAN results are strikingly similar to the 2023 results. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore )

National NAPLAN scores show one in three Australian school students is performing below literacy and numeracy benchmarks.

Almost 1.3 million students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the annual test earlier this year. 

What's next?

Experts say action is needed, with the Commonwealth currently locked in negotiations with states and territories for a new decade-long agreement for public school funding.

One in three Australian school students is not meeting literacy and numeracy benchmarks, and more than one in ten need additional support, the 2024 NAPLAN results show.

"In plain English, one third of Australia's children are not on track with their learning," the Grattan Institute's education director Jordana Hunter said. 

Experts say the scores demonstrate the urgent need for classroom reforms, otherwise a significant part of a generation looks set to miss out on crucial foundational learning. 

"It's almost half a million students around the country that are not where we need them to be," Dr Hunter said.

"The NAPLAN results are sending a pretty clear message. The question I have is 'are education ministers listening?'"

The NAPLAN data has landed at a time when the Commonwealth is locked in negotiations with the states and territories over a new public school funding deal to replace the old arrangement, under which public schools have been about $5 billion short of their minimum Gonski funding levels.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the results showed why school funding talks were crucial — not just to supply extra money, but to reform classroom practices.

"Your chances in life shouldn't depend on your parents' pay packet or the colour of your skin, but these results again show that's still the case," he said.

"These results show why serious reform is needed and why we need to tie additional funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school."

The 2023 NAPLAN tests were the first assessed under a tougher, revamped set of criteria that experts said would give a true picture of the state of Australian classrooms.

"Last year when we saw the results against the new proficiency scale, a lot of people were quite disheartened," Dr Hunter said.

Outside of small increases and decreases across subjects and year levels, the 2024 numbers are similarly disappointing.

Experts say the results have highlighted a failure to teach hundreds of thousands of students the most basic skills, despite billions of dollars flowing into all school systems.

Inequalities remain, cheating uncovered

The NAPLAN 2024 results also showed long-standing educational disadvantage remained entrenched across Australia.

Non-Indigenous students' results remained substantially above their First Nations counterparts in all five testing domains: numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

One third of Indigenous students were categorised as "need additional support" — three times the national average.

Stark differences also remained between metropolitan and non-metropolitan students.

For literacy, 24 per cent of students from very remote schools were categorised as "strong" or "exceeding" compared to 70.7 per cent of students from major cities. Numeracy statistics were almost identical.

Students whose parents held a bachelor's degree or higher tended to score better than their classmates whose parents' highest level of education was Year 11 or lower.

2024 was the second year of NAPLAN tests marked against a new set of standards. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi )

Females outperformed males in writing across every year group, while males generally outperformed females in numeracy.

Out of the 4.4 million NAPLAN tests sat by almost 1.3 million students nationally, there was one substantiated cheating-related incident.

That occurred in Western Australia where "inappropriate assistance" was made available to 19 students. Those results were considered "compromised" and not included in national results.

The Western Australian School Curriculum and Standards Authority (WASCSA), which administered the test, said the students were in Year 3.

The school supplied students with a planning sheet for NAPLAN preparation, despite rules stipulating students only have a blank piece of paper while taking the online test.

"The identity of the parties involved in the test incident remains confidential and the matter has been referred ... for further investigation," a WASCSA spokesperson said.

There have previously been anecdotal reports of schools urging students who were expected to perform poorly to stay home on testing day to improve the overall marks for the school, and ultimately, the perceived appeal of the school to parents.

Deadline looming

The 2024 NAPLAN report card comes as the deadline for the new public school funding agreement inches closer.

So far, only Western Australia and the Northern Territory have reached deals with the Commonwealth and signed on to its Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.

The Commonwealth has offered to lift its share of funding public schools from 20 per cent to 22.5 per cent, but the other states say the federal share should be 25 per cent.

Both sides have threatened to walk away from the talks if a deal is not reached by the end of September.

Mr Clare has insisted new funding be tied to measures like early interventions, evidence-based teaching and additional screening checks.

"I have made clear that the additional $16 billion of funding for public schools the government has put on the table will be tied to practical reforms, like phonics checks and numeracy checks, evidenced-based teaching and catch-up tutoring," he said.

"There are no blank cheques here. I want to invest billions into our public schools and I want to make sure that money makes a difference to the kids who really need it."

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says the NAPLAN results show why school funding talks are crucial. ( AAP Image: Mick Tsikas )

Dr Hunter said money had been wasted on ineffective classroom practices, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds suffering as a result.

"The first best strategy governments can take is to stop spending precious dollars on ineffective programs and invest instead in an expert teaching profession that is upskilled in evidence-based teaching, including explicit teaching approaches," she said.

'Damning indictment'

Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson said the "disastrous" NAPLAN results were caused by the government's failure to strike a deal and introduce school reforms.

"The Albanese government has failed to deliver the national school reforms it promised and Australian children and their families are paying the price," Senator Henderson said.

"Rather than put students first ... Jason Clare has become embroiled in a school funding war with the states, which is a mess of Labor's own making."

Australian Education Union federal president Correna Haythorpe said the results were a "damning indictment on the failure of governments to fully fund public schools".

"Australia cannot close achievement gaps without closing resourcing gaps. It is long past time for governments to close the resource gaps impacting on public schools," she said.

"Teachers and education support personnel work very hard to cater for all of their students' needs but they must be backed by governments."