When you entertain the idea of being a writer<\/i>, it\u2019s sometimes difficult to know where to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve done something else with your career up to this point, how can you use that experience and expertise to find writing jobs<\/a>? How can you <\/b>become a writer<\/i><\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n I spoke with two professionals, accomplished in their own careers, who\u2019ve turned their interest in writing into more than a hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Angela Weiler, the public services librarian at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, has been a librarian for almost 20 years, but didn\u2019t begin writing novels until her early 40s. Her first, a novel in stories called Going Up the Country<\/i>, <\/i>was published in 2005 by Log Cabin Books. She self-published Flashpoint<\/i> in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristen Lutz, a massage therapist in Boston, Massachusetts, also loved writing from an early age but only started writing professionally a few years ago. She\u2019s now the director of communications for the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Foundation (Mass AMTA), a part-time position where she\u2019s responsible for writing, editing and publishing its newsletter and blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From their experiences, and my own, here are six tips for using your career expertise to land writing jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many of us, Angela enjoyed writing from a young age, but until her 40s, she considered it to be a hobby. \u201cIt was a mid-life realization. I\u2019d always had a folder in my file cabinet labeled \u2018ideas\u2019 but I didn\u2019t start actually writing until I was in my early 40s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For both Angela and Kristen, turning writing into more than a hobby took <\/b>time<\/i><\/b>.<\/b> Once they both decided to make time to write<\/i>, they knew they were on the right track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI started setting aside weekend mornings to write for two to four hours at a time. I didn\u2019t work at it a lot, but I worked at it very steadily,\u201d said Angela. Kristen made the time to write when she realized starting a blog<\/a> would help her health coaching clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what\u2019s your motivation to write? Have you already started devoting time regularly to writing? And how far are you willing or interested in taking it? If you\u2019re ready to write professionally<\/a>, either part-time or full-time, it\u2019s time for the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiction or nonfiction? Long or short form? Books, blogs, articles, newsletters or social media? Thanks to the proliferation of written media on the Internet, a huge variety of writing opportunities exist. Which ones are right for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best ways to learn about different types of writing opportunities is to read.<\/b> \u201cRead everything! Read within your genre, outside of your genre, find voices that you like, and learn from reading others\u2019 work,\u201d said Angela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristen agreed, and also recommended practicing editing other people\u2019s content. \u201cEditing other content is super helpful for two reasons. One, it’s an ego-booster for my own writing when someone else’s writing style is horrible. Two, I pick up on new ways to write.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest obstacles for people interested in writing is finding those first writing gigs<\/a>. Kristen\u2019s first writing job came when she was a health coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy interest in writing while I was a health coach came from a need to better serve my clients. We needed a way to increase accountability for their goals, so I created a blog,\u201d she said. \u201cWith access to the blog, my clients could virtually touch base with me and have key health coaching components repeated to them by way of my posts, sharing of news articles, exercises or healthy recipes. It became a way to continue our conversation past our session time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can find an excuse to write in your <\/b>current job<\/b><\/a>, ask for it!<\/b> The best part about this approach is you don\u2019t have to hunt for a writing job — if you can work it into your current role, you\u2019ll get paid for it and <\/i>gain writing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to use your career experience to land writing jobs, become an expert and brand yourself as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was hired as a writer because of my work in career development and job search advice. Kristen was hired as a writer because of her knowledge of health coaching and massage therapy. And, in addition to creative writing, Angela reviews books and peer-reviews articles for journals because of her experience as a librarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese opportunities came through my work as a librarian. I do peer review for research projects, and book reviews as well, mainly for nonfiction. Once you get a few of these experiences on your resume, more opportunities tend to pop up,\u201d said Angela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having solid writing skills is only one part of becoming a writer.<\/b> Kristen found her current role as director of communication for Mass AMTA because she\u2019d already started sharing her expertise by writing blog posts with massage-related organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe former director commented that I was a natural writer and wanted me to get more involved in the chapter’s communications department. I was offered the newsletter editor position and later transitioned to take over the director position. All of that happened within a year,\u201d she explained. Without offering ourselves up as experts in a certain field, how will others find out about us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was a college career advisor, I created and wrote my own blog about career advice just for fun. It was a nice outlet, giving me a chance to practice writing in a risk-free environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, a friend\u2019s girlfriend had just been hired at a lifestyle website for college students and young professionals, and the company was in the market for a career advice blogger. Even though my blog was really only a hobby, it was enough to get me hired.<\/b> She read my articles, thought I\u2019d be a great fit, and voila, I\u2019d found my first paid writing job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building your network is one thing, but you also need to let that network know you\u2019re available as a writer.<\/b> All of your social media profiles should mention something about you as a writer. Use LinkedIn<\/a>, About.me<\/a>, Content.ly<\/a> or an online portfolio<\/a> to showcase your previous and current work, whether paid or unpaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, figure out rates<\/a> for your work. If you\u2019re asked up front how much you charge for writing services, know how to answer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is probably the most obvious tip in the bunch, but if you want to be hired as a writer, look for writing jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReach out to your industry\u2019s professional organizations and see if they need guest bloggers, or become involved in some of their local activities<\/b>,\u201d recommended Kristen. If you\u2019re positioning yourself as a writer within a certain field, look for writing jobs within that profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Understand your motivations and how far you want to take them<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Learn about all the different types of writing you can do<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Look for ways to write at your current job<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Use your career expertise<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Build your network and brand yourself as a writer<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Look for writing jobs<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n