What kind of writing do you do?
July 24, 2007 by Deb
Filed under Freelance Writing
Thanks to everyone who emailed about these discussions. I’m so glad you’re enjoying them. I was talking to a brand new writer today and she had questions about the different types of writing, what they entail, and whether or not they’re lucrative. Since I get a couple of thousand visitors each day here, it struck me that there are a lot of different types of writers stopping by.
Which leads me to my next questions...what kind of writing do you do?
As you know, I am a professional blogger. I didn’t always do this, however. I started out as an Editorial Assistant at a New York City publishing house and did a little writing here and there for some of the magazines we produced. Nothing with a byline, but it was great practice.
When I began working at home, I did both web and print writing, I even had a weekly newspaper column. A little over a year ago, I dropped my last print client and focused on web writing and that evolved into blogging. In addition to my own blogs, I blog for several different companies. Some you know about, some you don’t. I prefer this type of writing because it allows me to inject a bit of my personality and there aren’t as many “rules.” In fact, I’m even earning more money doing this than I ever did writing content or newspaper columns.
So how about you? What kind of writing do you do?
I am just starting out; so, I do a little of everything. My question is this as a more experienced freelancer is it better to have areas of specialty or to be able to write on a wide variety of topics.
I pretty much write magazine articles. I have written some books that were published as work for hire, but its mostly articles — history, model-making and youth stuff mainly. I will try anything, though. I have been writing for such different venues as a fishing trade magazine and an online bible site.
I wrote a bunch of stuff this year for a company that was making an online military encyclopedia. The work was fun, and paid reasonably, but was uncredited. On the bright side — it paid my son’s college expenses for a semester.
I do mostly web content. I do blog (mostly promotion and fun). I am currently writing trivia questions. I am working on a user manual with my husband (he is making a program for his employee and wanted me to do the user manual- mostly so I could get some experience doing so). I have also done some writing in the past for my Dad’s computer consulting business (I designed his brochure and some press release editing).
My specialty is gardening and family related stuff. But I would like to branch out as I know a few more subjects. I really need to if I plan to do this full time instead of just whenever now.
It depends on where I am in my life. I used to do a lot of web content. Then as things evolved I began working on blogging as it seems to be the natural progression of the web. When I am strapped for cash, I do SEO writing as it is really a writing mill for me and doesn’t inspire me to do anything other than get out of it.
Amelia
This is my first time on this site. I like it!
I have been writing for over 10 years. For the past year, I have been a full-time freelancer. I do both print and web. I also blog, which is a lot of fun, although it pays the least. Isn’t that always the way?
My plate is fairly full right now, but I’d love to branch out to more pubs.
I have written about the web, technology and entertainment (that’s my favorite).
Deb,
are you interested in what medium we write for or what topic we write about?
I’ll write in whatever format comes my way, as long as it has to do with fashion, beauty, and now I’m starting health.
I have written for the web, blogs, print. I do have a blog of my own, and starting a new blog/zine. I prefer to write for the web (including blogging). It’s fast and people get to respond to it.
I write on-hold messages, website copy, press releases, letters, and just about any other type of marketing/advertising writing.
I also blog but that’s a slow go.
I’ve been writing part time for several years. I write mostly nonfiction historical type pieces. I have written a book for Arcadia Publishing’s ‘Making of America’ series about my hometown in Michigan. It was quite an undertaking. As a matter of fact, I wrote a feature article for the July 2007 issue of The Writer about my book.
I’ve been featured in a couple of Chicken Soup for the Soul books and am a regular contributor to Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers.
I recently started a blog so I could write about my favorite historical topic–early (and I do mean early) Hollywood!
Debbie P.
Magazines, newletters, pr support, formerly newspapers. I’m a geezer compared to some — I remember Underwood typewriters.
That being said, I’d like to know if there’s profit in blogging. With a family to support, I don’t need to write “for fun,” unless it makes business sense as well. Could you comment on that some time?
Thanks
I’m working as a freelance interactive copywriter at the moment, and always hunting for more. I’ve got a blog (linked above) that houses the sort of writing I really want to do …
I’d like to break into magazines more, write more articles for print. I’m sure there is a novel in me somewhere, but like millions of others, it’s buried pretty deep.
My background is mostly journalism, with some PR work experience as well. These days I write construction/engineering articles for one trade magazine, and I write arena-related stuff for a different trade magazine. I also write stories about office buildings/space and residential properties for NYC trade publications. I am a stringer for Reuters and The New York Times.
I’ve recently started to do more business writing, and I have been working for two PR firms in my hometown of Pittsburgh. I’ve written media training materials, speeches, and presentations for these two clients.
I also do some unpaid blogging on my blog, but I have been busy and have not kept up with the blogging lately.
oh yes, i forgot I’m doing PR writing too. Press kits, press releases, etc.
I too do a mixture of client work, ranging from copywriting to technical writing, which utilises my engineering and IT experience from a past career.
I have also written articles for several print magazines and have three sites of my own that include blogs focusing on industry news.
I enjoy copywriting and blogging more than any other type of work due to the freedom and creativity it inspires – but it takes a mixture to pay the bills at present!
I freelance for the daily paper in my city and two quarterly magazines in my county. I write SEO articles, which is my most lucrative gig right now. I also write web content and promotional brochure materials for companies, resumes, bios and press releases. I just started my one-woman PR firm in May, so basically I’m writing almost anything right now, until I feel like I’ve found my niche.
I have been writing curriculum to go along with short videos for a Christian publishing company for the past few months and will continue to do that.
I also write a column for a Christian online webzine, Salt and Light, and some devotional articles.
Then there is the web content that brings in the fast money. I’ve been cutting back on that lately, however, and choosing to write only on topics that really interest me.
Good question, it’s fun to read what others do.
I’m a nurse and I’ve been writing for several years. I’ve successfully combined my nursing training with writing so most of my writing is medical or health related. I am trying to break out into more mainstream topics and have an article coming out in a quilting magazine some time next year, if all goes well.
Although I write for both professional and general public audiences, my passion is writing for the general public. I tell people it must be the nurse in me and the writing is an extension of the patient teaching.
Although I’ve been freelancing part-time for many years, I’ve been doing this full time since March and so far, so good.
I ghostwrite a lot of web content, both SEO copy and regular articles, as well as ebooks. I also write bylined articles on writing on a couple of sites, with a brief foray into alternative health. I really enjoy the variety.
I will write on anything – but I do mainly print and web. My passion is travel writing, profiles, and personal essays. That doesn’t always pay the bills, however. I also do PR writing, which is pretty dry but straightforward. The world of blogging is new to me. I’m really liking the freedom it provides.
I work for an agency that has me writing a bit of everything but mostly seo work. I write for two seo marketing companies and ghostwrite for an alternative health doctor. I also blog about writing and about alternative health.
I have written on hundreds of different topics and I write for a monthly magazine as well. It’s fun to learn about new topics and write about them. I often refer to myself as a walking encyclopedia. lol.
I mainly write articles for magazines and websites (sometimes for magazines WITH websites). My day job is copywriting for a startup so I write web copy and press releases for them, and I also blog for fun.
I used to write restaurant and bar reviews for a certain website (begins and ends with an S), but while fun, it didn’t pay very well and they didn’t cover my expenses so I eventually quit that gig to focus on other projects (best decision I ever made).
I was a paralegal before I began freelance writing, and a lot of my first writing gigs were for law firms — all confidential work-for-hire and often very frustrating work. After two years, I decided I wanted to diversify a bit. So now I’m trying my hand at other things — some SEO copywriting, content writing, blogging, creative writing. Pays a lot less, but my stress levels are better.
I do a lot of medical/health writing, which I’ve been doing on and off for 20 years now. But really I’ll do anything that pays, LOL…..
I’ve also been dabbling in essays and fiction, more for fun than profit.
I do medical writing and editing for pharmaceutical companies, conference planners, communications companies, individual researchers, and anybody else willing to pay me. I work mainly on journal articles, abstracts, posters, book chapters, brochures, educational content, meeting materials, etc.
I did freelance writing/editing on the side for 15 years (in addition to a day job doing the same thing), but I’ve been completely self-employed for about a year and a half now. I like it very much.
I’ve been writing most of my life, but it was only about 12 or 13 years ago that I started getting paid for it. Lately, I split my time between educational content development (study guides, exams, flashcards) for technical distance education courses and movie/TV reviews for Web publication. Up until a few months ago, I was also a contributing writer for the local alternative newspaper, but I put that aside to finish my thesis. I do a lot of editing as well, mostly technical documents and textbooks, and when time permits, I even produce some fiction and poetry. I did tech writing for a while, but even the high pay couldn’t ameliorate the boredom, and working in corporate communications just showed me the freelancing light a little faster.
Full-time, I’m a digital advertising copywriter, but my true love is fiction. I’m trying to find a good freelance niché, but the truth is, I’m just not really into researching. I think it’s part laziness and part lack of interest.
I’d love to blog for money. Having a Victorian home in need of renovation, there is always some home improvement adventure to talk about.
I wouldn’t mind doing book reviews and maybe some film reviews, but it seems like the big thing right now is music review, restaurant reviews, etc. Is no one into reading books anymore?
I had a freelance gig for awhile that was steady and predictable, yet was more like working off-site than freelance.
Does anyone else have the expectation that freelance should be able to be worked into your current schedule rather than the other way around?
I make most of my money as a grantwriter and general PR flak for community based non-profits. I also write magazine articles when I can, although I am not plugged into that field well enough to rely on it. I do some blogging for pay as well.
Grantwriting is nothing more than telling someone else’s story, so it is actually a kind of PR. What I do for non-profits is to try to expand their horizons beyond simply getting the next grant and have them look at their story and how it plays in the world. That includes website and annual report development. Small community based groups rarely have the staff to do this well, so they have to hire me.
I charge based on ability to pay more than anything. That is the nice way of saying I am a sucker. But I do work that I feel strongly about, and the passion can come through.
You know, I have been exhausting myself on the new jobs so much that I am thinking about my “specialties” and just sticking to them. So… I am thinking Blogging, K-12 writing (my degree), press releases (I love doing them) and Latino/Hispanic related.
I write web content for hire, though I hope to add copywriting and web coding to that. And to add print magazines to my list of where I’ve been published.
I’m now starting to figure out my preferred niches to focus on.
I also blog for myself and love writing reviews when I can. Critical analysis is fun!
But full-time, I’m still a college kid. So that kinda limits my options.
Hi,
Thank for asking the question.
I write articles, short stories to Associated Content, guru.com and to other websites. I earn few dollars per month. I am interested in writing jobs as a freelance from home.If you have job, kindly contact.