When I was a senior in high school and we had to decide what to do with the rest of our lives before graduation, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Everyone else seemed to have discovered more practical career choices such as in dental hygiene, engineering, nursing, and the sort. My peers went off to college pursuing respectable degrees in medicine, science, and trades while I . . . I didn't even want to go to college. I couldn't bring myself to commit to paying thousands of dollars for an education that could only offer the mere possibility of an uncommon career choice. So I decided not to go, and went on with my senior year without a clue of what I would do with my life.
Instead of pursuing further education or a full-time job, I made plans to travel the world, starting off by reconnecting with family in Brazil (a story for another time). But then--you guessed it-- the pandemic hit. Aaaand there goes my plans.
Now what will I do with my life?!
This question plagued my brain for months. I ruled out many possibilities and knew well that "being a writer" was not a guaranteed career, just a hobby I may get lucky with some day. But then, I discovered something that enlightened me and ignited a new spark of ambition: the Penguin Random House careers page on Instagram, which opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities.
Thereafter, I committed to University and went on to pursue a degree in English with a concentration in writing at start of the 2020-2021 school year. I am now at the finish of my degree, and will be graduating May 2023 (I took extra classes here and there to graduate early).
So now that I have this degree, and a burning passion to dedicate my life to writing and to work in this industry somehow, what's next? What is possible with an English degree?
For starters, an English degree is not necessary to work in writing, but it's certainly very helpful and genuinely helped to polish relevant skills. I came out of this degree a better reader, writer, and scholar. It also educated me on the various paths I can take with an English degree (and yes! You can be more than just an English teacher with an English degree--big respect for that career choice, though). Pursuing a higher education also helped me with was establishing necessary connections. Nowadays, it's hard to establish a career without link-building or knowing people, and if you don't know where to start with this, building connections is highly emphasized in most college programs. Additionally, I was able to practice real skills in various potential writing careers, which made me feel ten times more prepared than I did with just my own knowledge.
Now that you have insight on the steps it took for me to reach and realize careers in writing, let's dive into these careers.
Publisher
A publisher is a professional who prepares and manages the distribution of books and other materials. Publishers often work with magazines and books, but they can also work with journals and music production. Typically, those who work for publishing houses often pursue big industries like the Big 5--Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan. There are also hundreds to thousands of smaller independent publishing houses to choose from! And finally, there are also independent publishing services in which you can publish your own writing, such as publishing on Amazon, Google Books, writing your own blog on Medium, or joining the Wattpad paid stories program.
If you choose to go the self-publishing route, this typically means you have written work you wish to publish, and this does not guarantee you actually getting paid as there are no clients or contracts involved. However, if you decide to work for a publishing house, it's like any typical office job in which you may get regular wages, employee benefits, and more.
How do you get into this career? Well, in my previous "Careers in Writing" blog post, I talked more in depth on how to get into publishing. I recommend for you to check it out, as "publishing" in itself can be a very broad term for such a large industry!
Editor
A book editor's duties may include contracting for and evaluating a manuscript, accepting or rejecting it, rewriting, correcting spelling and grammar, researching, and fact checking. Book editors can either work under contract by private clients, or they may work for larger corporations such as publishing houses in the editorial departments.
Personally, I am most interested in working in the publishing industry as an editor. This is because while being a publisher as more to do with the marketing aspect of selling a book, being an editor means you can work directly with polishing another writer's work and puts you right in the playing field. I like the idea of helping other writers to find their voices, to strengthen their messages, and to diversify the book community. It also allows for you to use your writing skills.
If you are detail-oriented, well-versed in writing, and have a good eye for potential content that may do well once published, I highly recommend looking into becoming an editor.
Copywriter
Copywriters are responsible for producing engaging, straightforward text adapted to different advertising channels like websites or print ads. Their job includes researching keywords to make interesting written content and proofreading their work. If you are extremely tech-savvy, knowledgeable about SEO and the blogosphere, can link-build, and are a quick learner, I highly recommend for you to look into copywriting as a career.
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a freelance writer who pens a text that is credited to someone else. Ghostwriters can write a number of works on behalf of a client, including nonfiction books, public speeches, online content, and book proposals.
I find this one of the most interesting writing careers you can take up. Unlike being an editor, ghostwriting does not work to polish someone else's ideas, but rather works to help those who have great ideas but cannot transform such ideas into words that can become published. Ghostwriting is not necessarily a job meant for those looking for fame and credibility. Oftentimes, ghostwriters are under contract to keep their name hidden and give credit to the client. However, this job can go into very lucrative directions and best of all--you actually get to write, and you get paid for it!
While ghostwriting may seem appealing to you, just know that you cannot get a client without building connections first. You must be able to prove to your client that you have the skills and experience necessary to write in their voice, not yours, with their ideas and their vision.
Content Writer
A content writer is a professional who writes informative and engaging articles to help brands showcase their products. They write on a range of subjects and are responsible for creating the best possible written or visual content, from blog posts to press releases. Much like a copywriter, a content writer works on the blogosphere. However, the main difference is that while copywriters are meant to market and sell, content writers are meant to entertain and inform. Content writers often write the emails you receive from companies, the blog posts you see on Google searches, or even the infographs you may come across on social media.
The difference between corporate and freelance, and which one is for you?
Corporate jobs and freelance work are extremely different. Each career option I mentioned above can go both ways--you either work for a corporation and make them money and get paid by them in return, or you work for yourself and have your own personal clients and keep all the royalties.
When put like this, it may seem obvious at which job to pursue. To work for yourself sounds like a dream! However, this may not always happen in your favor. After all, why is it so hard for any of us to just publish our books and make money off of them in the first place? Because it's not a "guaranteed" career, and there's no telling whether you will be successful or not. You don't know if you will get clients, you don't know if people will read or buy your books, and you don't know if any successes you have will last. Self-employed freelancers must fend for themselves at all costs.
Working for an employer, on the other hand, offers you stability, benefits such as 401k and sick leave, and even vacation days. It can connect you to a wide range of people and put you right at the top of the industry. However, you'll never make your "own" name working under a corporation, or make more than what your fixed rate is.
Whatever you end up choosing, there's no right or wrong answer. It's all whether or not you'll find fulfillment in what you do. After all, any career and career path--no matter how much or little you make, or how much recognition you gain--should be both realistic and on the basis of what you're passionate about.
댓글