Creativity today looks very different than it did a couple of decades ago. In the past, writers, painters, singers, actors, and the like were the only people who made money off of their creativity. Nowadays, though, people earn money by creating in a different way—they make websites, design graphics, or do other, more technological jobs. The old-fashioned creative jobs still exist, but they are getting harder and harder to come by, and they are paying less and less. Does this mean that you should sacrifice your love of reading and writing in order to pay your bills? No, it simply means that you have to rethink your career options and start thinking in a new and, funnily enough, creative way about your future. So, go ahead and get (or finish) that creative writing degree. In the meantime, we’ve put together some of the top jobs still thriving in the industry.
Become a Publishing Pro
People are still reading books, magazines, and the like. However, not everyone feels the need to hold an actual book in their hands anymore. It is becoming more and more common for people to access literature via reading devices, like the Kindle or the Nook, and on their computers or other electronics. So, if you’ve got your heart set on going into the publishing industry and discovering the greatest writers of our time, recognize that your dream job might look a little different than you imagined it. If you’re lucky, you can still get a job with a big, traditional publishing house, but there are also more and more opportunities available through electronic publishing companies and in the publishing-on-demand industry. Those who work in publishing can expect to make an average salary of around $66,000 per year.
It’s Only a Technicality
Most creative writers dream of finding fame and fortune by publishing the next great American novel or an awe-inspiring collection of short stories. While you should never give up on your dreams, it’s a good idea to think about ways in which you can start making money right away. One of those ways is as a technical writer. It might not be the most exciting job in the world, but you can certainly make a living at it and, in many cases, you can even work from your own home and on your own schedule, leaving you plenty of time for working on your own pieces. Technical writing takes on a lot of different forms . Your main job, of course, is to write content with a target audience in mind. You might be responsible for writing instruction manuals for electronics, documentation guides for various pieces of machinery, or creating engineering specifications. There are a wide range of unique opportunities in this field and, though salaries vary greatly, the average technical writer will take home around $61,000 each year.
Blog Your Way to Fame and Fortune
As we mentioned earlier, traditional print mediums are not nearly as commonly read as they once were. Nowadays, when people want to read, they go online. Blogs are some of the most popular online reading materials out there. These virtual journals can be kept on a wide range of topics and, if yours gets popular enough, it could be picked up by sponsors who will actually pay you for your work. Salary will vary depending on whom you get to sponsor you and on how widely read you are.