Do your friends often tell you that you should be a lawyer? Do people have trouble saying “no” to you? A persuasive personality can often be translated into a persuasive writer, which can actually present several different unique career options that you haven’t yet considered.
Persuasive writing has always been important to our society, from editorials to collections to sales copy. Convincing others to do something with the sheer power of words is an art which is why persuasive writing skills are so valuable. If you think that you might want to make a career out of persuasive writing, here are a few options:
Persuasive Writing Career #1: Collections
I’ll bet you’ve never considered the collections industry to be a potential market for your writing skills, but it is. Someone has to write those collection letters that go out every month as well as the telephone scripts that collection agencies use. There is quite a bit of money to be made in collections if you’re good at what you do.
To make a career out of persuasive writing in collections, contact some of your local collections agencies. You might also want to create a website that advertises your services and gives examples of collection letters that you’ve written. You could even start your own collection agency if you want to focus on all aspects of the business, but that’s another article entirely.
Persuasive Writing Career #2: Sales Copy
We live in a world where the ability to sell something is often more valuable than the product or service itself. Writing sales copy is a very specific type of persuasive writing in which you utilize the three types of persuasion – ethos, pathos and logos – to convince people that they need or want a particular product.
Sales copy writiers (often called copywriters) are in high demand, particularly with the rising number of businesses who sell products on the Internet. If you can write direct mail advertising letters, website content, ad copy and promotional materials, you could easily use those persuasive talents to start a career in writing sales copy.
Persuasive Writing Career #3: Fundraising
Another avenue that you might want to consider for persuasive writing is writing for fundraising companies. Non-profit organizations need people like you to raise awareness about their cause and to convince the public to part with donations. Websites, ad campaigns and other materials are designed by writers like you, and although this may not be as lucrative as other types of persuasive writing gigs, it can sure be rewarding.
Persuasive Writing Career #4: Grant Proposals
There’s a reason why more than 10,000 books have been written on the art of writing grant proposals. This is a singularly unique form of persuasive writing in which you are trying to convince a review board to administer a grant (money) to a business or individual.
If you are hopin to make a career out of writing grant proposals, however, you should make sure to familiarize yourself with the topic first. Check out a few books at the library and find out how a grant proposal is written. Then start marketing your skills (Guru.com is a great place to start).
