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/

---

An Inside Look at Proofreading

This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More

The Value of Adding Images to Technical Documentation

It's cliché, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More

How to Create Stories that Sizzle

How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (3)

A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More

A Series of Articles on Autobiography

ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More

7 Reference Books for Your Desk

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

2nd Installment on Autobiography

ESSAY 2Andre Malraux once said that what interested him in... 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

Be Concise

Concision. (Sounds like I made up another word.) It's the... Read More

Autobiography: Installment No.3

ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More

Money Trails for Writers

I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More

Sick of the Traditional Publishing Path?

A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was... Read More

Groundbreaking Work

Every writer knows that the urge to write is not... Read More

Screenwriting ? The Value of Structure

Structure in the form of frameworks, work processes and goals... Read More

A Book Note Vs a Book Report

IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been... Read More

Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing

Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits... Read More

Top 10 Tips to Complete a Creative Writing Project Without Losing Your Creativity

Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More

Writing Made Them Rich #3: Richard Bach

One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More

Writing Requires Self-Control

The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More

The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline

Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More

Writing Is Not Life-threatening

Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long... Read More

What Is The Single Worst Writing Mistake?

The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More

How To Write Thank You Letters With Class

When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More

Proof Positive: the importance of proofreading

Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More

Is Your Title Compelling?

Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More

Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover

Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More

Put a Spin on Your Idea!

Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More

Editing

EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More

Writing for the Internet -- How To Give the Readers What They Want

In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More

3 Quick Tips on Plotting Your Book

Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More

Proofreading for Profits

How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More

Frequently Asked Questions from Writers

1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More

The Daily Rite

If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More