10 Day Jobs for Writers
Brooding is not a synonym for broke.
Writing isn’t easy; it takes a unique blend of hard and soft skills, an unwavering knack for creativity, and perseverance–much like the job market. I know I’m not the only one to have a teacher say not to base your career around writing because you’ll never make any money or have your friend’s parents ask you “so what do you plan to do with that?” when you tell them you’re majoring in some sort of writing degree. But it doesn’t all have to be a waste!
Whether you went to college or not, communications, language, or creative writing skills can transfer into so many different positions. While what you really want to do is write books, or go out into the world and report on the happenings, it’s just not a primary money-maker for you all of the time. So what you need to do is find a stable career that allows the flexibility and creativity that we crave without burning us out. I know it’s hard–I’ve been there, trust me. But there are definitely options; allow me to introduce 10 ideas for day jobs for writers.
Teacher
Yeah, yeah I know you’ve heard this one before but hear me out: there are different levels of teachers! For example, if you don’t particularly enjoy working with children then an elementary school is not for you, but a college might be. An adjunct professor gig could be just what you need! Part time and during the day so you can focus on your writing, but enough money to keep you going. Plus, if you’ve got hands-on publishing industry knowledge, colleges will be crawling all over each other to get to you.
Librarian
Again, I’m sure you’ve heard this one too but again, I ask you to hear me out. While most of these positions still require a Master’s Degree or some type of Library Sciences certification, they still have stability and it may just be worth the money. There is the typical librarian position, but there are also several others:
Government Document Librarians (focuses on receiving and cataloging government documents from Federal Depository Library Program)
Outreach Librarians (focuses on community engagement through implementing specific programs)
Academic Librarians (focuses on research needs of students and faculties in colleges and universities)
Reference Librarians (focuses on providing library users direction in terms of what books they’ll need or how to use library resources)
Library Assistants and Techs (essentially assistants to librarians)
Law Librarians (these are law professionals who could work in several environments, but their focus is on validating library sources and maintaining the library for other users)
Library Pages (similar to the assistants; their focus is on shelving books and maintaining the space)
Content Writer
Content writing can be a great job option for writers and poets because it allows you to practice your skills without burning out. Content writing is typically advertisement-focused, meaning your career creative juices will be a different flavor than the creative juices needed for the book you’re currently writing. It’s versatile too, meaning you can do this on a freelance basis or full-time and permanently, depending on the company you work for. Content writers write informative yet engaging pieces on a variety of products or services, usually in a blog or article format.
Copywriter
Copywriters are often confused with Content Writers, but the jobs are different. While content writers are simply producing informative and educational content to provide the reader value, copywriters take things a step further by convincing readers to buy their products. Any time you see an advertisement for anything, just know that a copywriter wrote the copy, not a content writer. Copywriters also produce deliverables across more channels, including:
Social media
White pages
Product descriptions
Email blasts
Print ads
Newsletters
Technical writer
Technical writing is a great job for creatives who struggle with burnout but couldn’t imagine doing anything but writing. Technical writers typically have extensive knowledge in some sort of niche, such as IT or something medical, and they create instruction manuals, how-to guides, and other important documents that communicate complex and technical information to people who aren’t knowledgeable about a product or service but still need to use it.
Social Media Strategist
Loosely related to the content and copy writers, a Social Media Strategist is the person on the marketing team that plans out and produces social media marketing campaigns. While this avenue may not be for everyone, it can be a really fun option for book-lovers who provide social posts for libraries, book stores, or book publishing companies!
Editorial
While many of us have dreams of becoming a book, magazine, or other type of content editor, the editorial field is a vastly open space. One good way to get in there is to find an editorial assistant job. An editorial assistant provides administrative and other assistance to publishers from manuscript to publication.
As an editorial assistant, you’ll get to see all aspects of the editorial and publishing processes, and it’s really easy to transition into book marketing, sales, or any other operation if you decide editing isn’t for you. Editorial assistant jobs are highly competitive though, so I would try to gain some internship or other hands-on experience first if possible. Publishing companies also love to see bookstore experience!
Public Relations Specialist
What I like about PR as a day job for writers is that you learn lots of transferable skills. For example, while you get to satiate your writing thirst by occasionally writing content for your company, you also pick up some communications skills that could help you encourage positive press and increased engagement with your own work. You’ll learn how to communicate effectively through many different mediums, allowing for more effective marketing materials and more positive rapport with the people who matter, like publishers and literary agents.
Administrative
While many people stick up their nose at administrative positions, they’re not all office-appropriate slacks and answering the phone. Many administrative roles now also include content marketing assistance or documentation assistance. I once worked in an administrative role where all I did was proofread lab reports…and it was a great gig! All I’m saying is, read the job descriptions closely, and don’t rule admin out of your search; most places nowadays like to see administrative experience on a resume anyway, as it’s a great stepping-stone into other roles.
Documentation
Documentation and data analysis are roles for the folks who want a position that won’t drain their creative spirit at all. Working in documentation typically means you spend your days storing, cataloging, and retrieving documents–and it’s important work. It’s often made more fun for people if you can work for a company that you respect or buy from. This is a great opportunity for highly organized folks who don’t have a degree.