More and more, jobs are being moved online—this is true even with creative writing jobs. With the multitude of blogs, websites, online periodicals, and video content, creative writing work is flourishing on the internet. Does this mean that you can make a solid living as a creative writer online? Well, if you find creative writing jobs online that offer consistent pay, then it is highly likely that you can live off your creative writing.
Blogs
There are innumerable blogs on the internet, and all of them require writers. Many of these blogs are dedicated to creative writing, whether it is showcasing the writing itself or about the craft. Though most of these blogs don’t garner much profit, there are ways to monetize your creative writing blogs, and get paid for writing blog posts for companies.
In terms of creative writing jobs online, writing blog posts is one of the most enjoyable activities. You can express your voice, opinions, and ideas. Though there is usually a framework you need to write within, you can use that framework to your advantage. Also, blog posts are commonly written in a personable style that is enjoyable to write in.
Most companies have blogs, and they hire writers to write content for them. Many companies require their writers to be creative in the writing process, and also to write about creative subjects, such as being a novelist, or a creative writer in general. You can earn a decent wage writing blog posts for companies, and sometimes it can be freelance work. This would entail you writing wherever you like and being on any schedule that fits your personal needs. Writing for a company blog, though, has more hangups: SEO keywords, word limits, a company culture, and so on. SEO keywords should be used in your personal blog posts as well, but for companies, they are essential for getting a monetary benefit from it. Keywords will allow the blog posts to be highly placed on search engines. Word limits are often set within companies as well, so you will have to get used to writing a certain amount per article, and probably per day. Also, one has to be aware of the company voice that needs to be portrayed. There is a tone that each company strives to infuse in their blog posts to show what kind of company they are. This means that you need to learn how to adapt your writing voice to a company’s objectives.
In order to become a professional blog writer, you should be thoroughly familiar with the blog writing process and with famous blogs in general. Also, having a degree in either something writing related, or the subject you want to blog about, is preferred. Having a portfolio of your blog writing will be helpful as well when you apply to companies. In addition, try to show that you have knowledge in SEO, brands, and target audiences.
Besides applying to companies, you can host your own blog and monetize it through various avenues. The first avenue to monetize your blog is through advertisements placed directly within posts through Google Ads and other sources. You can also advertise for sponsors, with hyperlinks to their websites. In turn, the companies will pay for your advertising of them.
Another way to earn revenue through your blog is to do crowdfunding or to become a part of websites that offer people to give money to a certain project of interest. You can make thousands of dollars from generous contributions from your fan base and other interested parties this way. You only need to sell your idea and your own personality as a blogger in order to make this a viable thing for people to believe in.
Websites
In the realm of creative writing jobs online, writing for websites is one of the most profitable and fundamental. Though this might not be the same as writing a poem or a novel, writing website text takes a certain level of creativity to appeal to an audience and to a company’s voice. Also, some website content will be entirely creative-based: meaning that it will consist of poems, essays, novels, short stories, and other types of creative work. But overall, most website text is centered on showing the vision and information of a company.
In order to write website text, you need to know how to sound appealing in a marketing sense, and this requires creativity. You can’t write dryly if you intend to attract people to a certain product or service. You need to have some flair in your writing voice—you need to sound like you are real, yet magnetizing. This is not easy, and that is why you need to a have strong control of language in order to draw people towards a given goal.
Writing for websites can be either a freelance or permanent in-office position. It all depends on your qualifications, needs, and your preference for work environments. But overall, writing text for websites can be profitable, but one has to have a solid portfolio of work to show to employers in order to land a position. Having a BA or MA degree in writing, journalism, editing, or other related degrees will help you to earn the position of your dreams.
Though there is a creative side to writing website text, there is also a technical side. Most IT companies don’t want to hold your hand during the writing process, and do not want to thoroughly edit your writing. With this said, you should be a fine editor as well as a solid writer. When you submit your copy to website staff, it should be error-free. Also, you should have knowledge in common IT terms and internet knowledge.
Online Periodicals
If you are actively searching for creative writing jobs online right now, this is one of the jackpot positions: an online periodical writer. Most periodicals are moving online after the decreasing use of paper to spread news and information. In turn, more and more newspapers, journals, and magazines are looking for writers to fill positions like reporters, columnists, opinion writers, research writers, and more. Bagging one of these jobs is not that easy, but once you do, you might have a lifelong career ahead of you.
This is due to the fact that these type of writers become fixtures at certain news and information agencies. They transform into an integral part of the company brand and concept. This makes acquiring these positions more difficult than usual jobs, however. There is much more competition for these type of positions.
However, with sites like the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, guest writers are often needed, and you can get in the game through that path. Even appearing once as a guest writer for a periodical can prove to the company that you should be taken seriously. Besides this tactic, having a BA or MA degree in a related field to writing, and/or a speciality that you will be writing about, aids you as well. Having a sizable portfolio of articles you have previously written is also key.
You don’t have to apply to the big names first. Working your way up through the hierarchy of publications can be good as well. You can apply to small presses or publications first, and then apply for positions to publications that have more respect and credibility later.
Video Content
You might be thinking how creative writing jobs online relate to video content, but the answer is simple: each video needs a script. Whether the video is for a business or for a comedy skit, almost always a script is being read. Many producers of videos are not writers, and they hire people to write energetic scripts for them.
A scriptwriter writes for films in general, but online content is different. The most popular outlet for videos on the internet is Youtube. And not surprisingly, YouTubers are making quite a lot of money from their content. Getting in contact with famous YouTubers might not be easy, but they usually have agents that can connect you with them.
But you don’t need to aim for the stars first. You can go on sites such as Craigslist to see if people who are creating videos for online content need writers. You’ll be surprised how many people are in need of video script writers—but doing freelance work like this might not be practical for many people.
Applying to video creation companies might be a better fit for the average online script writer. There you can get a stable paycheck, and more amenities. However, one has to be aware that with a more corporate product comes a more corporate way of doing things. So, if you are writing a script for a big company, you will have less freedom when it comes to being creative and flexible with your writing. On the other hand, you can take this as a challenge that you can overcome, and treat it like a game. And once again, it is best to have a decent portfolio to show employers your work, and have a degree related to scriptwriting.
