careers in the creative writing industry

26 Creative Writing Careers

by Melissa Donovan | Aug 4, 2022 | Creative Writing | 164 comments

Creative writing careers — they’re out there!

If creative writing is your passion, then you’d probably enjoy a career in which you could spend all day (or at least most of the day) pursuing that passion.

But creative writing is an artistic pursuit, and we all know that a career in the arts isn’t easy to come by.

It takes hard work, drive, dedication, a whole lot of spirit, and often, a willingness to take big financial risks — as in not having much money while you’re waiting for your big break.

When we think of people who make a living through writing, novelists and journalists come to mind immediately. But what other jobs are out there for folks who want to make creative writing the work that puts food on the table?

The Creative Writing Career List

Here’s a list of creative writing careers that you can consider for your future. I’m not making any promises. You have to go out and find these jobs yourself, but they do exist. You just have to look for them and then land them.

• Greeting Card Author
• Comic Book Writer
• Copywriter (business, advertising, marketing, etc.)
• Writing Coach
• Screenwriter
• Songwriter (Lyricist)
• Freelance Short Fiction Writer
• Web Content Writer
• Creative Writing Instructor
• Legacy Writer (write people’s bios and family histories)
• Critic/Reviewer
• Ghostwriter
• Article Writer (write, submit, repeat)
• Video Game Writer
• Personal Poet (write personalized poems for weddings, funerals, childbirths, etc.)
• Speechwriter
• Write sleep stories
• Blogger (don’t tell me you don’t have a blog yet!)
• Creative Writing Consultant
• Specialty writer (food, travel, fitness, etc.)
• Write guided meditations

I’m not saying you’re going to make a lot of money with some of these creative writing careers. You might have to earn your creating writing income part-time or on the side. But if you do what you love, the money (i.e. the success) just might follow. You’ll never know unless you try, right?

Do you have any creative writing careers to add to this list? Share your suggestions by leaving a comment.

164 Comments

I find it so difficult to consolidate my thoughts when it comes to career paths. I know this is only a short post with some fairly obvious suggestions, but I really have to say cheers for arranging them in a way that means I can go “Oh yeah. I could do that. Or that..”

Baffled in the world of writing.

Thanks, GrapeMe. I’m sure there are many more creative writing career paths, and hopefully some folks will stop by and add their suggestions. What I wanted to do with this post was present some starter ideas for career building. If you’re in school or have a full-time job, then these are great ways to get your feet wet, and you never know where these jobs will take you! Good luck to you!

Great post!

I can tell you from personal experience that it IS possible to make a career in creative writing. My dream was to launch an on-line store where I could showcase and sell e-mail subscriptions to my collection of short stories. Additionally, I wanted to foster other short story writers by sponsoring short story contests.

Now, nearly three years later, LongShortStories is happily chugging along like The Little Engine That Could, bringing the best in short fiction to an ever-widening appreciative global audience.

It does take patience and perseverence, along with a huge leap of faith in yourself and the reading community at large, to create and maintain such an ongoing venture.

Am I successful? Yes. Am I rich? Yes, if by that you define success and richness as living out one’s creative dream. For that, I am so grateful to my loyal readers and contest entrants who see the power in the short story form.

Go for it, I say!

Wayne C. Long Writer/Editor/Digital Publisher

That’s one of the reasons I wanted to present this list — you never know where it will lead if you just start by dipping your toes in the water. And I think for those of us who are creative or artistic, there’s a true need to engage our creativity even if it’s not our full-time work. And if we can bring in a little extra spending money doing something we love, all the better!

Hi Wayne Hi. Felt great to see your view and understande your perspective,on this important and required art. Writing is something which will indeed shape the future have already writen poems, want to publish them. Am a Multiple Sclerosis patient would appreciate support in my persuit to make my work visible.

I’ve heard of most of these, except personal poet. Of course, the creative job (though not about writing) that I wonder most about is: who gets hired to design those patterns on paper towels?

I’ve been to several websites for personalized poetry. Actually, that’s something I briefly considered doing many years ago, but ultimately I chose another path. Funny you mention the paper towel patterns, because I have wondered the same thing many, many times!

Probably a clever little robot..

Children’s book author. 🙂 I completely agree with you that there is usually a way to turn your passion into a successful career, even if it involves looking for unconventional routes to do what you love.

Yes, those unconventional routes are the ones forged by pioneers, people who were compelled to follow their dreams. Reminds me of the saying, “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

Nice list, Melissa.

I routinely participate in two of the twenty on your list. However, I would be hard pressed to call either a career. More of a labor of love, compulsion, passion than a reliable way to pay the bills — even though I participate daily. Still, I am incredibly fortunate. I would not change my vague professional choices for anything. Best of success to all who tackle anything on the above list.

Thanks, Devin. I believe that if we combine our passion with a desire to make a living doing what we love, anything is possible. Best of luck to you!

I couldn’t agree more. I mostly just do what I love and somehow the bills get paid. believing in yourself is also very helpful — of course there is no reason not to.

Mrs. Melissa Donovan,

I wanted to write for theater newsletter a friend created.

She gave me the opportunity and not a thought would come to me.

Not a theater professional but I like theater and felt I had something to say about it.

Upon returning a few theater books to the library, I got lost in a Exploring Theater Playwriting, a topic jumped on me Rules of etiquette.

Finally, I have the first draft.

I need guidance to help me orient myself with writing and I hope to find it online. This list is a good start. I scrub toilets for a living, can’t help but read and write before and after work. Words, concepts and definitions are very important to me, can’t imagine not pursuing writing soon, yet I need to sell it too somehow. Custodian/janitorial work speaks for itself, words require a lot more compelling.

Great list of creative writing careers, Melissa. To this list, I would like to add:

1. Letter writer — writing personal and business letters for clients. 2. Resume writer

…and you’re right. If you do what you love, the money frequently DOES follow!

Thanks, Christine! These are great additions to the list. Resume and cover letter writing are especially notable because one can make a good living in that field. However, I’m not sure it constitutes as creative writing so much as business writing. In any case, definitely worth mentioning!

I’m not quite sure what I would want to do in the writing field. I don tknow because so many of them I think I could do well in. I am so grateful for this list because it shows a very organized way of showing so many possibilities in this creative field.

If you try different forms, styles, and genres of writing, you’ll eventually find the one that fits! Good luck to you!

Melissa. I hope I could maybe get into non fiction writing or even journalism.

Good luck. Just keep writing and submitting, and you’ll get there.

Im just a 12 year old girl who wants to know what I want to do with my life when I get older. All of my other friends know exactly what they are going to be, but I wasn’t sure. So, I went and looked on some websites about jobs that have to do with writing, and this website gave me a very good idea of what I want to be, a song writer because I also love singing. Thanks! 🙂

Songwriting is an excellent career. I love that songwriters get to be creative, work with lots of other artists, and are immersed in music but don’t have to deal with the spotlight and publicity (unless the songwriter is also a star). Nice career choice! Good luck to you.

I am too and my parents have recently asked me what I may have wanted to be and I didn’t even know so it kinda scared me and I have recently realized I like to write stories.I know how this economy works though with the unemployment and it makes me wonder if a writing career would work.I love to write though,am I crazy or something?

At twelve years old, there is no reason to be scared if you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up. You have plenty of time! Lots of people start college without declaring their field of study, and lots of people start college thinking they’re going to do one thing and then change halfway through. But if you really love writing and want to pursue it, then there’s no better time to start than right now. No, you’re not crazy. Writing is a wonderful adventure. Also, you are living in the best possible time in history to be a writer. There are tons of wonderful opportunities available to writers that we did not have ten or twenty years ago. I wish you the best of luck, Thatgirl!

Melissa, I’m a former high school English teacher who realized a few years into teaching that writing was what I really wanted to do. I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education but am trying to change careers. I’ve been working on a YA novel and have been getting EXTREMELY frustrated. I have to say I found your post on accident but have found it to be very inspiring. Thanks for surge of reassurance that it can be done!

You’re welcome! I think it’s wonderful that you’re working on a novel and normal that you’re frustrated. Just keep at it and the frustration will eventually pass. You’ll find that in a battle of willpower, commitment wins out over frustration every time.

I really want to write and it has always been a favorite passtime of mine. If i am not writing I feel empty inside like something is missing. The problem is I am scared to take that ‘leap of faith’ and make a career out of it. Instead, I search for everything else to become in life just to run from the truth that writing has been and always will be my destiny. It started back in high school when I was told writers don’t make much money. I let that get in the way of what I could be now and I quit. Now, I see writers that are better and are doing better than I am and I get jealous because I feel I am a better writer than them all!! Then I realize that talk is cheap without evidence to back it up. Can anybody offer a advice or words of encouragement for me to finally persue my one and only true love and happiness in life?? It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you..

Well Skyi, I personally don’t think jealousy is going to get you anywhere. If you obsess over comparing yourself to your peers, you will be in a constant state of negativity. Also, you should keep in mind that regardless of how well you write, you are not entitled to success, especially in a field that you chose not to pursue. I think your best course of action would be to accept that you are where you are right now because of the choices that you (and you alone) made. Once you accept responsibility for your life, you can set a new course and start pursuing a career in writing. It’s never too late to become a writer. Stop focusing on what other writers are achieving and concentrate on writing the best you can. The only way to be a writer is to write.

Hey Melissa,

I think your website is great! I ran by it by mistake and really found the info helpful. I am venturing out into my writing career and can use all the info I can get my hands on. I do have a question: I have started a career and have ppl supporting me in this career but I am for certain that writing is where I belong and want to do. How do I make the transistion smoothly and let my supporters down easily? 🙂

Thanks in advance for the advice,

Thanks for your kind words. Your question confuses me. Why would you be letting your supporters down if you transition to writing as a career? If they are truly your supporters, it won’t be a let-down at all.

Wow! Is all I can say..I honestly thought that I was in this boat all by myself! Like you, I have ping ponged myself between careers and have always found my way back to writing. I mean literally I have been a secretary for over five years, graduated with a assoicates business degree, taken cosmetology courses and actually done freelance makeup artistry and STILL I find myself unhappy. I had to really sit myself down and think of what I was taking myself through…it didn’t make any sense for me not to pursue my passion; the one thing that I enjoyed most whether I was sad, mad, happy, etc. I have been writing since the tender age of six from poems to short ficition stories, won many rewards for my writing while I was in elementary through middle school. When I reached high school, I didnt want to be labeled as a “geek” and compared my life to peers which led me to where I am today. Don;t get me wrong, my life is not horrible; I have a good job and work with ppl that I am respected by but I know that life can be more fulfilling and better if I was to just do what in the heck I want to do! lol. It’s easier said than done and I know EXACTLY where you are coming from.

Like Melissa has mentioned, don’t spend your time comparing your life to others; your path to success is truly in your hands. 🙂 I wish the very best for you.

Thank you for this list! My dream career though is to be a show/concept writer for a theme park like Disney. There are stories for each ride and I would love to be one of the minda behind them.

Wow, writing a theme park ride would be a pretty awesome job. That never even occurred to me as a creative writing career. Thanks for adding it, Ren!

Hi Melissa, I’m coming up to my last year of high school and I’m trying to think of a career path. I love to write, but I’m not sure what the best way to start. What I would like to do the most is writing lyrics, and if not that poetry. However, I don’t think I would be able to. Do you know how I can get my writing out after college? How difficult was it for you? How did you start making a career out of your writing? What helped you the most? Thank you for your time, -Jessica

I believe it’s pretty difficult to make a living writing lyrics and/or poetry. But there are some careers in those areas, and just because it’s a challenging path doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue it. As a lyricist, you will need to partner with musicians, so building a network of musicians and learning about the music industry would be a good start. I understand that some slam poets are now making a living in poetry, but their form requires live (and recorded) performances, something not all writers are crazy about. (Search for “slam poetry” or check out IndieFeed Performance Poetry podcast for more info.) You can also write poetry for greeting cards (you’ll have to do a little research on how to get work in that field).

A good start for a poet like yourself is to take some poetry workshops, which will help you understand whether your work is publishable. But you should also submit your poetry to journals and literary magazines. Visit their websites, check their submission guidelines, and then send them your work. That is how you start.

I made a career out of writing by studying creative writing at university, which gave me the skills (and more importantly, the confidence) to start my own blog and copywriting business.

What helped me the most? Writing a lot and reading even more.

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for this list. This will be my last year in high school before I start collage, and my dream has always been to be a writer, but sadly I have always been told that writing doesn’t pay very good unless your amazingly good. The comments as well as the posting, has given me hope about having a job in writing.

One could argue that few careers pay well unless you are amazingly good. I would further qualify that to say you don’t even have to be good, just hardworking and driven. There are plenty of viable career opportunities in writing. It’s probably easier to make a good living as a technical or scientific writer than as a novelist (assuming you acquire the proper training in those fields), but if you are sufficiently motivated, you can succeed at whatever you want.

I’ve always loved writing and video games. Me and some of my friends would literally sit and talk for hours about ideas for video games we had and would start writing them down. Even before graduating from high school, I’ve been trying to find a path that would allow me to become a video game writer. It’s been three years since I graduated from high school and I’m still left without answers. I went to college for two years for secondary English education but it just didn’t interest me the way writing for video games do. A few days ago, I went to Pittsburgh University of Greensburg and talked with a professor there to see what I should do if I want to become a video game writer. Once again, I was left without answers. She pretty much told me that she had never heard of such a thing before. Please, if you could provide me with any information, anything at all, I would greatly appreciate it.

I would suggest studying creative writing with a focus on fiction. Another good option might be screenwriting. Video games are stories, so you would want to develop writing skills in general and storytelling skills specifically. You might also take some courses in programming or application development. That’s not my area of expertise, so I can’t be more specific. You best bet is to find someone who writes for video games and ask their advice.

I came across this on accident. I was looking for different options to take for a career path on writing. I have not written much in my life. When I was in middle school and in high school I used to write in my Journal a lot. I had a couple friends who wrote poems and short stories I thought they were good and I wanted to try too. I wrote in my journal about many different things, but it never seemed satisfying to me. I was too embarassed to show everyone what I could write. So I continued to write secretivley. I stopped writing, and 2 years later when I felt as if my whole life was nothing I started writing again, and now I feel alive! i still don’t think my writing is the best but it has made me feel so much better about myself.I started writing a novel. My fiance is excited for me and wants me to follow my dream and do what I want to do. When I came across this I felt like someone was nudging me. Thank you so much! This has inspired me entirely!

Thank you for sharing your writing experiences. I’m so glad you found Writing Forward inspiring. I know what you mean about coming across something that gives you a little nudge. All my life, I’ve experienced little nudges and they have always pointed me toward writing (even way back when I had my sights set on other career paths). Those little nudges really make one wonder about destiny.

I’m one of the few that lived the dream, earned money from writing and hated it! It sounds terrible, but writing for money sucked all the joy out of the creative process for me. I loved to write for school and my unpaid internship (I have a Bachelor’s in English), but the minute I needed to pay bills with my writing, the whole process felt like a soul-suck. Suddenly it wasn’t enough to write when the inspiration hit throughout the week (when my best writing happens anyway), but I had to be witty and original at the snap of a finger. Yet it wasn’t enough to be witty: you have to care about what sells, what different editors think “good” writing even is and follow contradictory style guidelines. It wasn’t that I wasn’t used to these things, but now if it didn’t happen or I didn’t sell, my power goes off. I had panic attacks every time I sat down to write. I had to go back and get a traditional job.

But if I’m out of it, why search this stuff a month and a half after admitting defeat? It’s because I love the art of writing: the creative process, the big dreams of those starting out, the insights others have, the glory of a sentence fashioned just right after five pages of terrible ones. The monetary aspect destroyed that for me. Just goes to show, it’s not for everyone. To anyone that wants to write for a living, be willing to work long hours, open to constant criticism and have a plan B.

Hi Michelle. I would say there’s a big difference between commercial writing and creative writing. Commercial writing means you’re writing for payment rather than to express your own ideas. I can certainly understand how writing commercially zaps creativity or feels like a soul-suck. I’ve experienced it myself. But I hope you’re still pursuing your creative writing. In fiction and poetry, I believe the best writing comes from the heart and is not driven by money or the marketplace.

I am a senior in high school and plan on going to college to major in journalism. However, I do not know exactly what field of work to go into. I was thinking about writing for People’s Magazine. I know it seems far-fetched, but hey, it’s my dream! Do you know how a person might have a chance at writing for a such a successful magazine??

Jamie, it sounds like you have decided which field of work to go into (journalism). More specifically, it sounds like you want to write for a Hollywood gossip publication. There are probably many opportunities in that area, not limited to People Magazine. For example, there are tons of websites that focus on celebrity news, and you could also work as a writer for one of the entertainment news shows (like ET or Inside Edition). That’s definitely not my area of expertise, but it sounds to me like you’re already heading in the direction that’s right for you.

Thanks for the comment! I am not exactly positive that I want to write for People Magazine, but I do know that I want to write. What do you do for a living (if you don’t mind me asking)? I would love to write for any company, really. I just like to write. I am interested in entertainment. Which is why I want to write for a magazine. But, writing for something a little more discreet is fine too.

I’m a web designer and copywriter by trade. I help small businesses build effective online marketing campaigns. My livelihood is somewhat supplemented by the work I do here on Writing Forward. I’m also working on a couple of big writing projects (a novel and a book of creative writing exercises). The exercises book will be out soon and available here. The novel could take years! There are many opportunities for writers; you just have to find them.

That is really neat! I just want to do anything to make my family proud! I love to write! 🙂 I can’t wait to gain a higher education. Thanks for taking the time to read my comments and commenting back!

It fills my heart with hope to see a young person so excited about education. Something tells me that you’re going to do quite well, Jamie.

Hey, i found this while looking for it, oddly enough. I am currently attending college and in pursuit of a Creative Writing degree, I am about two years in! with almost completed half of my courses for my four year, I still have some question’s as most. My concentration will be in Technical writing, Grants and contracts, but i will be writing on the side to keep the creative spark. I was curious, however, if you could point me in the direction of a detailed description of a day in your shoes as a copy write. i would much oblige Thnx again.

That would be a lengthy essay indeed. I will say this: every day is different. Also, most of my time is not spent writing. It’s spent on marketing and taking care of administrative tasks.

Liberating thought: even if writing does not provide a full living, it can provide enough of one to let a person withdraw from the pressure to move upward in another career. A decent-paying day job plus supplemental writing can add up to as much or more income as a hated rat race job.

I agree 100%. For many writers, it’s an outlet for creativity or it supplements their income — small things that have a big, positive impact on quality of life!

Melisa, Thanks for the list. I am a writer who intends to find my feet more in the art of writing. I am inspired by the list. My contribution is, if you love to write anything at all, start writing. You can’t imagine where it might take you. God bless you.

Thank you for your inspiring words.

hi I would like a career in writing but I just dont know what to do. I was into journalism but had a talk with a journalist a few weeks ago and got really discouraged. I have a blog and write short stories. But I just dont know what to do in my life. I am 18 years old and would like to stop wasting time and money in lectures I am not going to use. Currently I am doing a course on media production and I’m liking it. But it is like there is something missing. When I write I feel whole.

Many eighteen-year-olds have no idea what they want to do. It sounds like you know you want to write; you just need to figure out what form. College is a great place to figure that out. You can take classes in different types of writing (fiction, journalism, business writing) and find what fits. If you’re drawn to journalism, I don’t think you should give up on it just because one journalist discouraged you. Talk to more journalists, take some journalism classes, and do a little citizen journalism. Experiment and stick with your studies!

I am a short story writer, and a poet. But I am only 13. Trying to hook myself into this early <3

I started writing when I was thirteen too. Stick with it!

I will! Haha, even my boyfriend likes my writing.

That’s good. It’s important to have a support system. Try to find others who will appreciate and support your writing, too. Good luck!

I’m having a hard time finding a career path. I’m still in high school, but it’s not going too well.

My odd circumstances are going to leave me in dire straights soon, where I can either choose to drop out of high school and get my GED or go through with two more of high school. (I’m a senior, kind of. I left public school for home school, and it’s not working out. For myself or my mother.) So, I figured that now would be the best time to find a career path that is both logical but suited to my creative side.

Is there any security in being a creative writer? I mean, this list is comparatively small when you look at more practical things like nursing degrees or business degrees. I understand that the big blow up in internet culture, creative writing via blogging is becoming a fast hit with book publishers, but how likely is it that creative writing will be a degree that I can support myself (and/or a family) on?

In this day and age, I don’t think there is true security in any career field. Perhaps there never has been. Careers in the arts have a reputation for being harder than other careers, but I am not sure I believe that to be true. I think these careers are different in that you usually don’t have an employer, benefits, etc. You are hustling rather than working set hours for a regular paycheck. In my experience, people with self-discipline and drive create their own job security (in any field). Also, there’s a kind of competition in the arts that doesn’t exist in many other industries.

In terms of your education, my advice would be to finish high school. However, I’m not privy to the details of your circumstances. I just think there is a greater value in getting a diploma alongside your peers.

Nobody supports themselves on a degree. You can get a degree in astro-engineering and end up homeless. Success is the result of making smart choices, working hard, internal drive, external support system, and luck. You might find yourself eventually making a choice between living a more secure, conventional life and pursuing your dream of becoming a career writer. Sacrifice of one kind or another is inevitable.

My cousin has his undergrad degree in English and MFA (master’s in fine arts) in creative writing. He’s taught technical writing in college and now works at home as a contractor for corporate companies (tech writing.) He recently finished the first draft of his sci-fi novel by saving up and taking a few months off at a time. And, yes, he certainly is not a starving artist.

I am studying creative writing and education, both of which are terribly impractical, income-wise. But it’s possible to make a decent living if you’re passionate, dedicated and willing to take day jobs that you won’t necessarily enjoy.

See, I just don’t think these fields of study are impractical, especially studying education (we will always need teachers). With all the budget cuts, a career as a teacher might look improbable right now, but these cuts only apply to public schools. There are many other opportunities for teachers and places where their skills can be used.

Thank’s Melissa for the encouragement.I will surely look into that.This blog page of yours is really helpful for all the aspiring writers.

I read the article and I loved it. I am an aspiring author (Junior in highschool), and wish to one day publish a succesful fiction novel, like many others. I always knew I wanted to write, but I was told constantly that it would not suit for a career, and that healthcare and buissness were far better choices, money-wise. I am aware that sacrificing wealth over happiness is a nessecity in this pathway, but I am not so interested in wealth. My love for writing and spreading messages to inspire people, and even entertain is what I strive for. I realize it is hard to make a successful fiction novel. I will forever write them, but I need a job that will at least get me by. I’m not so sure which would be best for a fiction novelist. I was leaning more on article writing, but that is more technical, I believe. I was inspired by the coments and your responses. Recently, I firmly decided to go with creative writing, but the desicion to pick what to do is dificult. I will continue writing, and hopefully, I’ll make it one day. 😀

You sound like my kind of writer, Karolina.

I once heard someone say that money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy comfort. Well, many writers find comfort in the craft. I wish you the best.

Hi there guys! I’ve really enjoyed reading everyones opinions and experiences. I could really do with some advice of my own- I’ve always considered myself a creative soul; I’m a songwriter, have written screen plays and am currently working on my first novel. My major passion in life is professinal wrestling (eg.wwe), I currently write a wrestling blog and love the idea of one day writing creativtly for the tv shows. Having scouted my dream job with wwe, I learnt that they require applicants to have a ba degree in creative writing or a similar field aswell as experience in scriptwriting for tv. I am 22 yrs old and looking to settle down with my girlfriend however the idea of finally going to uni and gaining the skill set to at least improve my writing has big appeal. I realise my chances of ever workibg in such a niche field are slim and would settle for any work in which I could contribute to a creative process, but is uni with all its costs and time it takes to complete worth it?

I majored in creative writing in college, and I definitely think it’s worth the time and money, especially if you plan on a career in creative writing. If the job that you’ve got your eye on requires a BA, then you should certainly pursue it if you can. Dream big!

This is a wonderful post and I thank you for it. I have been struggling over the last few years when it came to finally making a decision in regard to what I want to do with my life. This has definitely given me a few ideas and I will be getting the ball rolling as soon as I possibly can! :]

Thanks, Lisa-Marie. I’m glad you got some ideas out of this post, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing future!

I recently just started a hobby of writing, they’re fictional based stories, but i was inspired by real events in my life & though the stories i write are fictional, they are realistic to a certain extent as well. Guess you could consider them historical fiction &/or drama & suspense stories. I’m kind of new at writing & i don’t know very many people that are well to do writters, so I’m kind of on my own. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of where i should start?

There are plenty of writers on the internet, and you can easily connect with them. You can search for writers’ groups. Look for writers on social media. Start a blog. Writers love to discuss the craft and share information, and the web makes it easy. If you’d prefer to do something in person, check your local community college for creative writing classes and workshops or poke around and see if you can find a writer’s group that is accepting new members. Best of luck to you, Matt.

OK, thank you !!

You’re welcome.

Hello Melissa! Thanks for this list.. I’m an English major with a Creative Writing minor, and lately I have been struggling to make a decision about my future career(s). I write poetry but my main focus is writing fantasy/mystery fiction, and I’d like nothing better than to just write novels for the rest of my life. However, I know I may never be able to support myself by doing just this. I’ve been stressed out lately thinking what career I could get into, but technical writing doesn’t appeal to me and I don’t have a burning desire to teach. This list reminds me that I have more options than I thought!

That’s great, Monica! I too majored in creative writing (at my school, it was called a concentration). I’ve also found that most employers appreciate a worker who has strong writing skills. I got more than one promotion and/or raise because of my writing when I was an office worker! I wish you the best of luck!

I have always aspired to become a published author, and now that I am in the last years of my life I find myself wanting to have a writing career more than ever. All my life I have worked hard to make a living to raise my family, the physical demands of my jobs have paid their toll on me, and I think it is about time I settled down and did something I could enjoy. I have always excelled in the creative arts, from writing to acting to art, but have never held a job in which I could use these talents. Following is a list of the creative writing jobs I could do from your list: Greeting Card Author, Advertising (Creative), Freelance Short Fiction Writer, Columnist, Video Game Writer (includes storytelling/fiction!), I would also like to get a few novels published. I can also draw just about anything-ultimately I would like to get my own stories published- with not only my creative writing, but my illustrations as well. I have written several books and have ideas for many more, but because I have to make a living I have been unable to get anything published because the cost is too much. In other words, because I have had to take physically demanding jobs that paid little wages I have never had the capitol to get started. I have sent out many submissions and have entered many contests, but made little ground in the creative field. I want to write, I’m good at it, and I just need to find a way to get my work noticed-this has been very difficult. I would merely like to make a living in something I’m good at and I have a driving desire to do. Is there any advice you can give me, or any contact information for agents and publishers who might be interested in helping out a new author?

Hi Tim. It sounds like you’re passionate about art and writing. I’m not sure how much you’ve submitted your work, but I would say keep at it. If you have a lot of completed material, you can polish it and just keep submitting it. Chances are that eventually, your work will be accepted. You might also want to start a website to build a readership and audience. A professionally designed site will be an expense, but you can start with a free platform like WordPress.com. You can use your site/blog to post your writing and your art. You can also self-publish and build your own readership. However, I would note that running your own website is time consuming, and there can be a lot to learn in terms of marketing, so you might want to pick up a couple of books or hire someone to help you with the process. I wish you the best of luck!

Wow! Thank you so very much for creating this list! I actually haven’t really thought of doing some of the jobs listed on here. I’m only 20 years old and I’m finding it EXTREMELY hard to make it in the writing business! However, I am pursuing my dream and I am planning to do whatever it takes to make it. Thank you ever so much Melissa!

Many blessings to you,

Good luck to you, Nada!

I wish to be a writer some day.I am currently working in a IT company which offers a decent pay.But I have always loved writing since my school days even though I eventually graduated in Engineering.I want to make a career switch and pursue a career in writing.I now the pay is not that great in writing but then arts is always difficult.I want to take a shot at it and live my dream.I am very apprehensive about the future and don’t know how to tell it to my parents.I keep a blog for short-stories and poems.

Most writers start their careers while they have full-time jobs. You can definitely ease into a writing career. If you can get paid for a few freelance projects, get a blog and audience going, you’ll be able to lay a solid foundation for a future career. Best of luck to you!

Hello, my name is quadree Breeland and I am a 19 year old college student in Delaware and I am looking to transfer to Columbia college in Chicago. I might not be the greatest writer but I love it. I have written 2 full short scripts. One is a police procedural and the serial killer who kills people with their own video games. Literally and the other is a thriller about a guy who quit the CIA because of problems with his father and a Russian terrorist comes back to try and kill him and anything around him. I love writing and I am very creative. My dream career is to write the dialogue, story, or the missions in video games. Basically, I wanna write for games. I know I won’t get a job like that as soon as I get out of college, but I have no problem applying for a job as a comic book writer, game or film reviewer, or writing for a web series. Im not really a novelist, but I wouldn’t mind taking a job like the ones I stated above when I graduate. I guess all I want is a reply with school advice and career advice. I am trying to find a good blog or site to post my stories at. I’m trying to find schools for me with film, or writing in the entertainment industry. I’m trying to find schools with dorms, clubs, and a good social life. You know, parties and stuff.

You have some great story ideas that would work well for scripts or video games. I would suggest that you try to find an internship with a company that produces video games. If you do that while you’re still in school, you’ll have a much better shot at landing a job in your chosen field when you graduate. Good luck to you!

Blogging sounds interesting and fun, but I don’t know how to pinpoint a topic to dedicate a blog to! I’m not an expert at anything and don’t do much of a hobby that I think could carry out well as a blog. Any ideas, suggestions, etc?

Hi Rachel. You could always write a personal blog in which you share your personal stories, ideas, and experiences. You can also do a photo or art blog. You do need some central theme or topic to write around.

When I was purusing an art undergraduate degree in philosophy and graduated in 2009, I had no idea that a career in the liberal arts can be this tough. My hobby of writing has started upon graduation, and had been looking for work that can utilize my writing skills ever since.

I have seen job posts that requires a degree in journalism if were to pursue staff writer, but no mention of a degree in philosophy.

I came across your website and like what you blog about.

Thanks, Katherine. Yes, it’s tough to get these jobs, and many work best as second jobs or extra income. Part of what determines whether you can land these positions is your skill level. It’s all about practice and getting in those 10,000 hours. Keep at it!

I want to add Medical Writing/Editing to this list. Although some may think that it is not “creative writing”, it can be very creative depending on the type of medical writing that you do. Medical Regulatory writing is more factual, but consumer medical/health writing can give you the chance to be creative and factual at the same time. Medical Writers/Editors are paid very well ($45,000 to $100,000) and you do not have to be a medical professional to write about health topics.

Resources to learn more about medical writing:

American Medial Writing Association

Hi J. I appreciate that you mentioned medical writing, but when we differentiate between business, academic, and creative writing, medical writing definitely does not fall under the creative category. It is a form of scientific writing. Copywriting (what I do) requires a lot of creativity but it’s still not creative writing; it’s a form of business writing. However, I’m glad you mentioned it, because for creative writers, there are a lot of opportunities in the field of business, scientific, and technical writing. While some of these careers may require education in their respective fields (and some may not), they are industries where one can make a good living as a writer.

Thank you SO MUCH for creating this article!

But isn’t making a career in writing only just … too dangerous. Because I’ve always wanted to be a novelist but I also want to make a (possible) career in the medical department. So I was thinking isn’t having a “back-up” plan better? And if so does it have to be from the same branch?

I wouldn’t call creative writing a dangerous career choice. There’s no reason you can’t study medicine and write. You could even be a medical writer. You might look into majoring in medicine and minoring in English. There’s nothing wrong with having a back-up plan, and no, it doesn’t have to be in the same discipline.

Thank you, Melissa, for this wonderful post. I have a BA in Creative Writing and really wish I had done more during uni to try out different writing careers, as internships seem extremely hard to come by for graduates. Any words of wisdom on how a graduate might gain professional experience in a particular writing field, short of going back to school?

Well it depends on which writing field — fiction, poetry, journalism? One thing you can do is submit your work to professional magazines and journals and build up your writing credits. You have a blog (that would have been my next suggestion). Get your work out there; that’s the best way gain experience.

I would really like to try my hand at journalism, but I’m starting to think the only way to do that (as a graduate without experience in the field) is to offer my services for free. But I also like your suggestion about submitting to magazines. I once read “Do good work. Then put it where people can see it.” Exposure is definitely something I need to work on! Thank you again.

Thanks, Julie. Writing is one of those careers where you may have to do some free work or take an internship to prove yourself before landing a paid gig. Musicians have to do the same thing. They play for free (or for pennies) — sometimes for years — before they start getting paid. Submitting to magazines is a great way to get experience and get paid since they often buy articles based on merit. Good luck to you, and keep writing!

Thank you so much for making this website, and I can see that you are very dedicated to helping people pursue a writing career. I’m a junior in highschool, and I have considered many careers, but whenever I thought i knew what I wanted to do, deep down I knew it wasn’t. I finally figured out why I’ve been unable to pick a career, and it’s because I absolutely love to write. I would write all day, everyday if I could. I just thought that writing was a hobby, and I couldn’t make a career out of it. I now know that I can make a career out of writing, and this is what I wish to pursue in college. Only problem is that my parents want me to be a doctor or something, but this doesn’t interest them. All they care about is me making enough money, but I feel that money isn’t everything, and I would rather do what I love, and be happy. I have faith in myself, that someday I can be a sucessful writer. I just wish my parents could see that this is what I love to do. By reading all your posts on this website, it has really helped brighten my day, and it has shown me that I’m not alone, and that I can do what I love, if I have faith in myself. thank you

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found strength and inspiration here, and I wish you the best of luck with all your writing and education. Keep writing, no matter what!

“Now, I’m not saying you’re going to make a whole lot to live on with some of these creative writing jobs but if you do what you love, the money (i.e. the success) just might follow.”

Therein lies the problem with this article. That’s not how writing works; “success” is not synonymous with “the money.” The vast majority of novelists could not live completely off their book sales, and I can think of no short fiction writers who could make that claim. Don’t even get me started on poets; getting published in the most highly regarded journals in the country leads neither to fame nor fortune. 

Writing isn’t accountancy or business management. You don’t get into creative writing to fulfill some sort of career desire. You do it because you feel compelled to write, because you have something to say. It is the effective communication of the idea that defines success, not the money attached. 

The problem with your comment, Jane, is that is disregards the title of the post that it criticizes. Young and new writers often ask me about whether they can make a career out of creative writing. This article answers the question can I make a living doing what I love (writing)? You may feel there’s something wrong with that, but I don’t. In fact, I admire people who pursue their passions and attempt to turn them into viable careers. People do need to eat.

“You don’t get into creative writing to fulfill some sort of career desire. You do it because you feel compelled to write, because you have something to say. It is the effective communication of the idea that defines success, not the money attached.”

I don’t think anyone has the right to tell other people why they should write or how they should define success. You and I come from a similar place since these ideas reflect my own personal feelings about writing, but I would never tell someone else what constitutes a valid reason for writing or how they should define their own success. There are, indeed, people who get into writing to fulfill a career desire and who define success by how much money they make.

“The problem with your comment, Jane, is that is disregards the title of the post that it criticizes.”

It does indeed, because it’s a faulty premise. Let’s look at your list: there are very, very few novelists who are able to live completely off their royalties, and I don’t know of any short fiction writer anywhere who could make that claim. As for “personal poet,” even professional poets who win the country’s best prizes don’t “make a living” from their poetry sales. Calling these “careers” would be misleading.

But notice how many novels, shorts stories and poems get published every year. My point was that writing is a field not exclusive to professionals. Anyone can write a novel with the possibility of publishing, but it is disingenuous to call this a “career” when it’s not a main source of income for most.

“There are, indeed, people who get into writing to fulfill a career desire and who define success by how much money they make.”

Writing is not economics or finance, it’s a process of communication. Using this communication tool as a money-making strategy would involve telling people what they want to hear. There are descriptions reserved for those who only tell others what they want to hear.

Jane, you seem to be more interested in looking for minute points to argue rather than grasping the full intent of this post. There are plenty of novelists and other creative writers who have built full-time and part-time careers with their work. I happen to know “personal poets” who subsidize their income by writing personal poetry. Might I suggest that you open your mind to the possibility that the people you know and experiences you’ve had are not definitive? You are merely presenting your opinions and personal experiences as facts, and they are not facts.

I don’t care if a writer’s work is a main source of income, a part-time source of income, or if it doesn’t lead to any income at all. My job here is to encourage writers to pursue their dreams and that includes trying to make a career out of their writing, if that is what they want to do. I never said that writing is economics or finance. I said that some writers get into it as a career (James Patterson is an example — he himself says he’s a better marketer than writer). If you think such people are hacks or sellouts, then that is your opinion. I have my own opinions about it, but I don’t go around publicly judging other writers because I have not walked in their shoes. I do not know what is in their hearts. And neither do you.

“Using this communication tool as a money-making strategy would involve telling people what they want to hear. There are descriptions reserved for those who only tell others what they want to hear.”

There are also descriptions reserved for people who go around the internet stirring up malicious arguments and for people who lack manners. I neither appreciate nor welcome your insinuations. Such insults, however cloaked in wit, will only get you banned from commenting here. I built Writing Forward to be a positive, uplifting space for writers to explore their craft. It’s a shame that you’re so pessimistic about other people’s potential and what is possible for aspiring writers.

Thank you for your ideas in writing career paths, it gives me some things to think about. As a child and in my teen years I used to write short stories. However, as an adult I have lost that creative side and find that I am empty and in need to be creative. I have considered pursuing a MA in creative writing with hopes that I can find that creative side of again. I feel, however that spending the time and money on this degree may not deem worthy because it is incredibly difficult to obtain a job that pays well enough to keep the bills paid. Do you have any suggestions?

Yuly, I don’t think anyone can tell you whether it would be best for you to pursue writing on your own or to get an MA. If you are disciplined, I think you can do it on your own. If you need a lot of direction, guidance, and support, then an MA program might be better for you. Either way, you can pick up plenty of books to inspire you. When I’m uninspired and need to get more creative, I usually go through creative writing exercises and prompts, which always get my ideas flowing again. Good luck to you!

I’m in the 8th grade, and it seems that whenever something is needed, such as a testimony of my school, a farewell speech for a retiring teacher, or a greeting at an event, my name always seems to come up. Then I get a phone call, saying what is needed and the deadline. I’m glad to do it, and obviously I don’t charge anything. However, if adults always think of me, a kid, when they need something written, surely other people will do the same when I’m older. Is my reasoning off, or is that a possible job opportunity?

If the school is calling on you for writing, then that is certainly a testament to your writing abilities. It’s a good indicator that you are a talented writer, and yes, I would say that if you enjoy writing, these are all signs that writing might be a good career option for you.

I just completed my engineering(Civil Engineering). I have absolutely no aptitude for that subject. I did it due to pressure from family. Now, its my career. My life. I feel its high time I take a stand. I have great passion towards writing. I have thereby, developed decent writing skills. So, I would like to pursue a career in the same. Right now, I need some place to start and venture into the world of writing. That’s exactly where I need help!

I have to admit that I honestly don’t understand why some families pressure kids to pursue one particular career. I guess I can empathize when it’s a family tradition (five generations of doctors or something like that) but I can’t get behind it at all. I think each person should pursue what’s in his or her heart. Do what you love!

What if their not sure what they want to do or where their passion lies? What should they do?

Every person has to find his or her own path. If I wasn’t sure about my passion, I’d try lots of different things until I found it.

I agree. Kids should decide for themselves. And where are the guidance counselors in all this?

Maybe some schools don’t have guidance counselors or the kids simply aren’t going to see them.

I’ve experinced the delima’s first hand similar to you,concerning family and friend’s who where great math major’s but couldn’t get through college without the English major’s writing their paper’s?I was the English major who didn’t even finish my assocites in literature because I couldn’t do Algebra.Yet my god given passion is english and the art’s ,and especially writing.All I can say is ,especially in are high tech world today,pursue what your gifted at,and if it’s writing ,do what your heart’s telling you,don’t be like so many and waite till your 50ty,you can still do it,don’t let friend’s and family say different,one dedicated art person that does give a dam.

There is a lot to learn by getting a degree, so I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t finish your associate’s in literature. However, there is a lot you can learn about the craft by simply reading and studying on your own. With or without a formal education, it takes a lot of work to make it as a writer. Good luck to you.

I’m a college student and I need some advice for a journalism career career. I love the entertainment industry as a whole. Video Games, movies, tv shows, celebrities, and music. I am currently in school for journalism and I just need help what kind of journalist I should be. I’ve already looked into entertainemt journalism and I live that. Writing articles/pieces about the entertainment industry looks like an awesome job. But what do entertainment journalists focus on. Do they just focus on being on the red carpet all the time or writing articles about celebrities all day? Do entertainemt journalists write articles about Video games, movies, tv shows, music, and other celebrity stuff. Should I become a freelance journalist? I guess my dream job is to write articles or do reports for ign in New York or another entertainment company with an office. Maybe a staff position?

Or maybe I should try games journalism? But dont entertainment journalist write about video games too? I’m a gamer and I would love to write about the newest games or movies coming out or do reviews.

I’m not an entertainment journalist (or a journalist for that matter), so I cannot give you career advice, but you might try reaching out to an entertainment journalist who can answer some of these questions for you. Good luck!

I am currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing and I have to say that this is one of the most accurate lists I came across. What is good for aspiring writers to keep in mind, especially those with CW degrees, is that writing is a craft. It’s very practical, so unlike history, philosophy or literature degrees a writer has transferable skills. If you are a writer looking to make some money while writing a novel or a collection, you can offer editing and proofreading services. Becoming a content writer is a profitable pathway as well. A lot of companies look for skilled writers to produce their online articles and they usually pay well. And for the more daring, there is online publishing. Is not a guaranteed route but it gives you a boost of confidence; no matter how much you make, it’s good to know that somebody paid to read your work.

Thanks, Stephanie. I’ve taken the online and self-publishing route and haven’t looked back.

Just a little quibble: A history degree does produce transferable skills related to research and analysis, writing, word processing, etc.. It’s not “just learning names and dates.” 😀

Thinking about chaning careers. Although I got my B.G.S – General Studies and and a Masters in Management – I took a lot of creative wirting classes in college and it is something that I think I could be good at. This might be a good place to get some ideas on getting started. Thanks!

You’re welcome, and good luck to you!

i am doing engineering first year..i took the decision as i have always been quite good at maths and stuff..but i started writing last year simply for the passion that was ignited by some great novels and i am totally a novice in it..yet i like it a lot. So right now i am in a dilemma which career path i should take…one thats based on my interest but im not so good at(writing).. or the one in which i am good at(maths,science)??

I think most young people struggle with this same dilemma. Unfortunately, nobody can tell you which life path is best for you. You must find that answer within yourself. I do think that you can pursue both science and writing (you could, for example, become a science writer). You can also study writing and become better at it. It’s up to you.

I want to get into freelance writing in the entertainment industry. I love writing and I’ve looked into copywritimg and story producing. Any advice or any writing careers I should take on?

The best advice I can give you is to study writing and the entertainment industry. If you want to write entertainment news, you might want to major in journalism at a university. For screenwriting, you can major in film studies at many universities. Get to know the industry and keep working on improving your writing. There are also tons of resources you can get if you don’t go to university. Start with the “Writing Resources” section here at Writing Forward, then head to your favorite bookstore and search for books on your field of interest. Good luck!

wow! you guys really love writing. Me too but I’m taking up pre dentistry right now but i really love writing much more. Actually i just wanna try this course but i think i’m not gonna continue because writing is really my passion and i’d love to pursue it. my parents don’t know any of this yet and i’m planning to tell them..any advice for me guys? thanks to whoever answers this.. 🙂

One thing to keep in mind is that you can study dentistry and writing. You can choose writing courses for your electives and set aside a little time each day for your writing. As far as changing your studies, I believe that each individual has to find his or her own path. Once you find your path, I think you should follow it, because I believe one of the worst fates is a life of regret. Hopefully, the people in your life will be supportive, although unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Ultimately, only you can make this decision. It is a big one. Take your time to think about it. Consider talking to a career counselor, who should be open-minded and objective.

Okay, so I’ve been thinking about the popular question, “what do I want to be when I grow up?”. Writing has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and I LOVE books. Seriously. If I wasn’t on a competitive, year-round swim team, I could read all day. I have been thinking about jobs that circle around the actual “writing” idea, if you know what I mean. I’ve considered being an editor, since I love books, but I’m not quite sure what an editor does. Any ideas?

Editors do some writing but their main function is to make editorial decisions. Their duties vary depending on where they work. A magazine editor, for example, decides which stories go into each issue, which one gets the cover spot, and will also assign articles to the writers. An editor at a publishing house makes decisions about which books to publish. Editors also actually edit, meaning they review the writers’ work and make changes to improve it. I don’t know for sure, but I would think (hope) that someone would start out as a writer before becoming an editor. I suggest using Google to learn more about different careers for editors.

First of all, thank you for this post and all your replies. It’s very good of you to reply to everyone who needs direction. So, my dilemma is that I will be commencing my masters degree in September and lately I’ve been thinking of pursuing a creative writing masters instead.

I’ve just finished my undergraduate degree in communications and I was deputy editor and features editor of the monthly university arts magazine, which I absolutely loved and learned so much through. My undergraduate thesis was in the form of a creative writing novella, which was roughly 18,000 words. I had always wanted to try my hand at fiction writing and by completing the thesis I became fully aware how much I enjoyed it. I also received very positive feedback from lecturers.

Once I finished my undergraduate degree, I applied for and received a place on a masters in public relations, which I think I would enjoy as it’s media related. However, as mentioned, I’ve been seriously considering giving up the PR masters and applying for the creative writing one instead. My issue is that I am torn between a course that’s practical and could very well lead to a successful career, and a prestigious CW course that I’m highly interested in but may be quite impractical in the long run. I have this dream of travelling and writing novels (long shot I know) and a CW masters could help me bring my writing skills and ideas to the next level. So, I guess I’m asking if you think a CW masters is necessary in becoming an author?

And what would your opinion be on switching courses into CW or staying with the original choice? Would it be more wise to stick with PR (which I’m currently interning in) and try do some writing on the side? My only problem is, with writing I feel I need guidance, direction and deadlines. I may find it hard to do it on the side, especially when the majority of my energy would be going elsewhere.

Any info/advice would be great 🙂 And sorry for the long post.

No, you definitely do not need a CW masters to become an author. My guess is that most published authors don’t have masters. I once heard a bit of advice from an author (can’t remember who) that I thought was sound. She said if you’re self-driven and will do your writing and study the craft on your own, then you don’t need a masters. One of the benefits of a masters program is that it forces you to write and learn. If you do that on your own, you don’t really need the coursework (unless you want it for prestige). Having said that, my guess is that there is value in a masters program, in being immersed in writing and literature and surrounded with other writers, even for those who are self-driven.

Nobody can tell you what to study. It’s a classic dilemma: follow your dreams or do the “smart thing.” Only you know what is the right path for you.

I just graduated with a BA in creative writing about 5 months ago, and I’ve been applying for jobs in the creative field like crazy. I’ve applied for practically every advertising firm in the Chicago area and I’ve heard back from two of them. I don’t know if it’s because I lack experience, or the economy is just that bad. I’ve tried applying for jobs out of my field, but it’s still no dice. I hope I can find something extremely soon, as I’m near desperation at this point. I really hope there’s hope, so I don’t regret getting a BA in creative writing : (.

I held office jobs for several years after earning my BA in creative writing. Since I had a degree in English, my employers often gave me writing assignments (including editing and proofreading), which helped me build my experience. It doesn’t happen overnight. Get a job to pay the bills and keep writing. Eventually, you’ll find your path. Good luck!

Erm hello Melissa.. I actually want to do Creative Writing since I love writing, but I also want to do History since I love both. However my parents object to both and want me to pursue some medical degree or something. Can you erm like give me some points to argue my pitiful cause since I don’t really think I’m into doctoring since I’ve got a slight phobia of blood and ever since Biology dissecting stuff had never exactly been my thing?? I hope it’s not too much to ask.. thanks in advance

I am just going to be straightforward about this, because I get a lot of emails and comments from young people like yourself whose parents are pressuring them into some career they abhor. I believe that each of us knows in our hearts who we are and what we want to do with our lives. If you have a phobia of blood, then it’s blatantly obvious that a career in medicine would be completely inappropriate for you. Now, if you had that phobia but desperately wanted to be a doctor, I would encourage you to get over it. But since that’s not what you want, why should you torment yourself? I understand why some parents advocate certain careers for their kids – they associate success with money and prestige. I do not. I equate success with happiness. And I believe that once we become adults, it is our own responsibility to find our happiness. So, once you are an adult, it’s up to you to find your path and follow it. Do what you love.

What is the difference between journalism and creative writing? I am still not very sure even after researching on the net. I have a dilemma on which course to take. I want to be a novelist but that might take years to complete a book. So, what my mother advised is that I should get a stable job that ensures my survival while I work on the book first. Which one should I do?

Journalism can fall under creative writing. For example, if you wrote a literary nonfiction book on a specific person or subject, it could be both journalism and creative nonfiction. Journalism is one of those forms that has become a bit gray. Originally, journalism meant reporting on the facts, objectively. Nowadays, a lot of journalism is heavily colored by the author’s personal views and ideologies. A novel is creative writing and not journalism at all; it is fiction where journalism is fact-based.

I think getting a stable job while writing your first book is a pretty smart way to go. Do you even have a choice? I mean, unless someone is willing to support you while you write your book, you’re going to need a job to pay the bills.

I have always had a passion for writing, but never had confidence to let anyone read any of my work. I do not have a fancy education, but I do have an amazing imagination! The work I did when I was younger my mom found and was amazed by my story. I do enjoy wrting poetry and short stories. During the development of my son, I wrote in my journal Letters to Baby. As the pregnancy developed things were less than peferct and not very positive. I stopped writing my Letter’s to Baby because it was sad things written. I only wanted my child to know he was loved from day one no matter where life took us. The baby is now 10 yrs old and so much has inspired me to write again. I started a story that I hold dear to my heart and I am super excited about it. I dont expect publishing ever, but I would like to get an outside opinion from someone in the industry that could give me tips and tools to help my creativity develope. I also would like to know some avenues I can go down to continue writing for fun and just to get things out of my mind. I am sure it is hard to make a living writing, but if I can make a little something to put away for a rainy day that would be great! Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

I would actually recommend that you take a creative writing class or workshop. An in-person one would be best, but if you’re too busy, try to find an online course (community colleges are great for this). This is an ideal way to connect with other writers while getting mentoring from someone who is experienced (the teacher), and you’ll find that many other writers share your insecurities. Make sure you vet the class first to make sure it’s credible. You might also want to research the instructor a little.

Another option would be to find a local writing group, but that may be more challenging since writing groups often arise out of established relationships. However, there are some open writing groups, especially online and in larger cities.

Your first hurdle will be to work on your confidence and worry more about strengthening your work than what other people think. Everybody starts somewhere. As long as you’re willing to work at it and improve your skills, it does not matter where you are now with your writing.

I am a discouraged writer in need of some information. I have been writing for a little over a year and I have had some success. I have been nationally published, being a staff member on one magazine start-up, an editor-in-chief of one failed start-up magazine, and I am a staff member for an online magazine for which I publish an article every three months. I have also been published on a few other informational websites. Additionally, I have ghost written close to 200 articles on a low paying website.

The problem I have faced (which has caused me to stop writing now for several months) is the total lack of pay I have received for my efforts. So many will ask you to write; however, they do not want to pay a reasonable rate for your craft. This is the only problem that I face as per my writing. I thoroughly enjoy writing, but I cannot continue to write for such low pay. Any tips, advice, what have you, would be appreciated. Otherwise, I will have to give up writing and move on to something else. Thanks.

I had the same problem when I first started freelancing. Then I realized that the reason I was getting low paying gigs was because I was accepting low paying gigs. The better paying jobs are harder to find, and in my case, I started my own website and business to attract clients and set my own rates. This involved a lot of marketing to get my own clients, and they are business people rather than content farms. However, there is a caveat: the writing must be at a professional level to warrant higher rates.

Hello Melissa,

Thanks for responding. I haven’t accepted a low paying writing job in some time now, nor have I used any content farms. I can market well as I am a singer songwriter, and I have made good progress with it in that realm. My writing is always professional and of the jobs I have found they have paid well. However, it seems as though it is near impossible to find enough well paying writing jobs to make ends meet. Anyway, again, thanks for responding and for your suggestions. Best of luck to you.

I wish I had some solid advice to give you, but I don’t know enough about your business and marketing strategies. There are plenty of self-employed and freelance content writers out there. I’m sure a lot of them struggle to make ends meet, but plenty of them have found considerable success. When I first started, I did my best to seek out successful writers and examine their approaches so I could learn from them. Getting your own website and operating as a business (or professional consultant) makes a huge difference.

I was just having this discussion with a friend a while back about how people get locked into three options when they write and that’s it. There are so many other opportunities out there if you know where to look for them. You just have to be open and aware of what is really out there.

Thanks for sharing this, I am glad this came along at the right time. Maybe I’ll send this over her way today!

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found this article helpful, Matthew.

I saved this article months ago when I was in a funk, but I forgot to read it afterwards. Reading it now has made me think. Looking back at it, I’ve been writing for many years, ever since I was 13, and I’m 23 now. I’ve went to college twice, graduated both times successfully, but throughout that time I stopped writing fiction. I kept my ideas, but I never finished the stories.

I haven’t been lucky in finding a job ever since I graduated and the ones I did find were still out of reach, I went back to my writing because I needed to do something. Anything to get my mind clear and my thoughts straight like I used to because I became frustrated with myself. When I decided to go to college I had clear plans, but once I finished things didn’t go my way and I realized that I already had something that I should have never let go, my writing. Now I’m looking into finishing my ideas and self-publishing them. I’m glad I came back to this article and read it thoroughly this time.

I’m motivated now more than ever to focus on my true calling. It may be tough, but it’s the only thing I have ever done that made me truly happy even when things around me weren’t good. I think I’m gonna try writing my ideas separately in the form of a series of short stories/chapters/volumes since I’m not good at writing long works of fiction. Is there any advice that you can give me? I would love to write a story for a webtoon, but I’m not that good at drawing and I don’t know how to ask an artist for help.

Hi Lyric. Many of us take time off from writing. Sometimes it’s because we’re busy with a new job. Other times family obligations keep us from our writing. Occasionally it’s some other hobby. Thankfully, writing is always here for us, and we can return to it any time. I’m glad you did.

Its so good to read through the interests in writing and thank you for the informative comments. I have self published a poetry book that people can use in their cards, tributes. on blurb.com called Handy Verse for Occasions with a possum on the front. I am working on my children’s stories and acitivities and will self publish in September this year. and I am blogging the challenge on madonnamm7.wordpress.com I had written the stories many years ago and did not have as much motivation and my husband encouraged me and I was inspired by the movie Julie and Julia (Meryl Streep) and started the year challenge.

Regards Madonna Weaver

That’s wonderful! I love the title Handy Verse for Occasions .

I have the most obscured dreams. I’d love to print a book with short stories of them. How may I accomplish that?

You might want to look into self-publishing through KDP or CreateSpace. Good luck!

I knew I wanted to write since I found out I like putting thoughts and ideas on paper. I kinda have it down, but I am struggling. Putting your thoughts and ideas is not easy as it looks, but that won’t stop me. I’m writing a book, but I just can’t seem to get past the first 10 paragraph. How do I focus my intent?

A lot of writers struggle with discipline. We get stuck and wander away from a project, we get lured away by some other idea, or life just gets in the way. The only way to focus…is to focus. Force yourself to do the work. I’ve known a lot of writers who got good results by adding writing to their daily schedule. Every day, at the same time, you sit down, and that’s your writing time. It could be twenty minutes or it could be two hours. And you do the work.

Thanks for the ideas. Given the current pandemic, being creative is something I need to look at more to try and get some additional income. Have published one collection of short stories but needing to do more.

You’re welcome, and good luck with your creative efforts!

In the past I have self published a poetry book people can put in their cards etc and also a book of children’s stories with Activities through Blurb.com I am writing a novel based on truth now. All the best to everyone in their writing. Regards Madonna Weaver

Thanks for sharing some of the opportunities you’ve carved out for yourself. These are great!

I have a creative writing career that I would like to add to your list. What about a Technical Writer? We have two technical writers employed in our company and I chat with them on a daily basis. It is a great job with above-average earning potential. Thanks for allowing me to post here.

That’s a great writing job, but it’s technical, not creative. Creative writing encompasses fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Great career though!

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Last updated on Aug 13, 2021

20 Creative Writing Jobs for Graduates (+ Entry-Level Positions)

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Linnea Gradin

The editor-in-chief of the Reedsy Freelancer blog, Linnea is a writer and marketer with a degree from the University of Cambridge. Her focus is to provide aspiring editors and book designers with the resources to further their careers.

Being passionate about creative writing hasn’t always been associated with a stable career path, but that’s not to say that there aren’t any opportunities out there to bring well-written stories into your job. In fact, we’re here to talk about 20 different creative writing jobs — 20 professions that let the storyteller in you shine! We’ll discuss the industries, entry level jobs, and potential income for each job below. 

When it comes to creative writing, the first thing that pops up in our mind is books! While writing is the obvious option (and we’ll cover that later on in the post), most writers choose to work in one of the following positions in the publishing industry to gain financial stability first. 

❗ Note: The “per book” rates below are made with 50,000-60,000 word manuscripts in mind. 

1. Ghostwriter 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: freelance writer, ghostwriter, editorial assistant 

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $2,000-$9,000 per book or $0.10-$0.15 per word

If you’re all about creative writing but you’d prefer an upfront payment for your words, then ghostwriting is the job for you! Here’s how it works: an author hires you to help them write their story. It could (and usually is) a memoir or an autobiography which the author doesn't have the time or skills to write themselves. Fiction authors also sometimes use ghostwriters to help them write sequels and satisfy popular demands. 

Ghostwriters are freelancers, so you can start by getting some freelance writing gigs. As a beginner, you might start with short-form projects like articles, white papers, website content. Here are some resources, complete with tips from experienced professionals, that might be helpful:

• How to Start Freelance Writing ( Read here )
• How to Become a Ghostwriter ( Read here )
• How Much Do Ghostwriters Make? ( Read here )

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: editorial assistant

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $25,000-$30,000 per year or $800-$1,000 per book

Writing is actually not all there is to creative writing jobs — if you really love stories and are always finding ways to make a story better, then editing is a suitable profession for you. There are many types of editors: some, like development editors, work more on the plot and theme of the book, and others, like copy editors,  specialize on its language and style . 

Editorial assistant jobs are the common first steps to this career path. Entry-level positions are quite competitive in publishing, so you’ll likely need a relevant degree (English Literature, MFA, etc.) to get the job. 

Freelancing, as always, is an option, but it can be quite difficult to get clients if you start without any editing experience. Oftentimes, editors start working in-house and later transition to freelance . 

Below are some more resources for you if you want to pursue this career path:

• How to Become an Editor: A Guide for Beginners ( Read here )
• Copyediting Certificates: Do You Need One and Where to Get It? ( Read here )
• Editor Salary: Can Your Skills Pay the Bills? ( Read here )
• Working in Publishing: An Insider's Guide ( Read here )

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3. Proofreader

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: freelance proofreader

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $550-$650 per book 

Proofreading comes after editing — the proofreader reads the manuscript one final time, after all the revisions are made, to see if any spelling and grammatical errors are missed out. They’re incredibly crucial to the production of a spotless book, so there’s never a shortage of proofreading work opportunities . 

This task is often done on a freelance basis, either by full-time freelancers or by editors who want to take on side jobs. You can specialize in proofreading alone, though most professionals will combine editing and proofreading crafts for better income. As a beginner, opportunities for short-form projects will often be more accessible — stay open-minded about taking them up, but also do some proofreading training to prepare for more exciting gigs. 

We’ve also got some resources for this topic for you to check out:

• How to Become a Proofreader: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide ( Read here )
• How to Choose Your Proofreading Rates ( Read here )

There’s more to journalism than just breaking news on CNN, which means there’s plenty of space for the creative writer in you to flourish in this industry! Let’s take a look at a couple of options you can consider. 

4. Columnist 

👩🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: fellowships, junior writer/columnist, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $25,000-$35,000 per year or $100-$300 per piece 

If you like creative nonfiction , you probably have already considered becoming a columnist. In fact, you can even be a books columnist! Job options range from book-specific sites like Electric Literature or Literary Hub, to prestigious newspapers like The Guardian or The New Yorker. But that’s not necessarily the only thing you can write about! You can become a columnist in just about any topic, from social issues to entertainment, as long as you’re interested in the niche. 

Look out for fellowships and junior writing jobs in newspapers and magazines and get ready to apply! A degree in relevant subjects like Journalism or English Literature is a great advantage, though your ability to follow up on leads, conduct thorough research, and keep up with the latest trends in a certain niche will be carefully assessed. You can also be a contributing writer first to forge a relationship with the editors before going after a full-time position. 

👨🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: junior writer, freelance writer

There’s a fine line between a critic and a columnist: critics are usually more academically inclined, and they often work more on the arts than columnists. Columnists cover social issues, sports, entertainment in their more general sense, while critics while home in on a particular piece of art, literature, theatre, or movie to offer expert assessment of it. 

Similar to the columnists, you can begin with junior writing positions and freelance gigs, in which you build up a writing portfolio of relevant work . Ideally, critics will be more savvy to the technicalities of whatever subject you critique — be it filmography or literature. In other words, formal training like a bachelor’s degree is a good launch pad. 

6. News journalist 

👩🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer/journalist

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $30,000-$35,000 per year 

Writing news articles is different from the writing column pieces: a journalist must maintain an impartial voice and be succinct. Moreover, you’re always looking out for the latest story, whether on social media or on the street (which is where your love for creative writing can come in). 

The most common way to get into news journalism is to get a salaried position. You can also apply to internships as well, and there are compensated ones to look out for. What you will need is a degree and some journalist training so that you can use shorthand, know what makes a good story, and know what sources to chase, among other things. 

7. Investigative journalist 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer/journalist

And what if you’re a fan of true crime ? You might find yourself drawn to investigative journalism! You can chase the tail of anything under the sun, from kidnappings to factory production, from local to international events, so long as there’s an uncovered story there. The topic will often be assigned to you by an editor, and you’ll be given some time to collect information and write the article. It’s a slower pace than daily news, but it’s thrilling nonetheless. 

Similar to the news path, you’ll likely start off with an internship or a junior writing position. With this job opportunity, you can build a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to peel back the layers of the onion to reveal new insights to a matter. Again, a degree and training in journalism are essential. 

Copywriting

Copywriting is writing to sell a product or service, and it could be anything from newsletter emails to slogans to even commercial scripts! There’s definitely a creative element to it, as you’re always looking for a unique and memorable way to capture the attention of consumers. And since it's so rooted in consumption culture, copywriting is definitely a writing career that's in demand!

Below are several types of copywriting jobs you can go into. 

8. Technical copywriter

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: technical writer, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $32,000-$38,000 per year 

A technical writer works on instructional materials for manuals, white papers, and other informative pieces of writing. A technical copywriter combines that level of specialty with marketing tactics, thereby focusing on promoting products and services that are a bit more, well, technical. Think electronic companies, software developers, repair and maintenance services. 

Ideally, you’d have some education or experience in technical sectors (i.e. IT, engineering, finance). That way, you won’t take too much time to familiarize yourself with the jargon, and employers are more likely to hire you. You can also begin with technical writing, if you don’t mind working on material that’s a bit less creative. 

9. Advertising copywriter

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: junior copywriter, communications copywriter

For a more creative writing job, you can go for advertising. This often involves a lot of brainstorming with the creative team of your agency to come up with advertisement campaigns that will leave a mark. When working on this you can write all kinds of content, from slogans to image copies to web content. 

Having a bachelor’s degree in marketing or an essay-based discipline is usually beneficial if you’re looking for this kind of job. You can work for a big brand, which will constantly be needing new content, or you can work for a marketing agency, tailoring your work to every client. 

10. PR copywriter

👩🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: junior copywriter

Public relations (PR) is, simply put, the art of building a good reputation, whether that’s for an individual or a brand. You’ll work on press releases, report and presentation writing, material for internal and external communications to present your client’s motivation and direction. 

For this kind of job, the precision of your language and your ability to stay up to date with the competitors will be important. A degree in communications or business administration are a plus point. And as is often the case in most writing jobs, the ability to find the human story behind everything will be your best tool. 

Content Marketing

Nowadays, traditional marketing on TV, billboards, and posters are only a part of the industry, the other is all about online content. And with so many things zooming about on the Internet, every company will be looking for the most creative person to help them stand out. Which means you get plenty of opportunities to be imaginative, working on website content, blog posts, social media posts, and even videos.

11. Social media manager 

👨🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/junior/freelance social media specialist

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $30,000-$35,000 per year 

With our evermore online world, social media-related jobs definitely is a writing career that's in demand. So many things can happen on social media — you might very well go viral overnight! The challenge is getting there. As a social media manager, you get to be the voice of the company, interacting with customers in a friendly, casual way, while also learning their habits and preferences so that you and others on your team can better engage with them. 

This is a relatively hands-on job, so experience running a public social media account is the best thing you can have on your CV. A degree in communications can be beneficial, though many job postings don’t require anything specific.

12. Blogger

👩🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: blogger, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $0.10-$0.15 per word

Blogging is probably something you’re familiar with as a writer — but do you know it can earn you a good penny? By focusing on a specific subject (it can be books , technology, fashion, the freelance life, etc.), you can attract companies who are looking to strengthen their brand awareness and will sponsor you. It’ll take time to build an attractive platform, but it’s definitely possible. 

Beyond that, you can write for others as well. There are plenty of websites that promote creative writing jobs all over, so you can sift through them for the suitable ones. No degree requirements for this job, just your skill with a (proverbial) quill! 

13. Content creator 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: content marketer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $27,000-$34,000 per year 

If you’re happy to do a bit of everything, then apply to become a content creator. You’ll also get to collaborate with a team to come up with an overall strategy in this position.

You can work for all kinds of companies in this career. A bachelor’s degree in Marketing, English, Communications are highly relevant, though adjacent, essay-based subjects tend to do the job, too. Brushing up on search engine optimization (SEO) is also wise. 

Pop culture, the latest rumors and gossip, interesting observations served on a pretty platter — if any of that sounds interesting to you, you can jump into the media industry. Here are some job options if you want to take this route. 

14. Screenwriter

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/associate writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $9,000-$15,000 per project 

Everyone of us has probably at one point or another thought about entering the film and TV industry, and that career goal is definitely achievable, if you know where to look. A lot of people start with assistant positions to learn the ropes and get an opportunity to work on bigger productions. If you prefer to write from the get-go, you can go for lower-budget projects. 

To get one of the assistant positions and put yourself out there, touch up on craft skills like plotting, story structures , character-building to be prepared. No qualifications are specified in most cases. 

15. Broadcast journalist 

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer

We’ve covered written news — now comes broadcast news. From televised reports to radio sessions, you can be the writer behind the words that reporters or presenters read out. It’s a fast-paced job that deals with the latest real-life stories, which can be incredibly rewarding, even if it’s not explicitly creative. 

Many broadcast journalists work project by project (unless it’s periodical news), almost like a freelancer. You’ll still need to have all the skills necessary to put together a good news story, so some journalist training will be beneficial. 

16. Podcaster 

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/associate writer or producer 

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $18-$25 per hour, or $26,000-$32,000 per year 

Along the same lines as a broadcast journalist is the job of a podcaster. This is a bit more topical than journalism, and you can really home into certain fields and explore it in depth. Another special thing about podcasters is they usually host the shows, too! So if you’re confident about your voice, and about interviewing others, there’s no reason not to try this out. 

As with screenwriting, the route to get into this sector can be a little bit challenging, since it’s often a case of catching an opportunity from the right people at the right time. Which is why assistant jobs are a strong start. 

And finally, we arrive at the section that hopeful writers often dream about more than anything else. Getting your book out in the world is not easy, it requires not just time and effort but also finances, if only to keep you afloat while completing the manuscript. That said, it’s possible to do it on the side with another full-time job, as is the case for most published writers. 

The cool thing about this career is that you are your own boss — i.e. there are no entry level positions. You are an author the day you call yourself one. 

17. Short story writer

Short stories are charming in their own right, and with the booming literary magazine sphere , there’s no shortage of space to get your words out there into the world. Publishing an anthology with a publisher is also an option but it’s harder — you often need to have an established career first. 

In any case, most magazines aim to have enough funds to pay their contributors. Small ones can pay $15-$20 per story, bigger ones $100-$200. You can also enter writing contests to win higher prizes .

18. Novelist 

Being a novelist comes with the difficulty of having the time and finances to write a full draft before you can propose it to publishers, or even publish it yourself. It’s a long commitment, and it doesn’t guarantee a payoff. If it does get printed, a book deal can get you an advance in the $5,000-$15,000 range. If you self-publish, what you get depends on how well you market your books — emphasis on the plural noun!

That said, it’s not impossible. We’ve got a whole post on how to become a novelist here if you want some pointers from famous writers like Anne Lamott and Zadie Smith! Read it here .

19. Nonfiction author 

Who says creative writing jobs have to be all about fiction? Creative nonfiction is a growing field that’s always welcoming new stories. From memoirs and biographies to true crime, from self-help to essay collections, you can focus on many different topics with this option. 

The nice thing about it all is that unlike fiction writers, you can pitch your book to publishers before you complete a whole manuscript for nonfiction titles, meaning you can be guaranteed some kind of results before you start writing. The advance amount is similar to that for novels.

And last but not least, you can become a poet! Poets tell stories with rhythm and rich imagery, and not just on paper but also with their voice. Performing poetry is one of the special advantages that comes with this form of writing. Not only does it let you and the audience experience in a new way, it’s also a great opportunity to grow as an artist. 

On top of that, you can also dabble in other industries (advertising, music producers…) as a lyricist. As it’s a gig-based employment, you probably want to diversify your work portfolio to make sure there’s always something you can work on. The rates are usually similar to that of a ghostwriter.

And voila, that’s the end to our master list of creative writing jobs! Hopefully, there’s something to help you passion live on among this many options.

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A Seriously Long List of Jobs That Involve Creative Writing

Who says you can’t make any money from creative writing?

Okay, so a lot of people. But they’re wrong. If you’re a creative writing major, have a degree in writing, or simply identify this skill as the best thing you’ve got to offer the world, there are a ton of ways to build a career with your talents.

In fact, writing skills are way more valuable than your Uncle Richie realizes (or whichever relative scoffed at your dreams last Thanksgiving). Anyone with a gift for words has the ability to communicate vital information, motivate others into action, and help others feel seen and understood.

The survival of many industries depends on their ability to connect with human beings. They need brilliant wordsmiths. And here’s the really exciting part: not everyone can do what you do as well as you can do it.

So no, being a writer does not mean you’re sentenced to a life as a “starving artist.” 

That said, some creative writing jobs are easier to snag than others. There’s also a difference in pay across different writing gigs. Some jobs will be easier to fill with AI in the future, and—the important detail—some will be more in line with your vision for your writing career. 

So here’s a comprehensive list of opportunities and considerations to help you narrow down your focus. You’re about to find out:

• What writing jobs are out there
• The skills you need to land work in the creative writing field
• Which industries are looking for folks like you
• What type of education or experience you need to get started

Let’s start by taking a look at your many, many options.

Career Opportunities in Creative Writing

Before we launch into this very long list of creative writing jobs, I’d like to clarify the term “freelance writer.”

A freelance writer is a contractor. Rather than hiring them on as employees, an individual or business hires a freelance writer to complete specific tasks within their area of expertise. 

If you choose to work as a freelancer rather than an employee, you’d be your own boss. You’d set your own rates, determine your own schedule, and decide which projects to take on and which to skip. You’d also be free to work with as many different clients as you’d like.

The downside is that you don’t get benefits like paid time off, health insurance, and employer contributions to your retirement fund. You’re responsible for paying quarterly taxes directly to the government, as no one withdraws them from your paycheck. 

Depending on the specific creative writing career you’re building, you might also need to look into professional liability insurance or setting up an LLC. These topics get complicated and vary according to where you live, so I’m not even going to try to give you advice on any of that. It’s better to consult your accountant, mentor, and/or fellow freelance writers in your area.

The main thing I want to convey is that if you choose to freelance, you have to think of yourself as an actual business. That’s what you are after all. It comes with a lot of freedom and extra responsibilities. So weigh your options carefully.

One more quick note:

Salary Ranges Are Tough to Nail Down

I’ve included an average salary range for each of the job descriptions below. These ranges are huge and the numbers are almost meaningless. I put them there because if I were you, I’d want to see them so I could at least get a sense of the income one might make from these different writing jobs.

But the standard salary for each job can vary widely depending on the size of the company hiring you and the cost of living in your (or their) area.

The income range gets massive when you add freelancers to the mix. A rookie freelance copywriter who’s just building their portfolio and client list might make $20,000 in a year. Meanwhile, an in-demand freelance writer could make well into six figures and out-earn an in-house copywriter.

So use the salary information I provide to get a general idea of what’s possible. For more concrete numbers, check out job listings in your area and talk to people who already do the kind of work you want to do.  

And what kind of work is that? Let’s decide! Here are a ton of ways you can make money as a writer.

Content Writing Jobs

Content is all the media that encourages consumers to engage with a brand—blogs, videos, social media, podcasts, you name it. Creative writers like you and I might prefer to think of those things as art, but in business-speak, it’s content.

And as a professional content writer, you’ll have to ride that line between creativity and capitalism. After some looking around, you should be able to find an employer or client who wants you to bring some creative vision to your work. But you’ll also have to care about which creative strategies get buyers to bite. 

More on that in a bit, though. For now, here are the most common content writing jobs.

Content Writer

A content writer focuses more on long-form writing that builds a relationship with the target audience. In other words, content writing is less about making a sales pitch and more about being helpful and conveying the brand’s personality.

Common content writing tasks include:

• Email newsletters
• Articles and blogs
• Case studies

Average Salary: $40,000-$70,000 per year

A copywriter is more involved with the kind of creative writing that says, “Hey, you should spend money on this.” They compose things like:

• Website copy
• Landing pages
• Print and online ads
• Sales emails
• Sales pages and mailers

In many businesses, the content writer and the copywriter are the same person. But if you freelance as a copywriter specializing in one specific area—sales emails, for example—get familiar with the other materials your client is putting out to make sure your sales copy builds on the relationship they're already building through content.

Average Salary: $60,000-$120,000 per year

Technical Writer

Technical writing is basically “how-to” writing. It includes:

• Instruction manuals
• Explainer video scripts
• White papers
• Spec sheets

Technical writing might be your jam if you’re great at grasping complex concepts and clarifying them for the rest of us. It’s truly a magical writing skill that involves simplifying and being thorough at the same time. 

If you can pull that off, it’s only a matter of time before you’re considered an irreplaceable rockstar in someone’s business.

Annual Salary: $60,000-$90,000 per year

Social Media Writer

You’ll sometimes see social media fall under the umbrella of content writing, but it’s also its own position in many businesses.

As you can probably guess, a great social media writer comes up with brilliant captions that engage audiences on social platforms. But there’s more to it than that.

To do this job well, you have to be on top of social media trends so you can jump on challenges and hashtags while they’re still fresh. You also need to understand which customer segments are more likely to be on which platforms and how to engage with them.

Depending on the size of the company you’re working with, there’s a good chance you’ll also have to come up with the visuals and create the videos that accompany your brilliant captions.

If you love social media, you’ll be in heaven. If you don’t, you probably won’t be able to fake it. 

Average Salary: $50,000-$80,000 per year

Journalism and Media Jobs

In this category of creative writing jobs, we’re looking at everything that has to do with news and mass communication.

I know. That includes a lot. So let’s get to it.

A journalist investigates, researches, and writes the news for print and/or online publications. That’s a tidy little sentence to describe a writing job that involves a lot of specialized skills and a strict code of ethics.

While journalism absolutely belongs under the heading of “creative writing careers,” it’s an area where you can’t get fast and loose with your creativity. Journalists are responsible for revealing the truth to the public. Ideally , they do this without guiding the reader’s opinion or embellishing actual events. 

The ability to compose engaging articles that inspire thoughtful questions without pushing an agenda is a remarkable skill in and of itself. Successful journalists also tend to be curious, driven, resourceful, and fast writers.

This is one of the few writing jobs where having a degree (usually in journalism) is relatively important, especially if you hope to work for a notable publication. 

Average Salary: $60,000-100,000 per year

Broadcast Writer

A broadcast writer prepares the news for television, radio, and online media. In other words, they take all the deets about what’s going on in the world and turn them into scripts to be read by news anchors.

Like a journalist, a broadcast writer faces the challenging task of conveying information in an unbiased way. They also need to be adept at writing pieces intended to be read aloud—scripts that flow naturally for the speaker and can be quickly understood by the audience. 

Much like journalists, broadcast writers must be able to work quickly, often under pressure. If you like the idea of being in front of the camera yourself, this creative writing career path can include conducting interviews, attending press conferences, and reporting the news.

Average Salary: $40,000-$100,000 per year

Scriptwriter

A scriptwriter is anyone who writes a script for a play, movie, radio show, podcast, video game, or television show. Scriptwriters who write plays are called playwrights, movie writers are more commonly called screenwriters, and television writers are best known as—get this—television writers.

Playwrights and screenwriters almost always work on a freelance basis. Much like traditionally published book authors, they work with a literary agent and are constantly trying to sell their next project.

Television authors also need representation, though they’re usually hired onto the writing staff of a TV show as an employee. There is such a thing as freelance television writing where a writer steps in to pen a single episode of a show, but this practice isn’t as common as it used to be.

All of these jobs have the potential to be deeply fulfilling for a creative writer. They come with fun challenges like learning how to tell a great story purely through visuals and dialogue. 

Keep in mind that—much like becoming a successful author—it takes a long time to build a solid career in this field. There are a lot of gatekeepers and frequent rejection .

Film, theater, and television are also much more collaborative art forms than book publishing. Whatever you write, you have to be prepared for producers, directors, set designers, sound designers, actors, and editors to put their fingerprints on it, too. It’s entirely possible that the end product will be quite different from what you imagined.

In other words, if you’re precious about your work, this might not be your field.

Average Salary: $40,000-$80,000 per year

Publishing and Editing Jobs

Feel like your true home is in the book world? Then you’re looking for something in publishing.

When we think about creative writing jobs in publishing, we usually think of authors first. After all, that’s the dream for a lot of creative writers. But it’s no secret that authorship comes with rejection, requires a ton of patience, and doesn’t always cover the bills.

The good news is, you can still build your career around books even if you’d prefer to pass on all the uncertainty that comes with being an author. This field has plenty of other opportunities to flex those creative writing skills.

But we’ll get to those in a moment. First, let’s look at the best-known writing job in publishing.

As I mentioned before, authors are almost always freelance writers. This means that whether you plan to publish traditionally or self-publish, you have to think of yourself as a business.

Publishing traditionally means working with a publishing house to release your book into the world. This process usually involves finding an agent who then pitches your book to publishers and negotiates a book deal for you. We have a guide to the entire process right here .

Self-publishing means you produce and market your book yourself. This publishing model has boomed in both popularity and earning potential in the past decade and change. You must have an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed on this publishing path, though. You can learn more about it here . 

Whichever path they choose, successful authors build platforms and a following through channels like social media , email newsletters, and speaking engagements. Those platforms help them develop relationships with readers, give them more visibility, and make them more appealing to publishers.

You also need to some degree of sales smarts, whether you self-publish and take on the full responsibility of marketing your book or you decide to publish traditionally, which requires creating a compelling book pitch that gets agents and publishers onboard.

Average Salary: I can’t even give you a range in good conscience. So many factors influence author earnings, and only a small percentage of authors make a living on books alone. I recommend checking out this article for a clearer understanding of what you can make as an author. 

As Doug can tell you , there are several kinds of editing you could do, including:

• Developmental editing
• Line editing
• Sensitivity reading
• Fact-checking

Each type of editing evaluates a different aspect of a written work. These options also allow you to zero in on your greatest strength as a creative writer. Are you the sultan of story structure ? You might be interested in developmental editing . Are you a research rockstar and a stickler for accuracy? Maybe fact-checking is for you. 

This is a job you can do as an employee of a publishing house or as a freelancer. If you go the freelance route, you’ll likely be working with a lot of indie authors.

Average Salary: $60,000-$80,000 per year

Copy Editor or Proofreader

Copy editors are magical beings who have the kind of superhuman focus that allows them to catch tiny issues like grammar errors, misspelled words, inconsistencies in story details, and the like.

It’s true that AI is getting better and better at catching these mistakes. That’s why Dabble uses ProWritingAid to power grammar, spelling, and style checks. It helps creative writers prepare a draft that isn’t utterly riddled with errors.

But at this moment in time, we still can’t count on AI to catch nuanced errors, recognize clever word play, or appreciate an author’s deliberate decision to shirk old grammar rules. We still need human eyes to do this job.

Often confused with a copy editor, a proofreader is the very last person to review a book, and they look for any and all errors. If there’s a missed typo, a messed up margin, or a wonky image, they’ll flag it. Think of them as quality control.

As you likely guessed, both jobs require you to be extremely detail oriented.

Average Salary: $50,000-$90,000 per year

Literary agent

You probably associate this career path with sales more than creative writing. But the literary agents who succeed are the ones who understand what makes a book great . 

This job is best suited for someone who’s ready to do a ton of reading and enjoys rubbing elbows. You can expect to spend plenty of time on the phone, in lunch meetings, at publishing events, and in pitch meetings. You have to be good at building relationships and love talking books. 

What many creative writers don’t realize about agents is that their job also involves giving feedback on current projects and helping their clients talk through new ideas. The advice of a good agent can mean the difference between a book deal and a manuscript that never graduates beyond PDF status. 

Keep in mind that it takes time to succeed in this career. As a literary agent, you’ll make 15% of what your authors earn from their books. Expect some lean years as you build your client list.

Average Salary: $50,000-$70,000 per year

Book Reviewer

As a creative writer, you’re probably great at explaining why books work. You have smart things to say about character development , plot structure, and pacing. And if you’re a fast reader—and would love to make reading part of your creative writing career—you’d probably enjoy being a book reviewer.

Book reviewers do exactly what you think they do: they review books. Many choose to specialize in a specific genre or two. Specializing can be an effective strategy when it comes to building a name for yourself and giving readers a reason to value your opinion. It’s a way of establishing yourself as a genre expert.

Just note that this isn’t an easy career to just plop into. While you can find job listings for book reviewers, there aren’t many of them. Most people who do this for a living start by writing reviews on a freelance basis or even for their own blog/social media platform.

As you build your portfolio and reputation, you can submit your reviews to other publications, monetize your own review website/podcast/vlog, or possibly land a job as an in-house reviewer for a magazine, newspaper, or online platform.

Average Salary: $20,000-$80,000 per year

We already covered what a copywriter is, so I won’t go too deep on the subject here. I just want to make sure you know that it’s possible to do copywriting work within the world of publishing.

Publishing houses have copywriters on staff to handle things like press releases, media kits, author bios, social media content, and marketing materials.

In this role, you’d be able to enjoy the stability of a marketing-focused creative writing job while still getting to think about books all day. Not too shabby.

Average Salary: $50,000-$120,000 per year

Advertising and Marketing Jobs

If you’re on the lookout for creative writing jobs that make your value as an employee easy to quantify, advertising is the place to be. 

The goal of all advertising is to persuade your audience to make a purchase or take some other action that benefits the business you work for. 

Modern technology makes it easier than ever to track the success of your ad copy and marketing campaigns, which means you often have access to numbers that demonstrate what the return on investment is when someone hires you.

Now, all this might sound very cold and business-y, but this is an area where creative writers thrive because your goal is the same as it would be if you were writing a novel or screenplay. You’re trying to find the best words to connect emotionally with your audience.

Not everyone can do that. You can.

Let’s take a closer look at the different ways you can do that.

Advertising Copywriter

Oh, look! We’re talking about copywriters again. Since we’ve already covered this, I’ll give the abbreviated explanation for the article skimmers.

An advertising copywriter writes copy (go figure) advertising a product or service to potential buyers. This includes anything that could potentially lead to a purchase, including:

• Marketing emails
• Print or online ads

Brand Strategist

If you already know what a brand strategist is, you might be surprised to see this position appear on a list of creative writing jobs. Brand strategists don’t write as much as they, well, strategize brands.

This person is responsible for conducting market research, analyzing trends, creating buyer avatars, planning campaigns, and overseeing the production of marketing materials. 

Depending on the size of the marketing team, a brand strategist might also write copy and content. But what makes this career a decent option for a creative writer is the storytelling aspect.

Brand strategists are responsible for translating the business’s message into a story that resonates with buyers. They also need to understand their consumer on a deeper level—a skill that comes more naturally to someone who’s spent time studying character development.

Creative Director

Much like a brand strategist, a creative director looks at the big picture of a company’s marketing efforts. What story is being told? How can they best use the creative resources available to tell that story in an emotionally compelling way?

The creative director leads all the creative professionals on a marketing team, including copywriters, designers, and social media content creators. They make sure everyone is on the same page, telling the same story and communicating the same message.

Average Salary: $120,000-$200,000 per year

Content Marketing Specialist

Remember when we talked about content writing? This is that, plus some added responsibility.

While a content writer is usually told what to write, a content marketing specialist is the person who decides what type of content will be most effective for the business. 

They strategize content like emails, blog posts, videos, and social media depending on which formats and messaging are most likely to help buyers connect with the brand. 

This person also selects the SEO and analytics tools to help them make sure their strategy is effective. They watch the results closely and regularly optimize their content marketing efforts to get better performance.

And yes, a content marketing specialist might also write some or all of the content themselves.

Skills Required for Creative Writing Jobs

I tried to give you some sense of the skills required to stand out in each of the creative writing jobs we just went over. 

Nevertheless, if you’ve found something that interests you, I strongly suggest researching it further and connecting with someone who’s already killing it in that field. Get a sense of what it means to excel and you’ll be in a good spot to pursue your creative writing career seriously.

If you’re still not sure where you want this journey to lead, no problem! Follow your curiosity and let yourself gravitate towards the work that excites you. In the meantime nurture the following skills essential for every creative writing career.

Writing Skills

Okay, so I’m not exactly dropping a bone-rattling truth bomb here. Of course you need strong writing skills to build a career as a creative writer. You know that. That said, some writers underestimate the importance of building on the skills they already have. 

This is an issue I think tends to plague young writers the most. We catch wind of the fact that we’re “good writers” from teachers and peers and get attached to the idea that a good writer is something we already are. Like inherently.

I know I wasted a lot of energy in my early adult years worrying about whether or not people thought I was a talented writer instead of working to continuously become a better writer.  Ongoing improvement is how you’ll stand out from the crowd, especially as you zero in on the type of creative writing you want to do. 

If you want to be a copywriter, find a mentor and start a course on copywriting. If you dream of being a bestselling author who makes a living from books alone, join a writing group, attend writing conferences, and download this free e-book on writing a novel that rocks.

Keep sharpening those writing skills, no matter how exceptional you already are.

Research and Analysis Skills

Research and analysis sounds like a skill set that only applies in marketing and technical writing. But in all creative writing jobs, research and analysis have the same goal: understanding what it takes to connect with an audience.

Now, if you become a screenwriter or a novelist, you might not pore over metrics the way you would if you were a brand strategist. What you will do (hopefully) is consume a ton of art in your genre to understand what works.

Constantly refresh your understanding of what speaks to readers, which trends are hot, and why current bestsellers are selling so well. It’s also important to stay on top of new developments in the publishing industry and strategize your career accordingly.

And if you plan to be a self-published author, your research and analysis skills will help you make important marketing decisions.                                                                                                                              

Creativity and Imagination

If there’s one area where you have a leg-up on AI, it’s this one. Everything AI creates comes from ideas and structures that already exist. As an adaptable, creative human being, you can find unique ways to express ideas that haven’t been explored before.

This skill is essential for all the creative writing jobs we’ve discussed. The best ad writers figure out how to write copy that stands out from the competition. Great editors help writers tap into their own original voices. Even in technical writing, imagination is crucial for finding new ways to simplify complicated topics.

Communication and Collaboration Skills

There are no writing jobs that allow you to compose brilliance alone in your cave and release it into the world with no input from anyone else. 

You have to be open to feedback, and in ultra-collaborative fields like screenwriting, you must be ready for the possibility that your vision won’t often be everyone’s top priority. (It hurts, I know.)

If you’re still working on building your collaboration skills, I can offer a few suggestions.

One is to make a habit of identifying what’s important to you about every project you work on. What’s motivating you? What are your goals? When you can answer those questions, you’ll be more confident gently pushing back on things you care about and more open to offering compromising when it comes to less important issues.

Another tip is to cultivate a genuine appreciation for what others can contribute. As a writer who regularly wrestles with a stubborn, foot-stomping ego, I often return to this interview with Dolly Parton for a reminder of the kind of artist I want to be—someone humble enough to celebrate when another person makes my good thing better.

And of course, working with people you respect helps boost that collaborative spirit, too.

Finally, clear communication is absolutely essential. Make sure you know what clients, employers, or team members expect from you. Also manage their expectations by being frank about your availability, timeline, and expertise.

Adaptability and Time Management

Most writing jobs involve deadlines and your reputation as a reliable writer hinges on your ability to meet those deadlines. That means you’ve got to get good at managing your time.

This can be especially difficult if you’re a freelance writer, because there’s no one dictating your schedule. There’s just today, a deadline in the future, and all this space in between that can be whatever you want it to be.

Time management takes practice, and a quick Google search will take you to loads of suggestions for making the process easier. You can try time blocking , the Pomodoro Technique , deep work strategies … test whatever you think will do the trick.

For me, the most effective method is to remember two things. First, I need to maintain my reputation as a reliable writer if I want to pay my rent and gradually increase my income. Second, I don’t want to be stuck at my desk when my husband comes home from work or friends are inviting me out on the weekend.

Those two limits help me draw time boundaries on that wide-open calendar and keep me motivated to stick to it.

Even as you create structure for yourself, however, you have to keep in mind that things might change. A client might shift direction. A project could fall through. You might find yourself partnering with a collaborator on something you thought would be a solo situation.

It’s important to know your own work boundaries so you don’t get walked on. But being adaptable (within reason) is also crucial for building positive, long-term professional relationships.

Industries That Hire Creative Writers

We’ve examined your professional opportunities by looking at the most common creative writing jobs. Now let’s take a look at them by industry.

If you’re already in the workforce, you might discover that there are writing jobs within your current industry—jobs you never even knew were there. If you’re in school pursuing something other than a creative writing major, you might discover that you can totally flex your wordsmith skills in your field of study.

And if you still have no idea how you want to put your talents to work, this list might help you uncover some less obvious job opportunities.

Entertainment Industry

You already know that the entertainment industry needs scriptwriters. You can probably guess that there’s a need for copywriters in those massive marketing departments, too. 

But there’s also song writing, video game writing, script reading/analysis, and script consulting. Every single thing you see on TV has a writer behind it—usually an entire writing staff —including award shows and reality television.

You can even get hired to rewrite or “punch-up” someone else’s script. 

Publishing and Journalism

We covered the big writing jobs in this industry earlier, so for now, I’ll just add this:

As technology advances, these creative writing careers are more accessible than ever. You develop specialized skills online, build your own platform, and publish your own work. It’s entirely possible to forge your own path in these industries that used to be heavily guarded by gatekeepers.

That’s not to say it’ll be easy to make a name for yourself, nor is it to say that I think everyone with a Wordpress account should feel free to market themselves as a journalist. 

What I mean to say is that if you want a career in these traditionally intimidating fields, there’s space for you. There are more ways than ever to learn what you need to learn and create what you want to create.

Advertising and Marketing

Again, we’ve talked about these writing jobs, so I’ll just tell you a quick story.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I took an improv class (it’s mandatory here) with a woman who was a freelance namer. That was her whole job. She named products for major companies and made a whole entire L.A. living doing it.

While I can’t help but wonder if AI has taken over her job yet, it’s an important reminder that writing skills are worth a lot in marketing. The right words are straight-up gold . 

Education and E-learning

Creative writing is a teachable skill. If you enjoy guiding others, teaching might be a solid career option for you. You could teach creative writing in a formal education environment (you’ll need a degree), at a local community center, or even online.

The education world also needs creative writers to put together written materials like textbooks, discussion guides, glossaries, and study guides. You could even write scripts for educational videos.

This is an area of creative writing that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but there’s an increasing demand for it. Not only do modern students turn to the Internet for information and homework help, the digital world has made self-directed learning easier than ever. You can find an online course for almost anything from auto repair to world literature. 

What’s great about this industry is that it allows you to combine your passion for creative writing with your interest in another subject. Plus, there’s the business about inspiring curious minds and all that.

Nonprofit Organizations

If you’re intrigued by the challenges of a job in marketing but want to feel like your work serves a greater purpose, consider writing for a nonprofit.

You’d be doing many of the same things you’d do for a for-profit business: email marketing, advertising, blogging, video creation, and the like. The goal is similar—you want to get the word out about the organization and create a positive association in people’s minds.

But there’s also a strong fundraising element, since that’s how a nonprofit stays afloat (and covers your paycheck). This means you can also expect to write grant proposals and oversee donor communications. 

You can do all of this as part of the team or on a contract basis. Grant writing in particular is a good option if you’re looking to set up shop as a freelance writer.

Corporate Communications

Corporate communications is an oversized novelty umbrella that covers a lot of stuff. Simply put, this term refers to the many ways a corporation communicates its mission, goals, successes, and functions to everyone. 

Seriously, everyone . The public, employees, shareholders, partners… every person who exists.

Now, if you work with a small startup, “corporate communications” could be your entire job. For larger companies, however, you’re more likely to work in a specific department. You might be on the marketing team or you could be responsible for internal communications like employee manuals and reports.

Bottom line: if you’re dreaming of a creative writing career in the corporate world, the job opportunities are definitely there.

Career Development and Education Options

You know what creative writing jobs are out there. You know what skills these different industries are looking for. What about education? What kind of training do you need in order to land the job and crush it?

It depends on the specific job as well as what kind of time and money you have to invest in your creative writing education. 

The good news is that you don’t have to rack up insane student loans in order to make a good living as a writer. There are certain positions where a degree is mandatory, but there are plenty of hiring managers who don’t care where you got your creative writing skills as long as you have them.

And it’s never been easier to find training as a writer. Let’s look at your options.

Degree Programs in Creative Writing

If you plan to get a four-year degree to boost your knowledge as a writer, you might be eyeballing a creative writing major. This area of study is most useful if you plan to become a fiction writer, screenwriter, poet, or the like.

If you’re mapping out a career that’s a little more predictable and a little less “artsy,” consider majors like journalism, communications, technical writing, or marketing.

Industries that are most likely to have a mandatory college degree requirement include journalism, academia, and large corporations or nonprofits.

If you plan to go into entertainment or work as a freelance writer, a formal education can help you develop essential skills. Although—real talk—many of those skills can be learned through the less expensive educational avenues we’re about to go over. 

Many folks who earned creative writing degrees will tell you that the biggest benefit of their program was the network it provided when they left college. That’s no small thing, but it’s also not what we think we’re going to college for. 

Writing Workshops and Online Courses

You can easily find live workshops, online courses, and writing groups to help you sharpen your skills or develop new ones. 

This option is a good compromise between a formal education and fully self-directed learning. There’s often a fee, but it’s tens of thousands of dollars less than you’d spend on a creative writing degree. There’s a structure to keep you on track but you don’t have to show up at a physical location multiple times a week for months at a time.

Whatever type of creative writing skill you want to work on, a quick Google search will help you find courses you can take. You can also search the course selection at sites like Coursera , Udemy , and Masterclass .

Finally, a lot of folks who sell online writing courses offer free webinars as a way to get you on their mailing list and pitch their full program. If you don’t feel like you have a clear enough goal to invest in an entire course, these webinars provide a great opportunity to pick up some basic insights and start practicing new skills.

Networking and Professional Associations

Look for networking events and professional associations specific to the field you wish to enter. You absorb so much information just by being around experts and peers, plus you’ll have access to seminars, boot camps, training programs, and more.

Many organizations also hold or participate in conferences. These conferences provide learning opportunities that not only sharpen your creative writing skills but also educate you about your chosen industry. If you don’t have the travel budget, you can attend many conferences online at a discount.

And don’t forget to build your own little network of creative writers! Even fiction-focused communities like Dabble’s Story Craft Café are full of writers who rely on more predictable writing work like copywriting and communications to pay their rent. These are great places to share information about building creative writing careers of all kinds.

Building a Portfolio and Gaining Experience

Finally, we learn best by doing. As you pick up new advice and information through your chosen educational channels, put that insight to work immediately.

Offer to write the press release for your cousin’s startup. Ask a strapped-for-cash nonprofit if they’d be interested in letting you write your first grant proposal on their behalf. Create a blog that allows you to showcase the kind of content you hope to one day get paid to write.

These things help you build a portfolio to show prospective clients or employers. They also give you an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, get feedback early, and discover the challenges that are unique to different writing jobs. 

The faster you experience those things, the faster you learn and the sooner you’re ready to make a living as a creative writer.

Writing is an in-demand skill. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you dream of paying your bills with your words—either as a full-time job or a side hustle—you absolutely can. It may take patience, diligence, and a lot of learning, but the work is out there.

The last bit of advice I’ll offer you is to find a community of writers who have your back. No one understands the journey like another writer. You can count on your network of fellow wordsmiths for moral support, job leads, feedback, and more.

If you’re still in the process of finding those friends, join us at the Story Craft Café—especially if fiction is part of your writerly aspirations. The community is free to join and a great place to talk craft, share your work, and stay productive with daily word sprints. Follow this link to get started.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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Writing Careers: 6 Jobs To Check Out

Updated: Jun 20, 2024, 10:41am

Key Takeaways

• Writing careers are a diverse field, encompassing fiction, poetry, screenwriting and a wide variety of nonfiction genres.
• A love of the written word can propel you to a career as a professional writer, editor or reporter. You can also pursue writing-heavy fields such as marketing and public relations.
• Along with top-notch communication skills, writers need strong abilities in areas such as time management, organization and research.
• Specializations for writing careers include travel writing, speech writing, content writing and copywriting.
• Professional organizations can provide support and networking opportunities to advance your writing career.

It was the spring of 1948, and Patricia Highsmith was 27 years old. The budding American author—still widely undiscovered, as her first novel would not be published until two years later—opened her diary and let an introspective question onto the page:

“Shall I be like those people without number who feel a destiny to write magnificent works one day?”

If you harbor dreams of a writing career like Highsmith did, perhaps you’ve asked yourself similar questions. “Is it possible for me to become a full-time writer? Are there any good jobs in writing to begin with?”

The short answer is yes. Writing is a diverse, wide-ranging field that opens doors to a large selection of career paths. As a writer, you can report for your local paper, craft ad copy or draft technical documentation for tech companies.

For what it’s worth, the answer was yes for Highsmith, too; she would ultimately go on to become one of the country’s most revered masters of the psychological thriller. But you don’t need to author spine-chilling crime scenes to make a career out of writing. Read on to discover six jobs that could kickstart your professional writing career.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• Over 3,868 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
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• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

What Is the Field of Writing?

Writing is the act of storytelling in pursuit of a specific purpose or goal. That purpose may be to inform, persuade, describe or simply inspire—it depends on the medium and the writer’s intent.

Because writing touches most every aspect of life as we know it, the options for pursuing a writing career are plentiful. Writers work in all kinds of industries, including science and technology, publishing and public relations, and marketing and advertising.

Careers in Writing

Writers assume a broad range of roles in various industries. Here are several examples of common writing careers. The below salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median Annual Salary: $75,020 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors read, revise and publish pieces of written work. They review texts for spelling and grammar errors, check for factual accuracy and offer their suggestions for strengthening stories. In some cases, editors may even determine whether an author’s submission—such as an opinion piece or a short story—will be featured in a publication.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $80,050 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers break down complex technical processes or products and explain them in clear terms. They create instruction manuals, brochures, how-to guides and articles, often for software and other tech products. Technical writers collaborate with other professionals—like hardware and software engineers —to gain a better understanding of how a product or digital service works for documentation. Medical writers, considered a subset of technical writers, apply these skills to the medical and healthcare fields.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,690 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Writers and authors develop various types of written content, including books, newspaper and magazine articles, film scripts and blog posts. They work closely with editors to craft well-written copy and drive compelling narratives. Some writers and authors work as full-time staff members; others work as freelance writers or contractors, contributing pieces to various clients or publications.

Median Annual Salary: $57,500 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Reporters keep the public informed about breaking news events and other current information. They research and pitch newsworthy stories, interview sources, write under tight deadlines and analyze data that might inform their reporting, such as court records or video camera surveillance. Some reporters work for newspapers and magazines. Others write and report for broadcast on radio or television.

Public Relations (PR) Specialist

Median Annual Salary: $66,750 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s in public relations or a related field Job Overview: Public relations specialists leverage their writing skills to influence public perception about their clients. They draft press releases and pitch stories to members of the media to spread positive awareness about the organizations or individuals they represent. PR specialists also craft messaging for social media to help maintain their clients’ image.

Marketing Manager

Median Annual Salary: $157,620 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field Job Overview: Marketing managers plan and execute marketing campaigns. They develop pricing strategies, monitor customer trends, and coordinate their marketing efforts with sales, advertising and public relations teams. Within this field, content marketing managers specialize in building their companies’ brands and reaching the public through content-based strategies such as blog posts, website content and white papers.

Key Skills for Writing Careers

Naturally, a successful writer needs strong written communication abilities, but several other skills will stand you in good stead as you pursue your writing career.

• Organization . Organizational skills apply not only to keeping track of your deadlines and tasks, but also to your writing itself. A good eye for organization can help you structure your writing effectively, support your points and lead your readers toward the conclusion or experience you’re aiming for.
• Research . Whether you’re a journalist, a technical writer, a content writer or a creative writer, getting the details right matters. Writers need excellent research skills to uncover pertinent information and background context on their subjects.
• Time management . The ability to manage your time effectively is particularly critical if you pursue a freelance writing career. The BLS reports that 62% of writers and authors are self-employed.
• Openness to feedback . While writing is often seen as a lonely occupation, in reality writers frequently collaborate with many other professionals. The ability to accept and respond to feedback can smooth your working relationships and improve your craft.
• Spelling and grammar . Contemporary digital tools mean that writers get some extra assistance in the proofreading process these days, but a computer program may not catch every error. A strong grasp of the nuts and bolts of English grammar and spelling is still essential.
• Creativity . Fiction authors are not the only writers who need to be creative. Even if you’re a technical writer composing a how-to guide or a journalist reporting on a city council meeting, a creative outlook can make your writing more engaging and relatable.

Writing Specializations

Many writers pursue specializations, focusing on a specific type of writing. Below are a few common options for writing specializations.

Travel Writing

Frequent jet-setters and lovers of language may consider making a career of travel writing. Travel writers write in various formats—including memoirs, journalistic articles, blogs and guides—to inform and inspire readers about popular destinations, hidden gems, local cuisines and global cultures.

Creative Writing

Creative writers use a blend of their imaginations and lived experiences to create works of poetry and prose, including both fiction and creative nonfiction. These writers leverage their expert wordsmithing abilities to invoke emotion and offer readers a unique perspective on the world through their works.

Speech Writing

Speech writers draft speeches for politicians, executives, public figures and other leaders. Speeches are often written with mechanics of the spoken word in mind, and speech writers must use compelling narratives to keep listeners engaged.

Copywriting

Ads, emails, websites, social media campaigns—these all require copy, and it’s up to copywriters to craft it in a way that captivates and converts audiences.

Content Writing

Content writers contribute to web-based publications like blogs and media websites. Also referred to as content marketing or content creation, content writing involves the use of storytelling principles and technical SEO to offer customers valuable information and build brand loyalty.

Screenwriting

Behind every film, play or show is a screenplay. And behind that screenplay is a writer (sometimes several) who drafts the characters, narrative arc, plot and setting that drive the story forward.

Professional Organizations for Writing

Many professional writing organizations exist to support writers in their careers. Here are a few examples.

American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)

ASJA is the country’s largest professional network of journalists, authors and freelance writers. Members benefit from career support, networking opportunities and workshops. To become a member, writers must have had clips published in national outlets or published works of nonfiction.

PEN America

PEN America advocates for the protection of free expression in literature and writing. The organization aims to defend writers, authors and journalists to ensure their rights to write freely without censorship.

Authors’ Guild

The Authors’ Guild is a professional organization for published writers. Its mission is to support working writers by creating community, defending freedom of expression and advocating for living wages for writers.

Mystery Writers of America (MWA)

MWA is an organization dedicated to the advancement of crime and mystery fiction authors. Alongside advocacy and community, MWA offers scholarships, literacy programs and conferences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Writing Careers

What writing careers are there.

Writing careers are diverse in nature. Some examples of careers in writing include copywriting, screenwriting, content marketing and journalism, to name a few.

What career should I do if I like writing?

If you’ve already established that you’d like to incorporate writing in your career, ask yourself next: What kind of writing interests me? If you’re excited about exploring remote areas of the world and logging your findings, travel journalism might be right for you. Maybe you’re interested in making software more accessible to all; technical writing could be in your wheelhouse.

Is writing a high-paying job?

Writing can certainly be a lucrative career path, depending on your chosen field. According to the BLS, technical writers make a median annual salary of over $78,000. Marketing managers—who use writing extensively throughout their careers—make a median of $140,040 per year.

Are writing jobs in demand?

Demand varies depending on what kind of writing job you pursue. While the BLS projects jobs in journalism to decline by 3% from 2022 to 2032, and editors are projected to see a 4% employment drop, other writing-heavy careers are holding steady or increasing. For example, the BLS projects a 4% job growth rate (about average) for writers and authors as a whole, along with faster-than-average growth for technical writers, PR specialists and marketing managers.

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Cecilia is a freelance writer, content marketing strategist and author covering education, technology and energy. She is a current contributor to the Forbes Advisor education vertical and holds a summa cum laude journalism degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Creative Writing Careers: Exploring Future Prospects for Aspiring Writers

In a world where technology continues to evolve, and traditional job roles are being redefined, creative writing careers have emerged as exciting and viable options for individuals with a passion for words. Gone are the days when writing was solely confined to the realm of literature or journalism. Today, the demand for skilled writers extends across various industries, offering a plethora of opportunities for those seeking a career in writing. In this blog post, we will delve into the diverse career prospects available to future writers and explore how this field continues to evolve in the digital age.

1. Content Creation and Copywriting: 

As the digital landscape expands exponentially, the need for engaging and persuasive content has never been greater. Companies, both large and small, are constantly in search of skilled writers to create compelling content for their websites, blogs, social media platforms, and marketing campaigns. A content creation and copywriting career allows writers to showcase their creativity while delivering impactful messages to target audiences.

2. Editing and Publishing: 

Behind every great writer is an equally great editor. The publishing industry relies heavily on professionals with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of language and grammar. Whether it's working for a publishing house, literary agency , or as a freelance editor, there are ample opportunities for aspiring writers to embark on a career path that involves refining and polishing the work of others.

3. Technical Writing and Documentation: 

Technical writing is a specialized field that involves translating complex concepts into clear and concise language. Software development, engineering, and healthcare industries require skilled technical writers to create user manuals, product documentation, and instructional guides. This career path blends writing with a strong understanding of technical subjects, making it an excellent option for those who enjoy both writing and problem-solving.

4. Journalism and Freelance Writing: 

While the rise of digital media has disrupted traditional journalism, it has opened up new avenues for writers to share their perspectives and expertise. Journalists now leverage online platforms, such as blogs and independent publications, to report on various topics and directly engage with their audiences. Additionally, freelance writing offers the flexibility to work on diverse projects, ranging from feature articles to ghostwriting books, enabling writers to build a versatile portfolio.

5. Teaching and Writing Education:

For writers who have a passion for sharing their knowledge and nurturing the next generation of wordsmiths, a career in teaching or writing education can be immensely rewarding. Many universities and educational institutions offer creative writing programs where experienced writers can serve as mentors and instructors. Moreover, online platforms and workshops allow writers to create their own courses and share their expertise with a global audience.

The realm of creative writing careers has expanded significantly in recent years, offering aspiring writers a range of exciting prospects. From content creation and copywriting to editing, technical writing, journalism, and teaching, the opportunities in this field are diverse and ever-evolving. With the advent of the digital age, writers have found new platforms to express their creativity and connect with audiences worldwide. Whether you dream of becoming a novelist, a blogger, or a copywriter for a major brand, the path to a fulfilling writing career is within reach. Embrace your passion, hone your skills , and seize the opportunities that lie ahead as a future writer. For more ideas, check out The Big List of Careers for Writers .

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Creative Writing Jobs – What You Can Do with a Creative Writing Degree

A creative writing degree opens many doors, but which one is right for you?

Creative writing skills are highly sought after in various industries. From publishing to advertising, and academia to digital media, the creative writing jobs you can venture into are numerous. Let’s take a closer look at some of these options – we’re pretty sure you’ll easily identify at least one that suits your writing style and personality.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an artistic process, one that involves the expression of thoughts, feelings, and emotions, rather than just presenting the facts.

It includes multiple genres such as:

• scriptwriting
• creative non-fiction

Creative writing is often characterized by its imaginative narratives and expressive language, aiming to captivate the reader and evoke emotion. For a deeper understanding of creative writing, you can visit our article on what is creative writing .

Skills Acquired from a Creative Writing Degree

A creative writing degree goes beyond just teaching you how to write creatively. It equips you with a variety of skills that can be applied in multiple industries. Here are some of the key skills you can acquire:

• Writing Skills: A creative writing degree naturally enhances your writing ability, teaching you how to construct engaging narratives, develop characters, and create vivid descriptions.
• Critical Thinking: Creative writing encourages you to think outside the box and approach problems in unconventional ways. This fosters critical thinking skills, enabling you to analyze situations from different perspectives.
• Research Skills: Whether you’re writing a historical fiction novel or a science fiction screenplay, research is a crucial part of the process. A creative writing degree helps hone your research skills, teaching you how to gather information effectively.
• Communication Skills: Through creative writing, you learn how to communicate ideas effectively and articulate thoughts clearly, skills that are valuable in any profession.
• Time Management: Writing projects often come with deadlines. Balancing creativity with discipline helps improve your time management skills.

These skills make creative writing graduates highly employable in various fields. From creative writing jobs in publishing and digital media to opportunities in academia and freelance writing, the scope is vast. This makes a creative writing degree a valuable asset, providing a strong foundation for a diverse range of careers.

For more on the value of a creative writing degree, check out our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Types of Creative Writing Jobs

A degree in creative writing opens up a plethora of opportunities in various fields. Let’s delve into the various creative writing jobs that you can pursue with such a degree.

Being a novelist is one of the most recognized roles in the realm of creative writing. A novelist crafts fictional stories, often drawing on their imagination, life experiences, and observations of the world around them. This role requires a deep understanding of character development, plot construction, and narrative techniques. A degree in creative writing fine-tunes these skills, thus providing a solid foundation for aspiring novelists.

Screenwriter

A screenwriter creates scripts for television shows, movies, and web series. This form of writing requires a unique skill set, including the ability to write dialogue and stage directions , and the capacity to visualize scenes in a way that can be translated to the screen. Screenwriters often work closely with directors, producers, and actors to bring their scripts to life. A creative writing degree can provide the foundational skills needed to excel in this field.

Poetry is an art form that requires a keen understanding of language, rhythm, and imagery . Poets often express their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on various topics through their work. They may publish their poems in literary magazines, anthologies, or self-published collections . A creative writing degree can enhance a poet’s ability to manipulate language and craft evocative pieces of work.

A copywriter creates compelling and persuasive text for advertising and marketing campaigns. They write content for a wide range of mediums, including websites, brochures, emails, and social media posts . The goal of a copywriter is to engage readers and motivate them to take a specific action , such as purchasing a product or signing up for a service. A degree in creative writing can help develop the creativity and persuasive skills necessary for this role.

Content Marketer

Content marketers create valuable content to attract, engage, and retain an audience , with the ultimate goal of driving profitable customer action. They produce a wide range of content types, including blog posts, articles, white papers, and social media posts. A creative writing degree can provide the storytelling skills needed to create engaging content that resonates with audiences.

These are just a few examples of the many creative writing jobs that are available for those with a degree in this field. Whether you’re interested in crafting fictional stories, writing for the screen, expressing yourself through poetry, or creating persuasive advertising copy, a creative writing degree can provide the skills and knowledge needed to excel in these roles.

To learn more about the value of a creative writing degree, visit our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Creative Writing in Publishing

The publishing industry offers a range of opportunities for individuals with a creative writing degree. Let’s delve into two prominent creative writing jobs in publishing: Literary Agent and Editor .

The Role of a Literary Agent

Literary agents play a crucial role in the publishing world. They act as intermediaries between authors and publishing houses , negotiating contracts and ensuring that the author’s work reaches the right audience. A literary agent needs to have a keen eye for compelling narratives, a strong understanding of the market, and excellent negotiation skills.

A degree in creative writing can provide a solid foundation for this role, equipping individuals with the ability to evaluate and critique a wide range of literary works.

Working as an Editor

An editor is another key player in the publishing industry. Editors work closely with authors to refine their work and prepare it for publication. This process can involve:

• correcting grammar and punctuation
• restructuring content for better flow
• providing feedback to improve the quality of the work

Much like a literary agent, an editor needs to have a strong understanding of narrative structure and a knack for spotting errors. A creative writing degree can help develop these skills, fostering a deep understanding of storytelling techniques and attention to detail.

Both of these roles are integral to the publishing process , helping to bring an author’s vision to life and sharing it with readers worldwide. Whether you’re interested in becoming a literary agent or working as an editor, a creative writing degree can provide the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in these roles.

If you’re considering pursuing such a degree, our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it provides valuable insights.

Creative Writing in the Digital World

In the modern age, the digital world offers a plethora of opportunities for those with a creative writing degree. This digital landscape allows writers to venture into different styles and platforms, expanding the scope of creative writing jobs . Let’s delve into three aspects.

Blogging is a popular outlet for creative writers. It allows them to express their thoughts, share their knowledge, and engage with a global audience. With a blog, they can write about any subject they are passionate about, from travel and lifestyle to technical topics and personal experiences.

A creative writing degree equips individuals with the skills to create compelling content , develop engaging narratives, and use language effectively to capture the reader’s attention. Blogging also offers the opportunity to write in a less formal tone , which can be a refreshing contrast to more structured forms of writing.

For more insights into the world of creative writing, check out our article on what is creative writing .

Social Media Writing

Social media platforms have become a powerful medium for storytelling and communication. Creative writers can leverage these platforms to showcase their skills, engage with audiences , and even promote their own work.

Writing for social media requires a unique blend of creativity and brevity , as most platforms limit the length of posts. This can be an exciting challenge for creative writers as they must convey their message in a concise yet impactful way.

Those interested in inspiring others to pursue writing can find tips in our article on how to teach creative writing .

SEO Writing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) writing is another area where creative writers can excel. SEO writing involves creating content that ranks well in search engine results , making it more visible to online users. This requires not only engaging writing but also an understanding of keywords, meta descriptions, and search engine algorithms.

While it may seem technical, SEO writing still allows for creativity. Writers must create content that is both SEO-friendly and engaging for readers, striking a balance between readability and search engine visibility .

For those considering a creative writing degree, our article is a degree in creative writing worth it provides a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges involved.

In the digital world, the possibilities for creative writers are vast and varied. From blogging and social media writing to SEO writing, there are numerous ways to apply creative writing skills and carve out a successful career in the digital sphere.

Creative Writing in Academia

The field of academia offers a plethora of opportunities for individuals with a degree in creative writing. From teaching creative writing to conducting research in this area, the academic world can be a rewarding path for those looking for creative writing jobs .

Teaching Creative Writing

One of the most fulfilling roles in academia for those with a creative writing degree is teaching.

As a creative writing teacher, one can:

• impart essential writing skills
• inspire creativity
• help students discover their unique voices

Creative writing teachers can find work in various settings , including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities. They might also lead workshops in community centers or offer private lessons. Their duties typically include developing lesson plans, providing feedback on student work, and fostering a supportive learning environment .

For more on how to inspire young minds through creative writing, see our article on creative writing activities for kids . If you’re considering teaching creative writing, our guide on how to teach creative writing offers valuable insights.

Research in Creative Writing

Another academic route for those with a creative writing degree is research. Creative writing researchers delve into various aspects of writing, exploring themes such as storytelling techniques, narrative structures, character development , and the role of creativity in writing.

Research in creative writing can lead to new insights into how stories are crafted and understood, contributing to the broader field of literary studies. Researchers may present their findings at conferences, publish them in academic journals, or use them to inform their teaching practices.

The world of academia offers a rich and rewarding path for creative writers, providing opportunities to inspire the next generation of writers and contribute to the understanding of creative writing as an academic discipline .

As you consider your path, remember that the skills acquired through a creative writing degree can open many doors. For more on the value of such a degree, see our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Exploring Freelance Opportunities

The versatility of a creative writing degree opens up a world of freelance opportunities. Writers can lend their talents to a variety of sectors, allowing for creative expression and the freedom to choose projects that align with their interests and strengths. Among the popular freelance creative writing jobs are freelance writing and ghostwriting , scriptwriting for theatre and radio , and speechwriting .

Freelance Writing and Ghostwriting

Freelance writing provides the flexibility to work on a variety of projects across different platforms. It can involve writing articles, blog posts, reports, or even books . Ghostwriting, a subset of freelance writing, entails writing on behalf of someone else. The ghostwriter’s work is officially credited to another person . This is common in the world of book publishing, where many prominent figures hire ghostwriters to pen their memoirs or novels.

Freelance and ghostwriting involve a high degree of creativity, the ability to adapt to different writing styles, and the capacity to work to tight deadlines. For more insights on the nature of creative writing, visit our article on what is creative writing .

Scriptwriting for Theatre and Radio

Scriptwriting for theatre and radio is another viable option for creative writers. This involves writing dialogues and narratives to be performed on stage or broadcast on radio . It requires a deep understanding of character development, plot structure, and dramatic tension. Additionally, scriptwriters need to keep in mind the auditory and visual elements that can enhance the performance.

Scriptwriting can be a collaborative process , with the writer working closely with directors, actors, and sound designers to bring the script to life. This requires strong teamwork skills and the ability to accept and incorporate feedback.

Speechwriting

Speechwriting involves crafting speeches for individuals in various sectors such as politics, business, or entertainment. A speechwriter must be able to capture the speaker’s voice and convey their message in a compelling and engaging manner. This requires a strong understanding of rhetoric, audience analysis, and persuasive writing techniques.

In addition to writing the speech, the writer may also need to assist the speaker in rehearsing and delivering the speech effectively. This can involve coaching the speaker on pacing, intonation, and body language to ensure a successful delivery.

Freelance creative writing jobs offer a wealth of opportunities for writers to apply their skills in diverse and exciting ways. Whether you’re crafting articles as a freelance writer, weaving narratives as a scriptwriter, or shaping public discourse as a speechwriter, each role offers unique challenges and rewards.

For more insights into the world of creative writing, check out our articles on creative writing prompts and creative writing activities for kids .

Tips for Landing Creative Writing Jobs

When it comes to securing creative writing jobs , there are several strategies that can help you stand out from the crowd and showcase your unique skills. The following sections will discuss the importance of building a portfolio, networking, and constantly improving your craft.

Building a Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your writing skills and range. It can include:

• short stories

When creating your portfolio, it’s important to include a variety of pieces that demonstrate your versatility . Be sure to highlight your best work and examples that show your ability to write in different styles and genres.

A strong portfolio can be an excellent tool for showing prospective employers what you can offer . It can be especially useful for those seeking creative writing jobs, where the quality and creativity of your work can be a deciding factor.

Editor’s Note : To add credibility to your portfolio, aim to get published, either in print or online. This might entail crafting content for free for reputable sites, but having your name against a published piece of work signals that you’re a serious and capable writer to future clients.

Networking and Making Connections

Networking is another important aspect of landing creative writing jobs. This involves making connections with other writers, editors, publishers , and anyone else in the industry who can provide opportunities or valuable advice.

Joining writing groups, attending literary events, and participating in online writing communities can all provide excellent networking opportunities. These activities can:

• help you meet like-minded individuals
• learn about job openings
• gain insights into the industry

Don’t underestimate the value of personal relationships in the world of creative writing . Many job opportunities come from word-of-mouth referrals, so the more people you know in the industry, the better. If you’re interested in learning more about the value of a creative writing degree, you can read our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Constantly Improving Your Craft

To be successful in any creative field, you must be dedicated to constantly improving your craft. This means regularly writing, reading, and seeking out new ways to improve your skills.

Consider participating in writing exercises or prompts to challenge yourself and explore new genres or writing styles. Our list of creative writing prompts can help inspire new ideas and push your writing boundaries.

Additionally, seeking feedback from others can be invaluable for growth. Share your work with others and be open to constructive criticism. This can help you identify any areas of weakness in your writing and give you the opportunity to improve.

Finally, don’t forget to keep reading . Reading a wide variety of literature can expose you to different writing styles, techniques, and perspectives that can inspire and influence your own work.

Remember, the path to securing creative writing jobs often involves a combination of talent, perseverance, and strategic career moves. By building a strong portfolio, networking with others in the industry, and continually working to improve your craft, you can increase your chances of landing a job that allows you to make a living doing what you love.

What Kind of Creative Writer are You?

Be sure to choose a path that aligns with your personality and your writing style – this will ensure the maximum job satisfaction possible. You want to enjoy your writing, whether it’s detailed research papers or fashion blog posts – your best writing will reflect your passion and love of words.

Stay true to yourself, keep writing, and find a way to share your world’s with the world – it’s a journey you don’t want to miss out on!

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

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62 Types Of Writing Jobs And Careers for Writers

Looking for work as a writer? Today we look at 62 writing jobs, business opportunities and careers for writers that many people don’t even realize exist within the industry.

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Have you ever wondered how many different types of writing jobs and careers there are? Probably a lot more than you think!

While there are many obvious writing jobs, such as writing articles or books for print or digital media, there are a lot of writing opportunities in industries you may have never even considered, such as the video game industry, healthcare, science, security, entertainment and even the government.

Next time someone tells you that you can’t make money writing or tells you that writing isn’t a “real job”, you can send them to this list because these are legit writing jobs anyone who loves to write can consider either as full-time work or a side hustle.

Without further ado, here are 62 writing jobs and business opportunities you can explore:

1. Academic writing

Also known as “scholarly writing”, this involves producing nonfiction text as part of an academic pursuit. It could be a report on fieldwork or research, scholarly or undergraduate analysis, proposals, or archive interpretations.

2. Advertising and Advertorial Writing  

This type of writing involves producing content that encourages customers to purchase products or services. They are typically commissioned by the company selling these products and services.

Creating advertorials involves writing or producing advertisements in a content-based editorial form. Most advertorials are disguised as opinion or informational articles but include a pitch for a product or service.

The history of advertorial writing dates back to the 19th century, with legislation actually being passed in 1914 to regulate that these types of articles were clearly marked as sponsored as they easily confused consumers.

It’s a highly effective method of advertising and is still very much used and in-demand today.

In addition to advertorials, many companies and brands need advertising copy, whether it is for commercials, online ads or print advertisements which makes this a great writing career opportunity in marketing.

3. Annual report writing

Annual reports are written communications from public companies to their shareholders. These typically detail the current state of the business, its budget, personnel changes, and other information. 

4. Article writing

When we think of writing jobs, article writing is probably the first one that comes to mind. Articles are non-fiction pieces that are commonly published in print and online publication, including news sites, newspapers, and magazines.

Many websites need article writers, but you can also submit articles to print magazines and other publications.

Long-form article writing is often in demand and involves writing pieces that range from 1,000 to 7,500 words. They usually cover complex subjects with plenty of detailed information that will be valuable to specific audiences.  

Magazine article writing involves producing content for periodic publications. These publications may be print or digital, and usually focus on a specialized field, subject, or audience. 

See our tips on how to start freelance writing to learn more about article writing as a career opportunity.

5. B2B writing

B2B or “business to business” writing consists of articles, emails, brochures and white papers within an industry.

They are typically used by companies to sell products and services to other companies and often combine journalism, advertising, and technical writing.

6. Blog outreach

Blogger outreach writing involves establishing relationships and communicating strategically with publishers and influencers. This is usually done for SEO and content marketing, to build backlinks, promote content, and secure guest posting opportunities.

7. Blogging

Blogging involves producing content for a specific audience. It may be done for business or personal expression, to instruct, and educate, or to share news and information. 

You can either start your own blog or you can write for established blogs – many bloggers outsource their writing, especially as a blog grows in popularity!

8. Writing Books and Novels

Book writing encompasses a wide variety of different subjects and includes both print books and ebooks. They can be instructional guides, biographies, historical accounts, fiction or non-fiction.

Books can be self-published, published with a traditional publisher or even commissioned and paid with a one-time fee.

Fiction books are often novels or compilations of short stories. If you like to write fiction, develop characters and have a good idea for a strong novel plot, writing fiction novels or short stories can be very lucrative! This type of writing encompasses several genres, including mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime stories, and more.

Non-Fiction books are often instructional, reference, or biographic in nature and can also be a very good source of income for writers, especially if you have an interest in a specific niche or experience in a field.

9. Business plan writing

Business plans detail a company’s objectives and strategies for the immediate or long-term future. They can be used to entice new investors or apply for loans and government assistance. 

Many people need help with writing a business plan, especially when their company is in the start up phase or they are seeking investors or financing. You can create your own business writing business plans for small businesses and startups, or you can find work with online business plan companies to create business plans for their clients.

10. Case studies writer

Case studies are often used to establish a particular brand as an authority in its niche. They may also be used to formulate strategies for solving a particular problem or converting leads into customers.

You can often find work as someone who creates and puts together case studies with companies who offer business-to-business products and software solutions.

11. Columnist

Columnists are writers who produce recurring written pieces or articles for newspapers, magazines, or other publications. These columns are often syndicated, and popular newspaper columnists included Dave Barry and Ann Landers.

This is a good type of writing job because it is steady work and can often lead to other opportunities to make money as a writer such as speaking gigs, book deals and even merchandising.

12. Comic Writer

We don’t often think of cartoons and comics as literary works, but they are! Just because comics may have less words that a novel doesn’t mean the same craft and attention much

While not nearly as many people read comics as they used to, they still enjoy them in other forms, especially online, in film, and in books. Comics are also often great sources to be adapted into films and movies and provide countless opportunities to writers in merchandising and licensing.

Examples of famous comic writers include Charles Shultz of the Peanuts Gang, Gary Larson of Far Side and more recently online comics The Oatmeal by Matthew Inman and Poorly Drawn Lines .

13. Copywriting

Not to be confused with copyrighting, Copywriting involves producing text content for ad campaigns, brochures, and promotional materials. Copywriters craft words that sell and their work often overlaps with other types of writing jobs in this list.

Larger companies may maintain a staff of copywriters fulltime, while smaller firms may hire freelancers as needed.  

Corporate copywriting involves producing brochures, promotional materials, company manuals, and more. The job requires familiarity with business writing and corporate practices and policies. 

Marketing copywriters deliver a brand’s message clearly and concisely while maintaining that brand’s tone or identity. The content they produce usually appears on sales pages, online and print ads, and television spots.

14. Courses and Online Class Writers

Online learning has created a whole new industry of course writers, from creating courses on sites like Udemy , Teachable, and Skillshare and others.

You can either write and sell your own course or you can also find many opportunities to write and create courses for other brands and companies as a for-hire or even salaried position.

15. Curriculum writer

Similar to course writing but more educational-market focused, Curriculum writing involves developing lessons, instructional materials, and academic activities for classroom use. Writers may also review existing materials and revise them to conform to current guidelines and standards. 

As a curriculum writer, you can find work with many online educational institutions and textbook publishers, but many educators looking for side income have found sites like TeachersPayTeachers.com and others can be equally lucrative.

16. Cybersecurity writer

Cybersecurity writing involves the creation of manuals, security policies, and strategy plans for security processes and protocols.

Writers should be able to translate and communicate complex cybersecurity concepts into language that the intended audiences can understand.

17. Ecommerce writing

Ecommerce writing involves generating copy that online stores use for product and landing pages and sales campaigns. The primary objectives are to engage customers, promote the company’s products, and get the site’s pages to rank highly on Google. 

This type of writing job can sometimes overlap with the duties of copywriting as well as catalog and product description writing, especially in the case where a manufacturing company may have both direct and online sales platforms.

18. Editing/Revision/Proofreading

Editing involves analyzing text and ensuring that it flows smoothly and serves its purpose. Revision ensures that a particular piece conforms to its purpose and is structured logically. Proofreading involves identifying and correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors in the text.

19. Email Marketing

Email marketing and copywriting involves writing emails to existing or prospective customers, the objective of which is to encourage them to take a specific action. This could include signing up for a service, reading a blog post, or even just replying to the email.

There are also many writers who have built lucrative careers around writing emails, such as Kate Doster who coaches others to craft compelling emails to engage with their audience.

20. Essay writing

Essay writing is the creation of written pieces that may be articles, opinion pieces, or short stories. They are often written in discursive style, combining ideas, evidence, and arguments to address particular problems or questions.

Opinion writers at newspapers and online magazines often write essays, and collections of essays are also often published in compilations.

There are also many marketplaces where you can write and sell your essays.

21. Frequently Asked Questions and Knowledge Base Writers

FAQ writing involves coming up answers to frequently asked questions by a particular audiences. They may be technical guides or be fairly simple “question-and-answer” pieces.

You can often find these types of writing jobs with companies and brands to create tutorials and informational guides about the products and softwares they offer.

22. Game Narrative Writing

Game narrative writing involves the creation of spoken or written accounts of an in-game story. They usually combine storytelling, player interaction, and even music and imagery to represent events that occur in the game.

If you enjoy gaming and are already developing characters, plots and settings for RPG games, game narrative writing can be a very fun writing job that many people don’t realize exists!

23. Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting is the act of writing a book or article that is credited to someone else. The writer is typically paid a one-time fee for producing the work, and receives no further compensation. 

Many celebrities employ ghostwriters to write their biographies or self-help books, but even regular people employ ghostwriters when they have an idea for a book but aren’t sure how to actually put into their own words.

24. Gift Guide Writing Jobs

Writing gift guides involves compiling products that you recommend to your audience. They are usually tailored to a specific audience or event, making it easier for customers to choose which products to purchase.

Whether you read print or online magazines or blogs, you will definitely encounter a lot of examples of gift guides!

25. Grant writing

Grant writing involves researching and writing proposals for non-profits, with the goal of helping them receive funding from government agencies. Apart from writing the proposal, writers are also expected to follow up queries with the funding organization. 

While this is a very technical type of writing job that requires a lot of education and research, it can pay well and be very fulfilling in knowing you help non-profits and other organizations source funding.

26. Greeting card writing

Greeting card writing involves creating the text that appears on greeting cards. Some writers work on a salary for a greeting card company, while others work as freelancers for different firms and are paid per project.

Other writers may even produce their own line of greeting cards and sell them through Etsy or their own online shops.

27. Guest post writing

Guest blogging involves writing content that appears on another blogger’s site. Guest bloggers typically write for blogs in the same niche they are in, with the goal of attracting traffic to their own site or boosting their domain’s authority via external links.

More and more online publishers are starting to outsource guest posting, which means that writers are often hired and paid anywhere between 2 cents to 10 cents a word to produce the content that is posted as guest blogs.

28. Horoscope Writing

Horoscopes are often viewed as a form of entertainment writing, although most horoscope writers for magazines and online websites do possess some formal training and experience in astrology.

You can find work writing horoscopes for many magazines and newspapers, as well as other online publications. Most horoscope writing professionals combine astrological charting software with a fun and upbeat writing style.

29. Investigative Journalism

Investigative journalism and reporting is an exciting but sometimes risky writing career where the writer is a bit of a detective in finding true information about a topic.

Investigative journalists often report on crimes as well as write about consumer and social justice issues.

This form of writing must be free of bias and include evidence as well as an explanation of how the presented conclusions were reached. 

The most famous example of investigative writing are reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who unearthed Nixon’s scandals during his presidency.

30. Joke writing

Joke writing is the creation of short, humorous pieces that end with a punch line based on irony, a pun, or even simply nonsense. It usually follows a narrative structure, with tension building up toward the end. 

There are also many types of jokes one can write, whether its knock-knock jokes, one-liners, ancedotes or even some slapstick. As a joke writer, you could become a professional stand-up comedian, or you could even publish books of jokes or overlap into greeting card writing and other markets.

31. Legal writing

There are endless opportunities for writing careers in the field of law, from drafting contracts, generating content for legal sites, writing legal briefs, research papers, communications for clients and more.

Legal writing often requires formal training and education, but there are many levels where legal writers are needed and one can often get started as a paralegal or working as an assistant for an attorney.

32. Letter writing

The art of letter writing dates back for centuries and while many people assume no one writes letters anymore in today’s world of instant messaging and email, the truth is letters are still needed for a number of things all the time.

Business letters are the most commercially viable form of letter writing as a job and involves creating business correspondence from one organization to another. They are typically written in a formal tone and may be requests for information or a specific action. 

However, today many people also seek letter writing services for personal reasons, whether they want someone to write letters to their friends or family for special events, such as a love letter for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary or a Christmas letter.

33. Lyrics and Songwriting

Writing lyrics and songwriting is a type of writing job that can be lucrative as well as fulfilling, especially if you enjoy writing lyrics and story telling. Songwriters typically earn from royalties or they can be employed in-house by record companies.

While songwriting will be a lot easier if you have some basic musical knowledge or can play an instrument, many lyricists have found that they can often outsource these tasks to session musicians or partner with someone else.

If you have been looking into ways to make money writing poetry , songwriting is definitely a writing niche you should explore!

34. Medical writing

Medical writing combines the creativity and language skills of conventional writing with medical knowledge and expertise.

The health care industry requires written content in many different forms, whether its through writing for medical information sites or writing for hospitals, insurance companies, drug manufacturers and about healthcare equipment products.

There are thousands of different niches within the medical industry, so if you have any experience related to the medical field you are sure to find some type of writing work here for you!

35. Memoir Writing and Personal History Writers

A memoir is a type of narrative biography where one writes about their life. While memoirs are traditionally wrote in the first-person, there are millions of people who have memoir-worthy lives who aren’t necessarily great writers but still want their stories told.

Personal history writers are also high in demand, as many people often want to document the lives of the people in their families.

This is a fascinating writing career and business opportunity to explore if you enjoy history, talking with people, and documenting memorable events in life.

If you are interested in pursuing this further as a career, The Life Story Coach is a great resource to get started – and you’ll be pleasantly surprised that this can be a very well-paying writing job to explore!

36. News Reporting and Journalism

News writing involves producing reports for online and print news organizations. Writers may be expected to write about current events or search for interesting subjects to write about. 

Journalists report and write non-fiction pieces on news and current events. This type of writing is commonly used in print and online articles, television and radio news programs, and news sites.

There is a specific style in writing as a journalist and many colleges offer journalism majors. If you like researching news and being involved in your community, journalism provides steady work and many other opportunities to earn money as a writer.

37. Newsletter writing

Newsletter writing involves producing content that builds connections with customers, shares news, generates brand awareness, drives traffic, and increase sales. Newsletters can also be used to inform and educate audiences and establish brand authority. 

Writing newsletters can often be combined with advertorial content, copywriting, and email marketing and can be in print or digital format. The first place to look for newsletter writing jobs is with brands and organizations you are interested in that need a newsletter.

38. Niche industry writing

This involves creating content for a specific niche or audience. Writers are expected to have knowledge or experience in the subject they write about. 

Niche industry writing is an excellent opportunity for those who have experience in a field and are looking to supplement their retirement income or earn some side income.

As more and more companies and publishers look to establish authority and trust amongst consumers, writers with doctoral and masters degrees in psychology, nutrition, health, science, technology, education and other professional fields are in high demand.

39. Non-profit writing

Not to be confused with writing for free, as a non-profit writer your job would be to write the content and communications for non-profit organizations.

You may be involved in the work of writing grants and proposals, or creating text content for promotional materials and fundraising purposes. Writing work may be full-time or be hired by non-profits on a per-project basis. 

40. Podcast Writing

Podcasts are the online form of a radio talk show and are always in need of writing jobs, whether it is writing the scripts and content for the podcast itself or creating the podcast show notes that cite sources, guest bios and other content mentioned in the podcast.

You can either write and create your own podcast, or you can often find freelance work for other podcasters to create their scripts and show notes for them.

41. Press Release Writing

Press release writing is creation of news and information materials released to reporters and news organizations.

They can be used to announce new products or a shift in the company’s direction, new personnel or management, or developments related to the firm. 

42. Product Description Writer

Product description writing involves creating marketing copy that explains specific products. The copy should highlight the product’s main selling points and encourage potential customers to purchase it. 

This job involves writing descriptive content for products in the company’s inventory. Writers may also be required to catalog projects and materials in a service-oriented firm.

43. Proposal writing

Proposal writing involves the production of business or grant proposals that encourage funding agencies to fund research or a particular project. These proposals may require technical jargon for the specific industry and need to conform to specific style guidelines. 

44. Puzzle Writer and Game Creator

We talked about writing and creating puzzles to publish in low content books , but there are also many other opportunities to become a writer for puzzles, games, and activities.

If you love words and puzzles, you can find many writing work opportunities in creating word searches, crossword puzzles, cryptograms, logic puzzles, brain teasers, riddles and more.

You can choose the self-publish route to publish books, or you may even be able to get a syndicated column with daily or weekly newspapers and magazines.

You can also look into creating puzzles and games for toy manufacturers and children’s activity book publishers or even look into developing apps.

45. Quiz writing 

Quiz writing involves creating quizzes or tests for research, educational or entertainment purposes. They can also be used by research and marketing firms to generate traffic and gain insights into consumer habits.

You can find quiz writing job opportunities with survey companies, marketing research companies, brands and organizations, educational institutions or even with magazines publishing personality quizzes.

46. Real estate writing

The real estate industry constantly needs writers and there are tons of freelance opportunities available here, whether you are writing real estate ads, promotional flyers, or even writing content to be entered into MLS listings.

Having a real estate license will be required for any form of real estate contract writing, but licensing requirements are usually easy to obtain and you can find several opportunities working as a licensed assistant for other agents and writing for them. 

47. Recipe writing

Do you like to cook? There’s always a demand for recipe writers!

Recipe writing involves creating ingredient lists and instructions for preparing certain foods or beverages. Recipes may be unique or original or based on existing recipes and modified for a particular demographic. 

You can create recipes for popular food brands, or you can even create your own food and recipe blog or website.

48. Report writing

Report writing involves the analysis of data and the generation of reports based on that data. Reports could be about various subjects, including medical science, information technology, computer science, and more. 

Many companies and professionals send weekly or monthly reports to their clients and need someone to compose these reports to be sent. These types of reports can often be automated but still need to be originally created by a human and periodically reviewed and updating by a qualified writer.

49. Research writing 

Research writing encompasses a wide range of disciplines and fields, from science to business, and academics. Writers typically interview experts, read reports and other research materials, and analyze extensive data to create in-depth articles. 

If you love researching more than writing, another opportunity in research writing careers is to explore freelancing your research services to other writers and content creators.

50. Resume writing 

Resume writing involves writing resumes and job applications for prospective job hunters. The goal is to create cover letters and resumes that increase the candidate’s chances of being accepted for a job. 

There are many services and online marketplaces where you can find work for writing resumes, you can also find salaried positions available with career training organizations, colleges, universities, and educational services.

51. Romance Writing

Romance writing is the creation of literary pieces that revolve around love and relationships – everyone loves a good love story!

Writing romance novels is a bit different from other types of fiction writing, as the industry has specific requirements for the format and type of book.

If you’re interested in writing romance stories, check out our post of Romance Writing Prompts – it’s a great way to test the waters to see if becoming a romance novelist is a career for you to explore!

52. Screenwriting

Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the creation of scripts for films, TV programs, videos and video games.

Screenwriting is a specialized field that requires the work to be written in a specific format, typically utilizing screenwriting software. There are a lot of nuances in this format, and so if you wish to pursue screenwriting it is definitely wise to seek some training.

That being said, there are countless opportunities in screenwriting, whether its formatting someone’s movie idea for them into a script or creating your own original movie or television series.

Many television and movie production companies also employ screenwriters in-house, so there are definitely salaried screenwriting careers available!

53. SEO content writing

Writing for SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is all about strategically using targeted keywords and phrases within text content so it is easier for search engines to find it.

The goal of SEO content writers is to increase a particular site’s visibility on the search engine results pages and improve its rankings or to improve the function of a website’s internal search engine. 

Writing for SEO takes some skill and practice, but with the right training it is easy to master.

You can find endless opportunities for SEO content writing online in freelance marketplaces as well as many digital publishers and marketing firms who hire SEO writers as paid staff. Just be sure you avoid the content mills and this can be a very well-paying career!

54. Social media content writing

All of us post on social media all of the time – but did you ever consider you could be PAID to post content?

While you can certainly look into sponsored content opportunities if you have a large audience, you can also find social media content manager positions with nearly every brand in every industry.

In this writing job, you will be creating content specifically for the brand’s audience on social media. It may be promotional, informative or entertaining and often overlaps with a bit of advertising and copywriting.

55. Speechwriting

This job involves writing speeches for authority figures and public personalities. The content should captivate and entertain the audience and hold their attention throughout. 

You can find speechwriting opportunities in the public sector, for corporations, or you can even become a public speaker yourself and give talks and presentations.

56. Technical writing

Technical writing involves transforming complex and highly technical text into clear and easy to understand documents for specific audiences. The final text may come in the form of instruction manuals, journals, or guides. 

57. Transcription

Transcription involves the conversion of speech from audio or video to written text. This job requires a high level of accuracy and understanding of language nuances. 

Today it is easier than ever to get into transcription, as there are many software programs that make life MUCH easier for transcribing audio into text.

58. Translation and Transcreation

If you are fluent in more than one language, there are tons of potential careers for you in translation and transcreation.

Corporations who have gone global often need to provide multilingual instruction, and many works published in one language will need to be translated into another.

Multilingual copywriting involves receiving instructions from the client in one language and producing text in another language.

59. Travel writing

Travel writing involves writing about places, people, culture, and various other travel related aspects. This type of writing may also involve producing guides and reviews of various attractions.

Travel writers can find work with travel agencies, travel magazines or even writing for their own travel blog. 

60. UX copywriting

UX or user interface writing involves the creation of written copy to enhance the user experience. Writers may be required to plan and create all the text that appears in an interface, including instructions, error messages, and labels. 

61. Video game writers

If you want a career that pays you to play video games, video game copywriting is one that many people do not even know exists!

This work involves the creation of various types of in-game text. It includes everything from storylines and dialogs to onscreen instructions, how-to and help documentation and more. 

Many other opportunities for writers exist in the video game industry, from creating storylines and plots, characters, and developing settings.

There are also many very successful video game players who have written about game cheats, secrets, and tips.

62. Video scriptwriting 

Video scriptwriting is a less formal type of screenwriting and typically begins with a brief of what the video is about and then breaks it down into scenes and dialogue between the frames of the video.

Believe it or not, this is only a partial list of the many different types of writing jobs available. There are many more to explore, you just need to figure out where your interests and expertise lie – almost every industry needs writers!

Do you have a unique or unusual writing job that’s not on this list? Do you know of any types of companies hiring writers we may have neglected? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Eric Pangburn is a freelance writer who shares his best tips with other writers here at ThinkWritten. When not writing, he enjoys coaching basketball and spending time with his family.

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Five rewarding careers related to creative writing

If you have a passion for creative writing, you may be happy to learn that there is a myriad of exciting career options in this field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in media and communications is expected to grow 14% by 2030, which will likely result in over 150,000 new jobs. 1 This above-average demand is anticipated due to the need for writers who can create, edit, translate, and communicate information across a variety of media platforms.

If you’ve already obtained a bachelor’s degree in a related field, earning a Certificate in Creative Writing at Penn LPS Online is an excellent way to upgrade your credentials to pursue—or advance—a career in writing or communications. With an innovative workshop format wherein you explore novel writing tools, discover new means of expression, and hone your craft, this program provides the perfect forum to tap into your creativity. Aided by collaborations with peers and instructors, you create and revise original works in multiple literary genres for maximum impact.

“Students can focus entirely on one genre, say fiction. Or you can come in and decide you want to try your hand at not only fiction but also poetry, screenwriting, nonfiction, and journalism. You can tailor the program to your interests as a writer.” – Julia Bloch , Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing Director, University of Pennsylvania Creative Writing Program

Whether your goal is to gain an introduction to creative writing or to enhance your existing writing skills, the creative writing courses are designed as a practical study of the power of language. Students learn how to utilize creative writing as a form of critical thinking and delve into the major literary genres. Upon completion of the basic 4-course certificate, an additional two courses can be completed to earn an advanced credential and further highlight your expertise. You also have the option to enroll in individual courses without committing to the entire online certificate.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the Certificate in Creative Writing at Penn LPS Online, read on to explore five rewarding careers you may pursue in this field.

Content writer

In today’s media landscape, digital content is king. Whether for company websites or digital platforms such as YouTube, there is a high demand for talented writers who can create content that really bring stories to life. As a content writer you might be assigned to work on scripts, blog posts, news articles, white papers, and editorials. Depending on your background, you may choose to specialize in writing for a particular field such as fashion, lifestyle, fitness, or travel—or focus on specific industries including nonprofit, entertainment, business, education, technology, or publishing.

The writing and storytelling skills that you obtain in the Certificate in Creative Writing at Penn LPS Online can be invaluable if you want to pursue a career as a content writer. The BLS projects approximately 15,400 new job openings for writers on average each year until 2030. 2 If you’re looking to escape the 9-to-5 grind and become a freelancer, this type of role may be particularly appealing as it allows you to work with clients across multiple industries and provides more scheduling freedom.

If you’re interested in becoming a content writer, you should consider enrolling in CRWR 3600: Advanced Nonfiction . In this course, you study a variety of genres in creative nonfiction including personal essay, memoir, and journalistic prose. Through writing assignments and peer workshops, you explore important elements of prose writing with a focus on description, voice, and narrative structure. Not only will you gain experience you can use on the job, you also have the chance to discover which types of writing you excel at and enjoy.

If you have a background in marketing or advertising, but you’re interested in pursuing a role in the creative side of these industries, you may want to consider copywriting. This type of writing is generally created with the goal of increasing brand awareness and loyalty as well as encouraging a response in the reader that results in the sale of a product or service. When working as a copywriter, you may create a wide range of copy including advertising slogans, email campaigns, website content, sales copy, banner ads, and more.

While companies and organizations do hire in-house copywriters, you may also choose to work with an advertising agency or become a consultant. Some copywriters focus on writing for specific industries like finance, healthcare, or technology. Another option is to specialize in a type of copywriting such as direct response, product, search engine optimization (SEO), technical, business-to-business (B2B), or business-to-consumer (B2C).

Whether you’re new to creative writing or you want to refresh your skills, in CRWR 1010: The Craft of Creative Writing  you can explore a variety of writing styles and literary genres including fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and journalistic prose. As you collaborate with your peers, you improve your writing prowess and build skills that can help you thrive in copywriting and related career paths.

If you’re an ardent news buff who enjoys digging to the bottom to find the truth, you may want to consider pursuing a career as a journalist. This field is highly competitive—so you will need to embrace your creativity—but that can also make it even more rewarding. As a journalist, it’s your responsibility to alert the public to facts surrounding current events in a way that is engaging, easy to digest, and factual. This may involve pitching news stories, conducting extensive interviews, interviewing sources, and crafting compelling narratives.

As a journalist, you may work for a newspaper, website, magazine, or in television or radio broadcasting. Examples of different journalistic specialties include investigative, political, trade, global, sports, and science. According to the BLS, media outlets are increasingly seeking multimedia journalists who can create their own content across multiple platforms including audio, video, and social media platforms. 4 Due to the nature of the industry, it’s important that you are comfortable with being on-call to report when something newsworthy breaks.

As part of the Certificate in Creative Writing at Penn LPS Online, CRWR 3700: Journalism is a how-to course led by an instructor with 25 years of experience as a freelance journalist and culture writer. The coursework explores different journalistic fields—from news reporting to feature writing and profiles—as you learn how to engage the reader and develop skills to gather, scrutinize, and report information. Each week you’ll also conduct your own focused investigations and report on media sources from video and audio reporting, print and digital publications, and social media journalism.

Social media specialist

Social media specialists are tasked with writing and publishing persuasive content on social media platforms—such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn—to grow a target audience, build brand awareness, and generate sales for a product, brand, or organization. If you pursue this high-demand career path you may also be responsible for analyzing site metrics and user data, creating social network strategy, interacting with users, and designing the content you publish.

According to ONET, the projected growth for this role is 15%, which is much faster than average. 5 The proficiencies required by employers in this role may include excellent written and visual communication skills, data analytics skills, sales and marketing knowledge, SEO knowledge, and social media expertise. This type of role is fast-paced, and you will likely need to have a flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of your clients.

As a social media specialist, you may choose to work with clients in multiple industries or focus on a specialty such food, entertainment, health and wellness, or travel. If you’re interested in pursuing this career path with a focus on travel, then CRWR 3000: Writing About Place is a course at Penn LPS Online that could be beneficial to your goals. This collaborative workshop is focused on writing of and about places. You can expect to write literally about a city or landscape—and write figuratively while considering themes of location, belonging, and displacement.

If you enjoy enforcing the rules of spelling, grammar, and punctuation—and improving writing to more clearly express meaning—you may want to consider a career in editing. Taking someone else’s words and using your knowledge and experience to better them can be extremely fulfilling, but that’s not quite a complete job description. Depending on the publication you work for, you may also review and approve story ideas, evaluate submissions, and work with writers to help make their content successful and in keeping with the style and editorial policy of your organization.

According to the BLS, the largest employers of editors were newspaper, periodical, and directory publishers. 6 Editing jobs tend to be concentrated in larger media and entertainment markets like Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC. However, in recent years there have been increasingly more opportunities to work remotely. Because it is very deadline-driven and often involves overseeing multiple projects at once, editing can be a high-pressure—but exciting—career path.

Whether you aspire to become an editor or you’re looking to upgrade your existing skills, in CRWR 2400: The Art of Editing you are immersed in all of the technical aspects of the revision process. Covering topics including the merits of MLA and Chicago style, the difference between line and developmental editing, and digital and hard copy proofreading, you gain practical editing experience, learn about a wide range of editorial processes, and explore the nuances and standards of punctuation and grammar.

Ready to exercise your creative muscles?

Browse the creative writing certificate courses and watch a video of a recent virtual information session for the Certificate in Creative Writing at Penn LPS Online, or view our course calendar  to see the full range of what’s available in the upcoming term.

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/home.htm
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm#tab-6
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm#tab-1
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/reporters-correspondents-and-broadcast-news-analysts.htm#tab-2
• https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1161.01
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/editors.htm#tab-3

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Trade Schools Home > Articles > Jobs for Writers

23 Awesome Jobs for Writers That Offer Real Opportunities

By Publisher | Last Updated September 7, 2022

Here's a news flash: Good jobs for writers really do exist. You can parlay your love of the written word into a paying gig. The truth is that the technology, media, entertainment, public relations, marketing, publishing, and advertising industries all need people who can craft high-quality content. The range of possible writing careers is far broader than you might expect.

But, as with any creative field, it can be difficult to pinpoint opportunities. That's partly because writing jobs, in contrast to other occupations, don't follow a set formula. (If you want to become an engineer, you get an engineering degree. If your goal is to become a nurse, you complete a nursing program. But if you dream of becoming a writer, the path you need to take isn't nearly as clear-cut.)

That's why we've compiled a list of 23 jobs for many types of writers across many different fields. We've also included some tips on how to find legit freelance writing opportunities. And if you're wondering how to support yourself while getting established, you might want to check out our suggestions for day jobs that let you write on the side.

• 23 jobs for writers
• How to find legitimate freelance writing jobs
• The pros and cons of ghostwriting
• Day jobs for aspiring writers

Salary information is based on May 2021 data from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) .

Jobs for Writers

1. Content strategist

Content strategists combine strong writing and communication skills with analytical thinking and marketing know-how to plan, create, and manage online content that achieves specific business goals. They apply principles of search engine optimization (SEO) and study analytics to figure out what kind of content is working (and what kind isn't) so that they can adjust their strategy accordingly. Training in journalism, communications, or technical writing can be a good first step toward this career.

• Median salary: $133,380

2. Communications director

Overseeing various types of corporate communications and making sure the public views your company in a favorable light requires a blend of top-notch writing and marketing skills. In this role, you establish the communications goals of a company and develop branding and style guidelines for press releases, articles, newsletters, email campaigns, advertisements, and other marketing materials. This is a high-level position that requires several years of experience; be prepared to work your way up.

• Median salary: $119,860

3. Technical writer

A key skill for any technical writer is the ability to take complex technical jargon and turn it into plain English. These writers design and develop software manuals, user guides, technical specifications, and other complex documentation. A big part of the job involves drawing useful and relevant information out of software developers, engineers, and other professionals, so solid interpersonal skills are essential. Of all jobs in writing, this one has one of the best outlooks: It's expected to see faster-than-average job growth between 2020 and 2030, according to the OOH.

• Median salary: $78,060

4. Proposal writer

A common fixture in consulting firms and sales departments, proposal writers prepare documents related to pricing, marketing, and product design. They assess requests for proposals (RFPs) and develop responses to help their employers win new business and secure contracts. To succeed in this role, you need excellent organizational and writing skills as well as an eye for detail and a solid understanding of how your company can meet the needs of potential clients.

5. Grant writer

Crafting proposals to secure financial support for foundations, non-profit agencies, and other organizations is a responsibility that falls to grant writers. They are a key part of the fundraising staff in many places. Grant writers are in charge of identifying funding sources and developing written materials that target each potential donor. Flexibility is important; some donors expect a one-page document, while others look for much lengthier proposals.

6. Web content writer

Many companies need writers who are highly skilled in researching and writing digital content like blogs, articles, and landing pages. You might be required to conduct online research or interview subject matter experts to gather information. Having some knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques is very helpful.

• Median salary for a writer or technical writer: $69,510 - $78,060

7. Speechwriter

It's not just politicians and government officials that rely on speechwriters: You could also work for business executives, notable celebrities, or public relations firms. To do this job effectively, you need to be able to write persuasively about policies or principles that you may not always agree with. A degree in journalism, communications, or political science is a good place to start. Joining Toastmasters or observing debates can also be good training.

• Median salary: $69,510

8. Screenwriter

Do you dream of creating the next Hollywood blockbuster? Screenwriters are the creative energy behind films and television shows. You could adapt a novel for the big screen, write an episode of an established show, or develop an original movie script from scratch. You need to understand the basic structure of a screenplay as well as how to create interesting characters and write peppy dialog. You also need to be open to constructive criticism: Making revisions is how screenwriters spend most of their time.

9. Novelist

When people think of careers in writing, this is often one of the first that comes to mind. If you can create compelling characters that people want to know more about, and put them in unique situations that force them to tackle a problem or undergo a change, you might have what it takes to make it as a novelist. It's not enough to have a great idea; you also need to develop an outline and work out plot points, dialog styles, and character arcs. Traditionally, novelists have worked with literary agents to market and sell their books, but self-publishing is an increasingly popular option.

10. Advertising copywriter

Creating captivating copy for print, online, television, or radio advertisements is another way to put your writing skills to good use. The ultimate aim of an advertising copywriter is to make people want to buy a particular product or service. Whether you're creating slogans, billboards, radio jingles, or social media ads, you need to be able to say a lot with just a few words. Internships can be a good way to get started in this field.

11. Marketing communications specialist

• Median salary: $63,920

12. Book editor

Suggesting changes and improvements to a manuscript that an author has slaved over for months or years requires tact and diplomacy as well as editing skills. Book editors are responsible for shaping and developing a manuscript to get it ready for publication. Your job is to bring a fresh eye to a piece of text and work with the author to strengthen the fundamentals and structure of the story. Many editors work for publishing houses, but going out on your own as a freelancer is also possible.

• Median salary: $63,350

13. Copy editor

Copy editors are the quality assurance technicians of the writing world. They carefully read through a piece of written material to root out spelling errors, grammar problems, and style inconsistencies. While a book editor deals with the big-picture structure and form of a story, a copy editor gets into the nitty-gritty details and makes sure the text aligns with editorial guidelines. In some cases, copy editors are also responsible for fact checking. You'll likely need an English or journalism degree to snag a copy editing job.

14. Public relations specialist

Cultivating relationships is key to the success of a public relations specialist. After all, you need to be on good terms with journalists, editors, bloggers, and other content producers in order to effectively control and manage the public image of your client or company. The ability to convey a message clearly and succinctly will serve you well in this field. Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door of many public relations firms.

• Median salary: $62,800

15. Social media specialist

More and more companies are realizing they need to maintain a social media presence, which means lots of opportunity for writers who know how to tailor messages to the demographics, text limits, and content styles of platforms like Facebook and Twitter. You could find yourself blogging about the latest high-tech gadget or analyzing metrics on the company's audience and views. Training in marketing or communications can be helpful.

• Median salary: $49,900

16. Translator

If you can write fluently in more than one language, you can seek work as a translator. And you may not have to look far to find opportunities: Employment in this field is expected to grow 24 percent between 2020 and 2030. You could work in areas like law, healthcare, publishing, and education. You need meticulous attention to detail to do this kind of work. Just remember: It won't be your job to make changes to (or improve upon) the text.

• Median salary: $49,110

17. Columnist

Columnists are basically unshackled reporters: They're paid to give a subjective opinion on current events. As a columnist, you're expected to offer persuasive and reasoned opinions and perspectives on anything from city council's latest traffic bylaw to the current state of the U.S. economy. Many columnists also write books or serve as experts on radio and TV talk shows. You need several years of experience in your niche (e.g., politics, humor, fashion, sports, whatever) to be considered for a columnist role.

• Median salary: $48,370

18. Journalist

Whether you focus on TV, radio, print, or the Web (or more likely a combination of those), you will spend much of your time as a journalist searching out newsworthy information and turning your findings into articles, scripts, and podcasts. Most journalists start with entry-level writing jobs as general reporters, but with experience you could work your way into a niche like sports, business, science, or the arts. News can break anywhere, anytime, so be prepared for a non-traditional schedule.

19. Film critic

Being a film critic involves more than just getting to watch movies for free. You get to frame your thoughts as an informative review that draws people in. That means you need to have a thorough understanding of the filmmaking process. You also need to have solid interviewing skills and a knack for finding unique angles that make your story stand out from the crowd, so getting some journalism training will serve you well.

• Median salary: $48,370 for all reporters

20. Proofreader

Proofreaders are the last line of defense for a piece of content. They make sure there are no errors in the grammar, spelling, spacing, or margins of a document. In the publishing world, proofreading is the final step after the copy edit is complete. Proofreaders also check that the table of contents is formatted correctly and that any photos have appropriate captions. A degree in English or journalism can give you the skills you need for this job.

• Median salary: $43,940

21. Greeting card writer

More than 75 percent of people buy greeting cards based on the connection they make with the text, according to the Greeting Card Association . Whether you're creating a funny happy birthday message or a compassionate get-well card, you need to craft concise verses that touch people's emotions. The key is to come up with something that a broad spectrum of people can relate to. Playing around with rhymes, allusions, and metaphors can be good practice.

22. Travel writer

For wordsmiths with wanderlust, a career as a travel writer may be what's needed to satisfy those creative and nomadic urges. You could develop a wide range of content, from guidebooks and magazine features to blogs and how-to-travel articles. Coming up with original and interesting ways to describe a destination can be a real challenge. This is almost entirely freelance work, which means self-promotion is a big part of the job.

23. Ghostwriter

A ghostwriter is an "invisible" contributor to a piece of content. You write it; your client gets to claim the credit for it. As a ghostwriter, you could be writing corporate blogs, putting out social media updates in a celebrity's name, or transforming a client's ideas, research, or life stories into a book. Ghostwriting can lead to many opportunities, though the field is not without controversy.

• Average earnings: Rates vary enormously

How to Find Legitimate Freelance Writing Jobs

Whether you're a newbie looking for your first paid gig or an experienced professional seeking a bit of side business, going freelance may be right up your alley. But finding legitimate job postings can be a challenge. We've listed a few sites here that gather and post solid opportunities. (And most of these sites won't charge you anything to access their listings.)

• JournalismJobs.com features reporting, writing, and editing jobs.
• Mediabistro lists freelance jobs in areas ranging from magazines to marketing.
• All Freelance Writing includes opportunities for bloggers, journalists, and technical writers.
• Morning Coffee lists jobs related to copywriting, blogging, translation, and journalism. (Sign up to receive the free weekly newsletter or check the online jobs section that's updated daily.)
• ProBlogger features writing jobs in a huge variety of niches.
• Freelance Writing Jobs offers listings for grant writers, copywriters, journalists, and content writers.
• FlexJobs has listings for copywriters, technical writers, news writers, and more, though you do have to pay a fee to see the details of the listings.

Always be sure to read the fine print before you apply for any project. Some sites offer their listings for free but take a cut of any earnings you receive. And beware of content mills that expect writers to churn out articles at a breakneck pace for absurdly low rates (sometimes as low as one cent per word). It's up to you to do your research and decide if an opportunity is right for you.

The Pros and Cons of Ghostwriting

Does the idea of writing under someone else's byline intrigue you? A growing number of executives, politicians, celebrities, and notable professionals are hiring ghostwriters to turn their thoughts into a marketable form of content. Working as a ghostwriter can be a great way for aspiring writers to polish their skills and make some money. But before you decide to become a pen-for-hire, you need to understand the pros and cons.

• You can write about any or all topics without worrying about being publicly judged on the quality of your work, since your name is not attached to the content. If you have an established reputation in a particular niche, ghostwriting in another area can let you experiment without damaging your public brand.
• You get a chance to step into the lives of fascinating people who have reached the pinnacle of their professions.
• You can often charge more for ghostwritten copy precisely because of the lack of recognition you receive for the work. Plus, you usually get paid up front instead of having to wait on royalties from sales.
• Promoting the book is not your responsibility (and sales make no difference to you if you received a one-time payment up front), so you can just move right on to the next project.
• No byline generally means you can't use your work in your portfolio, which obviously makes it difficult to demonstrate your writing chops to potential clients. You can end up relying on your existing clients to refer you to future business, which doesn't always happen.
• Letting someone else take credit for your work can be demoralizing. You will likely have to sign a non-disclosure agreement that specifies you can never imply that the name on the cover isn't the person who actually authored the book. You might even have to watch your client explain to an interviewer how he or she went about writing the words you so painstakingly crafted.
• If the book becomes a best-seller or wins a Pulitzer, you get no part of the royalties or rewards.

Some writers view ghostwriting work as a simple business transaction and wholeheartedly recommend it. Others feel it's unethical to allow someone to purchase content and pass it off as their own. Make sure you do your research before getting involved so that you fully understand the deal.

Day Jobs for Aspiring Writers

Getting established as a writer takes time, but you probably still have bills to pay. You might want to consider a side job that won't stress you out but will still let you have plenty of time to work on your craft. Here are a few suggestions:

• Retail stock clerk: Unloading trucks and putting items on shelves is physical work, but it's often done at night or in the early morning, leaving you time for creative pursuits.
• Cab driver: This is a fairly low-stress career that lets you choose your own hours. Plus, you can get great material for stories as you meet people from different walks of life.
• Security guard: You might be able to write during long stretches of downtime, especially if you work night shifts.
• Bartender or restaurant server: You can make extra money from tips and meet lots of colorful characters who might inspire your writing.
• Office cleaner or housekeeper: This kind of work keeps you physically active without draining your mental resources.
• Tutor or writing coach: You can keep your creative juices flowing by helping others polish their prose.

Write Your Next Chapter

Now that you know that plenty of jobs for writers are out there, it's time to think about how you can best prepare to take advantage of those opportunities. Do you have the skills you need for the job you want? Vocational colleges and trade schools offer career-focused training for all kinds of occupations that involve writing. So explore convenient programs near you by entering your zip code into the search tool below!

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• SEP 23, 2024

Creative Writing Major Guide: Salary Rates, Career Paths & Best Colleges in 2024

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

In today’s job market, many students are looking for ways to protect their careers from the threat of automation by choosing academic paths that are less likely to be replaced by AI. One such field is creative writing. A degree in creative writing can lead to a variety of career opportunities such as becoming a poet, author, or publishing editor. Additionally, as creative writing majors have a strong grasp of the English language, they can also explore other career paths such as copywriting or technical writing.

This article will examine the current job market for creative writing majors and writers in general, highlighting the flexibility and range of career options available. It will also emphasize the importance of being adaptable and well-rounded in order to navigate the dynamic job market. And, it is not to discourage pursuing passion projects but to help cope with the difficulties of getting them off the ground.

Creative Writing Major Table of Contents

• The Job Market for Creative Writing Majors

What is a creative writing major?

Top creative writing major programs, things to consider before taking creative writing, what can you do with a creative writing major.

There is nothing wrong with big dreams. But it is best to temper one’s expectations with accounts of reality supported by known facts. This is especially important in planning on achieving those dreams. This is because there are so many possibilities in terms of routes to get there and alternative end goals. This is especially true for people who pursued creative and artistic fields in college. Many times, graduates of these fields, including creative writing majors, have to take on odd jobs not related to the field before landing their dream jobs or projects.

As you may know, literary figures T.S. Eliot and William Faulkner, among others, worked odd jobs before and even during their literary careers. Eliot worked as a banker and Faulkner as a postmaster (Petit, 2013). Many English or creative writing majors, of course, never had notable literary careers. Some ended up working in other fields like Nobel Prize Laureate Harold Varmus who graduated with a B.A. in English Literature but ended up as a physician. Of course, statistically speaking, many creative writing majors end up not having a career in literature per se.

In fact, in 2019, the most common occupations for creative writing and English majors were elementary teachers (91.7k), postsecondary teachers (91.3k), and lawyers, judges, magistrates, and other judiciary workers (74.1k) (Data USA, 2021). The most specialized jobs with the highest concentration of English majors are (1) proofreaders and copy markers, (2) editors, and (3) writers and authors. However, the number of jobs available to these occupations is significantly lower than the most common ones.

Statistics also show that the industries with the highest pay for creative writing and English majors are not writing- or literature-centric. They are the wholesale electronic markets, agents, and brokers, electric lighting and electrical equipment manufacturing, and communications, audio, and video equipment manufacturing industries. The average salaries for English majors in these industries are significantly higher than the most common occupations for them.

What these statistics show, firstly, is that there are many career options for creative writing and English majors away from literature itself. This is because writing is an essential skill needed by any business in any industry today. The skills gained from creative writing training can also translate to many occupations. So, getting a job with your degree to stay afloat while pursuing your career goals is statistically highly probable.

A creative writing major is an academic program that trains students in creating original compositions of a vast array of literary works and in many different genres. Creative writing programs also teach to understand the various theoretical underpinnings of contemporary writing. Among these are aesthetics and technical aspects, including conventional formats for different types of works. These include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, scripts, and screenplays, among many others.

Programs may include courses for television scriptwriting, biographical writing, article writing, science writing, and many others. Theoretical courses are also offered and some are required. These typically include courses for various literary genres, literary devices and concepts such as “ what is imagery “, general literature, and other specialized classes like Shakespeare. Largely, the classes offered by a program depend on the specializations of its faculty. Of course, general technical writing courses and seminars are ubiquitous.

Schools may also require students to attend seminars and workshops for credits, including other skill-building activities like internships. In order to graduate, students will also be required to submit their B.A. thesis in the form of a polished manuscript. This is to train students to specialize in a literary form or genre. It could come in the form of a play, a novella, or a collection of poems or short stories.

Creative writing programs are usually offered by the English department of a college or a university, particularly for an English degree . There are several factors to consider when choosing a college or a program that is right for you. These include the general reputation of the school and the program itself.

Moreover, as pointed out by Heimbach (2021), the better its graduate programs for English, creative writing, and fine arts, the higher the likelihood that its undergraduate program will be very good. She also added that having a good graduate program is a sign that an institution has great alumni networks and many internship opportunities and, thus career opportunities.

Here are some of the best creative writing major colleges and universities in the country in no particular order.

Creative Writing Major Requirements

To get into a creative writing program, one must present the usual requirements and credentials when they apply to a college or university. Creative writing major requirements, however, can vary from institution to institution. These include minimum GPA and SAT scores. Note that because of issues in logistics brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, testing requirements have been waived by many institutions. The general requirements are the following:

• High school diploma or something equivalent (GED)
• Application and processing fees
• Letter of intent
• Recommendation letter(s)
• Minimum GPA (varies)
• TOEFL/IELTS for international students

These aside, it pays well to take your time in improving reading skills . This will prepare you for the rigorous reading requirements associated with this field of study.

If you are one of those people who are lucky enough to study what you love without worrying about money, then some of the things in this section would not really apply to you. However, if you are like many of us who have to earn money, then all of the things discussed below could help you temper your expectations and make contingencies while pursuing your passion. So, here are some of the things that creative writing majors could call their list of “what I wish I knew as a creative writing major."

Market saturation? Find a niche. Choose a good minor.

As you can tell from the job statistics, the immediate prospect of English and creative writing majors are teaching. However, if you want to find work as a writer and considering the saturated job market today, it is best to have some expertise on things other than creative writing. As you may know, there are many types of writing and many other writing jobs. So, if you want to get a job as a writer, it is best to be good in other forms of writing as well. You can find a fallback niche in this way if you do not get a creative writing job or gig after you graduate.

Also, one good way to find this niche is to choose a good minor or enroll in courses other than writing. In this way, you can find decent work or even writing projects for specialized content or publications. For instance, you can get a job as a science communicator or a business writer. Taking journalism courses would also help if you are not opposed to working as a reporter or a content writer.

Find good internships

Many creative writing programs require students to undergo internships in order to graduate. Students should take advantage of this opportunity to learn on-the-job skills, including other non-writing-related skills and social skills. Moreover, internships are a good way to make industry connections. So, it is best to choose the ones that could help you get your foot in the door. It is your chance to build and maintain relationships with industry insiders. Plus, you will also get the opportunity to learn how businesses work. Thus, when you get to intern, be observant and take notes about how operations are being carried out. This includes the different job roles, departments, and company culture. Understand how everything is being put together and also the things that make the company successful.

Internships, however, can be costly. One can also spend long hours depending on where you are assigned. You can even be given odd tasks where you do not really learn anything new. But it is part of the experience of being employed and you are getting a taste of the real thing. Hence, you should get yourself mentally, emotionally, and financially ready for an internship. Just remember that you, first and foremost, are there to learn. So learn all you can while you are there.

In fact, you may learn about writing more during internships than in school. Campbell and Jacobs (2010) asked a rhetorical question in the book chapter “Toward a description of undergraduate writing majors" in What We Are Becoming: Developments in Undergraduate Writing Majors. They asked, “How many opportunities should undergraduates have to write in courses the specific kinds of documents—such as reviews, grants, or usability studies—that they might be expected to write in internships or in their careers?" They elaborated that many programs, depending on design, might not be the best way to prepare undergraduates for multifarious careers in writing as they focus on the general rather than the specifics that working writers do every day.

Thus, if you land a good writing internship, do the best you can to learn other types of writing, especially if these types of writing, not creative writing, will be your day job.

Day job and passion project

Many of us have to find employment to make ends meet. For many people, their jobs do not have a single thing to do with their dream careers. There are those who get disheartened and give up on their goals. However, this is not the way to go, especially when you know that you have not tried enough or did your best. If you are in this situation, it is best to think of your work as just your day job and find the time to pursue what you really want.

This can be hard but it is doable. As mentioned, major literary figures have done so as well. In fact, as you may well know, the prolific Stephen King has worked as a janitor before publishing his breakout novel. As Palmer (2013) has pointed out, it might be his experience as a janitor that led him to write the opening girl’s locker room scene in Carrie . T.S. Eliot worked as a banker and a clerk. He found time to compose passages while walking to work. Consider that Einstein—although not known for being a writer—also worked as a clerk at a patent office. It is general knowledge now that he might have used some inspirations from submitted patents to form his famous thought experiments.

Like them, you too can keep a day job and work on your passion project. Moreover, if your creative writing does not pay you enough, then you better be efficient using this setup. There is also another benefit to this as you can see below.

Learn other skills, get non-writing jobs

Author and educator David M. Harris (2009) pointed out that when your day job also involves writing, it will be hard to do some creative writing at night. It can be hard to churn out good material for your day job and more good material for your passion projects. Thus, he advised creative writing majors to find other work that does not involve writing, like plumbing or carpentry. In this way, your creative stamina will not be burnt out when it is time to work on your novel, script, or poems. So, it is best to learn other skills that are not related to creative writing per se.

You could also learn some skills in business such as marketing, PR, SEO, and management. These are something that modern businesses need and the demand for these skills is quite high. As Harris (2009) pointed out as well, you may find inspiration while working jobs other than writing. You may find inspiration for scenes or for characters from the people you meet, among other things. It helps you keep the boat afloat and see the world more, which could give you inspiration from your firsthand experience. These will also be handy when creative writing major salaries are not up to your needs.

Consider freelancing and online jobs

If you want a flexible work schedule, you can also consider freelancing. This can help give you more time and the wiggle room to work on your creative writing projects. There are many job marketplace platforms out there today and they are one Google search away. The competition can be tight, so you have to build your profile for employers. However, the demand for freelancers is quite high. There are also many other freelancing gigs that do not involve writing. If you have other creative skills such as video editing, graphics design, photo-editing, and the likes, you can also find gigs or, even full-time jobs online, with these.

A creative writing degree does not equate to a job. So what can you do with a creative writing major?

As it turns out, there are many jobs where your writing skills and knowledge of literature can be used. In this section, we are going to highlight popular jobs that are a good fit. So, here are what you can do with a creative writing major:

Elementary and Middle School Teachers

Average salary: $50,704

One of the most interesting education statistics concerning creative writing majors is that most graduates become teachers. As indicated by the first table of this article, these occupations have the most share of creative writing graduates. Elementary and middle school teachers have a 6.34% share of creative writing majors. While most may teach English, language and writing skills are not the only things needed to be successful in these occupations. The top skills required are instructing (81%), speaking (81%), learning strategies (78%), critical thinking (75%), and active listening (75%) (O*NET OnLine, 2021). Work activities include coaching, organizing, and evaluating for compliance (O*NET OnLine, 2021).

Postsecondary Teachers

Average salary: $79,640

Teaching in colleges is the second most popular job among creative writing majors. The occupation has a share of 6.31% of all creative major graduates, with 91,727 people in the workforce according to the latest statistics. Creative writing majors in this occupation do to their students what their college or university teachers have done for them: teach them and evaluate their performance (O*NET OnLine, 2021). Core tasks include teaching writing or communication classes, evaluating and grading students’ work, preparing course materials, facilitating classroom discussions, and maintaining student records. They may teach other humanities courses depending on their expertise or minors. They can also create collaborative courses with other instructors or professors.

This is because creative writing skills can be very useful in other fields as well. In Nicholes’ (2020) article “Lab reports and horror stories: Exploring chemistry majors’ evaluations of scientific and creative writing" published in the Journal for Learning through the Arts , the author stated that creative and imaginative writing skills can also be leveraged by educators to “demonstrate how creative narratives do not lie beyond the boundaries of scientific discourse, as well as for reflective and writing-to-learn purposes for students." So, creative writing skills can be used to convey scientific and philosophical views. Famous science writers with both imaginative and scientific styles of writing include Neil deGrasse Tyson, Matt Ridley, and Malcolm Gladwell. Interesting special courses can be made focusing on these styles of delivery.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Average salary: $48,588

The main tasks of proofreaders and copy markers are to mark copies to show errors in arrangement, type, grammar, and spelling among others (O*Net OnLine, 2021). They may also do some research work like comparing information from one source against others. Top skills needed for these occupations include reading comprehension, writing, speaking, and critical thinking. Among all occupations, proofreaders and copy markers have the highest concentration of creative writing majors with a revealed comparative advantage (RCA) of 20.9. However, only 0.05% of the overall population are creative writing majors, at 2,140, in the United States.

Average salary: $57,142

Editors’ top tasks intersect with those of proofreaders and copy markers. These include checking for errors in punctuation, syntax, and spelling (O*Net OnLine, 2021). They also verify information, facts, statistics, and dates using reference sources. However, depending on the place of work, editors may also develop story or content ideas for writers with consideration to audience or reader appeal. Creative writing majors make up 1.59% of the total 22,983 editors in the United States.

Writers and Authors

Average Salary: $53,872

These might be the most popular occupations for writers in general and in terms of conventional wisdom. Many people with these occupations work in different industries but are especially very popular in advertising. According to surveys by O*NET OnLine (2021), the most important task (88%) is discussing the products, advertising themes, and methods with clients for advertising copies. Other important tasks within these occupations also include writing articles, sales letters, bulletins, speeches, and other materials that are informative, including marketing and promotional ones. Also, the authors within this wide category of workers write fiction and nonfiction books according to their expertise and their audiences. The average salary for these occupations is $62,070, with the highest concentration in LA City (Data USA, 2021).

Technical Writers

Average salary: $63,665

There are more than 60,000 people who have listed technical writer as their occupation in 2019 in the United States (Data USA, 2021). Also, they are most often employed by the computer system design industry. Top tasks include the organization of material and the completion of writing assignments; maintaining records of work files and revisions; and editing and standardization of materials (O*NET OnLine, 2021). The highest paying industry for technical writers is the internet publishing, broadcasting, and web search portals industry (Data USA, 2021). Also, 7.5% of technical writers work in the management, scientific, and technical consulting services industry. This is only second to the computer system design industry with a share of 23.2% of these workers. Only 5.03% of technical writers work in the independent artists, writers, and performers industry.

Poets, Lyricists, and Creative Writers

Median salary: $67,120

These occupations might just be the dream careers for creative writing majors. People with these occupations write materials for entertainment or artistic purposes (O*NET OnLine, 2021). The top work activity, of course, is thinking creatively for the creation of artistic contributions. Core tasks could include writing fiction or nonfiction prose. These include biographies, articles, short stories, and novels. Some may even write essays and descriptive or critical analyses of other works. Depending on the place of work or the project, they also prepare works in the appropriate format. Other important skills to be successful in these occupations are organizational and social skills.

Is a creative writing major right for you?

Well, it depends on what you want to do with your career, especially with the many types of work you can get as a writer. Remember, however, that creative writing skills and prowess alone would not let you survive in most occupations. This is until your breakthrough—when you would not need a job to stay afloat. Even when you are on your way to being a successful creative writer or author, you will still need many other skills as shown by the facts and statistics above. These include organizational skills, people skills, technology skills, and general knowledge of how things work.

Also, remember the main point of this article: temper your expectations with known facts about the general state of things in the job market. Of course, this is not applicable to everyone. Some are lucky enough to be born into a creative environment with many connections and jobs waiting for them after graduation. However, as the world of media and entertainment is getting wider and wider, thanks to the internet, it seems that the field is wide open for anyone who can write or create content well. There are so many niches now and avenues for publications that even web novels or fan-made fiction are getting traction. Even art, nowadays, can be technically forgiving, given the wave of conceptual works. But many of these things figure in the “what I wish I knew as a creative writing major" department.

Even if you lose interest in your initial field, there are also many other occupations that you can take up. Many English majors have ended up being in politics, being astronauts, physicists, and whatnot. It is all about being driven and inspired by what you value the most. Of course, a good deal of career planning is needed. So, good luck.

Key Insights

• Diverse Career Opportunities : A degree in creative writing can lead to various careers such as poet, author, publishing editor, copywriter, and technical writer.
• Skill Versatility : Creative writing majors possess strong writing and communication skills applicable to many fields, including education, law, and journalism.
• Adaptability and Marketability : Being adaptable and well-rounded is crucial for navigating the dynamic job market, allowing creative writing graduates to find work in multiple industries.
• High Earning Potential in Non-Literary Fields : Industries like wholesale electronic markets, electrical equipment manufacturing, and communications offer higher salaries for creative writing graduates than traditional writing jobs.
• Education Sector Dominance : The most common careers for creative writing majors are in education, with many becoming elementary, middle, and postsecondary teachers.
• Importance of Internships : Internships provide valuable on-the-job experience, industry connections, and opportunities to learn practical skills not covered in academic programs.
• Freelancing and Online Jobs : Freelancing offers flexibility and the chance to work on passion projects, with high demand for skills like video editing, graphic design, and SEO.
• What is a creative writing major? A creative writing major is an academic program that trains students to create original literary works in various genres. It includes courses on poetry, fiction, non-fiction, scripts, and screenplays, as well as theoretical courses on literary genres and devices.
• What career options are available for creative writing majors? Career options include poet, author, publishing editor, copywriter, technical writer, teacher, lawyer, journalist, and more. The degree equips graduates with versatile skills applicable to many fields.
• What is the average salary for creative writing majors? Salaries vary widely by occupation. For example, elementary and middle school teachers earn an average of $50,704, while writers and authors earn about $53,872 annually.
• How can internships benefit creative writing majors? Internships provide practical experience, industry connections, and the opportunity to learn on-the-job skills. They are essential for building a professional network and gaining insight into business operations.
• What are some top universities for creative writing majors? Top universities include Columbia University, University of California, Harvard University, Emerson College, and New York University, known for their robust creative writing and English programs.
• What are the requirements to enroll in a creative writing major? Requirements typically include a high school diploma, transcripts, application fees, letters of intent and recommendation, a minimum GPA, and for international students, TOEFL/IELTS scores.
• What should students consider before pursuing a creative writing major? Students should consider market saturation, the importance of finding a niche, choosing a good minor, securing internships, and being prepared for non-writing jobs while pursuing their passion projects.
• How does freelancing benefit creative writing majors? Freelancing offers flexibility, allowing creative writing majors to work on their passion projects while earning an income. It also opens opportunities in various fields beyond writing.
• What types of writing jobs have the highest concentration of creative writing majors? Proofreaders and copy markers, editors, and writers/authors have the highest concentration of creative writing majors, although these jobs are less common compared to teaching positions.
• Is a creative writing major right for me? A creative writing major is ideal for those passionate about writing and literature. It provides versatile skills applicable to many careers, but success often requires additional skills and a willingness to adapt to various job markets.

References:

• Campbell, L., & Jacobs, D. (2010). Toward a description of undergraduate writing majors. In G. A. Giberson & T. A. Moriarty (Eds.), What we are becoming (pp. 277-286). University Press of Colorado .
• Data USA. (2021). Creative writing . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from Data USA .
• Data USA. (2021). Writers & authors . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from Data USA .
• Nicholes, J. (2020). Lab reports and horror stories: Exploring chemistry majors’ evaluations of scientific and creative writing. Journal for Learning through the Arts, 16 (1), n1. ERIC .
• Harris, D. M. (n.d.). Writing career advice: Careers for creative writing majors [Video]. eHow Channel on YouTube .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 25-2021.00 Elementary school teachers, except special education . Retrieved October 7, 2021, O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 25-2022.00 Middle school teachers, except special and career/Technical education. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 43-9081.00 Proofreaders and copy markers . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 27-3041.00 Editors . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 27-3043.05 Poets, lyricists and creative writers. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 27-3043.00 Writers and authors . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (2021). 27-3042.00 Technical writers . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• O*NET OnLine. (n.d.). 25-1123.00 English language and literature teachers, postsecondary . Retrieved October 7, 2021, from O*NET OnLine .
• Petit, Z. (2013, October 4). Before they were famous: The oddest odd jobs of 10 literary greats . Writer’s Digest .

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Careers in Creative Writing: A Guide

Do you love to write and want a career in creative writing ?

If you do, this post is for you.

Table of contents:

• What’s creative writing?

What does a degree in creative writing offer?

Careers for creative writers and skills required, what are the different types of creative writing, top universities to study creative writing, roles and career scope in creative writing, career options available after graduating in creative writing, the future of creative writing, what's creative writing.

It’s pretty self-explanatory, so it needs no definition really. What’s good to know is that as a study, creative writing is closely connected with disciplines like literature, communication, history, and philosophy. In academia, creative writing is classified into poetry, memoirs, screenplay writing, and fiction writing, with immense focus on narrativity, character development, and literary themes; they also focus on not following the pre-existing writing style and structure.

An undergraduate course in creative writing is for a duration of three to four years with six to eight semesters. In many universities, it’s taught as part of the English language and literature program, and studying this course will provide extensive knowledge in many other subjects, such as:

• Postcolonial Literature
• English Seminar and Retreat
• Essay Writing
• Fiction Writing
• Editing Internship
• Applied Linguistics
• Poetry Writing
• Gender and Literature
• Creative Writing
• Creative Writing Portfolio Capstone
• Literary Publishing
• Professional Writing and Editing
• Style and Rhetoric

In the final year of study, there will be an extended creative project or a dissertation that the student will have to do as part of completing the course; this will help the learner broadly understand the essential aspects of the writing industry.

• Finding inspiration in everyday things
• Creative thinking and problem solving
• Critiquing works of significance
• Creativity thinking
• Time management and organization
• Organizational skills
• A good understanding of information technology (helps)
• Adaptability
• Pushing your imagination
• Research skills
• Editorial and proofreading skills
• Knowing your audience

Taking up a degree in creative writing will hone your skills and train you to take up writing as a profession. This course will also open many other career options under arts, humanities, and media studies. Under this course, you will also read and learn about authorial techniques and different ways of analyzing and understanding narratives.

• Biographies
• Fiction: novels, novellas, short stories
• Poetry and spoken word
• Playwriting/scriptwriting
• Personal essays

Here are the top 10 universities globally to study the English language and literature, as listed in the Q.S. World Ranking.

Now let us take a look at a few universities around the world to study creative writing programs:

• Brown University – Private university in Providence, Rhode Island
• New York University- New York City, New York
• Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Maryland
• University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Columbia University- New York City, New York
• The University of Iowa- Lowa City, Lowa
• Cornell University- Ithaca, New York
• University of Virginia- Charlottesville, Virginia
• The University of Texas at Austin- Austin, Texas
• Stanford University- Stanford, California

Further study

After pursuing an undergraduate course in creative writing , students also prefer to look for masters and Ph.D. programs. This provides a detailed study on different techniques and methods of creative writing.  The MA program will have a particular focus on industry-specific writing.  In the final year, the student will do a research project based on the topic of his or her interest. The Ph.D. program will have three components: writing a book, writing an accompanying critique, and extensive research.

Creative writing has immense opportunities with the advancements in the I.T. field and technology sector. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data , in the U.S., jobs related to writers and authors are expected to have a growth of  9%from the year 2020- 2030, and this is about as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth will create 5,400 job opportunities in multiple fields each year.  Many of these job openings are created as a result of the retirement of the existing workforce.

• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader
• Newspaper journalist
• Technical Writer
• Talent agent
• Grant Writer
• Editorial assistant
• Web content manager
• Film director
• Lexicographer
• Academic librarian
• Concept artist
• Marketing executive
• Primary school teacher
• Social media content creator
• Public relations officer
• Creative director (later in the career)

Remuneration

In the U.S., the median annual pay for writers and authors was $67,120 in May 2020. In this field, the lowest 10 per cent earned  $35,880, and the highest 10 per cent earned more than $133,460 in May 2020. The median annual wages for writers and authors in the top industries of their work are as follows:

Writers and Authors

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Now let’s take a look at a few job opportunities that are similar to those of creative writing and median annual pay in the U.S.:

Announcers-$41,950

Editors-$63,400

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists-$49,300

Public Relations and Fundraising Managers-$118,430

Public Relations Specialists-$62,810

Technical Writers-$74,650

The demand for good creative writers has grown drastically after the internet revolution.   Now, most companies appoint freelance content writers to meet their requirements of content writing.  With large-scale digitization and the growth of smaller organizations, there’s a high demand for creative writers and content writers.

If you have a way with words and would like a career where you can use your creativity and writing skills, you can consider taking up creative writing as a career option. The opportunities are vast and growing rapidly.

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Advertisements, Third Party Sites and Services

Some of the TC Global Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements, promotions, and links to third-party websites. You hereby agree that TC Global may place such advertising and promotions on the TC Global Services or on, about, or in conjunction with your Content. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising and promotions are subject to change without specific notice to you.

The Service may permit you to link to other websites, services or resources on the Internet, and other websites, services or resources may contain links to the Site. When you access third party websites, you do so at your own risk. These other websites are not under TC Global's control, and you acknowledge that TC Global is not responsible or liable for the content, functions, accuracy, legality, appropriateness or any other aspect of such websites or resources. The inclusion of any such link does not imply endorsement by TC Global or any association with its operators. You further acknowledge and agree that TC Global shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such Content, goods or services available on or through any such website or resource.

Termination

TC Global may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with your membership. If you wish to terminate your account, you may do so by contacting us at [email protected] till we develop the procedure on the website and apps. Any fees paid hereunder are non-refundable. All provisions of these Terms of Use which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.

Warranty Disclaimer

Save to the extent required by law, TC Global has no special relationship with or fiduciary duty to you. You acknowledge that TC Global has no control over, and no duty to take any action regarding: which users gain access to the Service; what Content you access via the Service; what effects the Content may have on you; how you may interpret or use the Content; or what actions you may take as a result of having been exposed to the Content.

You release TC Global from all liability for you having acquired or not acquired Content through the Service. The Service may contain, or direct you to websites containing, information that some people may find offensive or inappropriate. TC Global makes no representations concerning any Content contained in or accessed through the Service, and TC Global will not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality or decency of material contained in or accessed through the Service and cannot be held liable for any third-party claims, losses or damages.

You release us from all liability relating to your connections and relationships with other users. You understand that we do not, in any way, screen users, nor do we inquire into the backgrounds of users or attempt to verify their backgrounds or statements. We make no representations or warranties as to the conduct of users or the veracity of any information users provide. In no event shall we be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, general, special, compensatory, consequential, and/or incidental, arising out of or relating to the conduct of you or anyone else in connection with the Services, including, without limitation, bodily injury, emotional distress, and any damages resulting in any way from communications or meetings with users or persons you may otherwise meet through the Services. As such, you agree to take reasonable precautions and exercise the utmost personal care in all interactions with any individual you come into contact with through the Service, particularly if you decide to meet such individuals in person. For example, you should not, under any circumstances, provide your financial information (e.g., credit card or bank account numbers) to other individuals.

THE SITE, SERVICE AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" AND ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ANY WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY ANY COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE, ALL OF WHICH ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED, SAVE TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY LAW.

TC GLOBAL, AND ITS AFFILIATES, TEAM, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPLIERS, PARTNERS AND CONTENT PROVIDERS DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICE WILL BE SECURE OR AVAILABLE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME OR LOCATION; (B) ANY DEFECTS OR ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED; (C) ANY CONTENT OR SOFTWARE AVAILABLE AT OR THROUGH THE SERVICE IS FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR (D) THE RESULTS OF USING THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS. YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, SERVICE AND CONTENT IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. SOME STATES / COUNTRIES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Indemnification

You shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless TC Global, its affiliates and each of its and its affiliates' employees, contractors, directors, suppliers and representatives from all losses, costs, actions, claims, damages, expenses (including reasonable legal costs) or liabilities, that arise from or relate to your use or misuse of, or access to, the Site, Service, Content or otherwise from your User Submissions, violation of these Terms of Use, or infringement by you, or any third party using the your account, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity (save to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction holds that such claim arose due to an act or omission of TC Global). TC Global reserves the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will assist and cooperate with TC Global in asserting any available defenses.

Limitation of Liability

ALL LIABILITY OF TC GLOBAL, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS HOWSOEVER ARISING FOR ANY LOSS SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITE, SERVICE, CONTENT OR USER SUBMISSIONS IS EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SAVE THAT, IF A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION DETERMINES THAT LIABILITY OF TC GLOBAL, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS (AS APPLICABLE) HAS ARISEN, THE TOTAL OF SUCH LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED IN AGGREGATE TO THE VALUE OF TC GLOBAL'S SERVICES AVAILED BY THE USER FOR 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INITIATION OF A CLAIM.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL TC GLOBAL, NOR ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS, BE LIABLE UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY OR OTHERWISE (AND WHETHER OR NOT TC GLOBAL, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES GIVING RISE TO SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGE) WITH RESPECT TO THE SITE, SERVICE, CONTENT OR USER SUBMISSIONS FOR:

• INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSSES OR DAMAGES;
• LOSS OF ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS;
• LOSS OF REVENUE;
• LOSS OF GOODWILL;
• LOSS OF DATA;
• LOSS OF ANTICIPATED SAVINGS;
• WASTED EXPENDITURE; OR
• COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUE GOODS OR SERVICES.

NOTHING IN THESE TERMS OF USE SHALL BE DEEMED TO EXCLUDE OR LIMIT YOUR LIABILITY IN RESPECT OF ANY INDEMNITY GIVEN BY YOU UNDER THESE TERMS OF USE. APPLICABLE LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN SUCH CASES, TC GLOBAL'S LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Governing Law

A printed version of these Terms of Use and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to these Terms of Use to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. You and TC Global agree that any cause of action arising out of or related to the Service must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action arose; otherwise, such cause of action is permanently barred.

Terms of Use and all other policies available on this Service shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms of Use and/ or other policies available on this App, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC") in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC Rules") for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this clause. The Tribunal shall consist of 3 arbitrators. The seat and venue of Arbitration shall be Singapore and the language of proceedings shall be English. Subject to the foregoing, the Courts of Singapore shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes relating to the subject matter, herein.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a dispute arises with respect to the validity, scope, enforceability, inventorship, ownership, infringement, breach or unauthorised use of any patent, trademark, copyright or other intellectual property right or any non-proprietary data owned and/or controlled by TC Global, whether or not arising from the Terms of Use, such dispute (at the option of TC Global) shall not be submitted to arbitration and instead, TC Global shall be free to initiate litigation, including but not limited to a claim for interim injunctive relief, in a court of competent jurisdiction, in any country or other jurisdiction in which such rights apply.

Integration and Severability

These Terms of Use are the entire agreement between you and TC Global with respect to the Service and use of the Site, Service, Content or User Submissions, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals (whether oral, written or electronic) between you and TC Global with respect to the Site. If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms of Use will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. The failure of either party to exercise in any respect any right provided for herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder. Waiver of compliance in any particular instance does not mean that we will waive compliance in the future. In order for any waiver of compliance with these Terms of Use to be binding, TC Global must provide you with written notice of such waiver through one of its authorized representatives.

Modification of Terms of Use

TC Global reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any of these Terms of Use, or change, suspend, or discontinue the Service (including without limitation, the availability of any feature, database, or content) at any time by posting a notice on the Site or by sending you notice through the Service or via email. TC Global may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the Service without notice or liability. It is your responsibility to check these Terms of Use periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Use constitutes acceptance of those changes. You shall also be notified of any modifications to these Terms of Use as and when effected or at least once a year.

Other Provisions

Claims of Copyright or Trademark Infringement

Claims of copyright or trademark infringement should be sent to TC Global's designated agent. If you believe that someone is infringing your copyright or trademark rights on the Site, you can report it to us by contacting our designated agent at [email protected] with a report containing the following information:

• your complete contact information (name, mailing address and phone number),
• a detailed description of the Content that you claim infringes your copyright or trademark along with details on how it infringes upon your copyright or trademark,
• the web address (URL) of the infringing content,
• a declaration that you are filing this report in good faith and that all the information provided is accurate and that you are the owner of the copyright and/or trademark in question.

Please attach your digital signature or physical signature to the report.

Within 36 hours of receiving this notice with the above mentioned details, we will take down the allegedly infringing material from public view while we assess the issues identified in your notice.

On completion of the take-down procedure above:

• If the complainant is successful in obtaining an order of injunction from a court of competent jurisdiction within 21 days from filing the complaint, the material will be permanently removed from TC Global's Site and database upon TC Global being provided with a copy of such order;
• If the complainant is not successful in obtaining an order of injunction from a court of competent jurisdiction within 21 days from receiving notice from the complainant, the material will be made available for public view once again.

Before you submit a report of infringement, you may want to send a message to the person who posted the Content. You may be able to resolve the issue without contacting TC Global. Please remember, only the copyright/trademark owner or their authorized representative may file a report of infringement. If you believe something on the Site infringes someone else's copyright/trademark, you may want to let the rights owner know.

TC Global may give notice by means of a general notice on the Site / Service, notification within the mobile application on your account, electronic mail to your email address in your account, or by written communication sent to your address as set forth in your account. You may give notice to TC Global by written communication to TC Global's email address at [email protected] or physical address at No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore, 068805 .

You may not assign or transfer these Terms of Use in whole or in part without TC Global's prior written approval. You hereby give your approval to TC Global for it to assign or transfer these Terms in whole or in part, including to: (i) a subsidiary or affiliate; (ii) an acquirer of TC Global's equity, business or assets; or (iii) a successor by merger. No joint venture, partnership, employment or agency relationship exists between you, TC Global or any Third Party Provider as a result of the contract between you and TC Global or use of the Services.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any law, such provision or part thereof shall to that extent be deemed not to form part of these Terms but the legality, validity and enforceability of the other provisions in these Terms shall not be affected. In that event, the parties shall replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or part thereof with a provision or part thereof that is legal, valid and enforceable and that has, to the greatest extent possible, a similar effect as the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or part thereof, given the contents and purpose of these Terms. These Terms constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to its subject matter and replaces and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements or undertakings regarding such subject matter. In these Terms, the words "including" and "include" mean "including, but not limited to."

Miscellaneous

TC Global shall not be liable for any failure to perform its obligations hereunder where such failure results from any cause beyond TC Global's reasonable control, including, without limitation, mechanical, electronic or communications failure or degradation (including "line-noise" interference). These Terms of Use are personal to you, and are not assignable, transferable or sublicensable by you except with TC Global's prior written consent. TC Global may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights and obligations hereunder without consent. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created as a result of these Terms of Use and neither party has any authority of any kind to bind the other in any respect.

Unless otherwise specified in these Term of Use, all notices under these Terms of Use will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by facsimile or e-mail; or the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by recognized overnight delivery service.

You may contact us at the following address:

The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore, 068805 Our grievance / nodal officer may be contacted at: Zishan Siddiqui Grievance Officer The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd No. 3 Shenton Way #10-05/06, Shenton House Singapore, 068805 Email: [email protected]

• Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy | September 6, 2021

• The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd. is an entity registered in Singapore. We are engaged in the business of providing a global education, learning, and investment services Site which caters to students, professionals, universities, corporates and governments. We are committed to ensuring that privacy of our clients, visitors, and other users of the website https://tcglobal.com , its subdomains, the web applications and mobile applications (" Site ") is always respected. This Privacy Policy (" Policy ") is to serve as a testament to our sincere efforts to uphold privacy laws. In this Policy, " TC Global ", " we ", or " us " refers to The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd. and its affiliates and " you " refers to a user who has provided any information including Personal Information ( as defined below ) and using any features therein.
• The protection and security of your Personal Information and Usage Information ( as defined below ) is one of our top priorities. This Privacy Policy discloses and explains how we collect, use, share and protect Personal Information, Usage Information or any other information about you. We also provide information regarding how you can access and update your Personal Information and make certain choices about how your Personal Information is used by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by other means (including offline) or from other sources.
• This Privacy Policy explains what information of yours will be collected by TC Global when you access the Site, how the information will be used, and how you can control the collection, correction and/or deletion of information. We will not use or share your information with anyone except as described in this Privacy Policy. The use of information collected through our Site shall be limited to the purposes under this Privacy Policy.

TC Global controls, collects, owns and directs the use of the Personal Information and Usage Information on its Site and TC Global is the data controller and data processor as regards the Personal Information and Usage Information collected on its Site. For any queries regarding this Privacy Policy and the collection and use of data collected or processed under this Privacy Policy, TC Global can be contacted by mail at The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd, No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore 068805 ; by phone at +65 9825 6174 or by e-mail at [email protected] .

The legal basis for collection and processing of any information collected and processed by TC Global including the Personal Information is (i) your consent at the time of providing the Personal Information; (ii) where it is in our legitimate interests to do so and not overridden by your rights (for example, in some cases for direct marketing, fraud prevention, network and information systems security, responding to your communications, the operation of networks of groups by the network administrators, and improving our Site). In some cases, we may also have a legal obligation to collect information about you or may otherwise need the information to protect your vital interests or those of another person. We may also process information to comply with a legal requirement or to perform a contract.

TC Global may ask you to provide certain categories of information such as personal information, which is information that coold reasonably be used to identify you personally, such as your name, gender, family details, address, e-mail address, nationality, details of your passport and other government ID, financial information, academic record / education history, date of birth, mobile number, travel history and medical records (" Personal Information "), when you access the Site, in order to provide you with the services requested. Additionally, we may collect this information through various forms and in various places through the Site, including when you first register with us, when you create a transaction, when you contact us, when you update your information or from time to time or when you otherwise interact with us. TC Global may include registration, surveys, and other online forums where users will need to provide Personal Information.

First party cookies are the cookies served by the owner of the domain. In our case, that's TC Global. Any cookie we place ourselves is a "first-party cookie."

Third-party cookies are cookies placed on our domains by trusted partners that we've allowed to do so. These can be social media partners, advertising partners, security providers, and more. And they can be either "session cookies" or "permanent cookies":

Session cookies only exist until you close your browser, ending what's called your "session." Then they're deleted.

Permanent cookies have a range of lifespans and stay on your device after the browser is closed. On the Site, we try to only serve permanent cookies (or allow permanent cookies to be served by third parties) that have a limited lifespan. However, for security reasons or in other exceptional circumstances, sometimes we may need to give a cookie a longer lifespan.

Web browser cookies may store info such as your IP address or other identifiers, your browser type, and info about the content you view and interact with on digital services. By storing this info, web browser cookies can remember your preferences and settings for online services and analyze how you use them.

Along with cookies, we also use tracking technologies that are very similar. Our Site may contain small transparent image files or lines of code that record how you interact with them. These include "web beacons," "scripts," "tracking URLs," or "software development kits" (known as SDKs):

Web beacons have a lot of different names. They might also be known as web bugs, tracking bugs, tags, web tags, page tags, tracking pixels, pixel tags, 1x1 GIFs, or clear GIFs. In short, these beacons are a tiny graphic image of just one pixel that can be delivered to your device as part of a web page request, in an app, an advertisement, or an HTML email message. They can be used to retrieve info from your device, such as your device type, operating system, IP address, and the time of your visit. They are also used to serve and read cookies in your browser or to trigger the placement of a cookie.

Scripts are small computer programs embedded within our web pages that give those pages a wide variety of extra functionality. Scripts make it possible for the website to function properly. For example, scripts power certain security features and enable basic interactive features on our website. Scripts can also be used for analytical or advertising purposes. For example, a script can collect info about how you use our website, such as which pages you visit or what you search for.

Tracking URLs are links with a unique identifier in them. These are used to track which website brought you to the Site. An example woold be if you clicked from a social media page, search engine, or one of our affiliate partners' websites.

Software Development Kits (SDKs) are part of our apps' source code. Unlike browser cookies, SDK data is stored in the app storage. They're used to analyze how the apps are being used or to send personalized push notifications. To do this, they record unique identifiers associated with your device, like your device ID, IP address, in-app activity, and network location.

All these tracking technologies are referred to as "cookies" here in this Cookie Statement. However, no Personal Information identifying the user is collected nor any data capture mechanisms are employed. The user may change browser settings to accept or reject cookies on personal preference. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify the browser setting to decline cookies if you so prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to sign in or use other interactive features of the Site that may depend on cookies. If you choose to accept cookies, you also have the ability to later delete cookies that you have accepted. If you choose to delete cookies, any settings and preferences controlled by those cookies, including advertising preferences, will be deleted and may need to be recreated. We process and keep all data for our own use and, if you wish to opt-out from tracking by TC Global you can do so at [email protected]

• Information Collected Automatically : In addition to any Personal Information or other information that you choose to submit to us, we may use a variety of technologies that automatically (or passively) collect certain information whenever you access the Site (" Usage Information "). This Usage Information may include the browser that you are using, the URL that referred you to our Site, mobile device model (manufacturer), OS type (IOS/android), OS version, network carrier, IP address, mobile screen size, time zone of the user, browser details, among other information. Usage Information may be non-identifying or may be associated with you. Whenever we associate Usage Information with your Personal Information, we will treat it as Personal Information and the conditions relating to Personal Information under this Privacy Policy will be followed. Traffic data, while anonymous, is gathered and analysed for business needs.
• Information Third Parties Provide About You: We may, from time to time, supplement the information we collect about you through our Site with outside records from third parties obtained rightfolly in order to enhance our ability to serve you, to tailor our content to you and to offer you opportunities to use such of our Services that we believe may be of interest to you. We may combine the information we receive from such third party sources with information we collect through the Site or through independent research conducted by TC Global, with your consent. In these cases, we will apply this Privacy Policy to any Personal Information received, unless otherwise provided. We may process such information received from third parties for legitimate commercial purposes or to enter into contractual obligations with you or to folfil certain contractual obligations or where you have requested third parties to provide information about yourself to us.

TC Global may also process any Personal Information or Usage Information collected from you for legitimate commercial purposes including to provide you with the requisite information requested. A list of uses of the Personal Information and Usage Information collected is provided at Section 3 of this Policy ( Use of Information Collected ). TC Global implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of our processing of information about individuals such as (i) only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible; (ii) using secure servers to store your information; (iii) verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information; and (iv) using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software or other similar encryption technologies to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our Site.

Any user who has submitted Personal Information on the Site has the right to (i)  access, correct, delete such Personal Information subject to us successfolly verifying your identity; (ii) object to us processing your Personal Information on legitimate grounds; (iii) to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information; (iv) opting out of receiving any promotional or marketing material by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" button or by sending an email to [ [email protected] ]. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfolness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent; (v) right to have the Personal Information transferred to another data controller; and (vi) lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particolar in the jurisdiction of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of any applicable data protection laws. Any request received by us by the user in relation to the aforesaid shall be acknowledged by us within seventy-two (72) business hours.

TC Global does not share any Personal Information with any third party without your consent, except when directed by the law. TC Global can use this data to verify user identity in line with engagement initiated by the user. We will communicate with you using the contact information provided by you in order to respond to any queries that you may have and to provide any information that you may request regarding the services provided through the Site. We may communicate with you either by written, physical communication, email, telephone, SMS or via notifications on your mobile device. We may also send strictly service-related announcements to you periodically and when it is necessary to do so. For instance, if our services are temporarily suspended for maintenance, we might send you an email, text message, flash notification or telephone call. If you do not wish to receive such alerts, you have the option to unsubscribe from such emails or opt out by sending an email to [email protected] .

We may use Personal Information or Usage Information collected through the Site in the following ways:

• to operate and improve our Site and tools associated with the Site;
• to create aggregated and anonymized information to determine which Site features are most popolar and usefol to users, and for other statistical analyses;
• to prevent, discover and investigate violations of this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Use of the Site, and to investigate fraud or other matters;
• To customize the content or the services on the Site for you, or the communications sent to you through the Site.
• To help provide you the services accessible through the Site, which may include liaising and providing information to visa/customs/immigration offices of various countries and admissions offices of universities situated across the globe;
• To observe, improve and administer the quality of services on the Site;
• To analyze how the Site is used, diagnose technical problems;
• Remember the basic information provided by you for effective access;
• To confirm your identity in order to determine your eligibility to use the Site and avail our services;
• To notify you about any changes to the Site;
• To enable TC Global to comply with its legal and regolatory obligations;
• For the purpose of sending administrative notices, service-related alerts and other similar communication with a view to optimizing the efficiency of the Site;
• Doing market research, troubleshooting, protection against error, project planning, fraud and other criminal activity; and
• To enforce TC Global's Terms of Use.
• Using your contact info to send you regolar news about relevant products and services. You can unsubscribe from email marketing communications quickly, easily, and anytime. All you need to do is click the "Unsubscribe" link included in each newsletter or other communication.
• Based on your info, individualized offers might be shown to you on the Site, on mobile apps, or on third-party websites/apps (including social media sites), and the content of the site displayed to you might be personalized. These coold be offers that you can book directly on the Site, on co-branded sites, or other third-party offers or products we think you might find interesting.
• When you participate in other promotional activities (e.g. sweepstakes, referral programs, or competitions), relevant info will be used to administer these promotions.

We may share non-Personal Information, such as aggregated user statistics and log data, with our business partners for industry analysis, demographic profiling, to deliver targeted advertising about other products or services, or for other business purposes. This information is solely used to analyze company Site and understand usage statistics, as mentioned above, is anonymous. The company may share this data with its business partners on anonymous basis.  We do not sell, share, rent or trade the information we have collected about you, including Personal Information, other than as disclosed within this Privacy Policy or at the time you provide your information. We do not share your Personal Information with third parties for those third parties' direct marketing purposes unless you consent to such sharing at the time you provide your Personal Information.

We cooperate with government and law enforcement officials and private parties to enforce and comply with the law. Thus, we may access, use, store, transfer and disclose your information (including Personal Information), including disclosure to third parties such as government or law enforcement officials or private parties as we reasonably determine is necessary and appropriate: (i) to satisfy any applicable law, regolation, governmental requests or legal process; (ii) to protect the safety, rights, property or security of TC Global, our services, the Site or any third party; (iii) to protect the safety of the public for any reason; (iv) to detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; and /or (v) to prevent or stop any activity we consider to be, or to pose a risk of being, an illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity. Such disclosures may be carried out without notice to you.

We may share your information, including your Personal Information and Usage Information with our parent, subsidiaries and affiliates for internal reasons. We also reserve the right to disclose and transfer all such information: (i) to a subsequent owner, co-owner or operator of the Site or applicable database; or (ii) in connection with a corporate merger, consolidation, restructuring, the sale of substantially all of our membership interests and/or assets or other corporate change, including, during the course of any due diligence process. You will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our Site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information. We will endeavor that the transferee who is the recipient of Personal Information and Usage Information commits to privacy measures which are substantially similar to the measures under this privacy policy.

We do not include or offer third party products or services on our Site.

Your information may be stored and processed in Singapore or any other country in which TC Global or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities. TC Global may transfer information that we collect about you, including Personal Information, to affiliated entities, or to other third parties across borders and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world. These countries may have data protection laws that are different to the laws of your country and, in some cases, may not be as protective. We have taken appropriate safeguards to require that your information will remain protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy by entering into requisite agreements with the concerned transferees. 

Your information will be retained with TC Global as long as it is needed by TC Global to provide services to you. If you wish to cancel your account or request that TC Global no longer uses your information to provide services, you may contact TC Global at [email protected].. TC Global will promptly delete the information as requested. TC Global will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with its legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce its agreements or for other business purposes. When TC Global has no ongoing legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymize it.

In case on any queries on this privacy policy, please contact us at  [email protected] . TC Global reserves the right to update or modify any part of this policy or make any changes without prior notice to the user. The user is advised to check this page periodically to stay abreast of any policy changes by us.

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Creative Writer Job Titles

Explore the most popular job titles, career levels, and alternative careers for Creative Writers

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Junior creative writer, editorial assistant, creative writer.

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Entry level job titles, scriptwriting assistant, mid level job titles, senior level job titles, director level job titles, director of content strategy, director of editorial content, director of scriptwriting, director of copywriting, vp level job titles, vice president of creative writing, vp of content strategy, vp of brand storytelling, vp of editorial content, vp of creative and content development, how to advance your current creative writer title, master diverse writing styles, build an engaging online presence, network with industry professionals, refine your editing skills, continue your writing education, pursue publication and awards, similar creative writer careers & titles, content strategist, faqs about creative writer titles, how do creative writer job titles vary across industries, are there any emerging job titles for creative writers that are gaining popularity, which creative writer job title has the highest salary potential.

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25 Creative Jobs & Careers for Creative People

Creativity is far from just a skill; it’s an essential part of an identity. Why settle for a career that doesn’t allow creative individuals to shine? Creative people deserve equally creative careers — and yes, there are dozens of creative jobs that don’t require a degree! 

Whether a self-taught photographer or a classically trained painter, rest assured that jobs for artistic people do exist. Today, we’ve gathered 25 of the top creative careers and jobs for creative thinkers, from photography and videography to creative writing and arts and crafts. 

Photography & Videography Careers

1. photographer.

Creatives with photography skills can share their gifts across a wide range of industries. As one of the many creative jobs that don’t require a degree, most photographers can discover professional work with a polished portfolio and general photography experience. 

A few examples of photography creative careers include:

• Product photographer
• Wedding photographer
• Newborn photographer
• Real estate photographer
• Photojournalist

Check out our full Photography Careers Guide for more photography career options.

How Much Can a Photographer Make?

The general yearly salary for a photographer averages $43,114 per year but can vary depending on professional experience. Even those just beginning their photography career can find entry-level photography assistant positions. These opportunities can help set novice photographers on a strong path for career growth, potentially leading them to start a photography business.

2. Videographer

Though a career in videography may require a bit more equipment than photography, it’s an awesome freelance or employment opportunity for creatives with a love for visual arts in motion. Videography skills are often highly requested across numerous industries for purposes including but not limited to advertisement commercials, music video production, and product marketing. 

How Much Can a Videographer Make?

As of 2022, the average videographer’s salary sits at around $68,703 per year . It can range from $56,668 per year to $85,611 per year, depending on education and prior experience. Those of us looking to jumpstart our videography career can lock in some general videography knowledge and research local entry-level positions or apprenticeship programs. 

3.Photo Editor

Jobs with photography don’t all happen behind the camera. If you have the skills to edit photos , you are extremely hireable. There is a lot of work in the field, whether that’s through freelancing gigs (which, thanks to digital photography, can be done entirely online) or with an ad agency. While you may not be taking the photos directly, you will stay engaged with the art and the questions that surround its technique.

4. Film Producer

For those with a deep love for videography and the visual arts, plus a desire to take on a management-focused career, a creative career in film production is the way to go. These creative individuals are responsible for managing various stages of film production, ranging from early development to post-production on everything from small indie films or highly anticipated blockbusters. 

Roles as a film producer often require a bit more experience and knowledge to help land a position. The current average salary for a film producer is $70,319 per year . Some positions offer upwards of $135,000 per year, depending on skills and experience. 

5. Video Editor

Falling under the field of videography, video editors are responsible for editing recorded footage used in movies, television shows, company commercials, and online videos. Many businesses will seek video editing services on a project-to-project basis, making this a great freelancing opportunity for those with strong video editing abilities. 

The average base annual salary for a video editor is approximately $38,850 per year. However, a video editor typically prices their professional services based on their experience and specific skills, which can significantly influence final income amounts. 

Design Careers 

6. Graphic Design 

Rather than capture art with a camera, a creative career in graphic design allows an artistic individual to create the art themselves. A graphic design career offers great freelance and employment opportunities, from developing gaming graphics to crafting custom company logos.

How Much Can a Graphic Designer Make?

The current salary average for a graphic designer is approximately $50,710 per year . With many graphic designers beginning their careers through self-taught online instruction , designers who continue to enhance their skill sets have a chance of securing higher-paying positions and projects.

Graphic designers who expand their expertise through continued education and ongoing experience can land more advanced roles. For example, the salary for senior designers averages $82,384 per year , and product designers earn an average of $102,237 per year .

7. Web Design

Like graphic design, a creative job in web design also offers fantastic freelance and employment opportunities for those with an eye for art. This creative career pairs personal website design tools, including WordPress and Adobe Dreamweaver, with technical web development language skills, like CSS, Java, and Python, to create websites that are equal parts functional and visually appealing.

How Much Can a Web Designer Make?

For those with an established portfolio, web design offers great self-employment opportunities due to the project-to-project nature of this profession. However, the average annual salary is also $67,916 per year , so it’s crucial for web designers to stay up to date with current web design trends and skills , as many preferred web design tools and processes regularly update and change. 

8. UX Design

User experience (UX) design positions partner the skills of a web designer with the ability to make cloud-based programs and websites user-friendly. UX designers hone their skills to program and alter the functions and layout of a website or program to support customer satisfaction and accessibility.

How Much Can a UX Designer Make?

UX design positions average a yearly salary of roughly $98,816 . Unlike other creative jobs that don’t require a degree, these jobs also require some college education.

People just beginning their UX design career path and those without college experience often start by teaching themselves UX design topics and skills. 

9. Fashion Design

Apart from the digital aspect of creative design, fashion design offers robust creative potential for those interested in designing all types of clothing and accessories. This highly prized and competitive niche offers huge employment opportunities with various fashion brands. We can also consider freelance design opportunities to create a proprietary clothing brand . 

How Much Can a Fashion Designer Make?

Due to fashion’s varying nature in price and popularity, salary amounts fluctuate with a current average of $75,810 per year . However, those who enter the entrepreneurial space of fashion design can experience far beyond average salary amounts dependent on personal success. 

10. Interior Design

Interior design is a highly desired job for artistic people that offers excellent employment opportunities with design firms. Interior designers are responsible for using their keen eye for aesthetics to create visually appealing residential and commercial interior spaces with a curated selection of wall colors, furniture, and other design elements. 

How Much Can an Interior Designer Make?

The average annual interior design salary is roughly $52,034 , with previous experience and education qualifications potentially affecting this amount. Many design firms often request educational design experience. Yet rising interior designers can get a taste of industry expectations through online education . 

11. Art Director

Securing a role as an art director is built for those seeking a bit more of a management position. Art directors are responsible for overseeing the visual design aspects of a media campaign and often manage and mentor entry-level designers. 

How Much Can an Art Director Make?

Art director roles are considered senior-level positions and offer an average annual salary of $100,890 . Due to the high level of this position, companies seeking an art director often require multiple years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in an art and design subject. 

12. Jewelry Design 

Those searching for creative jobs that don’t require a degree may want to consider jewelry design. While major jewelry companies may offer design assistant positions, many people opt to design jewelry through their own small businesses. 

In fact, the booming popularity of e-commerce has enabled jewelry design entrepreneurs to sell their work directly through online marketplaces such as Etsy.

How Much Can a Jewelry Designer Make?

Jewelry designers hold an average annual salary of $42,501 . However, those who tap into the entrepreneurial space of jewelry design may see a much higher wage. 

13. Motion Design

As one of the top jobs for artistic people, motion designers leverage graphic design skills to create web, television, and film content with animation and visual effects that put their art into motion. Motion designers will often work alongside various marketing and production companies to help craft animated commercials, trailers, and mobile app openings. 

How Much Can a Motion Designer Make?

Many motion designers work freelance and offer their skills on a project-to-project basis and can make an average of $60,703 per year , depending on professional experience and portfolio presence.

Music Careers

Visual arts may not be for everyone. Some of us have a deep passion for music production, which we can develop into creative careers as well.

14. Music Producer

Music producers are responsible for leading the creative and technical development of music recordings ranging from a single song to an entire studio soundtrack. Producers work hand-in-hand with those in the music business , managing songwriters, audio engineers, and artists as a team to help craft an awesome audio project. 

How Much Can a Music Producer Make?

Because of the expansive level of industry success a music producer can encounter, yearly salary amounts can average anywhere from $70,326 per year to upwards of a multi-million dollar amount. 

15.Start DJ ‘ing

For those who enjoy entertainment and are looking to take their music career outside of the studio, entering the professional DJ space may be the answer. From mastering the machine to getting the scratching down pat, DJing involves numerous music mixing skills that we can use to host parties, work on a radio station, and create custom medleys. 

How Much Can a DJ Make?

A professional DJ’s salary averages $58,267 per year. Yet, as with most careers in music, the exposure level and demand for services can significantly impact a DJ’s salary. 

16. Audio Engineer

An audio engineer is responsible for the numerous mechanical and technical components of sound, whether it’s for music recordings, television shows, or even video game sound reels. A creative ear is essential, as responsibilities include recording, editing, and reproducing enjoyable audio files. 

How Much Can an Audio Engineer Make?

The current average annual salary for an audio engineer totals $51,774 per year . This income can climb upwards of $136,500 per year with added experience. For those looking to enter the field, online audio engineering classes can offer excellent insight into the skills needed to become successful. 

17. Sound Mixer

Often referred to as production sound mixers, sound mixers lead the process of capturing, editing, and uploading audio for television, film, and music operations. Sound mixers are often responsible for overseeing the entire audio production team, which makes for the perfect creative career for those seeking a management position in the music industry. 

How Much Can a Sound Mixer Make?

A professional sound mixer can earn an average annual salary of $62,809 or more, depending on the level of experience and general industry education.  

Arts and Crafts Careers 

18. Painter

Some of us love to paint but have never considered it as a potential career path. Yet professional painters can sell their work, commission their paintings to corporate or private collections, and work on specific projects to make money. Likewise, those who can demonstrate strong painting skills can also teach art classes or workshops.

The yearly salary for an artistic painter truly cannot be averaged to a general amount. As with many artistic career routes, yearly income amounts will rely on the artist’s success and the exposure they receive. Another contributing factor is whether painting is a side hustle or a full-time freelance gig. 

19. Illustrator 

Another option for those of us with a passion for drawing is to become an illustrator. With both freelance and employment opportunities available, illustrators play a huge role in all things that require physical drawing.

How Much Can an Illustrator Make?

Illustrator careers can stretch from magazines and children’s books to fashion design and advertisements. Depending on skill level and general level of experience, illustrators can earn an average annual salary ranging from $21,500 to $131,500.

20.Online Craft Seller

For us creatives who create pottery or macrame plant hangers, there are online opportunities to sell our artwork — and even take special requests from customers looking to use our skills to create something custom. The trick is to master the art of running an online craft shop like in a platform like Etsy or similar platforms.

Like painters, online craft sellers can earn a wide range of salaries. Creative individuals can benefit from learning craft business basics , like establishing a personal shop, to create endless opportunities to share their skills with the world and also turn a profit. Plus, a personal shop with traction can quickly turn a side gig into a full-time self-employed operation. 

Creative Writing  Careers

21. Copywriter

In terms of creative writing career paths, copywriting tends to take the cake. From blog writing for big companies to creating website copy and product descriptions for small businesses, copywriting skills are present just about anywhere there’s text. 

Copywriting offers great freelance, side-hustle, and employment opportunities, with many successful writers sourcing their guidance strictly from creative writing classes .

How Much Can a Copywriter Make?

The current average salary for a copywriter is $54,184 per year . This amount can increase with industry experience, client caliber, and skill.

22. Ghostwriter

Ghostwriters are the solutions for thought leaders and various industry professionals who want to write a book or start a blog, but simply don’t have the writing skills. Though ghostwriters do not receive a byline (credit) for their work, they still receive payment for each piece they author.

Many successful ghostwriters have a background in copywriting and other creative writing fields. Others hone their skills through self-education. As ghostwriters often operate independently as freelancers or side hustlers, yearly pay varies based on the number of projects and their cost.

23. Social Media Marketer

Individuals with both creative writing and social media skills who don’t want to take on long-form copywriting or ghostwriting projects may consider social media marketing. Social media marketers use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now Tiktok to create, upload, and manage content that attracts and engages customers. 

How Much Can a Social Media Marketer Make?

As with many creative writing careers, social media marketers can freelance or opt for a full-time position with an average salary of $56,423 per year. One way to learn the basics and jumpstart a career in social media is through online classes. 

24.Journalist

A career in journalism is a perfect match for those who have a passion for storytelling and staying connected with hot topics and global news. Journalists allow creatives to hone their writing skills to educate and inform readers on various topics through newspapers, magazines, or online publications. 

Many professionals possess a degree in journalism. However, a degree is not always necessary if aspiring journalists can demonstrate previous work samples.

How Much Can a Journalist Make?

The average starting salary for a journalist is $41,968 per year , and career growth depends on the employing publication.

25. Technical Writer

For those seeking creative careers that involve a challenge, try technical writing. Technical writers are responsible for transforming complex and difficult-to-digest topics into something all readers can understand. Technical writers often create product guides, medical manuals, and other documentation to be used as a reference following a product purchase or service request. 

How Much Can a Technical Writer Make?

Due to the high-grade nature of this writing, the average salary for a technical writer is approximately $69,234 per year . With both freelance and full-time opportunities available, technical writers can score creative jobs by demonstrating robust knowledge in a particular niche.  

Types of Career

Not all creative careers will require a 9 to 5 job. Before diving into the individual job types, consider the multiple types of careers that offer creative direction.

Freelance Creative 

Freelance work is often not referred to as a job but rather as self-employment or a personal business. Instead of being employed by a single company or organization, freelance professionals offer their creative skills as a pay-per-service to various individuals and companies. 

Likewise, freelance creative professionals can also take on contract work. This allows a creative to sign an agreement with a company to complete a project over a designated amount of time. But it does not deem the creative as an employee of that entity. 

The demand for creative freelance work is always growing with platforms such as Fiverr , which offers creatives opportunities to sell their work such as graphic design, voice acting and more. 

Talented and experienced freelance creatives can also take on much bigger endeavors and produce complete campaigns and projects for big brands, if you are one of them you can offer your time and skills in platforms like WorkingNotWorking .    

Employed Creative 

Creative skills are in demand in many different industries, such as advertising, fashion, architecture, music and more. Companies are looking for talented individuals who can fit into positions such as design, photography, copywriting, editing, illustration, etc. and some may eventually move into management roles. 

Creative management jobs allow creatives to use their skills to guide both the company’s creative processes and the employees’ artistic processes.

Creative managers — like art directors — often control higher-risk creative and decision-making abilities. Depending on the specific management position at hand, creatives may need to demonstrate proof of education and experience to gain the role.

Creative Side Hustle

Not all creatives are ready to leave their current job just yet, and that’s okay — that’s what a side hustle is for. A side hustle allows artistic people to use their skills as a service without committing to an entire business venture. 

Writing, photography, and graphic design are just a fraction of the creative professions that make money as a side hustle while offering flexibility for those balancing a full-time job. Here are 25 different creative careers that can start as a side hustle and blossom into a full-time career.

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Nasa Koski cut her teeth in filmmaking through her climbing & mountaineering adventures in the Pacific Northwest. Carrying a camera into the wilderness ignited her passion for storytelling through photos and film. Her short films have toured worldwide and won awards at Banff Mountain Film Festival, 5Point Film Festival, and more. She is the Creative Director of Social & Brand at CreativeLive.

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16 High-Paying Jobs for Creative People in 2024

As a kid, you might have imagined yourself thriving in jobs for creative people—perhaps as a painter or a rockstar. But as you grow up, it might seem like your only choices are careers that put you in front of a spreadsheet all day instead of a canvas or a cheering crowd. 

When you’re a naturally creative person, job searching can feel extra challenging. It’s easy to feel like any job that isn’t obviously artistic will force you to either give up an important part of yourself or settle for a low salary—but luckily, that just isn’t the case.

The internet and the numerous technological revolutions we've witnessed in the past few decades have opened a new plethora of roles—some of which we couldn't have dreamed of existing 20 to 30 years ago.  Now, not only are there plenty of jobs out there that let you bring your creative side to work, but many of them are also high-paying. Curious? Below, you’ll find a list of 16 good paying jobs for creative people.

What does “creative job” mean?

Creative work typically involves using a lot of imagination and innovation to develop something—from images and sounds to physical items—and often requires collaboration.

“The truth is that every job can be creative,” says career coach Nina Sasson . “Being creative is about harnessing your attention. You can use your attention to create and build anything no matter what job you have.”

There are obvious choices, including copywriting and graphic design , but no two paths to a creative career are alike. Everything from data analysis to marketing to software development can be creative—it all depends on your perspective.

Management and training roles offer a lot of creative opportunities for individuals who are outgoing, have strong communication skills, and are able to think through problems in unique ways. 

“Effective leaders apply their creativity to bring out the unique potential in those they lead,” says Anne Jacoby, founder and CEO of Spring Street , a consulting firm that specializes in helping to develop creative workplace cultures.

What counts as a “high-paying” job?

For the purposes of this list, we’re defining high-paying jobs as those whose average salary is above the median household income in the U.S., which was $74,580 in 2022 , the latest year with available data.

You’ll also want to think about your level of experience going into the job search. Some of the roles below are mid-level or senior-level positions, so if you’re just starting out, you may want to look at entry-level jobs in those areas. While a junior role may have a lower salary to start, you’ll be on the path to a high-earning position.

So what are these high-paying jobs for creative people?

Read on to learn what each role does and how to break into the industry, plus average salary ranges and relevant open jobs on The Muse that you can apply to right now.

1. Agile Coach

Average salary : $132,544 Salary range: $92,000–$175,000

An agile coach typically works with a specific team, often software developers or product engineers, to help them manage long-term projects and work more effectively as a group. 

Agile coaching requires a unique blend of creative skills—you need to be organized and good with visuals (there are often a lot of flowcharts and task boards involved!), but you also need high emotional intelligence. This is a great role for people who are natural leaders, mentors, and problem-solvers.

To get into this field, it's important to be well-versed in agile workflow methodologies, an approach to project management that helps cross-functional teams work together more effectively. 

For example, you might use Scrum or Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methods. There are certifications available, including Scrum master certifications and project management courses, but you can also break into the field through on-the-job experience, especially at a smaller company.

Find agile coach jobs on The Muse

2. Social Media Director

Average Salary : $85,940 Salary range: $49,000–$147,000

A social media director is responsible for developing the strategies a brand will use to reach their customers through social media platforms. They day-to-day involves a combination of overseeing content channels, managing a team, analyzing performance of past and current efforts, and presenting data to demonstrate the success of social initiatives.

This is one of the best jobs for creative people who have a broad range of inventive and analytical skills. It requires a strong aesthetic sensibility, photo and video editing skills, copywriting, and sometimes even on-camera talent, but it doesn’t stop there. Social media directors also need to be strategic thinkers who can analyze and present data as easily as they can make new online friends.

So if you actually understand how the TikTok algorithm works and your camera roll has dozens of perfectly edited photos just waiting to be posted, you should probably consider working in social media. 

You might need to start as a social media coordinator or in another entry-level marketing job and work your way up to the manager level before you can become a director, but you’ll have a great time doing it. 

Find social media director , social media manager , social media coordinator , and other social media jobs on The Muse

3. UX Designer

Average Salary : $78,894 Salary range: $56,000–$113,000

In a UX (short for user experience) design role, you’ll be shaping how customers engage and interact with the product that your company makes. That can mean very different things for different businesses, which is one of the most exciting aspects of the field. 

At a software development company, you might be figuring out how users will go through the flow of adding items to their cart and checking out virtually, while at a retail business, you might be determining the best way to set up a physical checkout counter.

Some UX design roles are more visual, involving the creation of prototypes and wireframes, while others are focused more on writing copy and content for apps, websites, and physical spaces. Regardless, a problem-solving mindset and a constant desire to make things work better will set you up for success as a UX designer. 

You’ll also need to be good at research and testing, since you’ll want to go straight to the source—your product’s users—to better understand how to make it work for them. If you're seeking jobs for creative people at home, this might be a good alternative since it typically only requires a computer and internet connection. 

Find UX designer and other user experience jobs on The Muse

4. Product Designer

Average Salary : $91,176 Salary range: $61,000–$136,000

Product design can apply to everything from designing packaging, furniture, and toys to creating new software and digital products. In short, product designers shape the things that we use on a daily basis, from apps and web platforms to sneakers and headphones. This role is a good fit for anyone with strong drawing and drafting skills, especially if you’re interested in creating physical products. 

You’ll also need to work with cross-functional teams—collaborating with engineers, salespeople, and marketers—and find creative solutions that take into account engineering, budget, and other considerations. Product design can also be a great way to get into software or app development.

UX design and product design can be very similar, especially in the tech world. One main difference is the perspective: While UX designers are focused on making a product easy to use, product designers are primarily concerned with taking a concept or an idea and turning it into a product that people will want to buy, though they also have an interest in making their creations highly functional. 

Find product designer jobs on The Muse

5. Creative Director

Average salary : $96,498 Salary range: $53,000–$165,000

Creative directors often straddle a few different artistic fields. What a creative director actually does depends on the industry, but the general responsibilities are to shape the aesthetic direction and messaging of a brand. 

If you work in-house for a fashion company, you’ll be determining the visual look and feel of everything from the clothing to the retail spaces to the e-commerce platforms, while the creative director at an advertising agency will oversee the visuals, words, sounds, and anything else that might go into ads for a number of different clients.

As a creative director, you’ll typically be responsible for managing a team of other creative individuals, so great leadership and communication skills are a must. And it’s worth noting that this is not an entry- or mid-level role. You’ll need to work up to this job, but there are a lot of ways to get there, such as copywriting, graphic design, or marketing strategy roles.

Find creative director jobs on The Muse

6. Operations Director

Average salary : $92,776 Salary range: $51,000–$162,000

Operations directors are like the CEOs of the business unit they’re in charge of, managing day-to-day functions including staffing, scheduling, budgets, and business negotiations. Operations can encompass HR, management, finance, marketing, and more, so operations directors typically touch every area of the business. 

Even though it may not seem creative at first glance, it’s a role that really plays to the strengths of creative leaders with a strong business sense, since you'll need to be able to solve problems on a daily basis, manage cross-functional teams, run meetings, and make smart hiring and professional development decisions.

One of the best parts about this high-earning role is that the primary qualification you need to grow into it is experience—anyone with a strong work ethic, good management skills, and an understanding of finances can get there. Almost any entry-level position can set you on the operations road if you find that you’re passionate about it, but roles like office manager and operations coordinator are good places to start.

Find operations manager , operations coordinator , and office manager jobs on The Muse

7. Software Developer

Average salary : $78,197 Salary range: $56,000–$114,000

A software developer writes code to build new pieces of software (or to update or add new features to existing software). Software developers are constantly using creative skills, from problem-solving to creating visually appealing user interfaces. It’s a role that requires strong analytical skills, since you’ll often be starting with a user problem or need and then reverse-engineering a solution.

And yes, being a software developer also draws on creativity. “Creative thinking shows up across a variety of jobs that require strategy, analysis, and the distillation of complex ideas,” Jacoby says, and these tasks make up a lot of a software developer’s role.

Solid coding skills are a must, but you also need to be good at seeing the big picture and understanding how individual components interact to create a functional system. Software developers will often find themselves working with teams of other developers and focusing on small components of a larger project. 

A degree in computer science is always helpful for anyone looking to become a developer, but if you’re a self-taught coder, many companies will hire you without one.

Find software developer and other software jobs on The Muse

8. Senior Copywriter

Average salary : $81,906 Salary range: $57,000–$109,000

Copywriting is one of the most straightforward creative careers out there. It’s perfect for anyone who loves to write and come up with clever catch phrases or slogans. You might work for an agency, where you’ll have multiple clients, or as an in-house copywriter, where you’ll focus on creating content for a single company. 

Expect to write anything and everything from website copy to Instagram captions and the text that goes on printed collateral like posters and brochures, all with the goal of educating customers about the brand you’re working for or promoting the products or services they sell.

This is a great role for people who love working as part of a creative team, since copywriters often work closely with designers, social media managers, product teams, and even executives. Senior copywriters tend to work on larger products or oversee teams of more junior copywriters. 

A degree in English or creative writing is helpful if you’re trying to get your foot in the door as a junior copywriter and work your way up to higher-level (and better paying) roles. 

Find senior copywriter and other copywriter jobs on The Muse

9. PR Manager

Average salary : $77,152 Salary range: $51,000–$112,000

If you're looking for business jobs for creative people, public relations can be a lucrative field for people who find creativity in storytelling. PR managers are responsible for getting the word out and fostering a certain perception about a company, brand, product, or individual. 

Your day-to-day might be spent strategizing with other team members to figure out the best way to get a new lip gloss into the hands of a beauty editor or to get social media influencers to try a new restaurant. 

You’ll write a lot (think emails, press releases, and invitations), but you might also plan events and experiential brand activations, oversee digital campaigns, work with influencers and social media teams, and more.

To become a PR manager, you’ll need to work your way up from an entry-level position—perhaps a PR coordinator or assistant—and there’s a lot of room to keep growing in this field to director levels and beyond. It’s perfect for people with strong written and verbal communication skills. 

Degrees in business, marketing, and English or creative writing can all be helpful when you’re looking to break into the field. 

Find PR manager , PR coordinator , and other public relations jobs on The Muse

10. Training Manager

Average salary : $74,686 Salary range: $50,000–$110,000

A training manager is in charge of figuring out how to teach employees the skills they need to succeed in their roles, which means it’s another great fit for people with outgoing personalities and strong communication habits. 

This role can involve initial training and onboarding as well as continuing education over the course of an employee’s time with an organization. At some companies, training managers will need to travel to different locations, ensuring that employees are taught in a consistent manager.

Part operations, part HR, training managers need to be able to think on their feet, and understand how to teach the basics of a wide variety of job functions. They often create lesson plans, write and design training materials, and put together presentations—all of which can be great creative outlets. There’s the possibility to grow into regional or director-level roles, which means more opportunities to get a higher salary, too. Organizations hiring for training roles might be looking for a degree in communications or a related field, or they might be interested in candidates who have a degree that’s relevant to what their specific business does. 

Find training manager jobs on The Muse

11. Business Development Manager

Average salary : $80,896 Salary range: $50,000–$132,000

Business development managers are responsible for helping a company find more revenue streams. They might identify new markets to sell into, pursue partnerships with other companies, and form strategic alliances to help their organization meet financial goals.

Expect to spend a lot of time meeting with existing and potential clients and partners, as well as brainstorming and executing on creative ways to attract new clients, partner with other businesses in ways that will benefit both sides, and bring big projects across the finish line. 

“Creativity is a huge asset when negotiating and considering what may persuade your counterparty,” Jacoby says, and business development managers will need it when discussing deals externally and suggesting new strategies internally.

This kind of role requires strong social and public speaking skills—which might include creating and giving presentations—as well as research, analysis, organization, and writing skills. You’ll need to work in an entry-level role such as business development associate or representative before you can snag the manager-level salary and title. 

Find business development manager , business development associate , business development representative , and other business development jobs on The Muse

12. Email Marketing Manager

Average salary : $78,257 Salary range: $55,000–$108,000

Expect to flex a ton of different creative skills in this role, from copywriting to graphic design and strategy. Email marketing managers are responsible for figuring out the most effective way to communicate with current, past, and potential customers via email, and as anyone with an email account knows, businesses send a lot of emails.

Email marketing managers need to have solid writing skills and at least a basic understanding of graphic and layout design, even if you’ll mostly be working within templates. You’ll also need strong analytical skills, as the role requires A/B testing and analyzing data from past campaigns to see what is and isn’t working. If you studied business, marketing, or similar, and are hoping to flex both creative and quantitative skills, this might be a great path for you. 

Because email marketing can be a significant source of revenue for many businesses, it’s also a relatively high-paying job within marketing teams, though you may have to work your way up from an email coordinator or a generalist marketing coordinator or assistant role. 

Find email marketing manager , email marketing coordinator , and other email marketing jobs on The Muse

13. Art Director

Average salary : $75,538 Salary range: $51,000–$114,000

It's hard to talk about creative jobs for creative people without mentioning art directors. An art director is responsible for supervising and defining the visual style of projects. This involves articulating the visual narrative and storytelling to effectively communicate the creative vision.

As an art director, you can work across various industries and project types—including magazines, social media, television and film production, commercials, short stories, music videos, and even live performances.

It requires a degree in design, visual arts, or related areas, as well as previous working experience in this field or a similar one. You'll also need strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset since you will likely be part of a large team.

Find art director jobs on The Muse

14. Senior Interior Designer

Average salary : $75,380 Salary range: $58,000–$102,000

Do you love watching house makeovers on Queer Eye and Property Brothers? Perhaps you have a passion for interior design. This is one of the best jobs for creative people who enjoy expressing themselves through their spaces.

The main responsibility of an interior designer is to make indoor spaces more functional and, of course, beautiful. You'll need to be good at turning ideas into a concept and then using the right tools to make it real.

An interior designer can work solo or with architecture firms. They offer their services to different entities, such as companies, individuals, or even government agencies. To break into this field you'll probably need a degree in interior design, interior architecture, arts and design, or something similar.

Find interior designer jobs on The Muse

15. Senior Animator

Average salary : $89,582 Salary range: $51,000–$113,000

If you're fascinated by the movies studios like Disney and Pixar create, where not a single real person appears on screen, that's all thanks to the work of animators.

An animator is the professional behind all the movements and expressions you see in animated characters—not just in movies but also in video games, animated series, and even commercials.

In the beginning of your career as an animator, the annual salary is unlikely to exceed $62,000. However, a senior animator can earn around $90,000 and beyond. The average pay will vary depending on the field you're in, as well as your location.

Besides creativity, this role requires research, critical thinking, an innovative mind, and communication skills. Most companies expect a degree in computer graphics or related areas, along with a deep knowledge of animation software.

Find senior animator jobs on The Muse

16. Content Creator

Average salary  varies depending on platform monetization programs and paid partnerships

This list of high-paying jobs for creative people wouldn't be complete without mentioning content creation. Nowadays, content creators and influencers can make a living—and even become wealthy—by working full-time on the internet.

It's an interesting career route for creative minds who desire a profession outside traditional corporations. The money content creators make typically comes from paid partnerships with brands and sponsored content. Earnings in the beginning tend to be low and usually increase over time as you build an audience that not only follows you but also engages.

Companies like YouTube and TikTok have monetization programs to encourage creators to produce content on their platforms. To make money, your content must meet the specific criteria of each hub. If you're seeking good jobs for creative people without degrees, this could be a perfect fit. After all, you won't be working for a company, but for yourself. 

It's important that you dedicate time perfecting your filming, editing skills, and communication skills. You can easily find online courses to help you on this journey.

Find content creator jobs on The Muse

No matter which career path you choose, make sure to be well-prepared to enter the job market. As you can see from this list, many high-paying creative jobs require not only degrees but also expertise in specific tools and a range of strong hard and soft skills. To seize these opportunities, consider pursuing education in your chosen field and seeking entry-level positions to gain experience, build a portfolio, and start networking.

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Creative writing

A degree in creative writing allows you to develop your writing, research and creative thinking skills. These skills are useful in a range of careers such as writing, publishing, marketing, PR and teaching

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Advertising copywriter
• Arts administrator
• Community arts worker
• Creative director
• Digital copywriter
• Editorial assistant
• Higher education lecturer
• Lexicographer
• Magazine journalist
• Newspaper journalist
• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Academic librarian
• Digital marketer
• Film director
• Marketing executive
• Public librarian
• Public relations officer
• Secondary school teacher
• Social media manager
• Talent agent
• Web content manager

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Make sure you create a portfolio of your written work, especially any that you've had published. This will provide evidence of your writing skills and establish your reputation as a writer.

You can gain valuable experience by writing for your student newspaper or magazine, volunteering in schools, or getting involved with writers' groups. Also, try submitting work to journals or anthologies, entering competitions, performing at spoken word events or approaching local drama groups to see if they will use your scripts. This will boost your profile and help build your confidence.

To make yourself more employable, look for opportunities to gain some solid work experience. This could be in the form of paid administrative work for a company, or volunteering with a local charity, for example, helping them to promote the work they do.

You can also look for related work experience with, for example, publishing houses and advertising and marketing firms. You could write speculatively to a number of businesses to ask if you could complete some short-term work experience or shadowing. This can help you get a foot in the door in a highly-competitive industry and could lead to a permanent position.

As well as creative talent and writing experience, you will also need perseverance and determination to succeed as a writer.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships .

Typical employers

As a creative writing graduate you may work to establish yourself as a writer on a self-employed basis, either writing your own works, or writing for others in a freelance capacity.

Alternatively, you could find opportunities with a variety of employers, including:

• publishing houses or editorial/technical writing service companies
• advertising, marketing and public relations agencies, particularly in a copywriting capacity
• primary, secondary, further and higher education institutions
• media organisations and social media companies
• general businesses - in an administrative or general management position
• Civil Service, library or charitable organisations.

Find information on employers in marketing, advertising and PR , media and internet , teacher training and education , and other job sectors .

Skills for your CV

As well as building specialist knowledge of creative writing, you also develop effective written, oral and presentation skills through your degree. Other skills include: 

• creative and critical thinking and problem solving - these skills are useful for many jobs and you'll have gained them from developing characters and storylines
• independent working - having to be self-motivated as a writer means you can effectively determine and direct your own workload 
• time management and organisation - learning to structure your time effectively as a writer means you can be highly organised 
• a good understanding of information technology 
• collaboration - from liaising with students from other related courses such as journalism and film studies 
• independent research and analysis - you'll be adept at this from turning ideas into well-rounded stories 
• editorial and proofreading - from producing accurately written content 
• negotiation and networking - learning how to market your work effectively gives you the skill to negotiate in other workplace settings. 

Further study

As a creative writing graduate you can develop your creative writing skills further by undertaking postgraduate study at Masters or PhD level. You can also specialise in an area such as screenwriting, the graphic novel, writing for young people, writing poetry, or writing and producing comedy.

Alternatively, you may want to undertake further vocational training in areas such as teaching, journalism, librarianship or publishing. Vocational courses allow you to study in an area in which you would like to have a career.

You may also want to consider further study in areas such as PR, marketing or advertising.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in creative writing .

What do creative writing graduates do?

A tenth (10%) of creative writing graduates in employment in the UK are working in artistic, literary and media occupations, while 7% are working as sales, marketing and related associate professionals. 4% are teaching professionals, and a further 4% are media professionals.

Find out what other creative writing graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.

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16 in-demand writing careers to explore if you love writing

The demand for skilled writers has been increasing across various industries in Malaysia. If you’re considering a career in writing, this can be a promising choice.

From the imaginative realms of creative writing to the structured world of technical writing, there are diverse paths for any aspiring writer that offer unique challenges and rewards. To help you navigate this landscape, here's our guide to unlocking a fulfilling and successful career in writing.

What is a writing career?

Types of writing careers, it's time to write your path to success.

A writing career is a professional path in creating written content for various audiences and platforms. This can include writing for print or digital media. For example, you may write for books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, social media, and more. 

A writing career requires strong writing skills, creativity, and research chops. Writers may work as freelancers or as part of a team. Industries that need writers include advertising, marketing, journalism, and public relations. 

Staff writer

A staff writer is a professional writer who creates written content for a company's needs. This job can include writing brochures, newsletters, social media posts, and website content. Staff writers may also be responsible for conducting interviews, researching topics, and fact-checking.

The  typical salary of writers in Malaysia is RM3,700.

Qualifications for a staff writer job include a degree in journalism, English, or a related field. Some employers may also require previous writing experience through internships or freelance work.

To be a successful staff writer, you should also have a thorough understanding of grammar, punctuation, and style. You should also have excellent research skills. You need to meet tight deadlines and adapt your writing style to different audiences.

Experience with SEO and knowledge of content management systems may also be helpful. Many staff writers have to publish content for online platforms.

This role requires a creative mindset, attention to detail, and openness to feedback. It would help if you had a passion for writing and a strong desire to improve your skills. 

Content strategist

A content strategist plans and implements a cohesive content strategy for a company. This role requires a deep understanding of the target audience. It involves analysing data and tracking content performance. 

The typical salary of content strategists in Malaysia is RM7,070.

A content strategist role usually requires a degree in marketing, communications, or a related field. Experience in content creation, project management, and data analysis is a plus. 

Content strategists must also have strong writing and editing skills. They need a creative mindset to develop engaging and compelling content. They work with various teams, such as marketing, design, and SEO. This way, they make sure the content aligns with the brand strategy. They also make the content resonate with the target audience. 

As a content strategist, you must stay up-to-date with industry and consumer trends. You must be able to analyse data and use it to inform content decisions. 

Proofreader

A proofreader ensures that content is accurate and consistent. Proofreaders check for spelling and grammar errors. They adhere to style guidelines and brand standards. 

Proofreaders in Malaysia typically earn a monthly salary of RM4,190.

Proofreaders typically work for publishing companies and advertising agencies. They may also work as project-based freelancers. Proofreaders play a crucial role in the quality and readability of a piece of writing. 

Basic requirements for a proofreader role include excellent grammar and spelling. Attention to detail is essential. Proofreaders work with authors, editors, and fact-checkers to uphold editorial standards. 

Overall, the role of a proofreader requires technical and communication skills. Proofreaders ensure that written materials are error-free and convey their intended message. 

Communications executive

A communications executive manages an organisation's internal and external communication. This can include creating and distributing press releases. Communications executives may manage social media accounts, and write and edit other content. They also play a key role in crisis communication. They share information with the public and media during a crisis situation.

The  average salary of a communications executive in Malaysia is RM3,050.

To qualify for a job as a communications executive, you need to know marketing and public relations strategies. You need to be a strong communicator in interpersonal and public settings. A degree in communications, public relations, or a related field is typically required. 

The ability to communicate with and persuade various stakeholders is crucial for success in this role. This role is vital in shaping an organisation's public image and reputation. 

English teacher

An English teacher educates students on the English language, literature, and writing. They create lesson plans, grade assignments, and provide feedback for improvement. English teachers may work in various settings, from elementary schools to universities. Opportunities for career advancement include becoming a department head or curriculum specialist. 

On average, an  English teacher in Malaysia earns RM3,500 a month.

Qualifications for English teachers vary depending on the setting in which they work. Most schools require a bachelor's degree in English and a teaching certification. Some schools may also require a master's degree in education or a specific subject area. 

English teachers must have a strong command of the English language. They must be patient and creative. They must also be able to adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of their students. A passion for literature and language is essential for success in this role. 

Content marketer

A content marketer creates and promotes valuable content to engage a target audience. This can include written content like blogs, social media posts, and email newsletters. Content marketers also conceptualise visual content, such as videos and infographics.

The average salary for content marketers in Malaysia is RM6,540.

Qualifications for content marketers vary depending on the specific job responsibilities and industry. Still, a strong understanding of marketing principles and excellent writing skills are essential. 

You must also know how to develop marketing strategies and analyse data. You'll be a good fit for this role if you can think outside the box to come up with unique and compelling content ideas. 

A copywriter is a professional writer who writes marketing and advertising materials. This includes copy for advertisements, social media posts, website content, and marketing emails. 

The  average salary for copywriters in Malaysia is RM4,050.

Qualifications for a copywriter job include a communications, marketing, advertising, or English degree. Great copywriters use persuasive language and storytelling to capture their audience’s attention. They can compel the audience to take action, such as make a purchase or sign up for a service. 

To be a good fit in this role, you need a strong understanding of consumer psychology. You also need a creative mindset to develop unique and effective marketing strategies. 

A publisher oversees the production and distribution of written content. Publishers work with copywriters and editors to ensure that the content meets the needs of their target audience. Publishers also play a crucial role in winning clients and managing budgets. 

Content publishers in Malaysia typically earn a monthly salary of RM5,340.

To qualify for a role as a publisher, you need to have strong organisational skills and a keen eye for detail. A degree in journalism, business, or communications is also preferred. 

Additionally, experience in project management and sales is beneficial for this role. The publishing industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving, so you must also be adaptable. 

A translator is responsible for translating written material from one language to another. This can include books, articles, websites, and other written content. A translator works with editors and authors to ensure accuracy and clarity in the translated material. 

On average,  translators in Malaysia earn a monthly salary of RM5,150.

A degree in linguistics and a particular language will help you get a job as a translator. Some translators specialise in a specific field, such as legal, medical, or technical translation. In such cases, they’ll need more training or certification. 

Experience in project management and using translation software is also beneficial for this role. You must have a firm grasp of both the source and target language. You must also understand the cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions in the text. 

Keep in mind that it's not just about literal translation. You must be able to capture the tone and style of the original material while effectively conveying the message in the target language. As a translator, you'll be crucial in bridging language barriers. You’ll help ease communication and understanding between different cultures. 

Grant writer

A grant writer writes proposals to secure funding for various projects and initiatives. Grant writers conduct research, craft persuasive proposals, and communicate with potential funders. 

On average, grant writers in Malaysia earn a monthly salary of RM2,910.

To qualify as a grant writer, having a degree in a related field such as English, communications, or nonprofit management is best. Experience in the nonprofit sector can be beneficial. 

This role requires strong writing skills and attention to detail. You need to be able to convey the proposed project's goals and impact effectively to potential funders. A grant writer must also have a deep understanding of the organisation they are writing for. They must also grasp the needs and priorities of potential funders.

As a grant writer, you can make a positive impact. You’ll help organisations and individuals get the resources they need to make a difference in their communities. 

An editor reviews and revises written material for accuracy, clarity, and style. These materials include articles, books, reports, and other documents. Editors may also collaborate with writers to develop and refine content. They coordinate with other team members to ensure timely and high-quality publication.

The average monthly salary of editors in Malaysia is RM3,250.

Good editors typically have a degree in English, journalism, or a related field. To be successful in this role, strong communication and critical thinking skills are essential. You need a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of grammar, punctuation, and style. Editors must also be able to manage several projects at once. 

This role offers the opportunity to work with various writers and topics. As an editor, you can play a crucial role in shaping and improving written material for a broad audience.

Social media manager

A social media manager manages and creates content for a company's social media platforms. This includes developing a social media strategy, scheduling posts, and monitoring engagement. 

The  typical monthly salary of social media managers in Malaysia is RM6,000.

A degree in marketing is an advantage when applying to become a social media manager. The ideal candidate for this role should have a deep understanding of social media trends and platforms. They must also develop engaging and relevant content that aligns with the company's brand and target audience. 

A social media manager should be able to handle several platforms and campaigns at once. They must also be able to analyse performance data and adjust their strategy accordingly. 

A successful social media manager plays a crucial role in building and maintaining a company's strong online presence. Their skills and efforts can impact the business's success.

Technical writer

A  technical writer creates technical documentation for a company's products or services. This can include user manuals, instruction guides, technical specifications, and other technical documents. A technical writer works with subject matter experts to gather information.

Technical writers in Malaysia typically earn a monthly salary of RM5,540.

A degree in technical communication, English, or a related field is an advantage when vying for a technical writer role. Specialised skills, such as knowledge of software or coding languages, can impact salary potential. 

A technical writer must have excellent fact-checking and analytical abilities. They must be able to translate complex information into easy-to-understand language.

A technical writer plays a critical role in keeping a company's technical documentation clear and accurate. These documents can significantly impact the success of a product or service.

A  reporter gathers and presents news and information to the public through media outlets such as newspapers, TV, radio, or online. Reporters attend events, conduct interviews, and research information. Their goal is to provide accurate and timely coverage of current events and issues. 

The typical monthly salary of reporters in Malaysia is RM7,480.

A reporter job requires a journalism or related degree. Many employers prefer candidates with previous experience in reporting for a media outlet. 

Being a successful reporter requires a combination of skills, qualities, and knowledge. These include investigative skills, solid news judgement, and the courage to ask tough questions. Building and maintaining relationships with sources and contacts is crucial for reporters.

Being a reporter requires a passion for storytelling and a curiosity for current events. You must also commit to keeping the public informed and empowered.

Communications manager

A communications manager oversees an organisation or company's communication strategies and messaging. The communications manager works with various departments to develop and execute communication plans. These plans must align with the goals and mission of the organisation. This may involve creating press releases, organising events, and responding to media inquiries. 

The  average monthly salary of a communications manager in Malaysia is RM7,400.

Most companies require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as communications or public relations. Leadership and excellent communication skills are essential for this position.

This role requires a strong understanding of public relations, marketing, and media relations. Strong communication skills, adaptability, and strategic thinking are essential in this role. As a communications manager, you must also manage a team to ensure the success of communication efforts. 

A  journalist is a professional who investigates, gathers, and reports on news and current events. They work for various media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, television, and online news sources. 

The average monthly salary for journalists in Malaysia is RM7,740.

Journalists research and fact-check information. They conduct and write articles that inform the public about important events and issues. 

A degree in journalism is a requirement for getting a job as a journalist. In addition to writing, journalists must also have strong interviewing skills. They must also be able to meet tight deadlines and work in high-pressure situations. 

Journalists play a crucial role in keeping the public informed and up-to-date on current events. Their work can significantly impact society.

In conclusion, a career in writing is as varied as it is rewarding. It offers opportunities for continual learning and personal growth. By crafting compelling narratives, writers play a crucial role in shaping our worldview — and you can be one of them. 

• Is writing a well-paid job?  ⁠ It can be. While writing may not always be the highest-paying career, there are opportunities for you to earn a good salary.  ⁠Many writers work freelance and have the ability to negotiate their rates. In contrast, others work for companies or organisations that offer competitive wages.  ⁠Ultimately, the pay for a writing job will depend on various factors such as experience, expertise, and the type of writing assignment.
• Is writing a good career path?  ⁠ Writing can be a fulfilling and rewarding career if you’re passionate about it. It allows individuals to express themselves creatively and share their knowledge and ideas.  ⁠With the rise of online media and digital platforms, writers can reach a wider audience and potentially earn a good income. However, success requires hard work, dedication, and continuous improvement.
• What is the best job for writers? ⁠ The best job for writers allows them to use their skills while also providing stability and opportunities for growth. Some popular job options for writers include content strategist, technical writer, editor, and communications director.
• Do I need a specific degree to become a writer? ⁠ No, you don’t need a specific degree to become a writer. While a degree in English, creative writing, or journalism can provide valuable skills. Many successful writers have backgrounds in various fields such as business, science, or history. The most important thing is honing your writing skills and improving your craft.
• Is there a demand for freelance writers?  ⁠ Yes, there is a high demand for freelance writers in today's digital age. With the rise of online content and the need for businesses to have a solid online presence, there’s a constant need for quality written content. ⁠Many companies and organisations turn to freelance writers to create blog posts, website content, and social media posts. Freelance writers can work with many clients and choose projects that align with their interests and expertise. 
• What skills are essential for success in a writing career? ⁠ Several essential skills are necessary for you to succeed as a freelance writer.  ⁠Firstly, strong writing skills are a must, including a good grasp of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Writing in various styles and tones is also essential, as different clients may have different preferences. Organisation skills are crucial when working on many projects with varying deadlines.  ⁠The ability to take constructive criticism is also important, as clients may request changes to the work. Research skills are essential, as writers must incorporate information into their writing.  ⁠Networking and marketing skills are also valuable, as writers must promote their work. Finally, the ability to meet deadlines consistently is essential for success in a writing career. 
• How can I build a strong portfolio as a writer? ⁠ Building a solid portfolio as a writer is crucial for showcasing your skills and attracting potential clients.  ⁠One way to do this is by writing and publishing pieces on various platforms, such as a personal blog or social media. This allows you to practise and improve your writing and provides tangible examples of your work for clients to review.  ⁠Another way to build your portfolio is by seeking freelance or volunteer writing opportunities. These can help you gain experience and add diverse pieces to your portfolio. 
• Is it important to specialise in a specific writing style? ⁠ While having a niche or speciality in writing can be beneficial, it isn’t crucial in building a solid portfolio. In fact, having a diverse range of writing styles and topics can showcase your versatility and adaptability as a writer.  ⁠However, let’s say you have a specific interest or expertise in a particular area. In that case, including a few pieces in that niche can be advantageous in attracting clients looking for that type of content. ⁠Ultimately, the key to building a strong portfolio is balancing both specialised and varied writing styles. This demonstrates your flexibility and expertise in different areas.
• What are the biggest challenges aspiring writers face? ⁠ One of the biggest challenges for aspiring writers is finding consistent work and establishing a steady income. With the rise of freelance writing opportunities and the decline of traditional publishing platforms, securing long-term contracts or regular writing gigs can be difficult. Competing with established writers and building a strong portfolio can be daunting for new writers.  ⁠Another challenge is finding the time and motivation to hone one's writing skills. Writing can be a solitary and demanding profession, requiring discipline and dedication.  ⁠Finally, the fear of rejection and criticism can be a significant obstacle, as it takes courage and resilience to put your work out into the world and face negative feedback. These challenges can make it difficult for aspiring writers to break into the industry. But with perseverance and hard work, it’s possible to overcome them and find success as a writer.

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GCSE English Language Paper 1 - Section B Creative Writing (Sensory Description)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

26 September 2024

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A lesson and resources to support low ability learners in planning creative writing using the senses to support their description.

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Media Alert: Adobe Express for Education Fuels Strong Growth in Next-Gen Creativity and Job Skills Reaching Tens of Millions of Students and Teachers Globally

Tuesday, June 25, 2024 09:00 AM

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• Adobe continues commitment to provide Adobe Express, an all-in-one AI creativity app and other industry-leading creative tools, to students and teachers across K-12 and higher education
• Growing number of Adobe Creative Campuses and new partnerships with NBCU Academy, MagicSchool, India’s Ministry of Education and other institutions extend Adobe Express to millions more students and teachers globally
• Adobe empowers student expression and critical thinking skills with responsible generative AI designed to be safe for the classroom

SAN JOSE, Calif. — June 25, 2024 — This week, at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) ISTELive24 annual conference, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) announced strong growth in the number of K-12 and higher education students and teachers worldwide who have access to the company’s industry-leading creative solutions, driven by exponential expansion of Adobe Express for Education across more campuses as well as new partnerships.

At the event, Adobe was also named to this year’s EdTech Top 40 list. The prestigious list is part of an annual report by LearnPlatform that features the most commonly accesses ed-tech tools for K-12 in the United States.

Adobe Express for Education is the all-in-one AI creativity app that makes creative skill building easy. It is designed to be classroom safe with responsible generative AI features that are collaborative, easy and improve student engagement and impact communication skills. With Adobe Express for Education, students and teachers can easily design presentations, reports, resumes, videos, PDFs, animations, websites, posters and flyers.

“Given the high expectations and commitments students face, we’re incredibly excited to see so much momentum and growth for Adobe Express among tens of millions of students and teachers around the world,” said Mala Sharma, VP and general manager, creators and education for Adobe’s Digital Media Business. “We look forward to introducing new innovations in Adobe Express that will provide our global teacher and student community with even more easy and fun ways learn, create and collaborate with responsible AI.”

Equipping Students with Next-Gen Work Skills

Adobe has a long-standing partnership with higher education institutions around the world to help ensure that every student is equipped with the skills employers seek in today’s workplace, including creative problem solving, visual communication, collaboration, creativity, and the responsible use of AI. Today, nearly 6 million higher education students globally can access Adobe creative apps through their campuses.

In the United States, institutions including Penn State, a world-class public research university that spans 25 campuses throughout Pennsylvania and four campuses within the California State University (CSU) system, the largest and most diverse four-year public university system in the country, now have access to Adobe creative tools. More than half of CSU students come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and nearly one-third of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college.

The CSU schools are committed to delivering quality and equitable education for all, which includes closing the digital divide to give its 130,000 yearly graduates the technical and digital skills required to succeed in modern workplaces.“People worldwide equate the Adobe brand with quality, creativity and innovation,” said Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President of SJSU. “By bringing Adobe Creative Cloud apps like Adobe Express into classrooms, we’ve reimagined how we serve historically underrepresented student populations. They now have easier and quicker access to tools to learn skills that set them up for future success.”

Both Penn State and CSUs are Adobe Creative Campus partners, a growing community of higher education institutions across North America, Europe, Asia and Japan committed to boosting student outcomes and career success through equitable access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Express.

Kent State University in Ohio, Sheridan College in Canada, Marshall University in West Virginia, Northern Arizona University, Sheridan College in Canada and the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science & Forestry (ESF) in New York are all new Adobe Creative Campuses. “This is a terrific benefit to ESF’s students, who now have additional access to creative tools and the opportunity to boost their digital skills. Our Adobe Creative Campus status is the perfect complement to ESF’s,” said SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “As our world becomes increasingly digital, we are excited to extend these new tools to all students so they can learn to sharpen their skills and stand out after graduation.”

Adobe has also seen significant year-over-year growth in Asia, including the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) that will bring Adobe Express to more than 10,000 technical institutions across India and a new Adobe Creative Campus in New Zealand and Japan. Torrens University , Think Education and Media Design School is a leading post-secondary education network offering undergraduate, graduate and technical vocational credentials across Australia and New Zealand and The Ritsumeikan Trust, which includes two universities in Japan.

“Ritsumekan aims to become a next-generation research university, promoting the expanded recombination of research and education and the cultivation of innovation and emerging talent,” said Yoshio Nakatani, President. “As an Adobe Creative Campus, Ritsumeikan will strive to raise the level of creative skills throughout the university by enhancing hands-on training opportunities for students, faculty and staff, enhancing university-wide skill development opportunities using on-demand materials and demonstrating our commitment to the latest technologies, such as generative AI.”

Naomi Cocks, associate professor in the School of Allied Health at Curtin University in Australia, aims to help her students become capable problem-solvers whether they eventually seek jobs in the city or across the globe. Using Adobe Express, Cocks asks students to take a creative approach to synthesizing and sharing their learnings with peers and the broader community. “Adobe Express supports a teaching methodology that emphasizes active and playful learning,” she said. “Some typically quiet students really shine in this task because it’s a different way of tapping into their creativity.”

A Global K-12 Education Ecosystem

Adobe Express for Education is free for K-12 and empowers student expression, critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills for tens of millions of teachers and students globally. With Adobe Express, K-12 students can apply new technology and creativity skills to make presentations, infographics, GIFs, videos, animations, web pages and more with unique capabilities like Animate Characters, drawing and PDF editing.

The New South Wales Department of Education in Australia is one example of an institution committed to enabling equitable, inclusive access to essential digital tools and provides Adobe Express and Adobe Creative Cloud applications to all K-12 students. According to the institution’s CFO Charlie Sukkar: “I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact of Adobe's products in our Schools. Especially in high schools.”

New K-12 partnerships with MagicSchool and NBC Universal News Group’s education initiative NBCU Academy are bringing Adobe’s creative technologies to even more K-12 students and teachers globally. MagicSchool describes their platform as the “award-winning, most used and most loved AI platform for schools in the world.” Educators use MagicSchool to help create lesson plans, differentiate, write assessments, write IEPs, communicate clearly and more. MagicSchoolis integrating Adobe’s Firefly-powered Text to Image features into the context of the MagicSchool experience, making Firefly the only generative AI feature on the platform and helping empower student expression and critical thinking skills with responsible generative AI that is designed to be safe for the classroom. Intuitive Adobe generative AI features like Text-to-Image, Text Effects, Generative Insert and Generative Remove are accompanied by Adobe guardrails on generative AI prompts and outputs, encouraging appropriate use. Adobe also gives districts control over whether generative AI features are turned on or off and does not include student projects in training datasets for generative AI.

“We're excited to bring Adobe Express' AI image generation capabilities to educators and students in the MagicSchool platform,” said Adeel Khan, CEO & Founder of MagicSchool.ai. “We've known that generating images with AI sparks curiosity and creativity in schools – but we wanted to put safety and responsibility first in launching it to our millions of users. Adobe is the perfect partner because they've built their tools responsibly from the ground up for the safety needs of schools in mind.”

In April, Adobe and NBCUniversal News Group’s education initiative NBCU Academy launched The Edit , a first-of-its-kind program in the United States aimed at helping students build key digital media and literacy skills Students use tutorials and guidance on how to script, record and publish news reports using Adobe Express. This week, Adobe and NBCU Academy announced the winners of the competition. Read more about it here .

Adobe also announced a prestigious partnership with the Ministry of Education in India for K-12 and higher education to bring Adobe Express into schools to help develop skills and enhance learning outcomes. India’s national education policy emphasizes the use of digital tools and AI to help build creativity skills for future readiness. Adobe is working with schools in India’s Central Board of Secondary Education as well as the Indian government’s Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) program to build digital creativity skills and upskill educators to support integrating Adobe Express into their curriculum. In addition, Adobe recently collaborated with India’s National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) to host Adobe Express and Adobe Acrobat content on their national platform.

About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .