The opportunities in writing career

Wordsmiths were never in demand so much as they are now. Call it an opportunity because of the Internet. In fact, Internet is nothing but all about the content. Better the content on web, better is the traffic and higher is the ranking. Its all about how many visitors visit your site and rate your content. Thats how Internet works for anything and everything. Beyond, there is much more to it. But, of course, the contents are specific related to the subject. However, the core skill is to write it in legible language and present that in to a form that even six-grade reader can understand well.

If I am not wrong, traditionally writers were highly sought after in the Journalism, that too in print Journalism and publication as an editor or a proofreader. But with the advent of Internet the horizon has grown beyond the country and community. A writer can be anywhere and can be writing for anyone in any part of the world. An Indian writer can get published by an American publisher in America.

Similarly, there are many form of writing which is used to be done by some of the subject expert in the field is now at offering to the professional writers because of fast paced, time bond target to finish a project. A professional writer can always add value to the document. Speed, accuracy, good style, and grammatically correctness in language are the business assets for the writer who can make difference in today’s world.

Based on the Industry they work and kind of writing they pursue, writers can be classified into some major categories, yet these are not all. There may be many more tag that might be in making depending upon the kind of writing they would be pursuing in the future. Some of them are:

Journalist: Traditionally they are the writers, who write for different news papers, news magazines and are supposed to be the eye and ear of people and government. People expect them to carry their voice to the government or the concerned authority in need. Similarly government needs them to reach to the people with right kind of message. From the ages Journalists have been respected and has a great reputation and command in the society. However, very few have lived up to their expectation. In today’s media influencing world, they are highly in demand but their reputation are challenged, because of patronizing of the media group with which they are working. They are no more seen to be an independent voice. Yet, this form of writers will always be in demand.

Copy Writer/ Editor: Copy writers are those who require to develop an idea on certain fixed topic and develop certain script for a specific purpose. Similarly Copy editors are required to have excellent grammatical and sentence construction skills to make a horrible write-up into a readable piece of writing. These writers are greatly in demand for script writing in advertising and film industries. Apart from this they have a bigger role in the publication industry.

Technical writer: Technical writers are the discovery of recent industrial world where they bridge the gap to educate user through their writing about the technology and the product. They make the complex process into simple steps of the subject for the easy understanding of the user, where by they can use the product or perform certain tasks without human interference. Technical writers are hired in most of the industry today. Their roles are to prepare different technical document for the industry use.

Content Writer: Content writer’s job is the very recent demand in the writing opportunity, which is entirely because of Internet. People and company wants professional writing to be done for their web site, which describe about their products and services. Today, merely a web site is not enough to have an Internet presence. A web site nicely designed and presented with wonderful content can create unimaginable face value. Mind you, toady, to know about a company or the person, everyone logs on to the web pages and try to understand at the first hand information. Therefore, You may very well understand the importance of good content on the web site. Content writers can add great value to your image.

Medical Writer / Scientific Writer: Writers who have formal educational and training in Medicine or Science are mostly encouraged to take up this role because of their understanding of the domain knowledge. But due to ever soaring demand for writers even other stream background writers are tried who can learn the terms of the trade faster and use it judiciously.

Patent and Regulatory writer: These writers are basically legal expert who understand subject well. The accuracy of knowledge with articulate use of legal words is the main crux of the writing. Though, tough to train, this writing is very challenging and highly paid for.

Ghost Writer: Ghost writers are always in demand. They are the evergreen people who help millions being at the backdrop. Their role includes writing for different person adopting their style. Most of the Ghost writers help high profile people who has weak command on writing or lack of time.

Financial Writer: This again is the specific writing, which requires domain expertise and educational training. Most of the people who can understand financial subject well can make a good writer. Yet again, there is no yardstick for the writers who are quick in understanding a subject. They can be brilliant asset in any industry. Their writing ability and quick learning skills are big plus for industry as well as for the writer himself/ herself.

These are few forms of the writing, which largely employ or provide work for today’s writer. May be some more form would be in making in the future. However, what form of writing you choose to make career of your own is the question you should ask yourself and may be try writing where you suit well and what you like doing again and again. But, certainly if you like writing and write well, you have a place here.

Why do you write?

This is very awkward question. However, this question is not out of the box. People tend to ask you such questions when they know that you are in to writing and how you can be different from their profession, if they are holding on to something else for making their living. At the same time, you are also not oblige to answer this question but to be able to clear yourself and be able to understood by the larger crowd it is always good to have your reasons stated forward. That makes your life much easier and gets you off from the stupidity of this question. I know this question at a time can be very unpleasant yet the escape is difficult.

There are many good reasons for people to write and a few bad too. These reasons vary from people to people. Some people who are good at creating any form of writing and that has got market, he makes a living out of his writing. These are called the professional writers. There are other writers also who write but not for their living. Their profession is different from the one which they like doing i.e. writing. And if we compare the numbers of professional writers versus not the professional writers or amateur writers, I bet the later would outnumber the former. Especially with the emergence of Internet and Web Media the horizon have expanded horizontally and vertically in sheer numbers.

The professional writers have better place in the traditional media, publication houses, government and private firm’s documentation and communication department. On the other hand, amateur writers are driven by their whims and wishes, and write things of their mind. Obviously, amateur writers have been welcomed mostly in the new found media on the Internet, be it Citizen Journalism, Content writing, Product journalism, Blogs, or many other things, which are on the offerings every other days. I fall in to the category of amateur writer who happened to find a place in the professional writing world. The reason: the opportunity available in the job market and I could prove somehow that I can write. Otherwise also I like writing, so the job is of my liking.

As an amateur writer what drives you to write and publish on the Internet is really an interesting question. Most of my close encounters with my colleagues and acquaintances have provided me the bunch of their ideas as to why they want to write. Some of the ideas are really thought provoking and enlightening, some are humorous, some witty, and some of them aim to achieve something in life through their writing.

To one group, the idea to write is to make a statement, to share thoughts, to express themselves and finally to make a living! Though this is difficult proposition yet achievable. To many of the writers, they live with their writings but can not make decent living by writing. This fact is hard but has truth.

The second group, want to write and publish because they enjoy doing and that gives them an opportunity to think through an issue and provide new insight through their writing. They feel writing force them to think and make them more creative.

Third group believes that others writing are corny, so clean the bin with better writing. Moreover it’s a good way to improvise their English and the write-ups are saved on the Internet and can be re-used. They want to create something that might last longer than them.

To some writing is the expression of nostalgic thoughts, which otherwise can be lost. Writing supposed to be the best methods to record your say, others opinion, your imagination of future, your perspective of present and a criticism of past.

Some write to help or to enable people: To clarify, make something complex simple, to teach so that people can do things for themselves, be safer, may be even happier.

Some write as an expression of love: I love this world, the possibilities and beauty of it. They remain hopeful that we all might just somehow manage to get along without killing or hating each other. We might manage our ecosystem in such a way that equilibrium is maintained. Or, there would be one world where there will not be rich and poor divide. Truly, utopian to the core!

A little further, some write because they feel when they write they are honest to themselves. They create their own image and express themselves and in the process they believe that some part of their thought reaches out to the world and possibly touches the world to create small ripples of goodness.

To little extent some actually do write to create propaganda, confusion, ill effects and spread rumors. Though this kind of writing has immediate impact to a certain extent but does not have long lasting effect. It diminishes with the time. Whereas, good writing, always creates everlasting impact on our mind.

To some the meaning of writing might still be in formation stage and it will come up beautifully with the passage of time and with the blossom of season. Anyway, we all have a place in the world of writing; we just need to create it.