People with a love for writing are apprehensive to pursue it as a career because they have heard or assume that writing means becoming an author. It is important to shatter this misconception since writing in today’s world is not only restricted to writing novels and stories, rather it has established itself as an essential aspect of marketing, journalism, blogging and various other domains as well. Therefore, the art of painting stories through words is an immortal profession that will keep growing across domains leading to an increased need for writers.

If you possess a genuine love for writing, can understand the shades of words and how these words will impact your readers, then your skills can be applied to the following careers:

• Editor: An Editor is a reviewer who is responsible for polishing, refining and enhancing a publication before it reaches its target audience. They work for magazines, blogs, newspapers, books and publications and critically review articles to ensure that the content is grammatically and factually correct. They act as an interface between the writer and the audience by making the writer’s work more interesting, engaging and flawless for the readers. Not only that, an editor would plan the different sections in a particular edition, set deadlines, oversee writers, and ensure that only relevant and intriguing content is published.

• Content Writer: A website’s voice is in a major part determined by the content written on it. Content helps you understand a company’s offerings easily, builds trust, and convinces you to opt-in for the service/product/cause the website is trying to sell. Content writers write content that speaks to the audience through words that are appealing, engaging and well-informed. A flair for writing, a love for wordplay, and a unique perspective are what you need to make it big.

• Journalist: From vigilance to interviewing, a variety of skills go into making a good journalist. A Journalist is someone who gathers information and weaves it into a story appealing to his/her audience. This gathering, assessing and creating news involves perusing press releases, verifying facts, developing story ideas, researching and investigating topics, cultivating sources and relationships, etc. Once the story is put to words, it is published as articles in the form of newspaper or web articles. Journalists write and report news stories about everything from social issues to politics, sports and entertainment. Journalists report news as it is, in an unbiased form, or have a voice of their own that affects the decision-making of their readers and creates an impact on people.

• Social Media Manager: Social media is a favourite past-time for many, and for brands today it is a great way to reach out to their existing and potential customers. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and various other social media channels are mediums through which brands engage with their audience, create interest for their products, share information and interesting content, and ultimately, drive traffic on to their website. Social Media Managers are their torchbearers who build and maintain social channels in a way that they reflect the company’s voice and attract the audience. Top-notch communication and writing skills, ability to write sharp and engaging content, social media literacy, a good sense of humour, and a hawk-eye for trends are what you need to grab an opportunity in this career.

• Copywriter: Copywriters entice their readers to take action through witty and user-friendly content, present on brochures, billboards, websites, emails, advertisements, catalogues and even social media. Copywriters are essential to marketing and advertising, and if you feel you have a way of conveying heavy meaning through fewer words, you can give this career a go.

• Blogger: Blogs are the perfect way to publish your writing, share your perspectives and opinions, connect with people, and learn new things along the way. Be it food, fashion, education, travel, inspiration, you can choose the theme you connect with the most to start up your own blog or find an existing blog in your chosen genre and write for them. If you are a master of words and want a direct window to connect with an audience, blogging is the way to go!

• Scriptwriter: A scriptwriter is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting i.e. writing screenplays on which mass media such as films, television programs, online videos, web-series or even video games are based. S/he is a storyteller responsible for creating characters, crafting dialogues and weaving engaging plots that keep the audience entertained. Usually, scriptwriters specialize in a particular genre for instance comedy, action or mystery. Some create content for broadcast radio while others paint stories for plays.

PR Specialist: All the public figures you come across today from politicians to celebrities to singers are not just big names, instead, they are brands being created and publicized by Public Relations professionals. A PR specialist aims to create a favourable aura around their client by monitoring media releases, directing public relations programs, raising funds for their organizations and preparing information for the media. They decide what goes into the newspaper, what should be published on websites, and what interview questions would portray the desired image of that person or organization. Hence, writing and using the correct words, plays an important role in the life of a PR specialist.