Being a professional writer is a wonderful career to have. Writing gives you the chance to explore your creativity and develop your ideas. For technical writers, it provides opportunities for constant learning and research. Also, most writers work in the privacy of their own homes. As such, they can often choose their working times and conditions. You can work full-time, part-time, freelance, and everything in between.
However, it’s difficult to make it as a successful writer. It requires time, effort, patience, and even a little luck. But don’t let that discourage you. With technology constantly evolving, aspiring writers currently have more avenues than ever before to make it in the industry.
If you’re interested in writing as a career, you could try publishing an electronic book, writing a screenplay, or creating a personal, specialized online portfolio.
Publishing an Electronic Book
In the past, there were only a few major publishing companies in the market. As a result, you had to be both incredibly talented and extremely lucky to be discovered. Recently though, things have changed. You no longer need a traditional publishing company to extend its services to you. You can do most of the legwork by yourself.
For those who like kids, a great idea would be to look into self-publishing children’s picture books. Publishing a children’s book is a fantastic choice to start your career. It shows you are creative, you are passionate, and you care not only about writing but also about paying it forward, about educating the youth. Whatever the genre might be, though, publishing an electronic book is a viable path to take.
Writing a Screenplay
Who doesn’t want to make it in Hollywood? As with publishing, things in the movie industry have changed over the past decade or so. A few years ago, it would have been impossible to succeed without an agent, a manager, or a contract lawyer. Currently, unknown screenwriters have a wide variety of options to choose from, including:
- Joining a reputable screenwriting contest. Winning or placing high in a screenplay contest will get you not only recognition within the industry but also a “foot in the door.”
- Hosting your screenplay on The Black List. The Black List is the go-to guide for professional writers, producers, and filmmakers. By paying a small fee, your script will be reviewed by an industry professional. A high score will get you an extra review, this time for free. If you manage to get enough great reviews, your screenplay is sure to fall into the right hands.
- Have an open mind. You don’t have to aim for Hollywood right from the get to. The important thing at the beginning is to gain experience and exposure. There are many online forums you could join. You could also aim at smaller movie production companies in countries like the UK or Australia. They serve as a valuable springboard if you ever want to make it in LA.
Creating an Online Portfolio
Everything on the Internet is about visuals, accessibility, and functionality. If your online portfolio is not visually appealing, SEO friendly, and easy to navigate through, it will not get noticed. So take the time to create something wonderful. Look at what others have done.
Once you have the perfect design, fill it with only your best content. Whether it’s an article you wrote 10 years ago or a short story you came up with yesterday, make sure your content stands out, is properly written, and optimized for the net. You don’t want Google to place it on the 20th page of its search results.
Finally, make your online portfolio functional. A functional site is both easy to navigate through and easy to understand. Remember, you are promoting your writing, not your programming skills.
Writing is a competitive industry, one not everybody can get succeed in, let alone get into. However, technological development and the Internet have dramatically eased the path to success for aspiring writers. If you are passionate about a career in writing, work on your craft, use the tools available at your disposal, and go for it. You never know, you could be the next J.K. Rowling, Quentin Tarantino, or Christopher Nolan.
