The Business of Writing in Today’s World

Whether spoken or written, words are symbols. They represent ideas; and as is the case with physical craft, it takes a special skill to find ways to string them together in order to communicate ideas, be they simple or complex. The fashioner who constructs spectacular pieces possesses a combination of natural creative genius and mastery achieved by persisting in his efforts to hone his skill. Writers whose works have attracted significant attention and reviews also have an eye for connecting with their audiences in interesting and captivating ways. An eye talented and trained for the job.

Writing is big business, or can be, if the writer finds the opportunities and if he is ready to be met by them. Traditionally, a writer earns his money from the sale of his books, or as wages for his articles in the pages of newspapers. Scriptwriters and songwriters get paid too. But only the famed earn a living solely from scribbling things on paper or tapping away at a keyboard. Most have to make up for the need gaps left unattended to as a result of insufficient income, by working as something other than a writer on most days.

Thanks to the word-dominated space that is the internet, a whole new world of opportunities has exploded into existence. While the modern author still faces many of the challenges which writers from earlier times did, new avenues have opened up for the business of writing. From the online freelance merchants to the bloggers whose online spaces are splashed over by advertisements from royalty-paying organizations, writers have found that written descriptions and prescriptions can yield sizeable profits for them. If one has a passion for creating literary work, she need not shy away from her passion for fear of becoming penury-stricken. She will only need to do this- make a craft out of her art.

The good old writer of novels has not become an obsolete dinosaur in our time. Thick volumes are still being sold and bought, but there is also an online presence, and the book business is alive and well on our computer screens. Publishing platforms and communities exist online, where clients are able to find writers who are willing to produce for a fixed or negotiated price. Blogging has become potentially lucrative and has attracted a lot of enthusiasts. The army of bloggers in Nigeria is growing rapidly as it attracts all sorts of people, from exceptionally gifted communicators to money-hunters whose lack of a genuine love for writing manifests itself in the shallow and shabby nature of their output.

Many business organizations employ writers or have their writing needs met by engaging writers on a contractual basis. The crafting of business plans has become a source of income for a good number of people, although there are ethical questions to be answered if it involves the presentation of contract-written plans as original work by individuals seeking grants from potential sponsors. Other formal writing work may also be contracted to writers if they have being trained to create these types of documents.

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ikenna-nwachukwu

Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.

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