How Do You Tell People You’re a Writer?
When I first started out as a freelance writer, I had a hard time telling people what I did for a living. Looking back on that time, I have no idea why. I’ve learned that if I speak confidently about what I do, people will respond to that confidence. When I faltered people would stare at me, waiting for more information. My family members constantly told me to get a “real” job.
Over this past weekend I saw a comedy show and I was in the hot seat. You know, that seat where some poor sap answers the comedian’s questions. When asked, “What do you do for a living?” I said, “Writer.” Of course, he made fun of that a little bit. He said, “It’s complete sentence day for the writer in the room.” It was funny and I didn’t care. People weren’t laughing at me and my profession. They were laughing at the comedian’s joke. That’s a difference I wouldn’t have made when I was first starting out.
So if you’re a beginner, how do you get to that point? For me, it was a gradual change. As I become comfortable in what I was doing and as I had deadlines and other things to keep me busy, I had no problem telling people about what I did as a living. And it is this confidence that helped me land new jobs.
I’ve thought long and hard about how I can help people get that confidence. So I’ve put together a short list of tips and techniques you can try. It’s better to practice this from the beginning of your career. The sooner you gain confidence in your abilities, the easier it will be to reach your personal goals.
- Say, “I’m a writer” to everyone who asks. Don’t stutter or elaborate. Leave it at that unless people ask you questions.
- When people ask where they can see your work, point them to your website.
- Get business cards printed that say you’re a writer. Include your website URL.
- If you don’t have a website, get one for free at blogger.com, wordpress.com, or any of the other free sites.
And that’s it. That’s all you need. You’re not out to prove to these people that you’re a writer. You’re simply telling them. Too many writers turn those innocent questions into a defense. Remember, it’s not proof people are after - they’re simply curious.
If you don’t want to spend money on business cards, try Vista Print. You get 250 free cards that are high quality. They have over 40 templates to choose from if you get the free version. You can pay for add-ons, but you don’t need to do that. Stick with the free version and you’ll have a card that is professional enough to advertise what you do for a living. 
Jun 13th, 2008 at 4:24 am
[…] How do You Tell People You’re a Writer? […]
Jun 14th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Great tips, Katherine!
I recently had someone tell me: “Can’t you just get on the computer for a couple of hours and then get off?”
What? Huh?
Some people just don’t have a clue and maybe they never will. But writing and earning money online takes way longer than a couple of hours a day. I sure wish that’s all it took!
*smiles*
Michele
Jun 15th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
I know Michelle, I wish making money online were easy but the truth is, it takes hard work to build a lasting business, no matter what it is. Just because it’s “online” doesn’t make it get rich quick. You need to build your business, get the work, do the work, find new clients, keep track of earnings and expenses…
Jun 15th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Yeah, it’s kind of like sitting in an empty store you just opened. No people are coming in because they don’t know you’re there. You haven’t been open long enough, or been around long enough to have folks buzzing about your place, so you’re just sitting there lonely. It’s like that online, I think. With blogs that are new, we might not have a lot of comments or readership, but putting the time in by writing great posts, being super genuine and kind to our readers once we do start building a community, and also getting around to other online places and all those things start causing people to spread the word and voila, we grow. Love it!
Jun 15th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I had to smile when I read this post because the firs few months as a writer I did not know how to tell people that I write. I’m a business owner and never have had a problem talking about my business, but writing for pay was something new to me. I think part of the problem was that even though I wrote daily I really never thought of what I did as “writing”.
Interestingly I had no problem letting potential clients know about my capabilities. I was confident and able to land a lot of jobs.
Jun 17th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
@Michele - well said!
@Opal - Yes, it takes some getting used to. For a lot of people (and I was one of these) it is hard to say “I’m a writer” until you make that first sale. But it isn’t like that with other professions. If you’re looking for a job as an engineer you still say “I’m an engineer”.
Jun 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
This may be a little off topic…but initially, some people look so confused when I say that I’m a freelance writer. Then the questions start: How does that work? What do you write? How much do you make? How can I become a writer?
Jun 19th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Valencia, you’re right - people do often look confused. That comedian was a little perplexed and turned my profession into a joke! lol. I realized it’s curiosity - it’s beyond the norm so people can’t help but ask questions. If you say “I work for so and so” that’s a model people understand. But what we do goes beyond get a job, go to work, go home.
Jun 21st, 2008 at 4:21 am
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