It probably doesn’t surprise you, but many of us who are blogging, creating website content and writing press releases by day are spending our evenings working on a novel. After all, writers often have many ideas that expand far beyond creating a riveting piece about a new plumbing company or the latest cloud computing service.
What is surprising is the very same skills writers use to publish press releases and blogs can help with writing that much-more-exciting book. Discover five ways that writing press releases by day helps me write “the great American novel” by night.
- Practice – Writing, like anything else, requires practice. The more you do it, the better you get. Working as a press release writer allows me to hone my craft in a way that working at the local coffee shop or in a doctor’s office would not. I’m constantly learning new words and techniques that will transfer to my novel.
- Speed – While I’ve always had ideas and loved to write, I didn’t write “professionally” until about four years ago. When I first began, I was very slow to crank out just a few words. Now, I can sit down and watch the content fly from my hands. I’m even faster when working on my novel since nearly everything comes from my own thoughts.
- Proofreading – Whether you are writing a press release, blog post, Facebook status or novel, it is important to put your best foot forward. The proofreading skills I learn “in the trenches” help me develop a more polished book that will require less editing.
- Research Skills – A press release writer quickly learns how to find and attribute facts online. Many clients will have specific resources they do and do not allow, so content writers learn the best tips and tricks for digging up information.
- Publicity – Writing press releases is all about getting the word out about new businesses, services and yes, even books. The same skills I use to promote my client’s offerings can be used to build a following for my book—when I release it.
While my book may still be a couple of years away from publication, I am lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love. Writing press releases and other forms of marketing content may not be as glamorous as writing a novel, but it is important too. It’s important to remember that with writing that every project is a chance to learn something new. When I look at putting together that next press release as practice for my future writing endeavors, it’s a little easier to fill up my cup of coffee and get to work.
Tracy S is a freelance writer and blogger who is writing her first book. When she’s not glued to the keyboard she has her eyes glued to a sci-fi book, her mind glued on her pool game or has glue on her hands while working on a home improvement project.
