Professional writing: definition and basic introduction

We can broadly classify writers into two categories namely professional writers and hobby writers. Writers, who take up writing as a profession and make a living out of it, are professional writers while the writers, for whom writing is just a hobby, are hobby writers. Nowadays, professional writers can be seen in several fields, being referred to by different names in different fields. Following is a list of various forms of professional writers,

Industry Title of job

Software, Hardware & Manufacturing Technical writer
SEO SEO writers

Website/CD designing firms Content writers
Academics Instructional designer
Business Houses Proposal writers & Business Writers
Advertisement Copy writers
Law Legal writers
Medicine & Health care Medical Transcriptionist
Press Journalists
Film industry Story writers, dialogue writers and script writers



All the above mentioned, referred to by different job titles, do one common thing i.e., writing. Though they all involved in one common task called ‘writing’, the nature and style of writing varies a lot from one job to another job. Hence, professional writers have to acquire two sets of skills:

1. Skills that are commonly required to any kind of writer. e.g.: Basic skills in computer operation, basic Internet skills, Basics in authoring tools like Ms-Word.

2. Skills that are specially required to the domain they are involved in. e.g.: Keyword research tools for SEO writing, legal terminology for legal writing and tools such as Robo Help and Frame Maker for Technical writers.

Hence, a professional writer must possess basic skills as well as domain specific skills. If he possesses any of the skills related to another domain of writing, it will be an added advantage for him.