I was talking recently to Joe of The Ladders, a comprehensive career resource for professionals that takes pride in helping people in diverse demographics with their career no matter what the field. Joe had an unusual question for me: what would I advise someone looking to turn their passion for writing into a career?
This got me thinking. What kind of writing did Joe have in mind? Writing can take so many forms; from blogging and advertising to poetry and creative writing. As a university lecturer, more than half my time was spent writing, as academics have to publish regularly. As a PhD student, I wrote a 75,000 word thesis.
Needless to say, people interested in making a living out of writing will probably combine these forms. For example, they may work on their book, but pay the bills through freelance journalism, content marketing or offering editing services. So, what kind of advice may one offer that encompasses all these possibilities?
It then occurred to me that, regardless of what kind of writing someone is interested in, they have to make a choice. They can write for themselves, as an art, or sell their words to clients. Mind you, this is not a one or the other kind of choice. For example, right now I am ghost-writing a book, blogging, and writing short stories, a children’s book and a fantasy novel, part of a five-book series. All this while also working a day job as a web designer – which has given me the skills I need to build my author platform online. And I teach from time to time, just for the fun of it.
Most people will not end up lone recluses in an ivory tower, writing their magnus opus and sending their hunchback assistant scurrying for a brain every time there’s a storm. Instead, they might hold a nine-to-five job at an advertising agency doing content marketing. At night and during weekends, they might irritate their hapless spouse by shutting themselves into a study for a few hours, working on their novel.
So, my number one tip would be this: whatever balance you find, don’t fret about it. You’re not doing it wrong. It is a balance we each need to find on our own. Unless you’re an heir to a fortune, you will struggle with time, and writing will be a juggling act. And that’s okay. That’s how everyone else does it, too – regardless of what it looks like to an outsider. Even professional writers with huge deals will struggle to both meet their contract obligations, promote their work, network and write. The challenges don’t disappear; they just change.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that writers must make the distinction between “job” and “business.” When writers tell you that “writing is a job,” they mean that you must treat it with the same seriousness as any nine-to-five job. You may not have a boss – but you must treat each and every one of your readers as one.
And believe me – there is a lot of work involved with writing. Gone are the days when all an author had to do was to write a wonderful novel, and the publishers would take care of the rest – assuming those halcyon days ever existed. Whether you publish traditionally or self-publish, you will still have to deal with marketing, developing an author platform, networking and selling your book. These are things few writers take into account when they start writing, mainly because very few writing courses mention them. Writers learn everything about showing and telling, but nothing about using Twitter to promote their book.
So, my second tip to anyone wishing to pursue a writing career is this: you will have to treat it as a business, if you don’t want to starve. Writers need to let go of the “employee” mindset and think like businesspeople instead. Writing is not a job. It’s a service business. And you are in charge.
Further Resources
If you’re interested in finding out what publishing a novel really entails, you may want to check out my blog post, “I Just Published my Book. Now What?”
To find out more about marketing your book, I suggest you start at my posts, “My Book Marketing Secret” and “A-Z guide: How both my books reached #1 on Amazon.”
If freelance writing is more your cup of tea, then Mridu’s The International Freelancer is a great place to start.
To search for career opportunities in writing, you can go to theLadders’ Career Search Page and explore the platform.
Happy writing!
If you’re just in the mood for some reading instead, you can do a lot worse than my award-winning children’s book, Runaway Smile for free!
Reblogged this on Juliet Aharoni and commented:
Really worth reading!
Nicholas,
This is a great two-part post about the duality of being a writer. To often we worry about if we’re doing it the proper way, and your comment that “whatever balance you find, don’t fret about it.”
That’s a really important point that I think we all lose from time to time.
If one wants to make it as a writer, the most important thing is treating the process as a business.I really appreciate that this is your second point!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks and welcome!
Whenever I write something, it’s from experience. I’ve either done something right and want to share so that others do it too, or I’ve screwed up and I want others to avoid a pitfall. As you can imagine, this post is no exception. I still fret about not being as successful, committed etc as I “should” be 🙂
Well written and so very true! Writing is a business and should be treated as such – of course there is a creative side to it, but if you don’t impose some sort of discipline and deadline to it you won’t achieve much. I spent eight years freelance writing before writing my own books and believe it has really helped me in terms of being able to manage my time effectively and also push through when things get tough. I also find that the more I write, blog, create, read, the more I learn about the craft.
Absolutely! I’m still amazed by how any kind of writing helps 🙂
Nominated you for the Love / Hate challenge: https://amommasview.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/love-it-hate-it/
Oh, wow! Thanks 🙂
Hi Nicholas,
At last I’m in. Thanks for your wonderful post.
Thank you for enjoying it! 🙂
I like your tips. They feel almost like opposites to me (though not mutually exclusive). One seems to offer creative freedom, and the other a call to knuckle under. Interesting.
It’s all about balance. I know from your writing that it’s your passion, too 🙂
Great tips as always. Writing in the ‘real world’, without private funds or a lucrative backer, is always going to have to be treated as a business, and you make that point very well.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thank you, I’m glad you thought so! 🙂
I want my own hunchback assistant! I’d send him out for chocolate, though. 🙂
I really like the way you distilled everything down to two main points – not craft or marketing or networking, but to find a balance and to treat writing seriously. But also with the reminder that it’s okay for some of our writing to be just for ourselves. I need to ponder the question now and see what advice I would give!
So glad you enjoyed the post! 🙂
I was asked for a single tip, but then it occurred to me that I really needed that second one as well 😀
I have a hunchback Mordillo hippo. All he does is sit on my desk. 🙁
Good tips. I had to learn these through trial and error. I hope others take notice. (will save a lot of frustration)
Thanks, John! I often think I should share more of my failures than of my successes, but my pride kicks in 😉
Understood.
It’s not easy to write about our failures.
It sure is not! 😀
Wonderful post. Nicholas, I wonder how you fit all of that into a week without working 24/7. All of you own projects, plus ghost writing! Can’t wait to hear more about the children’s book you are working on.
That’s so sweet of you, thanks! Don’t worry, I’ll let you know as soon as I can 🙂
As for working 24/7, who says I don’t? 😉
Well. maybe 23/7.
Lol – sounds about right 😀
Reblogged this on Books and More.
That reminds me that I haven’t seen my hunchback assistant in a while. Sent him for nachos instead of brains, so that might be part of the issue. He was only trained for the one thing.
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Really shows how writing at any level is a balancing act. That’s something that some people don’t realize. At least towards me, I get in conversations about how I should just ‘go anywhere’ to write or learn to do it at the drop of a hat. No concern about everything else that one has to do in life. It’s all ‘you can write whenever and wherever’. This probably falls under the business tip since most jobs require finding a balance between work and home life. Gets harder when the two happen in the same place.
Lol – I blame Hemingway for the “write whenever, wherever” attitude 😉
Don’t we all. 😛
Thank you for this 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
🙂
Well said, Nicholas! Your ghostwriting project sounds intriguing. Congrats! I’m betting it’ll be a fantasy Castle-esque hit.
Lol – it’s a romance I’m helping a friend with. It’s a great project. Knowing you, of course, you’d probably want to throw in a murder or two to make it more interesting! 😀
That’s my philosophy. When in doubt — kill. 🙂
ROFL – remind me never to doubt you 😀
Thank you so much for all the tips.
Thanks for reading them! 🙂
Sure!
Ops! Nicholas, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise I wrote that much! 🙁
Not at all; I loved your comment! So much so, that I’d like to turn it into a guest post 🙂
Fantastic article!
These are two aspects I’ve been living, but I’ve never put down in words. And you know, while the first one (you’ll have to struggle with time) is something every writer learns immediately, the second is a harder one.
I’m not a published author, I don’t have any story ‘in print’ (though I hope to change this state of things soon), but I’ve been working close to a publisher for ten years (I actually work in the bookshop, the publisher’s office is upstairs and he’s the owner of the shop), and let me tell you, through these years I’ve learned very well what a publisher CAN’T do.
My impression is that, even today, after the publishing industry has gone through an upheaval after which nothing is as it used to be, many authors still think they just have to write the thing, the publisher will take care of everything else.
This simply cannot be. It’s too expensive and too time-consuming. Sure, it may be the same for an author too (actually, it is the same), but while an author will only have to look after their own work, a publisher should take care of all its authors.
Believe me, it’s simply impossible.
Expectations of readers have also increased. While once upon a time, readers seldom got in touch with an author, usually by snail mail once in a blue moon, today readers expect to get in touch with their favourit authors every day. Through Twitter, FB, their blog, whateve. Readers’ expectations in these terms have hugely changed and this is something no publisher can do. Sure, a publisher can fake to be the author, but I don’t think that would work very well, and once again, a publisher can’t do this for every single author it publishes.
As often happenes, the field has hugely changed, the receving end of the business (readers) know, because they largely caused that change, but the giving end of the business (authors) are slow to catch up.
My impression 🙂
Thank you so much for that! If you’re game, I’d love for you to expand on this and then send it to me as a guest post 🙂
Oh my goodness, Nicholas, I didn’t expect that!
But it will be my pleasure 🙂
Super, thanks! 🙂
I’ve got your email, so will get back to you with details. Thanks again!
An excellent presentation of what it entails to be a writer, comprehensive and at times, hilarious too. Loved the ‘scurrying for a brain when there’s a storm’ bit – haha Best of luck with your different projects, my friend 🙂
Lol – you too! 🙂
I’m forwarding this to my daughter who wears many hats, including freelance writer, Nicholas. This is a great approach to writing and to life.
So glad you found it useful! I hope your daughter does, too 🙂