How to Become a Writer in 2023? Complete Career Guide

A writer is someone who expresses his/her thoughts and ideas through written words. Writers write engaging, well-researched, and high-quality content for websites, journals, blogs, articles, books, stories, novels, etc. The Cisco Annual Internet Report indicates that in India, there will be more than 907 million internet users by the end of this year. Therefore, with the growing online user base, there will also be a surge in the demand for quality and informative digital content.

There is no specific education requirement to become a writer. However, candidates can pursue a bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Mass Communication, or Literature as the first step. Next, it is important for candidates to determine what kind of writer they wish to become. Based on their niche, they can start improving their writing skills by maintaining a blog. Further, an internship experience will add great value to their writing career in India.

Table of Contents

• How to Become a Writer in India?
• Who is a Writer?
• How Many Years to Become a Writer?
• What is the Role of the Writer?
• Skills and Qualities of a Good Writer
• Writer Salary in India
• Job Opportunities for Writers
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Being a Writer

How to Become a Writer in India?

Candidates curious to know how to become a good writer must follow the step-wise process shown below.

• Step 1: Complete Formal Education
• Step 2: Read More and More
• Step 3: Identify your Niche
• Step 4: Pursue an Online Writing Course
• Step 5: Work on your Writing Skills
• Step 6: Use Writing Tools for Better Output
• Step 7: Apply for an Internship
• Step 8: Create a Strong Portfolio
• Step 9: Look for Paid Writing Opportunities

Step 1: Complete Formal Education

As per the basic writer eligibility, aspirants must finish class 12th in any stream with English and any other languages in which they wish to pursue writing. After completing their school education, students often wonder what courses to take to become a writer. At the UG level, they must opt for a bachelor’s degree program in subjects like English, literature, journalism, or mass communication. 

Further, candidates can choose to pursue a master’s degree in the relevant field for better career prospects. Some employers in the writing industry may prefer hiring postgraduate students for managerial roles. Here are some of the master’s courses that they are considering opting for.

Step 2: Read More and More

Read as much as possible! To find out their niche for writing, budding writers should read books of various genres. Here is why reading is so important while pursuing a career as a writer.

• Enriches your vocabulary: While reading, writers come across new words or phrases. It helps them expand their vocabulary and create more engaging content.
• A better understanding of storytelling: When writers review the work composed by other authorities, they get an understanding of a well-constructed story. This helps them enhance their own storytelling skills.
• Helps with research: Strong reading ability assists writers in researching well for their topic and thus producing quality content.
• Self-Improvement: Writers can also improve their analytical & critical thinking abilities through reading. 

Step 3: Identify your Niche

Aspirants will be able to figure out their areas of interest by reading regularly. Now, they must discover in what genre and style they wish to write. This brings us to the different types of writers or the writer's job titles. Aspirants can pick one of the niches and focus on enhancing their writing skills in that particular category.

• Creative Writer: Such writers apply storytelling techniques to compose unique content in genres like drama, poetry, and fiction. 
• Content Writer: A content writer carries out research for multiple topics, works on creating new ideas for various content types, proofreads articles, etc. A number of firms, including marketing organisations, advertising agencies, media houses, and publications, hire content writers.
• Fiction Writer: The job of a fiction writer is to compose poems, scripts, and stories based on imaginary events.
• Non-fiction Writer: Their writings are based on real experiences with the aim of educating or informing readers. History, biography, and memoir are some of the genres in which they may write.
• Journalist: Journalists work on creating reports or articles on news and current events. They often need to conduct interviews and collect data from various sources.
• Business Writers: Their role is to generate briefs or documents to convey information to clients, stakeholders, and colleagues. Writers in this area can be content writers or copywriters involved in writing reports, email newsletters, presentations, proposals, etc.
• Academic Writer: Professors, graduate students and other university staff may complete academic writing pieces, including research papers, essays and dissertations. They typically focus on creating and communicating evidence-based arguments, citing their sources, and ensuring their writing is clear and organised.
• Copywriter: A copywriter describes a specific product, including its benefits and features, through his/her writing. They may work on creating newsletters, advertising letters, catalogues, brochures, etc.
• Script Writer: Their responsibility is to write dialogues for television shows, plays, and movies.
• Technical Writer: A technical writer is someone who translates complex terms of a firm’s products/services into easy-to-understand language.
• Author: The writers who use their creative abilities to write fictional and non-fiction works, including books, poems, plays, etc.

Step 4: Pursue an Online Writing Course

There are a number of short-term and economical online certification courses for writers in India. Depending on their niche, they can pursue one of these courses to gain advanced knowledge in the field. Here are the top courses, along with the name of the provider and average fee details.

Step 5: Work on your Writing Skills

After pursuing the qualifications to become a writer, candidates must apply all the tactics learnt and the knowledge gained through various courses. All writers need to do is create a solid writing routine and practice as much as possible. 

The best way is to create a blog based on the niche selected by the writer. This will help them create their unique writing style and understand if their content is informative and engaging. Aspiring writers can also join a writing community online and interact with budding writers to grow in the field.

Step 6: Use Writing Tools for Better Output

Writing tools must be utilised by writers to enhance the quality of their work and improve their online presence. Check out the best writing tools for writers below.

Step 7: Apply for an Internship

An internship is essential for writers to get industry experience. They can intern at a content marketing firm or an advertising agency. Not only will they get to learn from industry experts, but they will also refine their writing, delivery, and editing skills. Furthermore, they will be able to learn and collaborate with various other teams, including social media, SEO, marketing, etc.

Step 8: Create a Strong Portfolio

All the writing work that is done so far must be presented by candidates in the form of a portfolio. An impressive portfolio can go a long way for writers in their career journey. It will exhibit their capabilities and strengths as a writer and will also increase their chances of getting a job with better pay packages.

Step 9: Look for Paid Writing Opportunities

Lastly, the candidates are ready to look for full-time roles in the writing industry. However, they also have the option to offer freelance services as a writer. However, it is recommended that candidates first gain experience through a writing job and then get started with freelance writing for better opportunities.

Apply for Full-time Roles

Candidates can look into online job search websites or get referrals from past employers. The scope for writers in India is huge, and there are many opportunities in marketing agencies, advertising firms, media houses, and more. 

Offer Freelance Writing Services

Many individuals wonder how to become a freelance writer. Though the complete process remains the same, freelance writer also needs to market themselves. They must build a strong network and look for potential clients. Multiple online writing platforms, like Scripted, CopyPress, etc., provide freelance writing opportunities.

Who is a Writer?

A professional who communicates his/her ideas using written language is a writer. A writer's work is to compose diverse forms of content, including blogs, videos, articles, reports, books, social media posts, and more. Using their creativity and research skills, writers produce content that is informative, compelling, and resonates with their target audience. They also ensure that the content is well-optimised for search engines in order to get better reach and visibility.

How Many Years to Become a Writer?

Approximately it takes around 6-8 years to become a good writer. However, there is no fixed time in which a candidate can earn the title of a writer. It all comes down to the skills and experience gained by the writer. Moreover, a college degree at the graduate and postgraduate levels will be beneficial in securing a decent job as a writer.

What is the Role of the Writer?

The role of a writer varies from researching and writing the content to editing and proofreading it. Let us learn more about the responsibilities of a writer.

• Planning: A writer plans how they shall proceed with the given task based on resources and time constraints.
• Research: A writer uses his/her research and drafting abilities to create well analysed and well-structured content.
• Writing: The most important role of a writer is to convey his/her thoughts in words. Writers can promote products or services through effective marketing copies, e-books, articles, podcasts, etc.
• Proofreading: An important responsibility of the writer is to check whether the grammar, spellings, accuracy, sentence structure, usage, and brand voice of the text are to the point.
• Coordination: Writers need to coordinate with various departments like marketing and design teams in order to promote digital content online.

Skills and Qualities of a Good Writer 

One must possess relevant skills and qualities to become a successful writer. Here we have listed the top skills needed to be a good writer.

• Creativity
• Writing skills
• Research abilities
• Search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Communication skills
• Organisation Skills
• Editing skills
• Time management skills
• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Reading skills
• Patience
• Discipline
• Clarity of thoughts
• Ability to take challenges

Writer Salary in India

The average writer salary in India is around INR 3,96,635 per year. Moreover, the average freelance writer salary in India is approximately INR 400 per hour. Once writers earn more experience, they can land well-paying jobs in the industry. Moreover, based on the writer’s job title, the range of salary shall differ. 

Mentioned below are average annual salaries based on the candidate’s experience as a writer.

Based on their job roles, here are the salary packages that writers can expect to earn:

Job Opportunities for Writers

There are abundant job opportunities in the field of writing as a number of firms and agencies look for skilled writers. Candidates can avail of employment opportunities in one of the following:

• Newspapers
• Advertising Agencies
• Books Publishing Agencies
• Transport Agencies 
• Software Companies
• Online Shopping Portals
• Freelancing
• Movies/ Entertainment
• Media

Benefits and Drawbacks of Being a Writer

Pursuing a career as a writer comes with both benefits and drawbacks. Here we have highlighted both of these so that aspiring writers can make wise career decisions.

Benefits of Being a Writer

The following are the major benefits of being a writer:

• Writers experience rapid growth in their careers with decent experience. Therefore, there is a high earning potential.
• There is no age limit to pursue a career in writing. Moreover, the cost involved is also minimal.
• Writers get the flexibility to work in remote or hybrid settings.
• Candidates get the opportunity to turn their passion for writing into a career and offer freelance services.

Drawbacks of Being a Writer

The below-mentioned points indicate the drawbacks of becoming a writer.

• Candidates have to meet strict deadlines as a writer which might affect the content quality.
• It is crucial for writers to keep updated with the latest trends in the industry, which might be challenging at times.
• It becomes difficult for writers to get reliable sources for work.