Professional content writers work by creating written content. Professional writers must be competent and skilled, and must have an interest in writing as their primary occupation. As a content writer, you can write content on a wide variety of topics for various organizations, from popular websites to printed documents or scientific and technical manuals. The advantage of being a professional content writer is that you get paid to do something you love (writing), and as you get better trained, you can work from home.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Developing Writing Skills
Step 1. Understand the reality of content writing
Before you choose to have content writing as your career, it is very important to know the facts about this job. Most university-educated writers with degrees or certificates as content writers can immediately see the realities of this industry, including:
- Low salary. Most content writer positions don't have high pay, especially if you're at the lowest level in the content writer position. Newspapers or small print media can be a good place to start this career based on the experience and contacts you will gain. However, most of the time, the compensation you get is around IDR 200,000 per article The average salary for a content writer in Indonesia ranges from IDR 1,000,000 to IDR 3,000,000. Higher paying positions in content writing are project manager, online researcher, and proposal writer. However, you need higher experience to be able to get this job.
- Lack of permission to be creative. Even if you feel like writing content can give you an opportunity to show your creativity and word processing skills. In fact, content writing is more often seen as a way to sell a product or inform readers of facts. In the role of a content writer, you will most likely write on boring topics, although you will also get the opportunity to write something in a more interesting project once in a while. Your boss will dictate the topics you should write about, and you must learn to be flexible and interested in the oddest and most boring subjects, regardless of personal preference.
- It's easy to change direction. When you write for your boss, on the timeline, you need to be able to write quickly and well. This is really experienced by writers who are just getting into the realm of content writing. Oftentimes, your project will come up and you'll have to finish an article with a certain number of words for an hour, or one article per hour, and a stifling deadline. You won't have time to develop every word or phrase. Instead, you need to produce content quickly and consistently.
Step 2. Consider technical writing certification
Technical writing is a type of content writing that focuses on communicating technical material through manuals, reports, and online documents. This paper can be a guide to doing something, a safety manual for work, or a document about a process or procedure. The need for technical writers who can explain complex procedures to lay readers is increasing.
- Most technical writing programs are accelerated and take one to two years to complete. These programs will focus on improving organizational skills, project management, the ability to create user guides and documents, and the ability to write content in online formats.
- Check a college or university near you for a technical writer certification program. Look at the faculty of the program of study to ensure that you are taught by experts in their field and working as a content writer who is familiar with the needs of the writing industry. Certification programs can be useful for writers who are new to content or technical writing.
Step 3. Take an online content writing class
Some professional content writers argue that academic programs may be too basic or general for someone who already has writing experience or has an English Literature degree. If you think you're already a skilled writer, you may need technical writing skills that you can acquire through online content writing classes.
- To get a technical writing kit, subscribe to a site like Lynda.com for $25. You can also search for Illustrator, Captivate, Photoshop, and other Adobe products.
- To understand technology and communications-driven programs like Flare, Robohelp, or Framemaker, you may have to look for classes at other online institutions.
Step 4. Use your degree to write content
A Bachelor of Letters degree can be used to enter the world of content writing, especially if you think you have strong writing skills. Consider how you are doing in class, or your ability to write essays, book reports, and other assignments. Do you want to spend several hours a day writing about the various topics your boss tells you to do? Could your current writing skills turn into more professional writing for your boss?
You should add to your current degree with a content writing class, or a technical writing tutorial on the internet
Part 2 of 3: Networking and Gathering Experience
Step 1. Find an internship
While you're struggling with your degree, start looking for internship opportunities at your local publisher. Some publishers often offer internship positions to gain experience in this field and get a peek into the world of professional writers.
- You should consider doing an internship at the publisher you've always dreamed of working at so you can make connections with other editors and writers. Most of these internships are unpaid, at least not initially. Be prepared to receive compensation in the form of connections and contacts. However, be careful because you can be used as a free worker. If you don't feel comfortable working unpaid, try to find an internship program that pays.
- The database for writing internships can be found here:
Step 2. Join the Professional Writers Alliance
PWA is a membership-based organization that acts as a “virtual learning hall” for professional writers. This organization offers other professional writers resources, tools, tutorials, and connections in writing and careers.
There is a fee to join the PWA, but it is much lower than other world writing associations and many copywriters and content writers are members of the PWA
Step 3. Find a mentor
Talk to some of the professors in your course, the editor at the publisher you're interning with, or someone who has experience in the content writing industry and can provide valuable professional knowledge and career advice.
There are also professional content writers who offer free tutoring. Often, the best mentors are people you can get to know personally and can work with one-on-one. Before signing up for online tutoring, find a mentor you can turn to in your workplace or academic setting
Step 4. Practice writing articles
Learn how to write newspaper articles and wikiHow articles. As a professional content writer, you can find a position that focuses on the journalistic style of writing in articles, or a more educational way of writing. Study the shape, structure, sound, and mood of each article so you can identify the two types.
- Opt for wikiHow articles that have been uploaded and are well written and researched. Write your own version of the article, for example, How to Write a Screenplay, and then compare your version with the professional, online version that has been uploaded. Note the organization, atmosphere, and sound of the article, as well as the examples used in the article.
- Use newspaper articles from local or online publishers and break down the sections according to the inverted pyramid structure of a typical newspaper article. Does the article violate the existing traditional structure, or use a different structure or form? Does the author appear credible and trustworthy? Does this article use trusted sources and citations to support your argument in the article?
Part 3 of 3: Looking for a Position as a Writer
Step 1. Get to know the revenue scale of content writers
Most content writers start their careers feeling unsure of how much they should be paid per word. Most publishers pay by word count, or hours, with a certain word count expectation. On average, content writers are paid IDR 10 per word or around IDR 10,000 per 1,000 words depending on approval. Fixed-paying positions vary as you will be paid per month for the amount of work assigned. It can be quite difficult to get a steady paying position for a fresh graduate or when you are just starting out in your career. Most content writers will start working on a word-by-hour or hourly basis.
- You can start working with a salary of IDR 4,000-IDR 5,000 per hour or around IDR 1,000,000 per month. This is a fairly high starting salary, and is an expected salary in the content writing industry.
- When you gain experience and can write quickly, you can earn around IDR 3,000,000 per month. This amount can be a decent salary in a month. However, you can earn more money by getting clients directly instead of relying on job sites or databases to find clients.
Step 2. Reorganize your resume and cover letter
If you decide to take the more traditional path and apply for a position as a permanent content writer at a writing agency or organization, you will need to rearrange your resume and cover letter to match the position you are applying for. This will show your employer that you paid attention to the list of skills listed in the job posting and could meet expectations for the position.
Read articles on how to create a resume and cover letter. Focus on including the requirements for the position in your cover letter and how you can meet those requirements
Step 3. Don't hesitate to take on entry-level positions
When starting this job, you may have to take on a low-paying job to gather experience and build your portfolio. This experience could be freelance work for a small fee for a certain number of words, or it could be a full-time job as a content writer in a low-paying company.
