Can blogging Jumpstart your writing career? Absolutely yes. Blogging is a tool for building relationships and establishing your brand. Here is how can your blog be a jumpstart into a career as a writer.
The path to becoming a professional writer — be it a copywriter or author — is always a personal one, with nearly all successful authors revealing unique and often unexpected experiences which have led them to their current success.
Take Toni Morrison, who fell into writing when she was working as a university professor. Keen on expanding her social circle she joined a writing club and soon realized that in order to keep attending meetings, she would actually have to put pen to paper.
When looking for inspiration, she remembered an African American girl at school who had expressed her wish to have blue eyes. Morrison expanded this idea into a story and eventually a novel that would be published as The Bluest Eye, a defining work of its time.
Morrison’s experience reveals that making a living in writing ultimately depends on one’s talent at expressing oneself in writing, but also on the myriad of opportunities that can potentially inspire a story, a novel, or an interest in the kind of world plays that are so prevalent in copywriting. If you already enjoy blogging, what things should you keep in mind if you think you might want to turn it into a full-time job?
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What Type Of Writing Interests You?
Earning a living as a writer can lead you to various professions—including magazine or features writer, copywriter, a public relations writer, or even academic writer. Making a choice between these options needn’t be immediate, since you may discover a talent in areas you had not considered before. One way to build up experience is a number of styles without committing fully is to apply for freelance work.
For editorial work, start out with local magazines that may be interested in the site-specific knowledge that you, as a blogger, probably have. You can also apply for PR work on a small scale initially, offering your services to companies in your local area. Most small businesses publish press releases occasionally, so you can apply to various companies at once.
Copywriting May Require Different Qualifications
Sites like Jooble offer copywriting jobs. Copywriting jobs for advertising firms may be harder to land, simply because many writers are full-time members of marketing teams and required qualifications for this job may include a bachelor’s degree in writing, marketing, or advertising.
Even if you are accustomed to generating traffic to your blog or website via SEO, you may not be a necessary fit for an ad firm, even one specializing in digital copywriting. Content differs from copywriting in that it is aimed at lead generation and involves the use of keywords, tactics such as linkbacks and the like.
These goals vary from those of the advertising copywriter, whose aim is to make an immediate impact or sale. Copywriters also need to know how to express themselves in line with a company’s ethos and values. Their aim is to sell a lifestyle, not just a product. They need to have a wide cultural basis from which to pick and choose various references. A keen knowledge of art, films, and history is also helpful, since it can imbue your text with depth.
From Blogger To Author
Blogging also differs from story writing, though both have many elements in common. It often centers around one’s interests, specializations or experiences and while style is undoubtedly key to the success of a blog, the primary goal is often that of sharing information or perceptions. Without doubt, having a successful blog can Jumpstart your career as a writer.
Blogging can also focus on simple or complex content or ideas alike. Some of the most popular blogs focus on travel, fashion, or even food recipes and often, imagery is as important as text when it comes to arresting the audience’s attention.
Novel writing often takes all these vital life experiences, knowledge gleaned, and inspiration, synthesizing them into one story that may additionally require weeks, months, or even years of research. The latter is particularly true for historical and/or philosophical knowledge that are built on a vast knowledge base.
Why Blogging Is A Good Starting Point
If you have a successful blog then you have probably mastered many skills it takes to shine in any style of writing. These include planning, researching, and sticking to a timetable. Some of the very best blogs include collaborations, interviews, and insights from other creators or specialists in your niche.
The art of regular blogging involves building networks and honing the art of asking pertinent questions with a view to optimal content creation. Blogging is also an excellent way to build a good following—something that will stand you in good stead when you are trying to get noticed by a reputable publisher.
Because blogs are so personal, they additionally allow you to experiment with a variety of styles. Thus, your content can comprise photo essays, stories (fictional and non-fictional), reviews, historical forays and indeed any writing style and subject matter that interests you on a given day. By changing the nature and style of your content, you can see which genres you feel more comfortable in and your audience’s reaction will be a good indicator of your respective strengths and weaknesses.
If you are a successful blogger, then you may be interested in branching into other types of writing. It is important to know that some types of writing may require further studies; these include copywriting, which is an integral part of marketing as a whole. To make a good living in a reputable advertising agency, business and marketing studies may be required in addition to your innate gift at written expression.
Blogging Can Jumpstart Your Career As A Writer
Of course, you can always use your blog to get around restrictions, by showing what you can achieve on your very own site. Building up a big following will help you garner the attention of both ad agencies and publishers of traditional media as well as of books.
Not all writers have had formal training or a university degree but regardless of your specialty, conducting study and research into your areas of interest will help establish your authority and reputation and make for enlightening reading by audiences who are keen to discover new facts and stories about the themes they are passionate about.
