What You Need to Start Your Writing Business

I was listening to one of my motivational podcasts last week (yes, I know, should probably start all of my blog posts with a podcast-themed intro since I’m so addicted to them), but the guru had some great advice. She does business coaching to a variety of clients and in this segment, she was telling people what kinds of things they need to start their business. Because I know we’ve all been there, right?

You decide you want to be a novelist/freelance writer/copy editor/blogger, etc. So you invest in a bunch of equipment and business tools, such as a brand-spanking new computer, professional website designer, new software for invoicing etc. And before you know it, you’re more than $1,000 in the hole before you’ve even landed your first assignment.

Her point in the podcast was that you don’t need any of that. When this particular motivational speaker started out as a wedding planner, she printed out business cards and had some photos taken that featured her design aesthetic. And for that, she bartered with people she knew in the industry so they could all use the same set of photos featuring a cake, table settings, backdrops, etc. Once she landed her first few jobs, she was able to use those in her portfolio to help her land more jobs. She worked a full-time job as an event planner while working for free wedding planning on the weekends so she could learn the business. She made sure she had minimal start-up costs.

I thought back to when I first started my own writing business. I needed an e-mail account, a printer, minimal postage because I still sent out a few snail mail queries to magazine editors, a fax machine (I’m starting to date myself here) and a few how-to books on the art of query letter and freelance writing. And that was it! As my writing business grew and my kids came along, I needed money for childcare on the days I needed to conduct interviews on phone and in person.

Over the years, I’ve started to invest more in my writing. I still don’t have a graphic designer, but I pay a web hosting service so I can have a professional website, where I use existing templates to fit my needs. I also pay entry fees to enter writing contests every few months to keep myself productive. Every few years I try to attend a writing conference where I can network and partake in my own professional development. And I take online writing classes and workshops when I can fit them into my budget, and pay to have my writing professionally edited before sending out literary agent queries.

I say all this to point out that you don’t have to go into debt to pursue your dream of becoming a writer. I’m lucky now that I have a full-time job that can help supplement my writing projects, but that wasn’t always the case. I’ve hustled for plenty of years and spent minimal amounts of money while still selling articles and maintaining good relationships with a number of editors. I strongly feel that consistently turning in polished work and keeping in contact with editors is far more valuable than any software or equipment you could buy for your writing.

Where do you invest the most money in your writing? Do you agree or disagree that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to be a successful writer?

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer and editor who also works as a marketing director for a nonprofit theatre company, where there’s never any shortage of drama! Visit her website at FinishedPages.com.