How to Be a Professional Content Writer

Developing Your Writing Skills

Understand the realities of content writing. Before you plunge into a content writing career, it's important to be aware of the facts. Most writers graduate with a degree or certificate in content writing and are quick to learn the realities of the industry, including: Low pay. Most content writing positions do not pay well, especially entry level writing positions. Small newspapers or publications are often good places to start in terms of gaining experience and contacts. But often, the compensation will be $10-$12 an hour. The average salary for content writers in the United States is $40,000 a year. Higher paying positions in the content writing field include project managers, online researchers, and proposal writers. However, you will need higher levels of experience to qualify for these positions. Lack of creative license. Though you may think content writing will give you a chance to showcase your creativity and rousing ability with words, in fact, most content writing is seen as a way to sell a product or simply inform a reader of the facts. In a content writer role, you will likely be writing about dry or dull topics, though you may get a chance to also write copy for more engaging projects on occasion. Your employer will dictate the topics you write about, and you will need to learn to be flexible and engaged on even the most obscure or boring subjects, regardless of your personal preference. Quick turnarounds. When you write for an employer, on their timeline, you will need to be able to write fast and write well. This is especially true for writers just breaking into content writing. Often, your project will come with an expected words per hour, or article per hour, as well as strict deadlines. You will not have time to labor over every word or turn of phrase. Instead, you will need to produce content fast and at a constant rate.

Consider a technical writing certificate. Technical writing is a type of content writing that focuses on communicating technical material through manuals, reports, and online documents. This could be a how to guide, a safety manual for a worksite, or a document on a process or procedure. There is a growing demand for technical writers who can explain complex procedures to the average reader. Most technical writing programs are accelerated and take one to two years to complete. These programs will focus on improving your organizational skills, your project management skills, your ability to create user guides and documents, and your ability to write content for online formats. Check your local college or university for a technical writing certificate program. Look at the faculty of the program to confirm you are being taught by professionals in the field or working content writers who are familiar with the demands of the writing industry. Certificate programs can be beneficial for writers who are new to content writing or technical writing.

Take a content writing class online. Some professional content writers argue that academic programs may be too basic or general for individuals who already have some writing experience or an existing English degree. If you feel you are already a skillful writer, you will likely need technical writing skills that you can gain through a content writing class online. To get technical writing tools, get a subscription to a site like Lynda.com for $25 and go through the courses on Illustrator, Captivate, Photoshop, and other Adobe products. To gain knowledge on tech-comm based programs like Flare, Robohelp, or Framemaker, you may need to look at other institutions online for classes on these programs.

Use an existing degree to get into content writing. An English degree, or other writing and reading focused degree, can be used to get into content writing, especially if you feel you have strong writing skills. Consider how well you did in your English classes, writing essays, book reports, and other assignments. Would you be willing to spend hours a day writing on a variety of topics for an employer? Could your existing writing skills translate into more professional writing for an employer? You may want to supplement your existing degree with a content writing course, or a technical writing tutorial online.

Networking and Building Experience

Look into internships. While you are doing your degree, start looking for internship opportunities at local publications in your area. Some publications may offer summer positions to gain experience in the field and a taste of the professional writing world. You may also want to consider doing an internship at a publication you hope to work for full time in the future to make connections with editors and other writers at the publication. Many of these internships will likely not be paid, at least not at first. Be prepared to receive compensation in the form of connections and contacts. But be wary of being taken advantage of as free labor. If you feel uncomfortable working for free, try to find internships that pay. A database of writing internships can be found here: http://www.writersweekly.com/markets_and_jobs.php.

Join the Professional Writers Alliance. The PWA is a member based organization that acts as a “virtual learning hall” for professional writers. They offer writing and career resources, tools, tutorials, and connections to other professional writers. There is a fee to join the PWA, but it is significantly lower than other writing associations and many successful copywriters and content writers are members of the PWA.

Find a mentor. Talk to the professors in your program, the editors at publications you are interning at or are trying to write for, or other writers in a content writing organization or alliance. A mentor is someone who has extensive experience in the content writing industry and can impart valuable professional knowledge and career advice. There are also professional content writers who offer mentorship, for a fee. Often the best mentors are ones you can get the know personally and work with closely on a one on one basis. Before you sign up for a mentorship online, look for possible mentors in your workplace or your academic program.

Practice article writing. Learn how to write a newspaper article and how to write a wikiHow article. As a professional content writer, you may find a position that focuses on journalistic article style writing, or more educational how to writing. Study the form, structure, voice, and tone of each type of article so you are familiar with both types. Choose an existing wikiHow article that seems well written and well researched. Create your own version of the article, for example, How to Write a Screenplay, and then compare your version to the existing, professional version online. Note the organization of the article, the tone and voice of the article, and the examples used in the article. Use a newspaper article from a local publication or an online publication and break it down based on the upside triangle structure of a typical newspaper article. Does the article conform to the traditional structure or does it use a different structure or form? Does the writer seem credible and believable? Does the article use reputable sources and quotes to support any arguments in the article?

Finding a Writing Position

Get familiar with the content writer pay scale. Many content writers starting out in their careers are not sure how much they should be paid per word. Most publications pay by word, or by hour, with a certain word count expectation. On average, content writers should be paid no less than $0.02 per a word, but may not reach more than $1 a word. Salaried positions are different, as you will be paid a yearly rate for a certain amount of work. It can be difficult to get a salaried position fresh out of graduation or when you're just starting out. Most content writers will start out working per word, or per hour. You may start out in a position that pays $17-$20 an hour, and if you write fast, this may translate to $0.03 per a word. This is fine as a starting wage, and often, the expected rate in the content writing industry. As you gain more experience and become a faster writer, your writing opportunities may average $0.03 - $0.10 per a word. This can translate into a healthy hourly rate. However, you will make more money by pitching to clients directly, rather than relying on job boards or databases for clients.

Customize your resume and cover letter. If you decide to go a more traditional route and apply for a permanent content writing position at a writing based agency or organization, you will need to customize your resume and cover letter to fit the position. This will show your employer that you noted the skills outlined in the job posting and that you can fulfill the expectations of the position. Read articles on how to create a resume and how to create a cover letter. Focus on including the requirements of the position in your cover letter and how you can fulfill these requirements.

Don't be afraid to take entry level positions. As you start out, you may need to take on low paying writing positions to gain experience and build your portfolio. These may be small freelance gigs, at a low rate for a set amount of words, or this may be a permanent content writing position at a company for a low salary. As you complete each content writing gig, or as you gain more experience in a permanent position, add each article or piece of writing to an online portfolio. This will then help you network for other writing projects and positions in the future. With enough clips and contacts, you may then be able to freelance and work for yourself as a content writer.