Writer job

Many people tend to think that a Writer's job is to write. In reality, that is only part of the story. So what else forms the other part of the Writer's job? Well, before a writer puts pen to paper, he must get the material that he wishes to write about. If he already has it, he has to build a believable world around it and that means looking for facts to prop up the story. Therefore researching becomes the foremost component of a writer's job. This involves gathering all those bits and pieces of information that will enable the writer to offer a compelling must-read to his reader. Without hard facts, without research, the story becomes a pack of cards that crumbles down under the first gust of a critic's wind.

Having dispensed with the rubrics of research, he must now proceed to the nub and core of a writer's job: writing. Consumed by the fire of inspiration, he pours his thoughts into the written word, weaving a living story that moves his reader along with him. The characters pop into life, our lives, and we laugh or cry with them. They become our brothers, and mothers, and neighbors, and as the plot thickens it becomes our very own: who did what to whom? What crumbs of wisdom can we glean from its theme?

The story done, the writer must not stop there. The writer's job demands that he writes and re-writes that same story to the point that a fine- toothcomb-examination will reveal no errors. It is only then that our writer is prepared to move to the next level of a writer's job. This part of the writer's job involves checking copy edits, proofs, and final copies (of hardcover, paperback, or any other editions).

The writer's next job involves negotiating deals, especially with publishers. Some writers outsource this job to agents, but a significant number of them go through the paces of negotiating personally.

After that, it becomes the writer's job to check contracts, for example with his publishers. Again, it is the writer's job to check royalties. Who has used his copyright and needs to pay up?

Books are produced to be sold. The more they are sold, the merrier. Therefore, one cannot take away from the writer the job of publicizing his works. Perhaps this writer's job can also be outsourced to an agent, but his tacit approval must be given and he must be involved if only indirectly.

What happens when a writer's work strikes it big? Apart from the fat pay check, he also receives a lot of mail from fans, news writers, and so on. As you can already notice, the writer's job does not end with getting a book on the bestseller list. Now the writer's job becomes to respond to these mails, sign an autobiography here and there and perhaps give interviews to his cousins of the Fourth Estate.

The writer has made a name for himself. Now he must help other writers make a name for them too. The writer's job in this regard involves blurbing other writers. He pens brief comments - known as blurbs - on the jackets of ready-to -be- released books. His favorable comment on that book becomes a badge of honor that will help shore up the sales of that yet unknown book. In addition, make yet another successful writer.