From Jamee Rae on Newsvine: The Business of Writing
Writing is a business. This truth is not always clear to those born with natural talent and who enjoy the creative experience. In many cases, writers don’t want to admit that organization and strategy play a role in the life of a writer. “It’s too confining,” one writer friend of mine once said.
If this is your mindset, but you plan to write as a career, you should start thinking differently. My goal in writing this article is to help you increase your capacity so you can move to the next level in your writing life. The following are 3 important steps you can take to turn your writing from a hobby to a career.
- Name your business. I’ve had several business names. When I moved from Santa Cruz, CA to Southern Oregon I changed my business name to “Writing For All Reasons.” I have recently re-branded myself as Jamee The Writer and The Social Media Teacher.
- Write out your vision, mission and values statement. If you don’t know how to do this, the Internet is full of good instructions. By having a written vision, you can see where you’re planning to go and make your business decisions accordingly.
- Decide on your target market. In other words, who will read what you write, or who will pay you to write for them. Then, focus your promotional efforts toward that group.
Most writers just starting out are somewhat unsure of their future. They have a desire and perhaps the determination to turn a passion into a living, but fail to understand the need to treat their writing service as a business. However, the well-seasoned writers and authors understand that no matter how hard you try to ignore the business of writing, it will get your attention at some point. So why not get your writing career established on paper so you can start moving in that direction.
Quoting this post cause I’m among the guilty. I do need to do more about taking writing seriously, thinking of it as a business.