15 Careers For People Who Love Writing

There are plenty of passions that turn profitable. Excelling at sports, singing, or even celebrity impersonations can evolve into a sustainable career for many.

While it’s known that these types of endeavors can yield a positive result, public opinion still tends to dub them with the title of being unrealistic or pipe dreams. Writing is one of the passions that many folks deem as fruitless.

In a world that tells hopeful writers that their professional objectives are fanciful dreams that are likely to send them on a tailspin of years without sustainable income, it can be quite intimidating to commit to the career path.

Many people tuck away their dreams of a career in the industry because of the heavy fears that their ambitions aren’t realistic enough to support them financially. While there are a lot of negative stereotypes surrounding the field, writing can be an enormously rewarding and profitable profession.

The reality is that there is a slew of different writing careers that come in all shapes and sizes depending on your expertise, preferences, and interests. If there’s a professional writer in your bones who’s just waiting to make it happen, consider some of the following careers for people who love writing.

Blogger

Median Salary: $41,048
Job Openings: 106

A blogger handles the upkeep of an online journal called a blog. This includes things like articles on specialized topics, long-term blogs, and other types of written content online.

Some of a blogger’s responsibilities include:
- Conducting ample research on industry topics
- Writing articles and other types of content
- Editing their work before publication
- Implementing SEO keywords to increase page traffic
- Responding to reader’s comments
While many bloggers base their careers on running their own blogs, others work for companies to assist them in creating informative and Google-ranking content.

In the digital age, written content online has become much more influential in bringing customers to a business, and a blogger can assist in making that happen. Bloggers often have some experience in marketing as well.

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Reporter

Median Salary: $41,720
Job Openings: 9,741

Another ideal option for people who have a knack for writing is becoming a reporter. A reporter must stay up-to-date on current news and happenings to communicate this information in a timely and direct manner to their audience.

This can involve stories that happen locally in a small town to world news. Reporters can work on television or the radio, but many work in written formats like magazines and online news sources.

The basic duties of a reporter typically include:
- Gathering leads for new stories
- Collecting and verifying information that will be on the news
- Creating an understandable storyline
- Possibly taking photos or videos to accompany a written story
- Editing and delivering concise and informative reports
While all writing careers require a high standard of communication skills, this is especially imperative for reporters. They’re transmitting crucial recent news to people who are counting on an understandable delivery. This also requires extensively verifying the validity of their sources to ensure that they’re putting out the truth.

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Translator

Median Salary: $42,449
Job Openings: 1,235

Being a translator could be the perfect career option for individuals who have a few languages under their belt and an interest in writing. As the title implies, the job of a translator is to interpret and convey statements from one language into another.

While some translators work with verbal translations, many strictly create written content such as subtitles for films.

The job responsibilities of a translator can include things like:
- Reading through materials in the source language
- Researching terminology when needed
- Converting written text into the translated language
- Preparing translated subtitles for video content
- Proofreading all translations for spelling and grammar
- Editing translated content as requested
The role of a translator requires substantially advanced knowledge of all the languages that are being translated, in addition to stellar writing skills. The position has some prerequisites, but it can be lucrative and gratifying.

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Public Relations Specialist

Median Salary: $43,279
Job Openings: 15,649

A public relations specialist isn’t the first job that comes to mind when pondering careers for writers, but it involves a fair amount of writing skills.

A public relations specialist is responsible for maintaining and expanding the company’s positive image that they represent. This is done by acting as the organization’s voice through written speeches, press releases, or other forms of public relations copy.

Additional responsibilities of a public relations specialist include:
- Developing strategies for a company’s public relations
- Enhancing the relationship between an organization and their audience
- Acting as the contact point for media requests
- Preparing presentations
- Researching to analyze the public reception
- Organizing events within the corporation
Unlike other types of writing careers, the position of a public relations specialist demands dealing with people much more often. It’s great for someone who wants to utilize writing in their professional life and participate in other tasks.

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Sports Writer

Median Salary: $50,141
Job Openings: 10,846

The popular passions for sports and the written word come together for a sports writer. This type of writer focuses solely on conveying sports news to readers through various mediums like blogs and magazines.

Since people from all over the world absolutely love sports, the readership for this niche is massive. There is a steady demand for the content, and often, sportswriters are compensated handsomely for their coverage on the matter.
- Following sports news and watching games according to their niche
- Interviewing athletes when required
- Conducting further research to verify for their pieces
- Writing up and editing sports-adjacent articles
The details of a sports writer’s job can vary greatly between positions. Certain sportswriters only focus on covering the happenings of a single sport, such as baseball or boxing.

Other writers in this niche will work on various games or cover the industry of sports as a whole. The position can also involve interviewing or traveling with athletes to get the full scoop.

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Grant Writer

Median Salary: $50,377
Job Openings: 11,098

A lot of companies need to draw their funds from grants that require a fairly extensive application process. The job of a grant writer is to find fitting grants for their organization and prepare impeccable proposals to be awarded the grant money.

The trick to succeeding in this position is a keen eye for researching, a thorough understanding of the company represented, and writing skills.

The standards responsibilities of a grant writer include:
- Developing a deep understanding of the history and objectives of the company represented
- Researching ideal grants from government and non-government agencies
- Preparing flawless grant proposals
- Handling the submission of grant proposals
- Maintaining a constructive relationship with fund providers
Similar to a public relations specialist, a grant writer’s trade is to be the voice of an organization. The difference lies in the fact that a grant writer acts as the voice in the hopes of landing grant approval, while a PR specialist’s attention is pointed towards mediating the general public’s views.

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Ghostwriter

Median Salary: $51,420
Job Openings: 6,655

The individual behind some of the most beloved and effective written work is sometimes a ghostwriter. The services of a ghostwriter are providing written material for someone else to use under their name. It’s basically like selling the words you’ve written for another person to use as their own.

A ghostwriter handles:
- Evaluating the needs of their client and providing a timeline for completion
- Researching the subject of the works if required
- Identifying the tone and voice of their client to impersonate it
- Drafting up the written materials requested
- Going through a process of editing to completion
Ghostwriters can work freelance for individual clients or long-term for a company. They also can create a wide variety of materials like full-length books, advertisements, blog posts, copy, or even emails.

Since ghostwriters are supposed to be providing work credited to their client, they must also be able to pick up on the client’s voice and mimic it well. Not every writer is too thrilled to give up credit to their work, but it can be a great way to turn words into profit if you’re not too attached to your writing.

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Editor

Median Salary: $51,516
Job Openings: 12,429

In most writing processes, the work produced is the collective effort of multiple people. One of the last lines of defense that a written work must go through before being deemed perfection is a pass-through by an editor. The responsibility of an editor is to confirm that a piece meets the quality standard of the company that’s publishing it.

The daily duties of an editor include:
- Reading through the written drafts of writers
- Modifying content when required to produce the best copy
- Managing content production
- Creating ideas for future content
While the tasks of an editor aren’t directly writing, they still must have above average skills in writing, grammar and spelling. They’re expected to comb through every word of a blog post, book, or other written document and make changes when necessary to produce the best version of the draft.

Additionally, writers are commonly promoted within companies to become editors if they constantly turn in flawless work.

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Resume Writer

Median Salary: $55,123

A well-structured resume opens the door for eager job seekers to land their next great job. However, many professionals feel that they aren’t great at creating this type of alluring resume that’s sure to get them an interview. That’s why they turn to the expertise of a resume writer to generate an incredible resume for them.

By communicating extensively with their clients, a resume writer formulates a resume to make the best first impression on recruiters and hiring companies in their professional field.

The general responsibilities of a resume writer are:
- Speaking with clients to understand their background, skills, and professional goals
- Researching the client’s industry
- Determining the most effective way to showcase a client’s abilities on a resume
- Editing the resume for correct grammar and spelling
- Preparing clients for potential interviews
In addition to creating resumes, a resume writer might also assist job seekers with updating their LinkedIn profiles. The job involves a great deal of writing, but it also demands in-depth knowledge of the hiring process and how to put a client’s best foot forward in their specific industry.
Technical Writer

Median Salary: $63,000
Job Openings: 48,299

Many people don’t look at the lengthy manual that comes with their brand new camera or an organization’s quarterly reports and immediately picture the writer tediously scribing every word of it.

However, this is the job of a technical writer. Technical writers create guides for various subjects, standard operating procedures, business plans, and more.

The tasks of a technical writer involve:
- Evaluating the needs of a technical project and presenting the information in the most understandable way
- Coming up with ideas for technical content that is still engaging
- Communicating with experts on the topics to provide accurate information
- Writing the content in the proper format
- Going through a reviewal process of technical work
Some technical writers build a career from completing one-off projects freelancing, and others work directly with a company to create all of their technical content.

An important facet of their responsibilities is translating complex subjects into a digestible format that anyone can follow. Once again, this relies heavily on concise communication skills and an ability to be direct.

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Copywriter

Median Salary: $68,124
Job Openings: 14,258

A copywriter focuses their writing on the world of advertising. They provide effective and engaging writing called copy to draw in the desired audience. This can mean different things depending on the specific focal point of a copywriter.

For example, a copywriter for a food website hoping to drive up their traffic might create content about healthy recipes per SEO standards and marketing tactics to bring in readers.

In addition to websites, copywriters can also work with magazines, social media accounts, publishers, television studios, or even government organizations.

The quintessential responsibilities of a copywriter include:
- Fostering a clear understanding of their company’s brand
- Research marketing analytics around the company’s needs and their target audience
- Being a constructive member of a collaborative creative environment
- Writing innovative and engaging copy
- Revising copy at the request of the company
The goals of a copywriter often demand a high degree of collaboration with other marketers or professionals within the company that they work for. In addition to writing savvy, having good teamwork is essential.

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Songwriter

Median Salary: $68,279
Job Openings: 6,666

When listening to the siren-esque string of symphonies that are matched with expository lyrics of popular songs, most people assume that the musician is the person who created the piece.

While plenty of music artists write their own material, many others utilize the prowess of a professional songwriter to create their hits. Sometimes these individuals are also known as lyricists or composers.

The job of a songwriter involves:
- Pitching ideas to potential clients
- Discussing objectives with clients to formulate a plan of action
- Researching music industry trends to create a popular tune
- Understanding the nuances of various genres
- Writing original lyrics and melody to songs per the client’s requirements
- Making changes according to client feedback
Several songwriters may work on a cohesive team to formulate the next #1 single for extremely popular artists. Songwriters can also work on a freelance basis instead of working as staff members.

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Video Games Narrative Writer

Median Salary: $71,292

Within every video game is an entire world with an abyss of interesting narratives. The chronicles of video games are devised by a video game narrative writer. These professionals are involved in the entire creative process of video game creation, from brainstorming the initial plot to writing out the final dialogue.

The tasks associated with being a video games narrative writer include:
- Developing intricate plot ideas
- Productively collaborating with other video game designers
- Researching potential plot ideas
- Writing out the dialogue that occurs between characters in the game
- Making dialogue edits when required
- Directing recording sessions of voice actors following the written script
Becoming a video game writer is an attractive career option for people who want to blend their professional life with embracing their creativity. It can also be quite fun to watch their work eventually come to life in a game.

To ensure that the video game’s world comes together smoothly, creative writing and collaboration skills are a must for these writers.
Author

Median Salary: $77,190
Job Openings: 713

Becoming an author is often the first thing that pops into people’s minds when someone says, “I’m a writer.” Authors typically create written content that eventually goes on to become a book through a publisher.

They can also work for outlets like magazines or television. An author is a captain who steers the ship of a story. They decide on all story elements, including the overall plot, every character, the general theme, and the writing style.

The role of an author generally includes:
- Generating interesting story concepts
- Outlining all of the story elements
- Progressing the plot of a story coherently
- Coordinating with publishers, graphic artists, and other professionals involved in the process
- Negotiating published contracts successfully
- Making edits to finished drafts of work
While many authors work freelance or are self-employed, some work long-term directly with a publishing house or other type of content producer. It’s another position that allows writers to flex their creative muscles.

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Screenwriter

Median Salary: $78,611

Screenwriters have comparable responsibilities to an author. However, they solely work on screenplays that are used for television or films.

They either produce original scripts that they will hopefully sell to a network or adapt existing screenplays. Screenwriters also often work on a team with many other writers and film industry professionals.

The typical responsibilities of a screenwriter include:
- Researching possible ideas for interesting screenplays
- Creating original scripts
- Effectively framing a story in the form of a screenplay for movies or TV
- Adapting specific sections of a script if required
- Cohesively working with other members on a writing and film production team
- Pitching proposals for screenplays to TV and movie executives
- Developing a story that translates on screen
Being a successful screenwriter can be one of the most lucrative writing careers, but it’s also a very competitive vocation. Individuals hoping to create a long-term profession out of screenwriting must be devoted to the craft and adept at taking rejection constructively.

They also need visualization and editing skills to ensure that their work makes sense to viewers of their television show or movie.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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