Academic writing jobs can come in a variety of forms, despite it being stereotypically seen as a narrow focus. You can be a columnist for periodicals, you can be a freelance writer, you can be a custom paper writer for students, and more. The great thing about academic writing is that you are always learning new things through it. After a few years of academic writing, you can feel like a storehouse of knowledge and a renaissance man. However, it can also be taxing on the mind, and you should be able to thwart exhaustion.
Columnist for Periodicals
Periodicals regularly need experts to comment on news and happenings around the world. This is where academic professionals often come into play. Academics from all different disciplines are featured in these periodicals. Being a columnist is one of the best academic writing jobs, as it is a well-respected position and garners consistent pay. Usually, the writing itself is enjoyable, as it zeroes in on your own field and what you’re an expert in.
To become an academic columnist in a periodical, you first have to be an academic in some way. You should have official credentials, should have a bulky portfolio of work, and be respected in the academic community. Having a book under your name is a good start, but more is needed than name-recognition alone.
Not every academic is cut out to be a writer as well. You should assess your writing skills against existing academic columns in reputed periodicals to see if you can match their style, tone, organization, and skill level. Having written many articles and essays before will aid you in landing a job as a columnist. You should also figure out if you have the time be a columnist, as it takes a solid chunk out of your time to write articles and essays. Many times, an academic does not have much time to spare between teaching and writing his or her own personal dissertations and books. The institution or organization you are working for might have restrictions on who you write for as well.
Freelance Writer
There are countless opportunities to work as an academic freelance writer. In terms of academic writing jobs, this is the most flexible. You can choose from a great multitude of assignments on freelance sites. Such assignments can be writing an essay for a magazine, writing content for an academic website, writing a dissertation for someone else, and much more. Academic writing is one of the most respected types of writing, and this makes for academic writers to be paid more than usual writers for each assignment.
To become a freelance writer, one needs to simply make an account on a freelance writing website. However, one should be prepared by having written many academic writing assignments before, having a portfolio of previously-completed work, and a degree related to writing is the best background for becoming a freelance writer. Being an academic writer, you should be ready to show your credentials, your awards, and your standing among the academic community.
The best sites for freelance writing is Craigslist, Elance, Freelancer, Upwork, and more. Be aware that a lot of these sites incur fees with each assignment completed and with transactions. Be ready to write a glowing description of your work and be able to present a solid portfolio of your work to future clients.
The life of a freelancer is not for everyone. It entails working usually alone or in a cafe, where you do not have someone looking over your shoulders to see if you are getting work done. You have to be self-motivated and ready to work on a whim. Deadlines can be demanding as well, and sometimes clients can be fussy. In terms of academic writing jobs, being a freelance writer definitely has its benefits, such as more flexibility and a more relaxed environment. However, one should also weigh the disadvantages that are inherent in this type of work as well.
Custom Writer
This is a type of writer that composes text for others at their own whims. It commonly entails writing essays, paper, dissertations, theses, and other academic pieces for others. There is an enormous market for students that buy custom-written papers from writers. They have a myriad reasons to do so: they might be single parents getting an education, but do not have the time to invest in their education, they might be rich people that are getting a degree as a token rather than a necessity, they could be foreign students that have paid exorbitant fees for international schooling but are seriously struggling with writing (especially in English), and many more reasons. There is a definite gray area surrounding this type of work, and it is understandable if people feel uneasy working in this field. In many countries, this line of service is regarded as illegal or cheating. However, if you feel you the need to make money fast and easy, this is a good route. Also, if you feel indifferent to the ethical questions encompassing this work, go ahead as well.
All that it takes to become a custom writer is registering on a custom writing site and proving you are capable of writing well and that you have completed some higher education. Being a native English speaker helps a lot in the registering process, and so does having an BA or MA degree.
Some of the best custom writing sites to register at is essayshark.com, customwritings.com, and essaylab.org. Be on the look out for scams, however, as many websites of this nature try to get your information and use it for their own ends. Check reviews and scam reports on the internet about each site you register at.
In addition, you can think of registering at many websites at a time, as you can garner more work that way. Some websites only have a sizable amount of orders during their hot seasons, and finding ways around that is important.
Book Writer
Among academic writing jobs, making a successful career as an author is the most prestigious. Since they are experts in their fields, they can afford more attention to their work as compared to other people. Also, these books can be published through university presses, which garner more attention and consignment in bookstores, especially local ones.
To write a book is no joke, however. It may take years to write one. In light of this, it is best to work at least part time while writing your first book in order to live properly. Most academics write their books while teaching at a university. This provides a stable income and an enriching atmosphere in which to write in.
Before writing a book, however, you will need to brainstorm, outline, and conduct research. Maybe a great idea has been brewing in your mind for quite some time, but consolidating that idea into the written word is not always that easy. That is why it is best to brainstorm about your topic, then to outline based on this brainstorming. The research part of the book might take years to complete in itself. Of course you can use prior research you have done, but commonly new research will have to be conducted in order to round out your backing of claims. You can use several brainstorming techniques, such as bubble mapping, automatic writing, roleplaying, and more. For the outline, you have to be detailed in your organization, as you will need to be guided through the whole process of drafting. Outlines are subject to change while drafting, however. In terms of researching, you should be methodical in your logs about the information you researched and how it benefits your future book. You might use this information later for an annotated bibliography as well.
To be realistic, though, not many academics make it big as authors. Unless your book becomes a bestseller, it is rare that a professor, teacher, or instructor in general can make a solid living off of his or her personal writing. As mentioned before, getting published under university presses increases your chances of success, as does getting published under popular presses such as Penguin. But, quitting your day job for solely writing books is not recommended.
Summary
As an academic, you have many opportunities to find academic writing jobs. Whether it be in the vein of being a columnist for periodicals, a freelance writer, a custom writer, or a book writer, you can make a decent living, and even a grand career. However, such as with any position involving writing, you will have to be able to prove yourself and may have to take on tasks that you don’t want to complete at first. In order to build a portfolio as a writer, you will have to do quite a bit of professional writing before applying to the position of your dreams. Writing every day as a practice will help you in this aim, as writing is not a field where you can slack and remain proficient. If you actively write and seek out each opportunity that comes your way, you will almost be guaranteed a job.
