Everyone has a passion, but it is not always easy to turn that passion into a profession. For those whose passion is writing, it can be difficult to know where to start. By no means is there just one route to a writing career, but there are some pointers that can help you to get started. In this article, we will share some tips for beginning your writing journey.

Build a Writing portfolio

This may sound obvious, but if you want to become a writer, the first thing to do is start writing! You can start writing in your spare time, as a hobby and as a way of exploring what type of writer you want to be. However, the most important tool for landing your first writing job is a portfolio of work. If you have academic writing which you are proud of, then you could include this as a basis to build on. You should aim towards including some digitally published work too – perhaps you have a friend or relative with a website that you could ask to write a piece for. Alternatively, look for free writing projects online which ask for contributors. It is likely that the first pieces of writing you do will be unpaid, but this is the best way to start building a portfolio. Once you have a few pieces, you can compile them together using an online portfolio builder such as Clippings.me or Writerfolio.

Find your niche

A key aspect to think about when starting out as a writer is discovering your niche. This first involves finding your source of inspiration as an author – what motivates you and what are you excited to share with others? This could be anything from life experience to career expertise to a unique hobby – sometimes the more unusual the better. Some authors choose to write about a life journey, be that a physical trip across the world, or a psychological or professional journey. Using poker as her inspiration, psychologist and writer Maria Konnikova has written a book about her journey from complete novice to travelling professional. To take a different example, famous business magnate Alan Sugar describes his life journey from ‘rags to riches’ in his popular biography.  What is your unique selling point?

Once you are settled on your topic, try to narrow it down. If you want to be a travel writer, think about what makes your travel experiences different from others’. Perhaps you travelled alone across Australia and want to offer tips to other solo travellers. Or perhaps you are an introvert who loves to travel, and you want to share this different perspective with your readers.

Start a Blog or Website

Once you have started to hone in on your niche, building a blog or website can be a great way to showcase your skills. There are loads of useful blog and website building platforms out there. For beginning a simple blog, we like Wix, Squarespace and WordPress. WordPress is a good option as many companies value having WordPress skills, so you can gain website building skills at the same time as working on your personal project. While crafting your blog, keep your niche and target audience in mind. What is the purpose of your writing, and who are your readers? There are a variety of ways that you can make money through blogging, so this may be an area you wish to explore further.

Sign up to Writing job platforms

As you start to build a body of work through your blog and writing portfolio, you can sign up to freelance writing platforms such as Upwork, Fiver and Contently. These platforms allow you to build a profile that will be visible to employers, and you can start to apply for freelance writing jobs. Including some portfolio items on your profile will stand you in good stead. You may start off pitching for smaller jobs which you can build upon as you gain experience. Equally, if you are interested in a full-time remote position, there are lots of remote job sites offering writing positions too, such as Flex Jobs and Remote OK.

Develop your skills

The more writing you do, the more you will learn about what type of writer you want to be and this may point you in the direction of certain skills courses. If you are interested in story writing, you may decide to take a creative writing course. If you go down the advertising or copywriting route, then learning about SEO and marketing can be a huge plus. There are hundreds of different types of writing, so finding your area and niche can take some time, but this is part of the process.

We hope these tips have given you a few insights into how to get started as a writer. Importantly – start writing and do not be afraid to start calling yourself a writer! Choosing an artistic path takes time and persistence but, with dedication and passion, you can soon start to turn your vision into a reality.

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