If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either considering a career in writing or have recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. Congratulations! Now what can you do with your newfound knowledge and skills?
While there are many lucrative careers out there, you might be surprised by the variety of jobs available to you once you start looking. Thanks to the pandora’s box of online jobs known as the “gig economy,” you have plenty of opportunities to make a living from writing. Indeed, you might even be able to support your chosen lifestyle (clothes, travel, etc.) entirely from your earnings as a writer!
Here we’re going to examine some of the things you can expect, conditioned on you choosing to write for a living. Bear in mind that this is just a small fraction of the many options out there. So, please do keep searching online for jobs and “gigs,” as these are just the ones we were able to find appropriate for a Creative Writing graduate.
Highly Specialized Field
As a Creative Writing PhD, you will have studied a variety of methods and theories on the craft of writing and will have acquired the expertise to back your claims. The most prominent field you will have worked in is literature, particularly modern British and American literature. As a PhD student, you will also have specialized in one or two sub-fields of modern literature, such as 20th century women writers or poets (e.g. Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, or Anne Sexton).
Highly Skilled
Writing is an increasingly valuable skill in today’s work world. As we’ve established, there are many lucrative careers out there for you to look into once you’ve graduated. However, if you’d like to get ahead of the “game” and secure your financial future, you should consider establishing yourself as a skilled writer now. The good news is, with a little initiative, there are plenty of freelance writing opportunities available to you. To put it simply, if you can string a coherent sentence together, you can definitely find work (even if it’s very low paying).
In Demand
If you’re looking to make a living as a writer, graduate programs in Creative Writing will have equipped you well with the tools and knowledge to secure high-quality employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2022, there are currently 1,700,000 jobs available in the United States alone. That’s a lot of competition. If you want to stand out from the crowd, develop and display the special skills your degree in Creative Writing has endowed you with.
Author
The most obvious job you can do with a PhD in Creative Writing is write books. It’s a very easy way to make money nowadays, as demonstrated by the recent rise in self-published authors gaining popularity. According to InD Magazine, 88% of authors claim to have “liked what they’ve read” on Amazon, which definitely suggests that readers enjoy books written by creative, intelligent authors. If you’d like to try your hand at writing a book, you can easily find a literary agent who will aid you in preparing a manuscript and getting it published.
Publisher
If you’re looking to become a “traditional” writer, who will pay you well and give you security, then consider going via the “traditional” route and pursuing a career in publishing. Thanks to the popularity of “guest blogging,” or “microblogging,” anyone with a decent following can publish a book and make money off it. If you’ve been doing any form of online writing for a while, you can use that to your advantage and publish your work on platforms like Blogger, Medium, or Squarespace.
Consultant
If you’re looking to establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field, you can use your degree to your advantage and consult for organizations and businesses seeking to better understand or implement the process of writing. As the world becomes more digitized, more businesses turn to digital marketers and content strategists to help them better understand their customers and what will engage them. If you’ve been studying marketing and strategy, you will be able to easily implement the insights you’ve gained in your career.
No End Game
If you’re looking to make a living as a writer, graduate programs in Creative Writing will have equipped you well with the tools and knowledge to secure high-quality employment. However, if you’d like to get ahead of the “game” and secure your financial future, you should consider establishing yourself as a skilled writer now. The good news is, with a little initiative, there are plenty of freelance writing opportunities available to you. To put it simply, if you can string a coherent sentence together, you can definitely find work (even if it’s very low paying).
Broadly Specialized Field
If you’re looking to make a living as a writer, you can specialize in any number of fields, all of which can be found online and which offer high-quality, well-paid employment. The most prominent fields you will have worked in are education and psychology. If you’re looking for flexibility and would like to avoid the perennial problems of being locked into one specialty, go for it! While you’re specialized, you are still able to maintain a general knowledge of the field and can easily learn new things.
Experienced
Writing is an increasingly valuable skill in today’s world. As we’ve established, there are many lucrative careers out there for you to look into once you’ve graduated. However, if you’d like to get ahead of the “game” and secure your financial future, you should consider establishing yourself as an experienced writer now. The good news is, with a little initiative, there are plenty of freelance writing opportunities available to you. To put it simply, if you can string a coherent sentence together, you can definitely find work (even if it’s very low paying).
Flexible Hours
If you’ve been looking for a way to make money online, you might have come across the “gig economy.” Basically, the gig economy is a catchall phrase for all the different ways you can make money online. Some of the more prominent platforms in the gig economy are Fiverr, UpWork, Freelancer.com, and Clickworker.com. Establishing yourself as an independent contractor on one of these platforms allows you to set your own hours and work remotely. As a writer, you will certainly enjoy this flexibility.
Virtual Office
Working remotely is one thing, but having a virtual office is even better. Having a dedicated space where you can work and meet with clients is more effective and allows you to showcase your skills and establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field. In order to set up a virtual office, you will first need to purchase a virtual phone (this is where most of the money comes in). Once you’ve got that, you can look into purchasing a small office machine (all the essentials, a desk, laptop, chair, etc.) from any major office equipment supplier (i.e. Amazon, Office Depot, etc.). To find writing gigs, look for “freelance writing opportunities” online or at local academic libraries. Also, if you’re looking to get ahead in your field, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Many big fish in small ponds.