Does the idea of using your computer to bring in a decent income without leaving your home sound appealing? This is exactly what can happen if you start writing content for a living. Yet, before you jump into this line of work, you need to make sure it is a good fit for you. Here are four signs that you should not consider writing as a potential career, especially if it’s online.
You can’t tell a pronoun from an infinitive
If you are grammatically challenged, there are likely excellent lines of work for you. Writing web content is not one of them. Sure, the grammar rules may be slightly more lax with online content than with research papers and textbooks, but you still need to have a good grasp of basic grammar rules.
You melt under the pressure of deadlines
When you write online content, you are not just writing for internet publication. You are writing for living, breathing clients who have their own goals, their own deadlines and sometimes even their own clients.
To be successful in this business, you will be balancing numerous assignments from different customers, all with tight deadlines. Some nights you will be writing into the wee hours until you think your fingers might bleed (or maybe that’s just me). If the thought of multiple deadlines hanging over your head makes you run quivering into a corner, then find a different way to make money.
You have lofty ideals about writing for glory
Some writers gain fame and fortune with their carefully coined prose and visionary ideas. You are not going to be one of them if you focus your career on online content. Yes, there is money to be made, and potentially lots of it, but most of the time your name and your work will not be connected because you will be ghostwriting content for your clients. In other words, don’t expect to win a Pulitzer for anything you publish online.
You have a bill you need to pay yesterday
Writing online content pays more quickly than just about any print media, but it still is not instantaneous. Even if you have a site or client that pays instantly, it may take a few days to get those funds to your actual bank account due to payment transfer delays. Also, if you are new to this game, you aren’t going to be bringing in six figures overnight. There is a learning curve you must tackle before you will have a solid online writing business, so look elsewhere if you have a looming financial need.
Writing online is an outstanding way to make money, and it can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not for everyone. Before you quit that day job and take up residence on the couch to begin writing content for a living, make sure this line of work is a good fit for your skill set.
Nicole H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
