You've
written your novel, and either it's hiding in a drawer or hopefully, it's
making the query rounds. The trouble is, your novel isn't earning you money -
yet. So what can you do if you need to earn money while you wait for your
novel's royalties to roll in? In between writing your next novel, you can write
for the corporate and/or non-profit world.
I hear you
groan, but as a paid business writer and an as-of-yet unpaid fiction writer, I
can tell you, it's nice when a client thanks me for my work and as part of the
deal, hands over a not-too-shabby check as payment.
The good news
is this is a terrific time to be a business writer. In the age of information,
every business and non-profit needs a website, social media profile,
advertisement or old-fashioned printed brochure. And most need writers to
produce the copy for them.
So, from one
writer to another, here are 4 strategies that will jumpstart your paid writing
career.
#1. Research
work that's being done in a couple of industries that interest you. Read
websites, white papers, ad copy, articles, and write a couple of your own. Use
them as writing samples and give them to anyone who is interested.
#2. Figure
out your market and start with an unpaid first assignment. For instance, if
you'd like to write for the non-profit world, call a couple of the smaller
organizations in your area, say you're a new writer who wants to write for
their industry and offer to write an ad, a brochure, a tag line, a page of
website content - whatever they need - for free, no strings attached. Once
people see you can write, the projects and paychecks will follow.
#3. Tell
everyone you know that you're taking on clients for business writing projects.
If they send someone your way, be sure to thank them and then do your very best
work.
#4. When that
first "real" client calls, don't be shy. Ask everything you need to
understand the message you are being hired to write. Tell the client you will
send copy in about a week. Write the first draft and as you would with a piece
of fiction, set it aside for a day or two. Reread and revise. Repeat the
process until you are 100% satisfied with the piece. Send it to the client and
be open to feedback and revision requests. Rework the piece until the client is
100% satisfied.
Business writing
may not be the stuff of your dreams, but getting paid for writing is better
than getting paid for doing almost anything else. And if all goes well, your
novel will be wildly successful and soon you'll be able to devote your creative
energies to more interesting pursuits - like writing your next wildly
successful novel.
Dede Perkins, business writer by day and fiction
writer by night, owns A Few Good Words, an outsourced business writing company
based in Maine.
