Image Source: Pexels
7 Writing Careers Outside of Freelance Work
The majority of times that a career in writing is brought up, it’s in a freelance setting. On the flip side, when freelance work is discussed, the number one option is always … you guessed it, writing.
Though freelance writing is a great gig for many folks, it isn’t the best fit for everyone. If you find yourself in the position where you love to compose quality text but you just aren’t cut out for the gig worker lifestyle, here are a few options for alternative writing careers in a more traditional setting.
1. Apply to Jobs as a Content Writer
Content is a booming industry. In fact, the content marketing industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars all on its own.
Many freelance jobs revolve around writing content. However, many full-time jobs pertain to the same activity. These allow you to focus on a specific industry and company as you create steady content on the same topics for the foreseeable future.
2. Work as a Writer for an SEO Agency
If you want to specialize within your writing, you can focus on search engine optimization (SEO).
Google’s search engine algorithms are constantly getting better, and crappy writing doesn’t cut it anymore. Many SEO-focused companies require writers to create quality content to publish backlinks and keywords.
3. Become a Marketer
If SEO or content are too specific, you can simply become a marketer. From retail to professional services, housing to healthcare, every industry needs marketers. As a marketer, you might be called on to create anything from social media to blogs, advertisements, and PPC ads — all of which require writing.
4. Look into Journalism at An Online Publication
Journalism used to be a very specific career path. However, with the power of the internet, there are now countless sites looking for professionals who are just plain good at writing — regardless of their degree.
If you like the idea of reporting breaking stories or running your own opinion column, you can try to redirect your writing career into working as an online magazine columnist or a reporter for a news site.
5. Try Your Hand at Technical Writing
If you love analyzing and distilling information, you may want to steer into a full-time career as a technical writer. Technical writers take high-level information and condense and reword it into a more digestible format for end-users. Though less creative, it can be immensely rewarding to spend your days learning and clearly communicating convoluted subjects.
6. Consider Editing
Sometimes the best solution for a full-time career is trying something similar but different. If you like to study existing text, consider trying a career as a full-time editor or content manager.
You may end up spending more time working on other people’s compositions. Nevertheless, the proximity to writing combined with steady work that doesn’t require constant creativity from yourself can be a good answer for many people.
7. Launch Your Own Writing Business
Finally, consider launching your own business. This is different from freelancing for other established businesses.
If you have the ambition to work for yourself but working through a carousel of ever-changing freelance gigs is what rankles, consider taking the entire entrepreneurial process into your own hands. Launch your own blog. Set up your own writing service. Write a course or a book. Just be aware that this won’t pay your bills right away and may require a support job as you get established.
Succeeding as a Full-Time Writer
The idea that you can go it alone is a dangerous lie that many aspiring writers tell themselves. While there are select personalities who can thrive in freelance writing isolation, many writers need a support network, fellow employees, and a larger company to invest themselves in full time.
So use the suggestions above as a springboard. Adjust your career goals, hone your resume, and start looking for job ads that match your new, full-time ambitions.
No Comments