WRITING IS A BUSINESS
Successful writers often need to also be successful businesspeople.
You must use common business practices in order for your business to be successful and to provide you with a good income. Things you need to consider include:

• How to create an image; writers like any other business need to create a brand. The brand in this instance is the writer themselves. The writer needs to have exposure. You can achieve this through networking with potential clients, your peers and through blogs and social media pages. It is important to always project a very sharp and professional image.
• See everything you write as an opportunity to generate income. You may have had a moment of inspiration, for example, and then written an article that could be of use to one of your contacts.
• See opportunities as they arise – this may not necessarily be more work. An opportunity may also be the possibility of generating more income in the future. A good writer will develop a good reputation and use this reputation to gain references and recommendations, which in turn will generate more income into the future.
• When you run any business, you have to have consistent output. If you were running a shoe store (for example) you wouldn’t open the door to the public only when you felt like it, or when you need money to pay your bills – you would go broke in a very short time! The same principles of business apply to writing as a professional – don’t open the shop only when you want to generate income, you must consistently generate new work, establish new contacts and approach established ones with your work.
• Keep abreast of what is happening in the writing world. Read blogs generated by your peers. Try to attend seminars and conferences attended by your peers. Knowledge of what is happening in the writing world can give you an edge – it will also inform you if certain publications are going out of print or going broke. It will give you an idea of what is selling, what isn’t and what the latest trends are. It also gives you an opportunity to network and further develop new possibilities.
• Be organised – being disorganised can cost you income. Keep records of when, how and who you did work for and the type of work that was accepted by each of them; you can then look back over your records at any time to determine who you can submit work to, and how much you are likely to receive in payment.
• How to minimize your income tax - there are many things you can claim as a writer - make sure that you are aware of what these are and that you keep receipts, travel logs etc. as required by the tax office.
• Learn how to be a debt collector - don’t sit back and allow non-payers get away with it. Be prepared to follow up non-payments and be ruthless enough to send a solicitor’s letter if needed. Remember always that at the end of the day you are running a business.
• Understand the importance of marketing and improving your work. As we said in the title of this chapter, “Not all Professional Writing is Profitable”, but you as a writer can do something to change that – whether you are a paid author or a self-published one. If you are a paid writer, the speed and quality of your writing can bring you more paid work. For a self-published writer, the more you work on marketing your work and improving your work, the more you can potentially sell.

Once you are established as a writer, you can start to become more selective about the work you take on. Spending many hours each day working for low pay rates making just enough to pay your bills, can burn you out. Having the confidence to reject some assignments (once you have established a network of work contacts) can be to your advantage. This is particularly true if the rate of pay for the work you do take on is also higher for the amount of output required.

What Are the Advantages of Studying Writing with ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in writing.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

Study this course to -

• Keep ahead of your competition - your professional writing skills are nurtured and developed throughout the course.
• Learn about the whole industry - by studying with us you are laying a foundation to develop more specialised skills if you so choose.

Writers are both employed (e.g. by publishers or advertising companies), and work freelance - this course will help you how to approach different roles.

Learn how to market your own business or freelance services.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

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Click here to Contact a Writing Tutor.

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