research and writing jobs

12 In-Demand Writing Careers

If you grew up with a love of reading and writing , you might have had a well-meaning adult in your life tell you that writing isn’t a realistic career option, requiring heaps of talent, luck, and the ability to live on next to nothing. Unfortunately, many people still believe that advice, unaware that there are plenty of options for building a career that revolves around writing.

The most important part of being a writer isn’t necessarily talent, either. Rather, it’s a love for the written word and the enjoyment that can be created simply by putting words on the page. As long as you have that, the writing life may be a good fit for you.

Here’s what else you should know about creating a satisfying writing career, including twelve in-demand options to consider.

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Is writing a good career?

When you think of a professional writer, you might conjure up images of a book author painstakingly working on their craft or a journalist chasing down sources and trying to convince an editor that the world needs to hear this story. In these scenarios, those same writers are either struggling to pay the bills, or they’re one of the few writers who’ve managed to become household names. (We’re looking at you, Stephen King.)

But the writing profession is a lot more flexible than those narrow profiles, and it can actually be a lucrative choice—even without massive book deals or TV interviews. In many cases, you can shape a writing career into whatever you need it to be. It just takes a bit of critical thinking to figure out what you want and how to leverage your skills to find well-paying options.

Writing career path

The way one person builds a writing career can look vastly different from someone else’s, even within the same job title. Ultimately, how you build your career as a writer depends on your goals.

For example, a novelist will probably want to work on their craft most of the time—reading, writing, and editing their work while also seeking an agent and publishers. Meanwhile, a content marketer may start out writing for their own blog, then move on to pitching stories for small publications they want to write for, collect bylines (as in: “this article is written by”), and then work their way up to larger publications or company blogs. A journalist may cut their teeth at their school’s newspaper or with internships and then move to a job at a media outlet.

Often, though, a writing career isn’t so linear. So while some might imagine a writer steadily getting better gigs or bigger paychecks while gaining recognition for their work, the reality may be quite different. Many writers, for example, work as freelancers, which means their incomes vary from month to month and year to year. Or a writer might have a bit of luck landing a byline with a national newspaper one week, but their pitches might not be accepted the next.

Again, it takes determination and a love of the job to move past those kinds of lows to build a strong, secure writing career. 

12 in-demand writing careers

Writing careers come in many different forms. Below we’ll explore a few that allow you to write for a living while providing rewarding, well-paying work.

1 Grant writer

What they do: Research and complete grant applications to help organizations—often non-profits—get funding to support and carry out their mission.

Requirements: Keen attention to detail and research skills.

Average annual income: $66,381

2 Speech writer

What they do: Compose speeches to be delivered by other people, from company executives to organizational leaders to lawmakers.

Requirements: The ability to write for oral communication with another person’s speaking style in mind.

Average annual income: $67,765

3 Content writer

What they do: Create content meant to support a business (including blog posts, ebooks, and white papers).

Requirements: Knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) and the ability to write persuasively.

Average annual income: $81,000

4 Copywriter

What they do: Write language—ranging from phrases to taglines to paragraphs— meant to sell or explain a product or service.

Requirements: Write persuasively and understand consumer behavior.

Average annual income: $53,184

5 Technical writer

What they do: Prepare supporting technical content, like instruction manuals and how-to guides.

Requirements: Attention to detail and the ability to simplify complex information.

Average annual income: $78,060

What they do: Work with writers to revise content and plan assignments for publication.

Requirements: The ability to streamline content at both the sentence level and at a high level.

Average annual income: $63,350

7 Medical writer

What they do: Write medical-focused content for publication with places like healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, or government agencies.

Requirements: An understanding of medical concepts and the ability to communicate those topics to the average person. You may need to have a degree or a history of working in the medical field on your résumé to qualify.

Average annual income: $102,603

8 Ghostwriter

What they do: Create content for websites or on behalf of individuals. Published content will either not have a byline, or it will show someone else’s byline.

Requirements: The ability to write for another person or publication’s voice and adherence to style guides.

Average annual income: $64,148

9 Content strategist

What they do: Establish and execute a content plan to meet business goals.

Requirements: Cultivate a deep understanding of your business and audience.

Average annual income: $76,400

10 Social media manager

What they do: Create social media content—ranging from Instagram captions to LinkedIn posts to Facebook posts and more—for a company or clients.

Requirements: A strong sense of engaging, social-friendly content and the ability to capitalize on relevant current events.

Average annual income: $59,539

11 Translator

What they do: Translate content or speech from one language into another.

Requirements: Ability to speak and write in another language and make judgment calls when direct translations are not possible.

Average annual income: $68,574

12 Proposal writer

What they do: Create documents intended to persuade others to invest in or support a project or business.

Requirements: Strong researching and organization skills and the ability to write persuasively.

Average annual income: $67,020

If writing is your passion, you have options to turn that into a career. And it won’t necessarily require you to give up your standard of living. As with all difficult things that are worth the effort, the key is perseverance.

Research Content Writers

Requirements.

• Linguistic competency in English (US) equal to the following: ILR Level 5 or CEF C2
• Must be located in the United States
• Experience in journalism, editing, and copywriting
• Proven capability to create written content in line with set guidelines meticulously
• Proficient in developing well-organized paragraphs and comprehensive content.
• Sharp attention to detail and a dedication to elevating content quality
• University degree in Journalism/ Translation/ Applied Languages or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experts in technical writing tasks 
• Ability to follow guidelines 
• Basic knowledge of AI data structures and approaches 
• Agile and effective at working in a constantly changing environment
• Naturally curious and excited to contribute to improving the world around them through communication and teamwork 

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Ohio cancer research to roast main street bank ceo for charity.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio Cancer Research will be holding its 28th annual Grand Illusions Saute — a yearly fundraising event to raise money for the charitable organization.

The event will be held at Undo’s West at 6 p.m. May 22. President and CEO of Main Street Bank Richard Lucas is slated to be the guest of honor. The fundraiser aims to honor and roast Lucas and Main Street Bank. The funds raised at this event will go toward basic cancer research, public information and awareness. Individual tickets range from $125 and $200 and tables range from $1,250-$50,000. Sponsors for the fundraiser are Encovs Insurance, Kimball Midwest, and Medical Mutual.

Last year’s guests of honor were founders of Joe’s Tires LLC, Roy and Martha Hershberger. Other past guests of honor included St. Clairsville attorney Michael Shaheen and Richard L. Riesbeck, president and CEO of Riesbeck Food Markets LLC.

“For 27 years, Ohio Cancer Research is proud to have honored and sizzled (OK, just singed, but never fully roasted), the most prominent and successful business and civic leaders in the Ohio Valley to raise funds for basic cancer research, public information, and awareness,” the OCR states in a press release. “Formed in 1982, Ohio Cancer Research is dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those going through treatment. Talented researchers have been or are being funded at many of Ohio’s world-class institutions.”

For further information or to place an order, call 614-224 -1127, email [email protected] or visit ohiocancer.org.

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