How to be a professional writer: 5 essential and necessary tips

In this article, we will give you 5 essential tips to be a SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL WRITER, recognized in the market. Furthermore, you will see where to start promoting and selling your work to earn a monthly income.

Do you like writing, but don’t know how to become a professional writer or even work with it? Know that it is possible to write and still earn good money from this profession!

You’ve probably seen somewhere on the internet that there are people who are becoming freelance writers or writers, working remotely and managing to carve out a career in the publishing market.

In fact, this profession has become more sought after at the expense of the new work context we entered in 2019, with professionals increasingly working from home. Furthermore, due to the growth of digital content marketing, there is a greater demand for writing professionals.

Because of this, we created a manual for you who want to know how to be a professional writer. So, check out our tips below for growing in this area, which tends to be very promising. See below.

What is a copywriter?

Well, before you know how to be a writer, you need to understand what a writer is and what types of writers are most sought after by employers.

In general, to be a writer, you will need to create content, that is, prepare and write texts on a certain subject/niche. Therefore, there are some types of writers, they are:

• Advertising writer/copywriter (professional focused on creating more persuasive texts in order to generate more conversions);
• UX Writer (writer focused on user experience);
• Content writer/SEO writer (professional focused on creating optimized texts for institutional websites, blogs and e-commerces that understands and applies SEO techniques);
• Tech writer (writer focused on documentary texts for companies, that is, those who document platforms, software, internal reports, texts related to business culture, etc.).

In short, if you really want to become a writer recognized by the market, you need to be aware of the most diverse topics, studying them and being creative, after all, when you write about a certain subject, you need to have knowledge and know-how about the same.

In addition, learn textual techniques for each type of persona and network for which you will write, such as: social networks, email marketing, sponsored ads, copywriting, content for institutional websites and e-commerces, applications, content marketing strategies (inbound marketing) and texts optimized with SEO techniques, is extremely important to increase conversions.

How to be a writer: practical guide with 5 essential tips

1. Create a portfolio

To start your career as a writer, the first tip on our list is to create a portfolio . In it you will share some of your textual productions, as a way of showing your work to contractors. (NOTE: Don’t forget to ask your contractor for permission to share the content if it doesn’t belong to you).

If you are a beginner and have not yet published any articles, the tip is as follows: choose a website that accepts independent publications , such as Dow News , which is a social journalism platform where you can publish your articles related to news and create an extensive portfolio, while still being able to make a profit.

In this case, the main objective is to improve your resume and gather material to present to your future hires.

2. Getting your jobs: register on freelance platforms

For those who are starting out in the profession or want to increase their client list, a very interesting tip is to register on freelance platforms that connect writers with contractors. Some of the best-known platforms are:

• Workana;
• 99freelas;
• Fiverr
• Upwork.

This is a great strategy for those who don’t yet have clients and have no idea how to start their career, but it also works for those who, as previously mentioned, want to increase the range of contractors.

3. Network

Another valuable tip for those who want to be a writer is to network and, to do this, you should go to in-person and online events that talk about digital marketing, content and SEO as potential hires are present in these places.

Another great way to meet people in your niche or potential clients is to have a well-established network on Linkedin, where you can showcase your work. The professional social network is today one of the main showcases for contractors worldwide.

In short, having a good network of contacts is essential to attract and retain customers, as it is through this construction that new referrals may emerge.

4. Publicize your work

Another point to become a professional writer is to publicize your work , showing it to as many people as possible and, to do this, remember the most powerful “weapon” we currently have: social networks.

In addition to Linkedin, already mentioned above, you can make use of Instagram and even Facebook, as long as your audience is segmented to people interested in the topic. Therefore, create relevant and shareable content for these networks in order to attract more people interested in your material.

Finally, another interesting tool to showcase your work, which can be an alternative to creating a portfolio, is to create a blog with some optimized articles on a certain topic. Just do your best by creating good headlines and don’t forget to publicize it!

5. Earn a certification in Marketing

Studying and delving deeper into a certain subject is necessary for any profession you wish to pursue. In the case of writing , it’s no different and that’s why, in this last tip, we’ll talk about certifications.

With the evolution of digital marketing, the job market is increasingly competitive, and because of this fact, it is important to invest in courses and training, to differentiate yourself from others.

There are several free and online course options available for you to acquire knowledge and upgrade your CV, and it is important to note that, by becoming a writer, there are several advantages you can gain, such as:

• Work from anywhere in the world;
• Have flexibility to choose the best times, demands and customers;
• Earn your income (generally variable);
• Work with what you like;
• Have the opportunity to always be learning and teaching;

These are some of the benefits you will find when becoming a writer, but it is important to highlight that, to continue your career, it is important – as in any profession – to be committed and love what you do. That’s why,

• Study a lot about writing techniques and also the topics you will write about;
• Have good grammatical understanding
• Enjoy (a lot!) writing;
• Know your target audience and adapt your writing to the persona who will consume the content.