Alternate Title(s) | N/A |
Minimum Education Requirements | Bachelor's degree |
Salary | See Bureau of Labor Statistics for more information |
Job Skills | - Adaptability. Writers and authors need to be able to adapt to newer software platforms and programs, including various Content Management Systems (CMS). - Creativity. Writers and authors must be able to develop new and interesting plots, characters, or ideas so they can come up with new stories. - Critical-thinking skills. Writers and authors must have dual expertise in thinking through or understanding new concepts, and conveying it through writing. - Determination. Writers and authors sometimes work on projects that take years to complete. Freelance writers who are paid per assignment must demonstrate perseverance and personal drive to meet deadlines. - Persuasion. Writers, especially those in advertising, must be able to persuade others to feel a certain way about a good or service. - Social perceptiveness. Writers and authors must understand how readers react to certain ideas in order to connect with their audience. - Writing skills. Writers and authors must be able to write clearly and effectively in order to convey feeling and emotion and communicate with readers. |
Job Duties | Writers and authors typically do the following: - Choose subject matter that interests readers - Write fiction or nonfiction through scripts, novels, biographies, and more - Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail - Write advertising copy for newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, and the Internet - Present drafts to editors and clients for feedback - Work with editors and clients to shape the material so it can be published |
Job Profile | Writers and authors develop written content for advertisements, books, magazines, movie and television scripts, songs, blogs, or other types of media. Writers and authors develop written material—namely, stories and advertisements—for books, magazines, and online publications. Writers must establish their credibility with editors and readers through strong research and the use of appropriate sources and citations. Writers and authors select the material they want to use and then convey the information to readers. With help from editors, they may revise or rewrite sections, searching for the best organization and the most appropriate phrasing. |
The information presented within this occupational profile was synthesized from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Handbook of Occupational Groups & Families.