How to Expand from Creative Writing to Business Writing

Creative writing isn't the lost art, and it's becoming more of a profitable art. Still, business writing has more of a demand. There are literally millions of writers out there, including me, making a steady living on all forms of writing-from the Hollywood script writer to the non-fiction business author. There are some paths for each, but this guide goes for the middle ground between creative writing and business writing. I define creative writing more as an art form, while business writing is the natural progression from it. Creative writing is a short story or essay, while business writing is more website content and direct mail letter. Make sense?

In a few minutes, I will give you a clear plan of moving from creatively penning short stories, novels, or screenplays, to putting together business documents and making far more of a steady income.

But, none of this is to say give up on your creative writing pursuits. Fact is, you can make money doing both. Business writing simply is a way to put food on the table in the meantime. Let's get started.

How much are you making?

Let's get down to the basics behind all this. If you have a day job and been working occasionally on writing, you know it's far from easy to make it as a creative writer of any kind. Business writing is a bit easier to get paid higher amounts in. A screenplay sells for $100,000 just about every day, but there are about 100,000 screenwriters in Hollywood trying to get it. It's not out of the ordinary for business writers to gross that same amount in a year.

What do you truly want to have?

As a creative writer, you're obviously interested in the arts. Short stories or novels have their innate fun to them, as well as all the pains. Yet, to get you going toward a business writing career, ask exactly what you want from all this. A new house or apartment? A new computer? A suitable income for your family? It can happen. This isn't a pipe dream. So set goals.

Set Goals:

Setting goals as a writer of anything allows you to keep at it on a daily basis. But, for creative writers, a first novel sale often doesn't equate to much, especially after two years of work and two years of rejection. However, set goals for both your creative writing and business writing pursuits. There is more of a need for business writers than storytellers, but good writers are needed in just about every industry.

What do you like writing - What Pays You?

Consider your day job as your foot in the door. Consider your education as something incredibly relevant. I have read many books on business writing, and each writer, prior to taking the copywriting or technical writing plunge, had a career in the works or an education in a specific field. One majored in engineering. Another writer worked as a phone solicitor. Any knowledge you have can help you move from writing stories based on imagination to writing pieces from your own knowledge and experience.

Keep Writing:

Now, I am not saying selling direct mail letters is any better than writing short stories or novels. But, when you think about a steady work from home income, business writing is the winner in the SHORT TERM. Creative writing fulfills all kinds of things that business writing cannot. Yet good creative writers often turn into good copywriters or technical writers, and the opposite is true as well. In the long term, doing both creative writing and business writing fulfills goals as artists while also paying the mortgage.