A writer's reality - race to the bottom or get rich quick?
Writing aspirations fuel daydreams, but the reality for many writers is that our skills are constantly being devalued (and not just because of AI).
English is the world’s most studied language. It makes me feel fortunate that I’m a native English language speaker. More so because being able to read and write English, also earns me a living as a freelance writer.
But I can also count. In fact, I can add up, subtract and do other (very) basic sums in my head, but I’m pretty sure this doesn’t make me an accountant.
Accountants need training to gain professional qualifications and very few people would dare say they had the skills to become an accountant within a matter of weeks.
Not so for writing and writers. Why?
I think it’s because writing is something we take for granted and that most people feel competent enough to write a sentence expressing an idea or thought. Literacy is good.
But I’m not convinced being literate is enough to make you a professional writer. However, if you believe the courses that promise to help you earn ‘six figures’ from writing, then it’s potentially as simple as knowing your ABCs.
I’m absolutely sure there are writers earning six figures so it’s not that these courses are a lie. But it’s also not quite as simple as promoters want you to believe. Writers that do earn lots of money are more likely to be in-house with years of experience behind them. They may also have somesort of writing-based or language qualification, whether that’s in English, linguistics, journalism or more specifically, copywriting, marketing or advertising.
This isn’t to say you can’t become a successful writer without a qualification, it’s that I don’t believe you can’t become a good one overnight. And I’m pretty sure that goes for any job.
If you need proof, just look at all the misplaced apostrophes in shop signs and banners. Look for the words that are meant to be read by a UK audience, but are spelt for the US.
Does it matter? From the perspective of everyday communication, writing to a friend on text or email, of course not. From a professional perspective, yes it does (but maybe I’m just a language geek).
Not to care about linguistic accuracy would be like saying addition and multiplication signs are the same (which they are if you rotate them) but clearly in the context of maths, that would be completely wrong.
It matters because language and writing is about communication – speaking to a specific audience, getting them to do something, learn something or feel something. If you can’t get your point across, you’ve failed.
It takes time to write effectively. I began ten years ago, and I cringe at some of my early work. It was evidently good enough to get me hired as a freelancer by an agency, but it’s not what I’d turn out now with a decade of experience behind me.
But this is just one half of the problem – that some people see writing as a quick and easy way to make money.
The second half of the problem is that some employers also see writing as something that’s quick and easy to do, the result being it’s seen as a cheap commodity (because if you can string a sentence together, well, you’re a writer, no?)
Put the two together and you get this weird scenario of writing being seen as a get rich quick scheme with predatory employers looking to exploit the promise of a dream by paying a pittance (because you have to start somewhere).
If you could move on from the pittance to earning money that actually pays bills, that would be one thing, but it’s not. Writing skills are constantly being devalued.
The evidence? Job ads with reams of requirements and expectations paying just a couple of pence per word. One role asks for:
Experience in blog writing across a variety of niches.
An understanding of SEO is preferable.
Ability to write with authority about different subjects.
Ability to incorporate clients naturally into informative, engaging articles.
Ability to adapt tone and style to individual order requirements.
Some understanding of the subject matter and target site so that content fits seamlessly on the site.
Excellent spelling and grammar. Proofreading your work is vital.
Remuneration? £12 for 500 words.
Why is this so bad? Well, you’re expected to be able to write about a variety of niches and to have some understanding of the topic – this inevitably means some sort of research. This is reinforced by the request for ‘authority’ which you really can’t have unless you do your background reading (audiences aren’t stupid, they know when you’re blagging).
You’re also asked to adapt tone and style. This is fair enough, but remember that this is for a range of subjects which means you need to be particularly agile in juggling your words, all while doing your background research.
All this work PLUS the actual writing – for just a couple of pence per word.
Frankly, it’s not good enough.
Is there a solution?
If you’re a writer, please value your work. I sold out for years and it’s stressful. You end up working twice as hard for half the pay. The more of us who value our skills, expertise and experience, the more employers will get the message.
If you’re thinking about being a writer – go for it, but with your eyes wide open. The good jobs are hard enough to come by when you’ve got experience. Don’t let the bottom-feeder jobs devalue the art of great writing.