How to Start Writing Professionally: Essential steps for Aspiring Authors

Landing your first professional writing gig can feel like an uphill task if you’re an aspiring author. Things can feel particularly bleak if you’re tied to the idea of landing a creative role and don’t want to take on positions in fields like advertising and content creation.

However, some of the world’s most cherished authors started their careers writing for commercial publications. Kurt Vonnegut famously learned his craft as a copywriter, as did novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and sports journalist Murray Walker.

Being willing to take on commercial roles helps you hone your craft while working on creative side projects. You’ll master the art of the sentence while working on challenging briefs and are sure to widen your vocabulary while searching for new superlatives for a new candy bar or automobile.

Starting a Freelancing Side Hustle

Taking your first steps into the world of freelancing can be an exciting time. Turning your conjugations, commas, and clauses into hard cash is internally rewarding, too, as all that time spent in English classes finally starts to pay off. However, if you want to be successful in freelancing, you’ll need to treat your writing like a business rather than a creative pursuit.

You need to invest in yourself and your skill set to stand out from the crowd. At a minimum, you should set aside funds for further education and devote a few weeks of the year to attending workshops, advertising your new business, and improving your setup.

If you’re working with limited capital, consider taking a personal loan to cover start-up costs like computers, keyboards, and website domain hosting. Personal loans give you some additional flexibility but must be repaid on time lest they impact your credit score. As such, you’ll want to create a clear budget to set you up for long-term success as an author.

You don’t necessarily need to break the bank on courses, either. Some of the best copy/content writing courses are entirely free, including:

• SEMRush’s catalog of SEO training courses;
• HubSpot Academy’s Digital Marketing Certification;
• Google’s free guide to Writing for Social Media.

These courses cost you nothing and look great on your resume. They also prove that you’re serious about starting in the world of freelance writing and are aware of wider industry trends.  

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Before you can start charging for your wordsmithing skills, you must ensure you are ready to take on work. This may sound odd — after all, you’ve always found time to write for yourself at home — but things get a little more serious when writing professionally. Start by making the most of super-productive time-management tips like:

• Scheduling time to respond to emails;
• Minimizing distractions in your workspace;
• Planning the day’s activities in advance;
• Set (and stick to!) working hours.

You’ll also need to invest in upgrading your internet connection. Fiber optic offers the best internet for remote work, as it typically offers a huge bandwidth, fast download speeds, and great upload rates. You don’t want to wait for pages to load for emails to send when you’re up against the clock on demanding projects.

When investing in your setup, be sure to pick up two monitors. This insider’s trick will save you hours every week, as you’ll likely be referring to content from across the web when writing copy for businesses, blogs, and big brands. A second monitor will pay dividends in a short period by meaningfully bolstering your productivity and reducing the amount of time you spend clicking through tabs.

You’ll also need to create a strong portfolio if you want to continue to see the cash roll in for your content creation services. A strong portfolio is essential when applying for roles or liaising with clients, as people will want to see that you have a strong track record of producing high-quality content. Work with a website builder to streamline the process or expand your skill set by creating your own site using a hosting service like Weebly, WordPress, or Squarespace.

Finding Time for Creative Projects

Leaping into the world of professional writing can help you hone your wordsmithing skills and can quickly turn into a full-time gig. However, when writing professionally, it’s easy to overlook your own creative projects.

Make time for your next novel, poetry collection, or journalism by creating a writing ritual and scheduling a day for creative projects. For example, if you typically work from Monday to Friday, consider dedicating the occasional Friday solely to non-work projects. Doing so can protect your love for creative writing and will help you achieve goals like publishing short stories or landing a creative position in a poetry journal.

Conclusion 

Writing professionally is easier than most writers imagine. However, before you start charging for your services, you need to ensure that you are set up for success. Get the ball rolling by gaining a few qualifications and upgrading your setup. High-speed wifi, dual monitors, and a basic understanding of SEO principles will set you apart from the crowd and help you earn more as a writer

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.