If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either A) considering a major in creative writing or B) you’ve recently graduated with a creative writing degree. Congrats! I hope you find this information helpful.
I wanted to do a breakdown of just how lucrative creative writing can be and how much flexibility you’ll likely enjoy once you’re working. The answer is…not as much as you’d think. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, you need to do what’s best for you and your family without worrying about what’s best for your major. That’s where this piece comes in. It’s a major breakdown of the various careers that you can pursue after college if you’re a creative writing major.
Careers In Order Of Earning Potential
If you want to know just how lucrative creative writing can be, you have to start with the most basic principle of economics: supply and demand. Essentially, the more people that want something, the more valuable it becomes. So if you want to be financially secure, you need to go where the supply is greatest and demand is lowest. That means you’ll want to pursue a career in creative writing that complements your degree and that there’s a large population of people looking for that specific skill set.
Creative writing is only one of many lucrative options. You can become an editor, work for a publishing house, take up journalism, or become a literary agent. The sky is the limit. Keep in mind, though, that the more specific your major is, the more limited your options become. If you’re looking for flexibility, you may want to explore other degrees or look into non-traditional pathways.
The Demand For Creative Writing
The first step to figuring out how much money you’ll make is understanding how much demand there is for your specific skill set. To do this, you need to conduct some serious research into the various fields that utilize creative writing. Be sure to look into the statistics on how many positions are available and how many people are employed in these positions. This way, you’ll know for sure how many jobs are out there and whether or not you’ll have enough opportunities to satisfy your economic needs.
For example, if you’re majoring in English and you want to be a writer, the first place you should look is into English-taught programs. According to the best-selling textbook by Green et al., Essential English for Academic And Professional Use, there are about 400,000 English-taught jobs in the US alone. That’s a lot of opportunity if you’re looking to make a living as a writer. Keep in mind that depending on the state you live in, the number of available jobs can vary. In states like Texas and California, there are a lot of job opportunities due to population growth and the state’s high-tech industry. In other states, like New York and Illinois, the job market can be more competitive.
The Supply Of Creative Writing
The second step is knowing where to look for work. To do this, you need to look into the various literary agencies and get-togethers that exist for writers. It would be best to contact these agencies directly rather than going through an intermediary. This way, you’ll be sure to get the best possible representation for your talent. Many of these agencies will negotiate your contract for you, if you’ll let them. In most cases, they’ll also take care of any legal red tape, so you can focus on getting your first book published.
For example, the Creative Writing Agency, LLC is a full-service agency that represents more than 200 clients nationwide. According to their website, www.creativewritingagency.com, they’ve helped clients get published in top tier magazines and have negotiated them lucrative book deals. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make money, this is the agency to go with. Simply fill out the application on their website and you’ll be in touch with a literary agent within 24 hours. Depending on how many qualifications you meet, the agency will either recommend a specific publicist or, if you have a book already completed, will help you get it published.
The Major Differences In Demand Vs. Supply
As a creative writing major, you’re likely aware of how much demand there is for your services. After all, you’re in the right place at the right time. The demand for your services will only increase if you keep graduating with your creative writing degree. However, this doesn’t mean that there will be an infinite amount of jobs. It just means that there will be more opportunities than ever before.
On the supply side, this is where you need to step in and be the responsible party. To do this, it’s important to understand the major differences between the demand and the supply for your services. Simply put, the supply in this case is your fellow creative writing graduates. There are only a handful of positions available for writers, so if you don’t want to end up scrambling for work, you’ll need to look for jobs outside of your major.
In most cases, you’ll have to put your talent to work quickly. If you don’t, you run the serious risk of losing out on valuable experience. After all, you can’t train someone else to write for you. So in order to make the most out of your major, you’ll need to pursue your freelance writing business like never before.