Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Finding a Job as a Writer

When people unsubscribe from one of my newsletters, I ask in a block for their reason for leaving. Some state they didn't find anything that they needed. Yes, the economy is rough, but jobs still exist for writers. The employers don't necessarily call them writers anymore.

I've worked over a decade analyzing the work market for writers. Boy, have things changed. I won't bore you with those shifts because some of you weren't writing twelve years ago and don't care. But in a nutshell, a writer isn't the same anymore.

First of all, they aren't called writers. They are communication specialists, public affairs specialists, editors, copywriters, media specialists, information developers, social media experts, reporters, researchers, bloggers, speechwriters and more. No one wants you to just write articles. They want you to add copy to websites, blog, Tweet, create press releases, compose speeches, review text, write captions, compose profiles, and more. Sometimes you're required to speak. Gasp, imagine that.

The term writer has morphed into communicator. You are a specialist of words, in any delivery method. If you stop and think about it, the change makes perfect sense. We no longer read just newspapers, print books or magazines. If that's your specialty, and you haven't grown, you are losing ground and opportunity. People expect their material, fiction or nonfiction, historical or contemporary, adult or children's, via all the methods available. Suddenly a Jack-of-all-trades IS the master.

Writing jobs are everywhere. But to find them, read between the lines and quit Googling for just "writer."

A few job sites to get you started:
http://writejobs.com/
http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
http://www.writingcrossing.com/
http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
http://www.statelocalgov.net/50states-jobs.cfm
http://write-jobs.blogspot.com/
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/list/jobs/
http://www.idealist.org/

3 comments:

JD said...

Hi, Hope:
Well, you've written yet another post that I'm going to print out and refer to for its valuable information. It resonated with me when you said we should stop Googling "writer" and look deeper into the many facets of this profession. Pardon the colorful expression, but you are one of the blog writers I follow who gets my butt in gear!

Have a fabulous week.

Kelli said...

Hi Hope:
Just last night I was searching LinkedIn and using the phrase "writer." Never thought about how limiting the title can be. People who write have endless opportunities. When we put pen to paper, we get crafty with words: Need to apply the same ethic when searching for opportunities! Thanks for the forehead slap (ie, reminder!).

Sophie Playle said...

Great post - thanks for the links!

"Suddenly a Jack-of-all-trades IS the master." - So true!