[SonikJesus]

How'd you get into it? Any advice? It doesn't have to be creative writing just something in that field maybe even editing or whatever. I actually like writing and I find it fairly easy and seeing as I have a history degree, which is basically a writing degree, I figure I could do something in that field. much love.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by SonikJesus

How'd you get into it? Any advice? It doesn't have to be creative writing just something in that field maybe even editing or whatever. I actually like writing and I find it fairly easy and seeing as I have a history degree, which is basically a writing degree, I figure I could do something in that field. much love.

if you want full-time pro, ask gmku. he's writer AND editor.

i've had a writing sideline and i left it to pursue other stuff but this is how it was:

i used to hang around a popular blog and commenting often. apparently it was good and people kept telling me they wish i'd write there. so when they were hiring i applied and got a job there.

they paid something like $150-$200 per article. it was specialized subject matter.

i kept that going for a year but dropped it because i didn't want to focus on the subject. my interest was amateur but i didn't want to really become a pro on the subject matter. i could crank a nice article overnight but it would take days of my mental real estate. so while the labor of writing was pretty easy, the incubation process took long. i'd mull ideas over for a long time.

it seems to me that to write non-fiction stuff you become a subject matter expert-- the more you do it the more authority you have. it's like a journalist with a beat-- you cover your beat & the longer you cover it the more you know about it, the more you know the better your work & better paid gigs you get, etc. it snowballs.

the thing with me, i like learning stuff but i don't like overspecialization. i get bored shitless with endless "practice". i wanna learn something new once i know enough of a subject. overspecialization pays though! in a big economy like ours, the division of labor rewards specialists. i'm a voluntary dropout however so adiós to that.

if you have expertise on something, can be anything really, start a blog and learn to monetize it.

another avenue for side gigs could be self-publishing on amazon. most people get nothing but every now and then there's a success story.

but if you want a real job then gmku is da man.

[schizophrenicroom]

i made $50 on an xojane article that I should have edited a bit more and makes first dates uncomfortable in this age of google. but worth the $50!

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by schizophrenicroom

i made $50 on an xojane article that I should have edited a bit more and makes first dates uncomfortable in this age of google. but worth the $50!

probably a good way to weed out the worthless! only the strong may apply.

i like to operate anonymously and used a pen name-- always an option.

-dom gato

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

it was specialized subject matter.

Just out of curiosity, what was the subject?

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

If you want to write for history you need to troll history periodicals, journals, and universities for a gig. Folks will give you a start similar to !@#$%! but you need a portfolio to vouch for your quality and expertise. You can use your college papers but you're going to need to revise them significantly so they don't come across simply as "college term papers" but they will be a "better than nothing" start. Cut the down and edit them to look like articles, essays, or blurbs. Remember though, historians are a scholarly bunch so the education is highly competitive, essentially Masters Degrees or go home. See A LOT of professors, instructors, and other university types like to make their hustle on the side free-lancing or writing part time. It boosts their own clout in their field and their resume and university folks don't make nearly as much money as the astronomical costs of tuition may suggest.

 

You can also expand your field to political analysis but this tends to be a crowded market for free-lancing..

Most people with history degrees become teachers or research librarians, the pay is more consistent.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Also pay attention to the smallest details, historians are anal like that. Profession footnotes and references are a must, so if you are rusty better get up on your Chicago Format and make sure you are legit..

Half-assed footnoting will cost you a job for sure

[gmku]

I would have to say that I've been fortunate. My degree is in journalism with a minor in English, hardly the most lucrative of choices, on the appearance of it. But after a 10-year career in the air force, most of the rest of my working life has been as a paid editor and writer, mainly on salary with solid employers. Most of my experience has been in higher education and government; I was a writer and editor for a university relations office for a long time and for a while with the Forest Service, and I'm now what they call a "content developer" for a liberal arts college's alumni web site.

For a short time, I worked as a freelancer, and mostly because of my connections in the higher education world, I managed to make a very good salary.

I haven't gotten rich, by any stretch of the imagination. But I've never been without a paycheck and enough change left over to buy an LP or two now and then and a cup of coffee on occasion.

My advice, in hindsight, is to find an interest outside of writing and literature that you can write about, e.g., environmental science, politics, medicine, or whatever you find that you have a real passion for and that there is sure to be a paying readership (and publishers) for. Make that your minor or your other area of concentration so that you have some specialization to write about. I became fairly knowledgeable about environmental science and environmental issues in my university editor job, which put me in good stead for the position I got with the Forest Service.

That's my story in a nutshell, SonikJesus. I'd be happy to advise further if you have any questions.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Be sure to catch gmku during his posted office hours for advising.

 

[gmku]

Cute.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Just out of curiosity, what was the subject?

nutrition and beauty

lolol, no

survival in the jungle

no

urban pig farming

ha ha ha

winning at poker

weird science

sex for the unwary

how to train a dog

italian for beginners

european film reviews

how to have a lifestyle

(i'd rather not say...)

[EVOLghost]

hmmm


write erotic novels....I think there was a famous sci fi writer that first did that for money.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by EVOLghost

hmmm


write erotic novels....I think there was a famous sci fi writer that first did that for money.

yes! that's the self-publishing amazon angle. i've heard from people that when they wanna buy something the write a little story... and then start collecting ha ha.

[SonikJesus]

thanks dudes. yea not really trying to go pro but I def would like it as a side gig. also i dont write like this i jus dont give a fukk on the social internet

[!@#$%!]

hey, you twos, just came in to post you this in case you're interested

http://lifehacker.com/choose-the-rig...m-y-1699725331

related articles posted on that page as well

[blue]

I'm not a writer but I've written for a living.

If you're serious about it and will be using a computer, learn a proper text editor (emacs or vi), learn a markup language (markdown or asciidoc) and learn a proper version control system (git).

I'm also not a blogger, but if you're going to blog I'd advise you to learn HTML, learn a cms (wordpress is probably industry standard), learn basic typography and graphic design and take a look at the API of some major online publications like the NYT.

Experience trumps any degree you might have.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by blue

learn a proper text editor (emacs or vi), learn a markup language (markdown or asciidoc) and learn a proper version control system (git).

why?? they're not coders

Originally Posted by blue

I'm also not a blogger, but if you're going to blog I'd advise you to learn HTML, learn a cms (wordpress is probably industry standard), learn basic typography and graphic design and take a look at the API of some major online publications like the NYT.

maybe, but i've seen plenty shit-looking blogs make it big. wordpress takes care of the markup. i mean this is all good refinement but per pareto he needs to focus on the 20% that gets 80% of the audience. fuck the details & get started.

Originally Posted by blue

Experience trumps any degree you might have.

and content is king