Article: Published in HomeBusiness Journal – February 2002
10 Reasons to Put Your Writing Skills to Work!
Searching for a high-profit, home-based business that puts your love ofwriting to work? Corporate America isalways looking for good writers and will pay handsomely for your skills!
Haveyou dreamed of becoming a full-time freelance writer but never took it tooseriously because after all, the words “starving” and “writer” are pretty muchjoined at the hip? Well, start taking it seriously.
Whatwould you say if I told you that the field of commercial writing, if pursuedwith reasonable diligence by an even moderately talented and minimally creativeindividual could generate financial self-sufficiency inside of six months?
Freelancewriting guru Bob Bly, (author of “The Copywriter’sHandbook” and 35+ other titles) and a 20-year veteran freelance commercialwriter, says of this field: “I know of no other arena of writing so lucrative,yet so easy to get started in.” How lucrative? Hourly rates in this field run$50-100+ and all time is billed. So,why pursue freelance commercial writing?
YOU LIKE TO WRITE AND AREGOOD AT IT Justmaking sure…
THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR FREELANCERS In the last decade, two huge trends have sculpted the corporateAmerican landscape: downsizing and outsourcing. Corporations across the country and are doing more with less. Fewerpeople, less resources, smaller budgets.
Consequently,many organizations rely on freelancers heavily to get their work done -- and not just because they have to. There aremany solid benefits of dealing with freelancers: no salaries, vacation time, sick days, health insurance or benefits.Not to mention that a variety of talent can ensure a consistently fresh writingperspective, often a challenge with full-time staff writers.
EASY ENTRY As writing fields go, commercial writing is one ofthe easiest to break into and, for even a moderately talented scribe, one ofthe most lucrative (which I’ll get into shortly). And given that you’reprobably already set up with a computer, the overhead is one of the lowestaround.
BRILLIANT WRITING NOTREQUIRED Youjust don’t have to be incredibly talented to make it in this field. There are plenty ofindustries, such as healthcare, banking, manufacturing, insurance, hightechnology and many, many more that need oodles of clear, concise copywritingthat just simply don’t have to be a work of art. As a matter of fact, theydon’t want a work of art. They simplywant to convey information, simply.
HIGH DEMAND FOR TALENT Check out my web site(www.wellfedwriter.com, then Testimonials) for a whole series of comments fromcorporate writing buyers sharing theirthoughts on the demand for good writing talent in this field.Suffice it to say, there IS a demand.
UNLIMITED WORK Marketing brochures, corporate image pieces, advertisements, newsletters, direct mailcampaigns, industrial video scripts, trade articles, press releases,educational/industrial CD-ROM scripts, radio spots, TV commercials, eventscripting, business letters, sales promotion material, marketing manuals,technical manuals, corporate profiles, annual reports, product documentation,product spec sheets, proposals -- shall I go on? And every single one of thesehave to be written by someone.
Amanager with a huge telecommunications firm in Atlanta noted, “Most peoplewould assume that a company of our size would do the bulk of our writingin-house, and they’d be wrong. It’s amazing now much writing we outsource. Mywriting needs these days are pretty steady, and I pay anywhere from$65-85/hour, depending on the writer’s experience.”
BE YOUR OWN BOSS In the 9-5 working world, schedule-wise, you’vepretty much got to march in lock-step with the rest of the troops. If you’re anight owl, your time (so to speak) has come. Want to sleep from 2-9 a.m.? Gofor it!
SHEER VARIETY OF WORK Over the years, I’ve written about UPS’s Canadian shipping operations, BellSouth’s product line and small business division happenings, Coca-Cola’s alliance with The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, how one eventproduction company would design an entertainment pavilion for the Olympics, the charitable activities of a prestigious Chattanooga hospital, andon and on. If you like variety, you’ll like this field.
FINANCE YOUR WRITING “BLISS” Maybe you’re a purist (i.e.“writing” means books and articles) and you’re thinking that there’s somethingterribly mercenary about writing for Corporate America, right? But, what’s the point of going the“purist” route if you end up moonlighting at something else to make ends meet?Or working full-time at a job you can’t stand? You might as well be writing andearning $60-80/hour (average). Then, with the bills paid, you’ve got the timeand space to pursue your “bliss” – that future Oscar, Pulitzer, Emmy, orTony-award-winning screenplay, novel, TV series or Broadway play.
HEALTHY INCOME So, how much can you make?If you have even a modicum of intelligence, ability and drive, you cansleepwalk your way to $30,000 a year. If you’re halfway decent and reasonablyaggressive about getting the word out, you should easily top $50,000. Build agood reputation, start getting referrals, and who knows? I know a healthynumber of FLCWs in the business grossing $100,000+ ayear.
Interestedin part-time? Well, with those hourly rates for starting commercial writers inthe $50-75 range, depending on location and experience, 10-15 hours a week addsup quickly. Suffice it to say, making $2000 a month part-time is verydo-able.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Career-changer?At-home mom? Journalist? Corporate staff writer? New college grad? Whateveryour goals or your circumstances, this field offers a lucrative and growingopportunity for those with even modest talent.
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PeterBowerman is the author of the critically acclaimed The Well-Fed Writer: FinancialSelf-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less, abest-selling triple-book-club selection (Book-of-the-Month, Quality PaperbackBook and Writer’s Digest). He has been a freelance commercial writer andcolumnist in Atlanta, Georgia since 1993, has published nearly 200 columns andarticles and leads seminars on writing. Visit his web site at www.wellfedwriter.com and reachhim at bowerman@mindspring.com.