Being a Professional Writer: Getting Started

It seems everyone wants to be a writer these days. From children to teenagers to adults, many people have this dream of someday writing and publishing a great work. Being a professional writer is not an easy path, and getting started can be more difficult still. Every writer, including myself, started with a dream of becoming a professional, but not all achieve this dream.

Why Do You Want to be a Writer?

This is by far the most important question when it comes to deciding to pursue a career in professional writing. If the answer is money, glory, or fame, then you’re better off finding another vocation. The money for the majority of writers isn’t stellar, at least from my point of view. Certainly, unless you’re a bestselling author, the money isn’t any more than what most careers would pay.

As for glory … the majority of writers will never achieve any kind of fame or glory. Becoming a household name is a dream that all writers and authors have, but few will ever actually attain. For many, writing is a thankless job. Accolades are few and far between.

Why would anyone want to be a writer? For the joy, of course. For the pure love of writing. To really do well when it comes to professional writing, you have to have a passion for it. I do. I love to write, I feel compelled to write. This compulsion drives me to write every day, whether it’s a chapter in a novel, an article that I’m paid for, or simple an entry in my journal. I have to write even if I’m encountering writer’s block.

If you love to write, if you need to write as much as you need to breathe fresh air, then perhaps writing is the career for you.

What Do You Want to Write?

Many aspiring writers would like to publish a novel. This is a wonderful goal, especially if you have a passion for fiction writing. However, for those who wish to write as a full-time job, focusing exclusively on fiction writing may not be the best way to make a living.

If you really want to make money, and use your writing skills at the same time, then consider freelance writing. You can get started on the Internet. There are many sites out there that will pay you to write, either through upfront payments for your articles, or residual earnings. Here are my two favourites:

• HubPages (pays through revenue sharing)
• Constant Content (paid per purchased article)

There are others, such as Demand Studios, Associated Content, and WiseGeek. For most of them, you write short articles, and get paid through whatever method that site offers. There is a considerable amount of money to be made, assuming you write well, and you diversify when it comes to subject matter. Don’t limit yourself to only one site, but give them all a try and see which ones you like.

There is also money to be made in ghostwriting, short stories, editorials, e-books, and non-fiction books. Explore all these possibilities. This is not to say that you shouldn’t also write a novel. It simply means that if you want to eventually have a full-time income from your writing, you may have to get a little more creative.

To have a career as a professional writer, you have to write. This may sound like I’m telling you that you have to breathe to live, but it’s a point that bears mentioning. There are many people who would love to make money from writing, but they simply do not ever get started. Find ways to motivate yourself, have faith that you are a writer in your heart, and never give up.

If you truly want to be a professional writer, then you will find a way. I did. You can too.