4 answers
Leah
Student
Miami, Florida
1
Question
Asked
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What is the best path to starting a career in writing, editing, or publishing? Are there any specific internships or research opportunities to get started? #Spring25
How much variety is there in job opportunities in this sector? Are there ways or places to work that aren't sedentary? How lucrative is a job in this field?
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4 answers
Lindsey Flagg
Marketing Content Specialist
18
Answers
Crown Point, Indiana
Updated
Lindsey’s Answer
I don't know how to definitively answer how lucrative writing is, as things are currently changing with the rise of AI. I would say that writing will still be at least a somewhat valuable skill for some time to come, and journalism or other more intensive forms of writing will likely still have their place for at least a decade or two.
Now that that's been said: if you would prefer to avoid a sedentary job, I think journalism would be your best bet. Journalism is one of the only writing fields where you will really have a chance to possibly get out in the field instead of being stuck at a desk.
However, I will add that even my career as a freelance writer and editor in the marketing industry has been less constraining, both mentally and physically, than working in an office. I work from home and have even met with clients out and about at times, so I don't necessarily have to sit at my desk from 9 to 5 every day.
Your education and needed experience will also vary depending on what type of writing you want to do. If you go the journalism route, a journalism degree and a spot at your college newspaper should be very valuable.
If you choose a path like freelance content writing, proofreading, or copywriting, your education might not be as important as your writing experience, but a degree certainly wouldn't hurt, as some roles will expect one. Focus on communications, marketing, or a mix in that case. In my experience, most marketing industry jobs look for those majors.
If you want to write for a highly specialized field, such as law, a more focused degree path may be required, so you need to weigh the pros and cons as far as time and money spent. No matter what career path your choose—and even if you get a degree—lifelong education and challenges will be a part of your career.
My on-campus roles and Honors College volunteer duties also involved writing as a college student, so don't discount campus experiences that might seem like they don't involve journalism or communications.
The good news is that there IS a large variety as far as writing and editing careers and related positions. Here are just a few examples besides the ones I've already touched on:
-Book writer
-Book editor
-Content manager for a marketing agency
-Social media copywriter
-YouTube scriptwriter
-Published poet or author
-Magazine writer
-Writing tutor
-Writing instructor or professor
-PR Manager
Whatever path you choose, practice your writing—on a daily basis, if possible. Also consider volunteering or starting a blog on Medium and/or WordPress to start building a portfolio as soon as possible. Work samples are going to be crucial no matter what specific writing or editing position you pursue.
You could look into using your skills to help train AI models if you are so inclined. I have been doing this type of work for nearly two years to supplement my writing income.
It would be a good idea to learn how AI tools are used in your chosen industry (writing, editing, or publishing), even if you don't really want to use them yourself. At the very least, you will learn what you can do better than AI or better understand why you might not want to use it.
If you want to truly protect your career options for the future, I would probably choose a marketing degree with maybe a minor in business or something similar to round out your skillset.
Now that that's been said: if you would prefer to avoid a sedentary job, I think journalism would be your best bet. Journalism is one of the only writing fields where you will really have a chance to possibly get out in the field instead of being stuck at a desk.
However, I will add that even my career as a freelance writer and editor in the marketing industry has been less constraining, both mentally and physically, than working in an office. I work from home and have even met with clients out and about at times, so I don't necessarily have to sit at my desk from 9 to 5 every day.
Your education and needed experience will also vary depending on what type of writing you want to do. If you go the journalism route, a journalism degree and a spot at your college newspaper should be very valuable.
If you choose a path like freelance content writing, proofreading, or copywriting, your education might not be as important as your writing experience, but a degree certainly wouldn't hurt, as some roles will expect one. Focus on communications, marketing, or a mix in that case. In my experience, most marketing industry jobs look for those majors.
If you want to write for a highly specialized field, such as law, a more focused degree path may be required, so you need to weigh the pros and cons as far as time and money spent. No matter what career path your choose—and even if you get a degree—lifelong education and challenges will be a part of your career.
My on-campus roles and Honors College volunteer duties also involved writing as a college student, so don't discount campus experiences that might seem like they don't involve journalism or communications.
The good news is that there IS a large variety as far as writing and editing careers and related positions. Here are just a few examples besides the ones I've already touched on:
-Book writer
-Book editor
-Content manager for a marketing agency
-Social media copywriter
-YouTube scriptwriter
-Published poet or author
-Magazine writer
-Writing tutor
-Writing instructor or professor
-PR Manager
Whatever path you choose, practice your writing—on a daily basis, if possible. Also consider volunteering or starting a blog on Medium and/or WordPress to start building a portfolio as soon as possible. Work samples are going to be crucial no matter what specific writing or editing position you pursue.
Lindsey recommends the following next steps:
Joel Amos
Writer/Editor/Screenwriter/Interviewer/Columnist
1
Answer
Spokane, Washington
Updated
Joel’s Answer
From my experience starting out 25 years ago, I believe the ways of achieving success have remained the same, even if the technology and model of delivering content have drastically changed. Write. Always write. Find the local "throw-away" newspaper (you know, the ones that pile up in people's driveways?!). Those are usually weekly, and some are monthly. They are also a fantastic way to get a byline and begin a portfolio. Meanwhile, use that same method of thinking in the online world. Find reputable and well-edited sites that produce the type of content that you want to craft. Most of them have a "work for us" button that helps describe how to get involved with said site. Many sites nowadays may pay you via a PPV manner, i.e., your bank account rises quickly or slowly for that word that drives all online journalism... pageviews.
Sure, until you figure out the site's SEO (search engine optimization) and how they internally maximize their content in terms of eyeballs, the pay may be small. But, again, what you have is another piece of the puzzle that is your portfolio. That is the key: building a compilation of your work that does either of two things. The choice of how to use it is entirely up to you. 1) This is a chance to show future editors (employers) what your writing style is and what you voice says. 2) For example, if you want to be an entertainment journalist or movie critic/interviewer like I am, you can craft a portfolio that illustrates the depth of your knowledge on that subject with a cache of your best and brightest work. The latter works especially well for sites that focus their entire operation on the pop corner of our culture.
To sum up, one should take every opportunity to write a story for a publication that gives you a byline. Sometimes, it's unavoidable, and one has to write under the "staff" moniker. Don't shy away from those simply due to the fact that your name is not on it. The industry understands such things exist because they probably do it themselves.
To answer your question about variety, there is as much of a variation to your story portfolio as you want there to be--if that is your focus then go for it. The world is diverse, and the content that exists for folks to inhale using their precious time has to reflect that.
Lastly, the nature of the beast that is our field is that it tends to be sedentary. When I first started, within two years, I had carpal tunnel. What I have learned is that every 15-20 minutes, I stop what I'm doing, save it (!), walk around my desk for one minute, and dive back in. Not only is it good for you physiologically, it does wonders for you mentally and thus, aids you vocationally. In most places, if you are hired on as staff, you will be put at a desk, and you will have to figure out what works for you to be able to stretch those legs. Your overall health demands it. But more and more, the industry is using folks that work remotely. Everything I do is freelance currently, which I enjoy. So, as long as I meet my deadlines in the most professional of manners, how long I sit for to complete the task is on me.
Best of luck to you, and I'm happy to answer anything else you may want to inquire.
JDA
Sure, until you figure out the site's SEO (search engine optimization) and how they internally maximize their content in terms of eyeballs, the pay may be small. But, again, what you have is another piece of the puzzle that is your portfolio. That is the key: building a compilation of your work that does either of two things. The choice of how to use it is entirely up to you. 1) This is a chance to show future editors (employers) what your writing style is and what you voice says. 2) For example, if you want to be an entertainment journalist or movie critic/interviewer like I am, you can craft a portfolio that illustrates the depth of your knowledge on that subject with a cache of your best and brightest work. The latter works especially well for sites that focus their entire operation on the pop corner of our culture.
To sum up, one should take every opportunity to write a story for a publication that gives you a byline. Sometimes, it's unavoidable, and one has to write under the "staff" moniker. Don't shy away from those simply due to the fact that your name is not on it. The industry understands such things exist because they probably do it themselves.
To answer your question about variety, there is as much of a variation to your story portfolio as you want there to be--if that is your focus then go for it. The world is diverse, and the content that exists for folks to inhale using their precious time has to reflect that.
Lastly, the nature of the beast that is our field is that it tends to be sedentary. When I first started, within two years, I had carpal tunnel. What I have learned is that every 15-20 minutes, I stop what I'm doing, save it (!), walk around my desk for one minute, and dive back in. Not only is it good for you physiologically, it does wonders for you mentally and thus, aids you vocationally. In most places, if you are hired on as staff, you will be put at a desk, and you will have to figure out what works for you to be able to stretch those legs. Your overall health demands it. But more and more, the industry is using folks that work remotely. Everything I do is freelance currently, which I enjoy. So, as long as I meet my deadlines in the most professional of manners, how long I sit for to complete the task is on me.
Best of luck to you, and I'm happy to answer anything else you may want to inquire.
JDA
Jerry Bires
career coach
71
Answers
Carbondale, Illinois
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
Leah,
No exact answer to your question, but I'd (again) choose to enter the public relations field...as I did in 1983. It pays well; you can join an agency or work independently (provided you can land a client on your own) and, perhaps most importantly, it's interesting work. In my agency career, I wrote news releases and print advertisements and spearheaded PR campaigns for data communications hardware such as protocol converters, for municipal wastewater treatment plants and for, believe it or not, automatic show chains. PR writing is a portable job skill that enables you to work anywhere. And to add to your skill set offerings, consider learning to read and write a foreign language. Opens up a whole potential global set of employers/clients for whom you might go to work. Writing news releases is a different skill set than writing copy for print or media advertisements. You may gravitate, out of interest or abilities, to one or the other. It's obviously in your best interest to try and do both, should you be able, and interested, in doing so. In these days of social media abundance, you may end up writing/podcasting if you can command a sufficient level of interest in what you have to say. In any event, good fortune to you.
No exact answer to your question, but I'd (again) choose to enter the public relations field...as I did in 1983. It pays well; you can join an agency or work independently (provided you can land a client on your own) and, perhaps most importantly, it's interesting work. In my agency career, I wrote news releases and print advertisements and spearheaded PR campaigns for data communications hardware such as protocol converters, for municipal wastewater treatment plants and for, believe it or not, automatic show chains. PR writing is a portable job skill that enables you to work anywhere. And to add to your skill set offerings, consider learning to read and write a foreign language. Opens up a whole potential global set of employers/clients for whom you might go to work. Writing news releases is a different skill set than writing copy for print or media advertisements. You may gravitate, out of interest or abilities, to one or the other. It's obviously in your best interest to try and do both, should you be able, and interested, in doing so. In these days of social media abundance, you may end up writing/podcasting if you can command a sufficient level of interest in what you have to say. In any event, good fortune to you.
Judy King
Customer support and writing
2
Answers
Firestone, Colorado
Updated
Judy’s Answer
First, you need to decide what type of writing you want to do. Do you want to write for the news, magazines, periodicals, technical publications, software documentation, hardware documentation, etc. Next, you need the right education. You can write all you want, but companies are not going to look at you or your work if you don't have any formal background. Find a college program or other type of program and take classes. While you're in a program, see if you can get some side work (by being a contract writer) or do an internship writing for a company. This will give you experience while you're learning your craft. If you can't get experience that way, volunteer to help a non-profit with their writing needs. The experience you gain will also help you determine your best direction--what you like most.