How can I make a living as a writer in the real world?

1. 76

   TFScientistposted 11 years ago

   How can I make a living as a writer in the real world?
   
   Other than the rags-to-riches stories we have all heard! How does one legitimately make a living from writing (non-fiction and scientific technical) without having to lean too heavily on a partner or work part-time in another occupation. I'm not expecting it to be easy, but need a starting point!

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2. 92

   Susana Sposted 11 years ago

   As a technical writer you should achieve excellent rates for your work...once you manage to break into it. And it's really not that hard to get well paying freelance jobs.
   
   There's another very successful technical writer I know on Hubpages who has written quite a lot of hubs on the topic of becoming a successful freelancer. I'd advise taking a look at all he's written on the subject!
   
   http://sufidreamer.hubpages.com/hub/How … ing-Career

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3. 72

   rulalenskaposted 11 years ago

   A technical writer is in the best position of all writers to make a living. Be sure to specialize in one area, such as medical writing, or aerospace, and market yourself to corporations which do business in that area. If you want to make a living writing, do NOT freelance; get a regular job. Do not use Odesk or Elance, which are embarrassments to a real writer and pay criminally low wages that hurt all writers.
   
   A nonfiction writer is in the best position of all creative writers. The type of nonfiction that is easiest to publish is articles that have been thoroughly researched and that are not about you or about writing. You are very fortunate that you do not write poetry or fiction, where your chances of making a living at it are very, very remote.

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   1. 60

      Muhammad Hajjoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      what about us, fiction writers??

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4. 60

   Muhammad Hajjoposted 11 years ago

   I guess you need to either sell your writer soul and write about things you don't necessarily believe in, or get lucky and find someone to publish your work, good luck finding that!!

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5. 59

   SINewsomeposted 11 years ago

   Hey, I'm graduating soon and have been wondering the same thing. From my research I've found that I like the idea of becoming a copywriter. I feel like it allows you to make a good living as well as embrace you creativity.
   
   Hope this helps

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6. 61

   Brandon Tartposted 11 years ago

   Depends on where you're trying to write, as in, to whom and for whom.  If you're an author, I personally think it helps to have another author mention you.  So, it's true - it's not what you know, it's who - often enough.
   
   Papers: it helps to have a journalism degree and an impeccable portfolio of writing columns, editorials etc. But newspapers are on the decline; I don't have to mention why this is. It has to do w/ 1's and 0's, but not those on the Franklins papers are bringing in.
   
   Blogs...Hubs... I wouldn't bother, though from what I see on
   Hubpages, Hubbers are more deserving than Bloggers of their earnings.  There is overlooked talent on Hubpages, in my humble opinion.
   
   Of these, I would get to cranking out either novels, or non-fic if you've the credentials to write non-fic.  And I would join a writers league, go to conventions, push, push and push your work more and more with outstanding query letters to targeted agents known for representing your genre.
   
   I don't think there is a better rule of thumb than to keep at it, ultimately, since no one knows you until they do.  That means being persistent even when you feel like your Hubpages #'s don't reflect what you believe is quality writing.  I'm no one in my own eyes, but I feel I write well enough to turn a few heads from time to time.  The law of odds/probability is certainly in favor of try, try again, and again and again ad infinitum if necessary/possible.
   
   There is no, "real world," and that helps us as we work toward getting published and earning deserved accolades from those who happen to matter.  The world is more often than not, pretentious and cold.  Fake! & bubbles - burst them yourselves before someone else does to the effect that it halts your literary inertia.  Once you get that breath of fresh writing air into your belly knocked out, it is REAL WORLD HARD to get it back. 
   
   To make a living as a writer, though, is a real likelihood in spite of the phonies that you're definitely going to have to steamroll over in life, which is undoubtedly the only way to make a living -  steamrolling over the competitors.
   
   Beat them to the punch with an idea they are 3 chapters behind you on by getting it prepped and ready for the agent to tell you - "YOU ARE JUST WHAT WE"VE BEEN WAITING FOR."  And that, is REAL WORLD AWESOME  -- or so I would imagine. 
   
   You see, I have the same question, and look at me trying to answer it for the both of us... LOL
   
   Good luck beating them to the punch! Strike 1st!!!

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7. 60

   ironstruckposted 11 years ago

   You can build a great WordPress website for less than $50. There are plenty of tutorials on youtube that will help you do it.
   
   Create a website about the subject you are most knowledgeable about write post and pages about different aspects of your subject.
   
   Once you have a solid base of 20 great articles put your own adsense ads into the articles.
   
   Depending on your topic, there are people out there who make several thousand dollars a month in adsense. Most people make from 0-$100.
   
   What you need is to write about something you know, have a passion for, and are willing to share with the world.
   
   Just keep writing and eventually you will succeed.
   
   Once you have a great website up and running with lots of content, write for places like HUB and write fresh articles for HUB that lead-in to your website articles and then link the HUB article to your website article.
   
   Now you are earning adsense income in two different places, except that on your website it is all yours.

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