Copy Writing (Writing Copy), By Melinda Toynton

So, every time you pick up a newspaper, magazine, or browse the internet, you are bound to see advertisements, lots and lots of them. Ever wonder who writes all of these catchy ads? The answer is a copywriter. Writing copy for a client basically means creating the best way, through words, to attract a targeted audience. Many people work from home as freelance copywriters and others work for copy writing or search engine optimization (SEO) companies. This is a career that doesn’t necessarily require fancy college degrees, extensive experience, or a large start up budget. There are necessary skills which will ensure a person’s success in this industry and there are steps you can take to build a lucrative career in copywriting.

About Memoir and Personal Essay

Non-fiction writing is currently the most marketable form of writing: copywriting, technical writing, news writing, and the stuff of cookbooks—these are some common forms. In Memoir: A History Yagoda notes that nonfiction currently outsells fiction four to one. He adds that “total sales in the categories of Personal Memoirs, Childhood Memoirs, and Parental Memoirs increased more than 400 percent between 2004 and 2008”. The niche of creative non-fiction covers a range of genres most recognizable by a strong sense of voice: personal essay, memoir, feature writing. Much of the content on This American Life constitutes as creative nonfiction, and for the purpose of this paper I will focus on memoir and personal essay writing. The distinction from the two can be ambiguous at times, so I’ll divide this paper into a discussion about each.

You're Writing About What....From Where?—by Derek Pettie

Travel writing sounds like a phenomenal career for an English major, so why not start off this exploration in Mongolia.  Well I'm not there, but that is where I found Bill Donahue, a freelance writer who has written for magazines such as The Atlantic, Backpacker, and Runners World, newspapers like the Washington Post and The Oregonian, and news website Salon.com.  While waiting for his second email, I speculated what he was doing on the other side of the world: trekking in the Sayan Mountains, traveling across the country’s 1900 miles on horseback or covering the Horse procession documenting Ghengis Khan’s 850th anniversary?  Actually he had “scared” up a smaller story to write about, cycling from Ulanabatoor, Mongolia’s capital city, 35 miles to the world's largest statue of Khan, before traveling to Bejing for an article on American ultra-marathoner, Diane Van Deren. 

Jealous yet?

If the answer is yes, then it's time to delve further into what the job entails.  Travel writing is more than just reviews and is primarily about the writing rather than the travel.  An important distinction to make.  Whether a piece is written about a pilgrimage to Djibouti to discover what chewing Khat leaves is all about, or covering a destination or event near your home, what matters is the quality of the writing.  Frank Bures, a freelancer from Minnesota, has focused on building his career by improving as a writer, instead of trying to get published in high-profile publications.  This has had led to pieces in Outside, Bicycling and he is currently working on a story for Harpers.

Still interested?

Advertising by Zack Little

Advertising

If you have been watching any television in the last couple of years, you might have stumbled across a program by the name of Mad Men. Set in the 1960's at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency, it follows the story of Don Draper, a creative director. But what does Don Draper do while at work? If the show is any indicator, he's simply there to consume as much scotch and as many cigarette's as he can fit into a workday. Oh an occasionally he finds time to pitch a good advertisement to a big client in order to save the day. It all sounds like a cool job if you ask me. But is this the real world of advertising? Let's take a look at what advertising has to offer to the world and you.

The Ghost and the Subject

Lynn Vincent is a successful politically conservative writer. Her background led former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin to choose Vincent to co-author her autobiography Going Rogue: An American Life.  The book turned out to be one of the publishing industry's biggest successes of the year, but was also panned by critics across the board. Stephen Davis was chosen in 1988 to pen the autobiography of pop star Michael Jackson entitled Moon Walk. Though Jackson was one of the biggest artists in the history of music, the book was only on the shelves for a limited time due to Jackson's refusal to have it released in paperback. Obviously the life of a ghostwriter can be wildly unpredictable. Vincent's book was a commercial success and a critical failure. Davis' book could have been the biggest selling autobiography of a musician ever written, but was marginalized due to the wishes of his subject. The similarity between the two writers is that they both got paid handsomely, whereas many of their peers, who were too proud to lower themselves to write for other people, never had a single review of their novel or made a living by writing it.

Ghostwriting has many advantages over other kinds of writing careers. Ghostwriters get to write about an array of subjects, many of which they normally wouldn't, with people that often lead interesting lives. These are people that are largely inaccessible, sometimes great minds who stand at the precipice of the fields they have achieved notoriety within.

Literary Agency by Jeff Fischer

One of the least written about careers toward which English majors might naturally gravitate is the literary agent. Though literary agency, or literary representation, is not a subject normally taught in school, literary agents are as much a part of the book business as are writers and publishers. What some English majors who are starting to think seriously about a career path may not know is that literary agents are indispensable in the ever churning mill of the book business.  Literary agents are the brokers between authors and publishers.  Literary agents find emerging writers and help those writers prime their work to a saleable product while at the same time finding saleable authors for commercial publishing companies who rely on agents for this service.

Music Journalism- By Devan Cook

To put it simply: music journalism, or music criticism, is reporting about music.  Critics of popular music will often write album reviews, song reviews, concert reviews and previews, band/artist profiles, music related news, etc. While music journalism is most frequently associated with magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin, music critiques can be found everywhere from local weeklies, television broadcasts (this once included MTV, back when the “M” actually stood for music), websites and blogs, and major newspapers like the New York Times.

Beer Career by Michel Entler

            I know what you are thinking “I love beer so much I wish there was a way to combine my skills as a writer with my love of beer.” Well never fear because there is a lot of options for writers in the world of beer. You have to think of brewing as a business and a big business at that in fact, INBEV (owner of Anheuser-Busch) in 2008 was an 11.6 billion dollar company.  Like any big business they need people who are creative and are able to produce something that can market their product.

Now that I have sold you on the beer industry here are a few options for you: First is marketing, English majors are great when it comes to marketing products. Companies desire someone who can be creative with word play, lettering design, and descriptions of the beer to put on the side of the box. The problem with people who have marketing degrees is that they can provide a brilliant look web site or box design but fail at providing the content needed to keep the interest of the consumer. One great example of that is the “Prost” underneath any Widmer cap. Those catchy phrases are more than likely written by someone who is good at writing.

Copywriting; Every Word Has Its Price by Brittany J. Barron

Recently, we had a guest speaker in class whose “Real job” is copywriting. To be perfectly honest, I have never really considered copywriting as a job. I just assumed that a marketing agency handled any and all advertising elements. How wrong I was. Our speaker introduced us to her career by explaining that she works side by side with corporations, as well as smaller mom and pop companies. She described that she does everything from writing in-house memos for large corporations, to writing those pesky text messages you provider sends you, ordering you to, “Upgrade now for unlimited text messages,” and so on and so forth. Although this part of the speech seemed incredibly unappealing and very much like, “selling out to the man,” it is just one element of her job. Wikipedia defines copywriting as, “The use of words to promote a person, business, opinion, or idea.” This demonstrates the wide range of ways one can utilize their skills in this type of industry. Just like anything else in life, this career is what you make it, and you can gear your business to your capability. Plus, there's money in it!!!!

News Papering-- by N Otis Richerson

Maybe you smoked too many cigarettes when you were in High School You sat around, inside dark rooms with your dork friends watching the sliced onion smoke curl up to the dim fluorescents, talking about how great it must have been back then—all high ideals. Maybe, you like the look of the Fedora; you like the look of the dark trench coats with the belt pulled tight against your sides, with the rain pouring down. Maybe, you’re all grand notions of changing the world through noble questions.

Whether it’s your misguided conceptions of temporary cool or your overwhelming need to know–you crave to write for the daily news. Just how do you go about doing that? In the time of free untrafast Internet news, is it even worth the trouble? What’s the gig? Is there a career in daily news? How do you get into it?

Screenwriting - by Craig Looney

There’s an old legend among filmmakers and film students alike: It’s the first day of class at one of the country’s most prestigious film schools.  Excitement is high.  200 students chatter amongst themselves, telling one another the types of movies they want to make, why Aronofsky is the next Kubrick, and debate as to when Spielberg lost his edge.  The professor walks in, the embodiment of their hopes and dreams and asks, “How many of you want to make a movie?”  Two hundred hands shoot into the air.  “Ok, everyone put your hands down, except you,” he says, pointing at a kid in the front.  “And that’s if you’re lucky.”
          

The world just came to an end for 199 students.


To say screenwriting is a difficult industry to break into, is like saying the sun is hot.  It doesn’t capture the shear enormity of it.  But to say it’s impossible would be incorrect as well, because a new legend is growing.

Book Editing, by Jennifer Anderson

“I suppose some editors are failed writers; but so are most writers.” - TS Eliot

What do doctors, lawyers and editors all have in common?  A well-known stereotype for each profession has leaked into the social consciousness. Doctors, sterile and comforting with a white lab coat; lawyers, stiff and exacting with a business suit; editors, red pen wielding tyrants, armed with cutting remarks. Perhaps unfortunately for us, not every doctor is patient and kind, nor is every lawyer prepared and articulate. With that being said, editors are far from the angry-faced grammarians their reputations suggest. They are largely unseen, and as writer and editor, Jodi Brandon calls them, “the unsung heroes” of the publishing industry. Acquisition, copy and structural editors are the men and women behind-the-scenes working to make sure that books are found and promoted; have continuity and correct grammar and spelling; and the pages, fonts and layout of the book are easy to read. 

Music Journalism- By Justin Hoyt

For musicians, creating a brand for oneself is the most important factor in becoming a recognized and revered artist; the same goes for music writers. However, the art in music writing is a reaction, a gut feeling everyone gets when they listen to a song is put into words and hopefully understood by the reader. In a clogged market for music writers though, being able to define the way one feels about a song or album isn’t enough; you need to be able to define it quickly in an age where new music spreads across the internet at a stellar pace. It’s kind of petty but seems crucial that music writers know about the next big thing before everyone else does. It lends them credibility and in many cases is what defines a music writer’s career, allowing them to ascend in what is an incredibly competitive field. Take for example Seattle Times music writer Andrew Matson and Seattle hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces. Shabazz Palaces (pictured above) was and still is a relatively unknown hip-hop group from Seattle’s Central District. The group has no MySpace page, and were cloaked in mystery for much of their early existence. Matson was one of the first to publicly write about them and has championed the group ever since, even bestowing them the honor of his “Best Album of 2009”. Recently the group was discovered, in part due to some of his Twitter updates, by Larry Fitzmaurice of the mighty online music site Pitchfork. Matson immediately went to work blogging about blogging. A portion of which is below:

Grant Writing: Making a Difference-By Sara Lindsey

A grant writer is an artist, a researcher, a public relations specialist, and a meticulous, detail oriented writer. You’ll be working with various clients to develop a grant proposal to present to an ideal funder, the more conviction you put into it the more likely you will be in receiving the grant. Getting to that point will involve consulting with your clients, determining their needs, and brainstorming project ideas and ways to make those proposals as appealing as possible. Grant Writing can be a very rewarding and fun career, but it certainly isn’t a cake walk; each situation will present a new challenge, whether you’re working with a large company, a university, or a small non-profit organization.

Working Your Skills: What does it take to be a fantastic Grant Writer?

            A grant writer performs a very important role for many charitable institutions and non-profit businesses (such as, animal shelters, community outreach programs and cause related assistantships.) Additionally, they may work with universities, colleges, and community alternative education programs. Due to the lagging economy, grant money has become far more difficult to obtain from private philanthropic foundations, cooperate foundations, and individual donators. On one hand, this makes the grants harder to get a hold of, however, the role of a highly skilled grant writer has become a far more valued profession in the job market.

Comics-obsessed Kids Grow Up to be Comics-obsessed Adults, and Others Acquiesce

Perhaps this is an inappropriate way to say it, but superheroes never really turned me on the way they do many kids. When many of my Marvel Comics-reading childhood friends became high school students, and their interest transferred over to seemingly more risqué and violent Japanese manga comics and Anime, I had only a vague wish that I could share in their preoccupation with these cartoons. My impression was that the storyline of any given comic consisted of one or two or all of a few basic elements which spelled out pure action, adventure, and fantasy: good and evil in a never ending brawl (BANG! THWACK! POW!), the perpetual high-speed car chase, uncommonly proportioned women’s bodies, or (in the case of manga) strange sexual fetishism. Though comics seemed very much like “stuff for dudes” to me (and I was always, of course, much too sophisticated for any of that) or like “kid’s stuff,” I assumed above all that comics were not made for those who enjoyed reading (or deep thinking, for that matter).

Yes, I know, it sounds like I was an uptight and pretentious youngster. Well, maybe I was. But after hesitantly dipping my toe into adulthood and discovering that it wasn’t as bad as I had imagined it would be, I was able to loosen up to a more sensible and enjoyable openness. I began to notice that there were comics written on myriad topics. Not only this, but there was this new term that I had never heard before referring to comics that had a decidedly more literary ring: “Graphic Novel.” Some of the subjects that graphic novels are written about include autobiography, history, religion, science fiction, romance, and (yup) superhero stories.

Working Hard Pays Off: A Guide For The Would Be Short Story Anthology Editor by Colin Farstad

When I first started talking to Kevin Sampsell about his involvement in the anthology Portland Noir we were walking downtown the few blocks from Kenny and Zukes, over to Powell’s Books, Kevin’s home for the past eleven years. When I finally asked Kevin about how he became the editor for Portland Noir he said, “Well I kind of got talked into it.”
     Johnny Temple, Publisher of Akashic Books, approached Kevin because he has collected a body of work that features short stories online and in print, a previously edited anthology and a network of writers from his years at Powell’s. Even though there was someone else that wanted to edit Portland Noir, Johnny Temple wanted Kevin Sampsell.

Writing up a Fortune: the Easy Life of Freelancing - by Fleecy

Freelance writers have the luxury of working from home, free from the burdens of bosses, coworkers, commutes and office hours. Such freedom, however, leaves the writer responsible for his own inspiration and work regimen; there’s no boss to handle the overhead, and no colleagues with whom to relate. Consequently, the flexible schedules often entail hectic work loads, with completed articles returned for immediate revisions in the midst of looming deadlines for current assignments. And since the work loads are inconsistent, so is the pay. Therefore, a big paycheck must be spent with responsible budgeting foresight, for it might just be the only paycheck of an otherwise meager season in the marketplace. Furthermore, since the assignments come in fits and starts, freelancers have to exercise the discipline of turning down some wonderful projects when the stack gets high, for such assignments might be impossible amidst an already tightly filled docket; a tough call for writers who’ve lived through their share of work droughts. As women’s magazine freelancer Margrit Ragland states in her mediabistro guide Get a Freelance Life, “[d]on’t take on too much just because you can, and don’t be too worried when editors aren’t biting – there’s always something new for you to try pitching” (Ragland 11).

Web Content—Writing Is Not Designing

Freelance designer Payton Biddington sits across from me, behind the desk in the corner of his living room. His shoes are off and he’s sitting in an Aeron ergonomically designed chair. As he speaks, he’s working on HelpMeKennyP.com, a remote support site for computer services. I watch his screen for a moment as he shifts between ten or so different tabs, filled with html coding, images, and web pages. I’m here to ask him about design.

Writing the Adventures

Somewhere people are actually being paid to write about testing free gear in the Alps, hiking in Alaska with their kids, and being dropped by helicopter into the woods and finding a way out. And at least one man has been paid to climb and write about Mt. Everest. Outdoor magazine journalists inspire people to get outside, whether it’s on hiking trails, bikes, skis, rivers or mountains.

As a subscriber of such myself, these writers show parts of the Earth, most of which I’ll probably never go, but remain grateful for the opportunity to know that such wild and rugged places are out there. Food for fantasy. But, for the trips I do go on, the various magazines have their own mission that tries to show where the best and freshest places are, what gear is solid, as well as supplying essential safety and other clever tips. After that, it’s up to the reader to get out and make his or her own adventure happen.

Writing for Public Health: A Meeting of Manipulation and the Greater Good By Rosie Mckinlay-Mench

Public Health is a broad field. It covers everything from salicylic acid safety in day spas to the desertification of once-flourishing rain forests. Something that may seem trivial, like the prevalence of nail-biting on city transit, is probably being examined in a social science PhD program somewhere for its effect on the spread of infectious disease or correlation with anxiety in inner-city residents as we speak. Surely, in this vast expanse of a field, there’s room for a writer? Perhaps even a bit of creativity? It appears the answer to both is yes.

Writing as a Music Critic

Is it all about the music as some musicians will put it in their interviews; or is it something else? In the world we live in today, we have hundreds of new ways to discover music and assess whether we like it or not and even more opportunities to hear or read about what other people think. For example, take a band or musician that you like and type their name into Pandora.com, now you have the ability to listen to music based around one band at the touch of a button. If that’s not enough for you, people who want to see more physical evidence in connecting bands or musicians, try mapping your favorite artists with the help of music-map.com by conducting a search of that same artist. Either way you look at it there are many different ways to discover new music other than word of mouth or reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone. With the endless options of discovering new music, there is the need for people to review music as an art since exists since so much music exists that one can listen to and discover but we still have need for unwanted music and genre classifications.

The Day I Decided to Snog the Blog: Wholeheartedly and Without Reservation- by Amber Beren

The medium of a highly personal form of media known as the blog is one in which individuals—corporate, artists, small businesses, freelancers, gurus, conspiracy theorists, and philosophers alike—all work together (or alone) in order to create a space for information dissemination on the ever expanding, quasi-labyrinthine medium known as the internet. This sharing of ideas, merchandise, nuggets of wisdom, and pearls of truth (see big “t”, little “t” argument here) all congregate in order to create a discourse of pansophic understanding concerning any particular number of niche topics.

Bloggers write on any number of things, but some of the most popular topics include: politics, technology, celebrity gossip, fashion, self-help, motherhood, and surprisingly—yes I would posit surprisingly—feminism/alternative female lifestyles (2008’s top 50 most powerful blogs). This got me to thinking, as a soon to be graduating English major with—as some would say—moderate delusions of grandiosity, couldn’t there be a realm of writing that wouldn’t lead me directly into the respectable, bookish, not-so-horrible-but-I-have-way-too-many-creative-ideas-to-just-settle-with-a-way-of-making-money career field?

A Career In Tutoring

Some people think tutors are like the nannies of the education world. I beg to differ. How come rock stars can offer guitar lessons and still remain rock stars? Tutors can follow that same rule. Isn’t it possible to be a “writer” and offer “lessons” on the side? I think so. With enough diligence and enough know-how, many English and writing majors are able to use their degrees toward productive careers as tutors. There are a number of ways to turn a profit in the field of tutoring.

Public Relations: Why Not

     What is an English Major? What can a person do with an English Major, besides teaching, or going to graduate school? Honestly if you have the determination you can do anything with it. Some of the great skills and qualities that an English major has, or that anyone can have, is the knowledge of writing, using words to create a voice that can be understood by everyone and, having a way of putting language together which can be passed to others. Then there is the knowledge of knowing how to read, and how to read fast, which is an amazing skill that is gained through years of studying literature, but there is also knowing the skill of knowing how to skim read, or just being able to look at a piece of writing and picking out the parts that are the most important. These are very useful skills in any kind of business field and any business owner would love to have someone with these skills on their team. Also being able to multi task which is something that is picked up along the way through many long years of studying, having this type of particular skill at hand is very useful in any type of business field. Lastly just being willing to teach yourself a new skill when it’s required, and not turning anything down by just being willing to jump in and take a chance to see what is out there. All of these skills, and qualities, are great aspects to the business world no matter what your major is, if you have any of these skills you can go anywhere you want in the world.

Broadcast Writing

News writers write, edit, and sometimes do on-air reporting of news stories. They should be naturally curious, like research and writing, and have the ability to simplify and produce reports for newscasts and news and information programs as well as the Internet. These people are responsible for investigating, gathering information, and reporting news and current affairs.

Beth Hyams, editor, newscaster and radio host at Oregon Public Broadcasting, writes and edits her own copy. She studied English and American lit in college but never planned on working as a journalist. “I wrote all through high school and college. I thought I would be a fiction writer. I had always been a writer, but I didn’t know I was going to be a journalist,” she says. Beth has been working at OPB for 17 years, and in radio for 25. She says within that time nothing has changed for writing; the basics are the same, but the technology has advanced significantly.

Shakespeare and the Brand: Why English Majors Understand the Psychology of Branding

Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven is thick inlaid with patens of bright gold. There’s not the smallest orb which though beholdst, but in his motion like an angel sings, still choiring to the young-eyed cherubims; such harmony is in immortal souls, but whilst this muddy vesture of decay doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.

—Lorenzo, The Merchant of Venice, Act V, Scene 1 

T

he way you say something makes a difference in how your message is received. Consider Lorenzo’s words in The Merchant of Venice. He could have said, “Hey Jessie, the stars are hella bright. Check out Mars moving backward.” (That is, if Mars was currently in retrograde motion.) But instead he calls them “patens of bright gold,” and threw in music and angels for good measure. Much classier. I’m sure his words gave Jessica pause, and made her think about just what kind of a man she had lying beside her on that grassy knoll. Or perhaps she went straight on to swooning, with no time for thought. Regardless of which effect his words had, the fact remains that the way Lorenzo tells her to look at the stars influences how Jessica hears him. 

So, what does Shakespeare have to do with the psychology of branding, you ask? All this beautiful speech has got me confused. Relax, I reply. I’m going to explain.

Music Journalism: Why We Write

My friend Sandra became obsessed with a rising starlet by the name of La Roux last year. She made a cute little fan page on Tumblr in which she aggregated every interview, review, what have you on La Roux and updated it daily. Every picture of La Roux, each single as it was released, and even contests for the fans – it was a very solid, thorough and professional effort. An email soon showed up in her inbox from La Roux’s manager, offering Sandra the position of “official social networker.”

Of course, she readily accepted the offer and her website was given official endorsement. She was also charged with making and maintaining an official Twitter account for the singer. A box full of stickers, posters and even an autographed CD and too-large T-shirt soon arrived at her door. Sandra even got to hang out with her backstage after she played a concert in Seattle – an event she described as “feeling very uncute next to her and really awkward as I didn’t have anything to say beyond ‘I liked your show.” Sandra still updates the social networking sites frequently, but she’s never gotten paid for it and is under the obligation to devote a lot of time.

This seems to be the common first step in making moves towards being a music journalist – cutting your teeth anyway you can to get exposed and validated for your efforts.

Editing in the Publishing Industry

In a world of increasing technology and screen-oriented media, the publishing industry may seem in peril. Publishing houses produce books in hard copy: bound pages with covers and margins, illustrations and carefully considered fonts, of a certain size and weight with a tangible nature important to English majors and other literary connoisseurs. The emergence of ebooks from Amazon and Apple spurs some of us into a preservationist tirade. We like to dog-ear our pages, scribble our notes in the free spaces and collect more than one edition of a favorite text. Or for those who prefer their library pristine, carefully preserved and leather-bound works may be a bookshelf staple considered an essential element of one’s personality. It’s tempting to see the world in black and white: with the dawn of ebooks, real books are doomed. In fact the issue presents daunting complexities, but nothing indicates that the publishing industry and the iPad or Kindle cannot find a way to live in harmony.

Careers in publishing persist. Authors are getting published; editors have plenty of submissions to consider and the resources to produce them.

The Joy of Self-Publishing by Colin Cowden

Most people will say that they have a great idea for a book and that someday they will get around to writing it. Most don't. But for the few who do manage to find the time and get all their words down on paper (or .doc file format) there comes the daunting tasking of finding an agent who will then work out a deal with a publisher to get the book on the market and to the hands of the readers.

But what if no publisher wants to publish the book that the author worked so hard on? Or worse, what if they can't even get an agent? Was their toiling over a computer screen all for naught? It can be a depressing idea for a writer to think that their work may never see the light of day. However, with modern advances in technology, it is becoming easier for writers to side-step the publishing business and get their work in to the hands of readers without the approval of a big publisher.

Welcome to the world of self-publishing.

Industry Coverage

Once upon a time, journalists covered science and war. Both have become too ‘conventional’ for modern print and broadcast news. You could still hold a war or technological revolution these days but nobody would tune-in to it. Newspapers are finding that it is hard to market the news to diversified readerships. You just cannot cater-to them all. Magazines might have an edge because they’re usually read by more specific audiences. Magazine editors have to bank on stories that will still be news when their publications are released anyway. In newspapers, stories don’t get as much time to run cold before going to print. Broadcast journalism has encountered similar issues. Audiences get their news before they get home to the TVs and follow topics online without ever needing to pick up a newspaper.




More than any other medium, print journalism had to adapt-to the new technologies of the Information Age. Among an already elite corps, journalists now distinguish themselves by their online sophistication. That trend will continue while print-media becomes more interactive. ‘Bloggers’ serve a unique niche between print and internet media, and are the latest members of the civil press. They can be the most controversial, too. They often represent only their own views or concerns. So far, blogging has demonstrated the effectiveness of ‘civil media’. Like traditional print journalism, bloggers can have to answer to their content. Their accountability is usually limited to the extent of its exposure though. So is their influence.

Travel Writing-Justin Hoyt

Travel writing might rank as one of the most idealized jobs for us writers entering the job market. On the outset it looks as though it is a chance to go get into adventures, eat good food, and meet strange ladies all while documenting the travels in order to satisfy an editor.

It's not all a lark through exotic treasure lands or late-night dance parties with women clad in bikinis made of seashells. Not that luxuries can't be enjoyed but your there to write and if distracted and a poor article is submitted, that will probably be your last trip. Focusing on the writing involves being aware of your surroundings, look for the features other writers may have missed. This includes avoiding cliche travel writing at all costs. Everyone knows what to expect from the Eiffel Tower, not everyone knows the really dark, secluded but charming pub around the corner.

Narrative Justice

In the broadcast radio industry, it pays to be an engineer. There’s not a lot of ‘copy’ in radio, it all comes from on-air hosts and Associated Press feeds. The corner of the market devoted to correspondent coverage of broadcast radio offers the best opportunities for a writer. Not that a good writer wouldn’t make a good on-air host. A degree in English usually gives anyone a respect for the power of words.

Historically, radio journalists and correspondents have been on-air personalities. In the days before television news and AP feeds, leads were tracked and reported on by radio journalists. The internet has allowed listeners to access news on their terms. Like newspapers, radio news has changed. In radio’s case, it has shifted to talk radio and intellectual forums.

Content Providers

Content Providers work to provide businesses with information in the form of text and graphics.  People hire Content Providers to enhance the professional look and appeal of their websites and print materials.  Often times, organizations feel that they can get by without hiring someone to provide them will quality information.  Usually, these people fall back on their own inferior skill in order to create this content, which sometimes falls short of professional quality.  It is generally the stubbornness of business owners that lead to websites having poor written content, documents having a second-rate look, and manuals looking like an uneducated individual assembled them.  It is for this reason that a Content Provider's job is very important to the business world.  In that same token, a Content Provider's job is recession proof (in theory) for as long as there are businesses and organizations in need of good content to provide to the masses, there will be a need for someone to create it.

Generally, a Content Provider's job involves research and an ability to learn quickly.  More often that not, the content being provided is something that the Content Provider isn’t familiar with or well versed in.  For this reason, a Content Provider must be able to think quickly on their feet.  They must be able to quickly adapt to each new job, which will require them to invest their time and energy in a subject or area that they may not know much about.  In most cases, the information is provided to them by the business or organization that employs them and they are expected to assemble that information into a coherent whole.  The ideal Content Providers are also Technical Writers and they are able to amalgamate their writing and common sense skills to form slick, concise, succinct information for the business world.

News Writer for The News

News writers write and edit news stories from information collected by reporters and correspondents and sometimes, if they’re chatty enough, get promoted to reporters or correspondents. Journalists are naturally curious animals. They research, write, omit serial commas, and produce reports for newscasts and news & information programs as well as the internets.

Broadcast journalists are responsible for investigating, gathering and reporting on news and current affairs. They are expected to present this information in a fair, balanced and accurate way through news bulletins, documentaries and other factual programs for radio, television and online broadcast.

Writers generate ideas for stories/features and follow leads from news agencies, the police, the public, press conferences and other sources.

A list of fun and games for journalists:

Grant Writing - The Need for Green

Grant Writing is one of the most in-demand skills for independent contractors today.  The organizations that require the services of a grant writer include non-profits, community-based organizations, universities and colleges, and other institutions that utilize grant as a funding source.

The keys to a successful grant proposal lie in comprehensive advance planning and preparation.  The more organized and concise the proposal, the easier it will be for a funder to determine whether or not its goals coincide with the goals of the grant seeking organization.  This process can be tedious and arduous but can provide a lucrative compensation for a skilled grant writer.












 

Magazine Writer

As an English Major it can sometimes seem depressing to wonder what the future will hold. Perhaps you have been called idealistic, or a Borders-employee-in-the-making. No fun. Not to fret, it appears that there are some options which don’t involve starvation, readily available for you. Yours for the taking! Have you ever thought about magazine writing? If you are looking for freelance jobs to cold call, according to another person’s blog, I’ll pass along the grapevine four very good starting point websites to visit: Mediabistro, MastHeads, Wooden Horse, and Ed2010.

If you are a Portlander like me, there are a lot of local organizations based in Portland which might be good first choices as well. It is known that living in proximity of the center of a field is most likely to get you the job than being best qualified. Get into the heart of the action, and this isn’t hard for a Portlander because although our city is small, we do have plenty of local organizations available to send internship requests for. The more well known magazines based in Portland are: Wend, NW Palate Magazine, Bitch Magazine, Flossin Magazine, and Spot Magazine.

Image Consultant

As an English major, you know all about language. You have analyzed works in the English language, perhaps considered translations from other languages, or even looked at the components of language in related fields like semiotics. Language has become such an integral part of your life that you may have forgotten it is a skill--one that many people do not possess, and subsequently, one you can sell to them.

As an image consultant, you can capitalize on your knowledge of language, and use it to excel in the field of personal branding. Personal branding involves indentifying and creating a visual brand language, similar to that used by a company, for an individual.

Think of it like writing a book report: pretend your client is the novel, and you are describing the things they do well or poorly. Clarity, coherency, consistency--all qualities present in good writing--must be presented by your client in order to help him be successful in his field. You provide him with the service of analyzing and then explaining aspects of his personal brand that work well, and other aspects that are ineffective.

Technical Writing

Technical writing is a style of writing used in a wide array of fields, from computer software to finance. These writers specialize in researching in depth information on subject and re-interpreting this for an audience to consume. This audience can be either specialists within the field or the audience could be a group completely unfamiliar with the work. This could mean explaining how to use a program system to a computer programmer or writing an instruction manual for someone use at home.

Technical writers must have a firm grasp of the English language as well excellent communication skills. A large portion of the job is being able to analyze a specialized subject and then explain in a way that people can understand.

Lots of Pennies for Your Thoughts

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy passing judgment. You love the passion you hear in your own voice as you critique a novel or film. You get a high from labeling things as “cliché” or “self-indulgent.” You’re not a bad person, you just know that you could make the wordy world infinitely better if someone would only listen. You know you could make everyone sound less dweeby if someone just gave you a chance. And maybe pay you for your insights?

Let’s assume that, along with dishing out blunt yet thoughtful critiques, you like to write. But maybe you don’t have any original ideas. Maybe you haven’t the attention span to stick with anything bigger than a haiku. Maybe you’re detail oriented—at your best when adding flourishes and accents to an existing text. If so, perhaps you’d like to be a developmental editor.

Comics: Write Your Own World

Comics are awesome. Hopefully that’s about the mindset you’ve got if you’re looking to be a comic book writer. If so, this is your time to shine. While mass hysteria may be rampant regarding plummeting sales within media such as newspapers and magazines, the comic industry, as well as their heftier brethren, the graphic novel, have surprised many with their vivid success over the past ten years.

Comics boast original stories, unique characters and savvy prose, as well as a wealth of stunning art styles and genres; in a world where the movie remake is becoming its own genre, originality goes a long way when entertaining the hungry masses. Comics have exploded out of their 2D paper world onto the scene in film and literary investigation, painting a colorful swath of movies such as: Spider-Man, X-Men, Ghost World, Sin City, A Scanner Darkly, Fantastic Four, V For Vendetta, Blade, Hellboy, Watchmen, Iron Man, Kick Ass, and Academy Award winner Road to Perdition. And there are even more upcoming features slotted for 2011.

Is Indexing The Career For You?

Most people who get a B.A. in English do not think of indexing as a potential career. This is because the positions, at a professional level are sparse. However, if there's one thing we've learned, it's that all jobs these days are hard to acquire.

As far as indexing goes, the most popular field is that of the freelance indexer. This is where a publishing house sends a book to an indexer and they work on a book to book basis, with no contracts. Cheryl Lenser, the indexer at Pearson explains the career in detail in her publishing career blog.

The Short Story Writer: Outside the Ivory Tower

The first thing you need to do in starting a career as a short story writer is write. This is the advice given to you in every how to write book ever known to man: write and write every day.

A body of work is the most important thing for a short story writer because you must produce and produce often. Once you have short stories that you believe, or the peers of your writer’s workshop believe, or your creative writing teacher believes, that are good, you must sumbit them to magazines, anthologies, anywhere that publishes short stories in your genre.

Ghostwriting

 Is your love of writing exceeded by your desire to make a living wage?  If so, ghostwriting is a great option for a career.

Your writing will likely be read by much larger audiences than your “zine” or blog, and have a greater impact.  Instead of constructing characters, plot and themes, you are presented with a definite task in your work, one which touches on a wide range of experiences.  Ghostwriting exposes you to interesting people, gives you authority in creating your work schedule, and provides opportunities to travel.

A prospective ghostwriter needs to be aware of particular skills that are valuable in the field.    The ability to conduct interviews in which the interviewee is encouraged to divulge insightful information is very important.  Some clients will be apprehensive when you delve into their past, and a good ghostwriter should be acutely aware of this sensitivity.  Because your clients are paying you to write as themselves, they can often be worried about how they see themselves represented, which is a facet of ghostwriting that will be present from the beginning to the end of a project.  Professional ghostwriters know to swallow their pride when such occasions arise, rather than risk losing the client and access to potential clients in the future.

What the World Needs Now is Another Travel Writer

Actually it does.

Despite the allure of the job, many writers do not stick with travel writing for various reasons; low pay, early morning flights followed by late night bus rides, realizing they are not the next Hemingway, intense competition, traveling alone, spending your days and nights eating, sleeping, and visiting places that you'd rather not. Did I mention the low pay.

Roger Norum, a British travel writer put it well, "It’s not enough to be discontent with your job to want to become a writer: most writers are much more discontented than you with their lives."

BUT, if you love to write and travel, and can deal with the downsides of the gig then there are some amazing adventures waiting for you. What could be better than getting paid to travel?

Editing Careers in the Publishing Industry

A couple Google searches about the trade publishing industry reveal that this career track consistently calls for an undergraduate degree in English. Other degrees may apply, and certainly a publishing house has a need for such varied credentials as legal, art and economics degrees. My particular interest lies in editing. Apparently editors play many roles at a publishing house, with various titles and responsibilities. Publishing houses employ editors to work with authors and develop texts, to check for grammatical, spelling and factual errors and for consistency, to commission manuscripts and review unsolicited submissions, and to manage the process of bringing a text to fruition, including planning and budget. Editorial departments have to work closely with the design, marketing, production and sales departments.

Publishing is an apprenticeship industry, where most of the experience that earns you a career comes from an entry-level assistant position rather than an advanced degree. Workplace experience trumps educational experience in this industry. Although a higher degree might not be a necessary asset when entering the publishing industry, unpaid experience like internships and time writing at a school newspaper is valuable. Personal and business connections made during internships and assistant positions provide resources that formal education can’t match. One common entry-level position for a college graduate is as editorial assistant.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writers have the luxury of working from home, free from the burdens of bosses, coworkers, commutes and office hours. Such freedom, however, leaves the writer responsible for his own inspiration and work regimen; there’s no boss to handle the overhead, and no colleagues with whom to console. Consequently, the flexible schedules often entail hectic workloads, with completed articles returned for immediate revisions in the midst of looming deadlines for current assignments.

Since the workloads are inconsistent, so is the pay. Therefore, a big paycheck must be spent with responsible budgeting foresight, for it might just be the only paycheck of an otherwise meager season in the marketplace. Furthermore, since the assignments come in fits and starts, freelancers have to exercise the discipline of turning down some wonderful projects when the stack gets high, for such assignments might be impossible amidst an already tightly filled docket; a tough call for writers who’ve lived through their share of work droughts (1).