When you say someone is a writer, people automatically assume that person is writing novels or poetry. But these days, talented people with excellent writing skills have a lot more job opportunities in which they can employ their creativity.
Some of these business ideas for writers are well paid, and if you possess knowledge and preference toward writing, you can pursue careers in these niches. Many people don’t know what they can expect if they step into the writing business (freelance or employed by a company), so we decided to make a list of the best business ideas for writers. With them, we will show you what is expected from you and what skills you need to have to be successful in each of these jobs.
You don’t need to be a graduate of English literature or an expert in any of these things – you just need to have a creative flair when it comes to writing. So here are some of the best writing business ideas for you to start with.
1. Writing a blog
The easiest way to start expressing your creativity through writing is to create a blog. It requires minimum investment from your side, and everything is up to you.
The best way to start is using a free blogging platform like WordPress or Wix, where you can set up your blog. They are full of great templates you can use to create a visually appealing blog where you will place your content.
If you are unsure what to start with, our recommendation is to write about your interests and preferences. For example, you can write about sports, traveling, photography, recipes, the movie industry, etc. Whatever you choose, you will face a lot of competition, so your content must be unique, and your writing style should be easily recognizable.
When you get enough audience, you can monetize your blog by placing ads. Or you can earn money by publishing sponsored posts or even including your blog in an affiliate marketing network. Some writers start writing guides and ebooks and dedicate one page to promoting and selling them.
2. Copywriter
If starting your blog and managing many other things that can distract you from writing isn’t your cup of tea, you can offer your services to other blog owners. Or you can write for news or niche sites.
Besides writing posts, copywriting involves writing marketing material for businesses, such as sales pages, email marketing, and social media ads. You can either work in-house for a digital marketing agency or in the communications department of a company, or you can go freelance.
If you prefer personal freedom, freelancing is the best option. You can start on websites like PeoplePerHour or Upwork. After you register on these platforms, your next step is to create a profile that will describe you to potential employers. You also need to create a remarkable portfolio, so you would catch their attention. After you get hired, you can charge per project or hour.
3. Ghostwriting
If you enjoy writing but don’t necessarily want to put your name on the work, ghostwriting may be a good fit for you. You can also go this way if you think it’s too much hassle to start from scratch and you want a faster way to start earning money.
You can team up with other people and create a writer startup for ghostwriting. Being a ghostwriter does not include only writing books in the name of your clients. You can also write online blogs or public speeches.
Of course, your clients will take all the credit for your work, but that’s the only downside of writing a business idea. On the other hand, your clients will be entrepreneurs, politicians, or executives who can help you a lot in future work.
4. Journalist
This is one of the most dynamic writing business ideas that brings a lot of excitement to your everyday life. If you decide to start working as a journalist, you have a lot of opportunities before you. You can write about local affairs, politics, sports, or art. Or you can write about the latest news from all around the world.
Like many other business ideas for writers we mentioned, you can work as a freelancer or in-house, depending on your preferences. You can work for online or print media.
5. Become a screenwriter or a songwriter
Don’t be afraid, we don’t talk about being a screenwriter for Hollywood movies or a songwriter for most famous music starting today.
You can start small by being a screenwriter for numerous YouTube channels. If you have a keen eye for details, you can write great screenplays for video content.
If you are more into writing emotive content, you can try songwriting. But this type of work requires a lot of patience and self-promotion. You will need a blog where you can post your work and social media accounts where you will familiarize your audience with your talent. You can even try to arrange with local radio stations to write jingles for them.
6. Start a resume or CV writing service
A well-written CV can be deciding factor when the company is hiring new people. A lot of people admit that they have difficulties writing their resumes, especially when they need to outline important parts.
If you have a deep understanding of what employers look for in a resume, this can be a lucrative business idea for you. The job market is very competitive, and an impressive CV is something that people will pay for if it makes them stand out from the crowd.
7. Social media manager
This business idea for writers is different from the others we presented above because it refers to writing short-form content. Social media posts are usually limited to a certain number of characters, and you need many skills to say what you want within those limits.
Every decent company these days has at least one social media account, and it needs someone to manage them. If those companies are not experienced enough, they outsource this job to freelancers or hire someone full-time.
That opens an opportunity for you. If you are familiar with rules that apply to certain social networks and what makes content viral, this could be the perfect job for you.
8. Proofreader
If you have an eye for detail and enjoy editing and proofreading, you can offer your services to businesses, authors, and other writers. Of course, excellent command of grammar and punctuation is mandatory.
These skills are often needed on news portals that have too much content published every day, and are always short on staff. Also, many researchers want to have perfect grammar in their studies before publishing them. Some other potential clients include college students and professors who need the help of proofreaders to check their essays and thesis.
9. Become an author
We cannot exclude the most traditional way for writers to start with. If you have an amazing idea for a book, go ahead and write it down and try to find a publisher. Or you can do it on your own. You probably cannot afford to spend too much time working on your book without being paid, so this will be your side job for a while.
After you finish, try finding a publishing company. If you are unsuccessful, don’t despair, you have social media at your disposal. Many authors successfully promoted their books on social networks like Twitter or Instagram, which gave them mainstream coverage.
10. Organizing writing courses
If you’re an expert in a particular type of writing or a specific niche, you can create and sell online courses to help others learn the craft. Or you can set up a profile on sites like Fiverr and offer your services directly.
Probably the best method is to organize a course for creative writing to help people express their feelings with the help of words.
Business ideas for writers: conclusion
After we presented you with our 10 choices for business ideas for writers, we expect you to give us feedback. Do you think we forgot more lucrative ideas, or did we put something that doesn’t belong here?
Let us know in the comments below.