Writing IS a Business

Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job seriously? I once heard it said that writing is one of the most under-rated cottage industries in the world. I believe it.

Perhaps it is because many of us do so much writing in the course of a day anyway. We write reports for work. We send emails. We take down messages. None of that is creative writing (on second thoughts, some work reports might fall into that category) - but it's part of the reason that "writing" per se is taken for granted. Since the people around you write frequently anyway, they can't see your hours tapping away at the keyboard as being anything much more difficult. It's your 'hobby', isn't it?

Sometimes, you can change people's attitude towards writing by changing your own attitude first. It's very easy to lose track of the reality that writing IS a business when you're creating fictional worlds. (Imagine having so much fun and getting paid for it as well!)

1. Talk About Writing In Businesslike Terms

Let's imagine for a moment that you're not a writer. You run some other business. To make it a paying business, you have to look at income and outgo carefully. Note that not all businesses make a profit in the first year. (Many go into business expecting to run at a loss for the first year or even two years.)

A writing business works in just the same way. You're likely to put in a lot of hours, a lot of effort and at least some money before you can expect to see any results. Those results - payment for your labour - might be in the form of a flat fee, or an advance payment with royalties at intervals later.

Try putting it all down on paper. Work out:

• your expenditure on supplies - paper, toner, hardware, software, etc

• your expenditure in hours - keep a writing log

• your expenditure in training - workshops, seminars, professional journals and books, courses

• your expected return - what do you expect to earn? This is, of course, hard to work out if you're writing fiction. Try surfing the web and asking around at writers' groups/discussion lists to get some idea. If you're a freelance writer of non-fiction, you may be able to set your own rates.

It won't take you long to see that you need to put in a certain number of hours to get a return on your investment. When you talk about your writing, talk about it as your writing CAREER. Start dropping into the conversation a few terms like 'return on investment' and 'business plan' and watch for the change in the listener's expression. Quite often, this is the first time they've ever thought of writing in terms of being a business!

2. Plan Your Expenditure

Any business requires some start up money. Traditionally, writers have not spent much at all on their craft. (Even today some writers still have that 'starving for my art' mentality... writers should sit and scratch away with a quill in a cold room and hope for a government grant so they can afford more than soup.)

Let's get real here. If you want to establish a thriving writing career, you need to plan as carefully as you would for any other business.

Sit down and look at your budget. How much does your writing career mean to you? Are you prepared to go without other things in order to invest in your career? Do you need to sit down with the family and say: "This is important to me. This year instead of spending money on XXXX, I want to put aside $500 to go to this conference," or "I can't write while I'm trying to fit it in around the rest of the family's computer usage. I need my own computer."

Only you can know (a) how much money you can put aside in the next 12 months for your writing career and (b) the best way for you to spend it. A computer may be your most urgent need. It could be a fast internet connection. It could be an advanced writing course.

Here's a list to start you thinking:

• books for your professional library

• a computer

• a second telephone line (for your own internet connection)

• a writing course/conference/workshop/writers' retreat

• ergonomic furniture

• renovations to the house to provide an office for your writing

• software - a word processor or office suite

• filing cabinet/bookshelves

Keep in mind that the cost of an internet connection could be repaid many times over by the amount of information you gain (either for research purposes or at writers' sites.)

If you've been having trouble getting your career on track - or getting people to take you seriously - then start with your own approach. If you treat writing as a business, then it's much more likely that others will too.

(c) copyright Marg McAlister

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

---

8 Great Journaling Tips

Mix a martini, don't forget the olives, or pour yourself... Read More

Five Common Errors to Correct Before Submitting a Letter or Report

First impressions count in writing too! So it is always... Read More

The Spectre Hound

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and... Read More

The Heart of the Delay: Harnessing The Wisdom of Procrastination (AKA Writers Block)

I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More

What is Screenwriting?

Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for... Read More

5 Easy Steps To Writing Your Appealing Letter

You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you... Read More

The Beginners Guide to Freelance Writing

The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More

Do You Plot With Your Character In Mind?

Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More

8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur

As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More

Top Seven Mistakes Writers Make and What to Do About Them

Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More

A Writers Tools

If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More

Apotheosis - the Seminal Insight of the Hero for Screenwriting

Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More

How to Avoid the 11 Biggest Mistakes of First Time Authors

"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More

9 More Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing

A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More

Nobody Likes A Rambler

We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More

3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas

There are many ways you can generate ideas you can... Read More

Get An Attitude About Your Writing

(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More

How to Write Headlines for How-to Articles

Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More

8 Tell-Tale Signs That Forecast Writing Success!

'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented... Read More

The Unwritten World Of The Reality Of Letterwriting

You may wonder why I have chosen this title of... Read More

Hey Cient, this is Me! Find Your Writing Voice and Sell Yourself

In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More

How to Build Your Site with Other Peoples Content -- Part 1

Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More

How Can You Find Freelance Work As A Writer?

For those looking at the jobs listings for writers, they... Read More

Taming The Book Proposal

Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More

7 Reference Books for Your Desk

I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More

Five Keys To A Successful Query Letter

Do you know what a query letter is? If so,... Read More

The Blank Mind

Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More

Writer?s Web Resources

The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More

Boost Your Income With Trade Journals

Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't... Read More

The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity

If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they... Read More

Writing the Chapters of Your Life: Surprising Insights Using This Special Journaling Technique

List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More

Should You Hire a Ghostwriter?

Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More

Publish Your Novel on the First Try

Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side... Read More