Fiction or Non-Fiction?
This is really the first big decision to make after you’ve committed yourself to professional writing. Some people find this decision comes to them easily. If you love to write fiction, as I do, then you write fiction. If non-fiction is more your style, then you write non-fiction.
But what if you don’t know which one you’re drawn to? Then try both. There is certainly no rule against writing both fiction and non-fiction. I do it (obviously, as I wrote this article, and it’s non-fiction). I would say that most successful writers tackle both fiction and non-fiction. There’s nothing wrong with writing novels or poetry while you also write articles or non-fiction books. If you can do both, and you want to do both, then you should.
Once you’ve made this decision, you’ll have to go on to decide what, specifically, you’re going to write in each category. There are so many options that it can boggle the mind. You would be best served by limiting your own options so that you spend less time thinking about writing and more time writing.
The Many Types of Fiction
Novels, novellas, and short stories are all popular forms of fiction that are fun and exciting to write. Poetry, which is considered fiction for lack of a better option, can be as great an experience as any other form of writing. Which of these you choose is up to you.
Novels are incredibly popular and many writers have dreams of seeing their novel on the bookshelf of their local store. Novels are an experience like none other. Crafting a story, mastering the essentials of novel writing, and discovering a genre (which range from fantasy to woman’s fiction) are all important parts of the process. However, novels aren’t for everyone. Novels tend to run around 100,000 words, and not everyone has the patience for writing and revising such a substantial work.
Novellas are another option for those who want to write a comprehensive story without writing 100,000 words. Novellas typically run from 15,000 to 40,000 words. These are harder to get published on their own, but work well in anthologies.
The market for short stories doesn’t always seem very large. Short stories, typically under 10,000 words, can be excellent for practicing the art of writing longer works of fiction. In addition, some authors are seeing success when publishing books full of up to ten short stories. If you find yourself more inclined to write short stories, give it a try.
Poetry is the final category of fiction. It is satisfying and can help you stretch yourself as a writer, but most poetry books don’t sell more than 500 copies. It might not be the most lucrative venue, but poetry can be used to practice selecting just the right word. If you like to write other fiction, you might be able to find a place to insert a poem or two. This can enhance your writing.
The Never-Ending Field of Non-Fiction
Non-fiction is a different monster all together. Anything that isn’t fiction is, by definition, non-fiction. Your options can include: informative or entertaining articles, travel guide books, manuals or guides, web content, advertising, how-to books, or full-length manuscripts. The topics you might choose to write on are endless.
When deciding on a topic and medium, think about your interests and passions. You’ll always get better results if you follow your passions. Non-fiction tends to be easier to sell than fiction, so it’s very likely you’ll be able to find a market for your work at some point.
Writing for Money
Many writers would argue that in order to call yourself a professional writer, you have to get paid. There might be some validity in this, and honestly, if you want to make a living by writing, you do have to find a way to get paid.
If you’re writing fiction for money, consider that sort stories are easier to write and sell in short periods of time, especially as e-books. However, there is money to be made in all forms of fiction writing. You just have to find what you’re good at and write it. In my case, I’m best at fantasy novels, so that’s what I write. I’d be abysmal at writing a mystery, as an example, so no one would want to read it.
Non-fiction tends to pay better than fiction, at least on average. Let me amend that. Well-written non-fiction pays better than well-written fiction. In general, non-fiction markets are wider and less saturated. You can select a niche and write several books relating to the same topic and sell them all (or self-publish them, if that’s what you choose to do).
There are dozens of places to get started as a professional writer. You can publish books, look for content sites on the internet, or write articles for local papers and magazines. If you’re a decent writer, someone will buy your work at some point. The real key to becoming a professional writer is perseverance. You’ll probably be rejected more than once. I myself have a stack of rejection letters. It comes with the territory.
