The Ultimate Guide to Creative Writing Jobs

Gone are the days when being a writer doomed you to a life as a starving artist. These days, there are so many creative writing jobs and ways to turn your passion for the page into a career.

Whether you’re looking for entry-level writing jobs or something for a more experienced scribe, read on to learn more about what writing gigs are available, where to find them, and everything else you need to know to start making wages from your words. 

There’s no one way to build a creative writing career. 

You may work a full-time job (in writing, or not) while you work on your creative writing on the side. You may decide to take freelance creative writing jobs to help pay the bills while leaving time for personal projects. You may be totally self-taught or decide you want an MFA degree.

Whatever path you take, the most important thing you can do is to write as much as you can to build your portfolio and hone your craft.

Precisely what jobs can you get with a creative writing degree or passion? Until you sell your first big script or novel, here are some common roles that allow you to use your skills while making a steady salary.

Salary range: $38k – $76k

Write content that drives sales, such as web pages, advertisements, emails, and more. This is one of the common entry-level writing jobs.

Salary range: $35k – $80k

Plan out posts and write content for a brand’s social media profiles. If you carefully craft all your Instagram posts, this could be the job for you!

Salary range: $23k – $107k

Help someone else write content that will be published under their name. This could be short-form web writing (such as for LinkedIn articles), or long-form writing (like for a memoir). 

Salary range: $46k – $100k

Write online content to help with a brand’s marketing efforts, such as blog posts for SEO or ebooks for customer acquisition.

Salary range: $27k – $79k

Cover news or contribute features to a website, newspaper, or magazine. While there are staff positions, many journalists are freelancers.

Salary range: $36k – $83k

Everything that’s written needs an editor, from online publications to books. Do everything from helping plan content topics and structure to fixing minor spelling and grammar mistakes.

Salary range: $40k – $97k

Use your writing skills in new ways as you help create multimedia content like online videos or podcasts.

Salary range: $38k – $73k

Creative writing teaching jobs can be a fulfilling way to get paid for your skills while helping others find a passion for writing. Find creative writing teaching jobs everywhere from universities to local writing classes to right here on Skillshare!  

In addition to LinkedIn or other major job sites, here are some sources specifically tailored to writers and other creative types.

As the name may suggest, this job board focuses on jobs in the media world (think companies like PBS, CNN, HBO). Expect to find plenty of writing gigs, from entry-level creative writing jobs all the way up to senior positions.

This site focuses on content marketers, with a job board plus a Slack community for support as you grow your career. 

If you love writing online content, Problogger is the job board for you. They’ve got freelance creative writing jobs along with full-time roles.

A job board from the people behind Creative Mornings, you’ll find plenty of jobs for writers and other creatively minded folks.

Whether you’re looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners or more senior gigs, this job board has plenty of options. 

These marketplace sites typically have plenty of writing gigs. Especially if you’re looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners, it can be a great way to find paid opportunities to build your portfolio. 

As a newsletter and Instagram account isn’t just for content careers, but you’ll usually find a few unique jobs for writers in the mix.  

This weekly newsletter is packed with advice for building your freelance career, plus a selection of curated freelance creative writing jobs.

The highest paying creative writing jobs are often the most specialized ones—think being able to write copy or marketing materials for medical or other highly technical industries. If you have specialized knowledge in those areas or are interested in learning, you can capitalize on it.

If that’s not your passion, don’t fret: As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make good money as a creative writer. Choose the one that excites you and get to work!