The Write Thing to Do
Considered working as a Features Writer and Editor? This interview, as told to WritingJobs.org, will take you through the typical ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story and is one of many interviews with writing professionals, which among others include a Technical Writer and a Blogger.
The Beginning
I have Multiple Sclerosis and am extremely physically handicapped. Writing allows me the greatest independence. That is why I am finally pursuing my dream. My handicap has been a driving force in a positive way.
I am a small business owner with a staff of three – me, myself, and I. My company provides writing/editing services. Although the business is more than five years old, I have been working as a writer/editor most of my adult life. I began when I married my husband who was working on his doctorate at the time. I helped him with his dissertation, and it was wonderful sharing the experience with him.
Writing makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes. Words seem to have a life of their own. They insist on doing what they want when I want them to do something else. That can be aggravating. The brain seems to change without warning. I can go to sleep at night thinking I have accomplished something only to encounter disaster the next morning. Not capitulating is the greatest challenge a writer faces.
The Job
I like what I do, or I would not do it. I guess I’d rate my job satisfaction a 9. I think my only dissatisfaction is that there are people who don’t believe they need to pay a decent price for services rendered. Perhaps, the strangest thing I encounter is the ridiculously low salary some employers offer. That can be very discouraging. The salary or lack thereof is, perhaps, the greatest stress. For the first time in my life, I am finally making money. I am learning about new ways to do that and beginning to see real success. As for living within my means, only being independently wealthy would let me do that so I, like most people, make do.
I get up and go to work each day because I can’t avoid it. I work from home. Besides, I enjoy what I do, so why wouldn’t I do it? I think what gives me the most pride is when someone requests my work based on prior experience or a recommendation. I am accustomed to “selling” my services, but when someone requests them, I have really succeeded.
When I edit a short text, I start by reading the entire piece. It makes no sense to edit something if you don’t understand the overall picture. If it is a long work, I glance through everything to get an idea of the focus and transition. Then I get to work. Above all, I want to keep the author’s voice intact. I am not rewriting. I am helping the author get his or her message across. That makes my work very interesting.
Every time I pick up a job, I have to re-prioritize. I may be working on a long job that has a deadline of two weeks. The new job may be short but has a fast turnaround time. I’ll switch the order and knock out the short job. It is a constant juggling act, but I make sure everyone gets what they want when the expect it.
The neat thing about writing is you can do it whenever or wherever you like, even on vacation. In fact, being on vacation can result in some wonderful work, and you don’t feel deprived. It doesn’t take a moment to jot down an idea or a phrase. A pad is an easy thing to carry around, and it doesn’t interfere with anything or anyone. Writing is creative; it has its own way and its own time.
I believe many people are under the mistaken impression that editing only involves grammar and syntax. Learning is the best thing about writing and editing because you have to understand the topic, to some extent, in order to be effective. The more diverse your education, the better you will be. Research is invaluable when it comes to understanding unfamiliar material. When editing a large manuscript, I get to know the author. I do not believe it is possible to do a good job unless you do. Typing is a must. I can type and think at the same time because I don’t have to think about typing.
The World of Work
I have five college degrees, so I haven’t been “out” of school that many years. Teachers warned me about how difficult the “real” world was. I never found it to be as arbitrary and cruel as school can be. To be sure, I have had some terrible experiences in jobs, but I could always resign. In school, there is often no escape. I never had a job as deadly as some of the courses I have endured.
I have never had a hard lesson to learn. This may be because I have worked in the academic field for the most part. I have heard horror stories from other people that have let me know how very fortunate I have been. I don’t have the pressure of a “boss.” I am my own task master. I may be hard on myself, but I’m not unreasonable.
My Future
If I could go back and do things differently, I would not change very much. I was healthy until I was almost forty. I filled my life with experiences that have made me a better writer and editor. Now that I am learning so much about finding work as a writer, I would encourage anybody interested in writing and editing, including my friends, to get started.
While I write and edit for others, my heart lies with my own writing. I am finally beginning to do some of that. I am learning about the market for the work I do, and I am starting an educational series for parents that I hope to sell on Amazon. The Internet has given writers like me the opportunity to find success in a way that was never before possible.
If I could be doing anything in five years, I would like to be writing material that made a difference in this world. I would like to be a columnist or novelist who wrote words that made people think and helped them to be better people. After all, that is part of the power and magic of words.
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