Since there has been a rise in the demand for content, there has been an increase in the number of writers as well. However, with the increase in the number, there has also been an increase in the competition. This means that only writer with exceptional skills and expertise will get the work while the others will get ignored.
Is this good or bad? Well, if you are a truly professional writer, this is good news for you – you will have an easier time getting hired. What if you are an amateur?
Relax! You can still make it to the top if you learn and apply what professional writers do to get to the top and stay there. This post will uncover some of the secrets of professional writers that you can adapt to up your writing game.
Before you move on to the actual differences, you have to consider this; “Writing” comes in all forms and so, it is hard to cover the best practices of all kinds of professional writers. However, the practices mentioned in this post can be applied to most forms of writing.
How are professional writers different from Amateur?
Professionalism and expertise in any field come with experience and the same is the case with writing. Professional writers become professional with time and effort and learn from other professionals. Last, of all, true professional writers do a few things differently which makes them stand out. Here is a list of them;
They know their audience
One of the biggest differences between professionals and amateurs is that professionals know who they are addressing in their content. Rather than just putting the information in, they connect with their audience. They transfer the mood, the emotion, and the feeling.
How do they accomplish that?
Professional writers certainly have nuanced vocabulary but that’s not the only tool they use to convey the feeling and the emotion. They bend the rules of grammar to emphasize certain points or to convey a certain mood (see #2, #3, and #4).
Professional writers break the rules
Rules are there to be followed but not always, and professional writers understand that. That’s is why there are certain grammar and writing rules that writers break, which enhances their work and separates them from the amateurs.
They end sentences with preposition
The rules of grammar say “you cannot end a sentence with a preposition” and writers follow this rule. However, seasoned professional writers sometimes break this rule and end their sentences with prepositions.
They start their sentences with conjunctions
If you follow the rules for structuring your sentence, then you cannot start a sentence with a conjunction, and amateurs are told to follow this rule. Professional writers, however, know that this rule can be broken and they don’t hesitate to ignore this rule when they have to.
They use incomplete sentences
Sometimes professional writers deliberately use incomplete sentences in their content. This trick when used correctly works wonders to get the reader hooked. It creates a bit of suspense and urges the reader to move on to the next sentence to get the complete meaning.
They use passive voice:
Another rule that professional writers are seen breaking is the use of passive voice instead of the “recommended” active voice. It’s true that active voice brings clarity to the content by making the subject focal point of the sentence but when you have to keep the subject anonymous then passive voice comes in handy.
They know that there’s more to their writing than just “writing”
Professional writers treat their work as a product. This means they don’t only write but they also know how to package it, promote it and sell it. They either outsource these tasks to the right individuals (or agencies) or they do it themselves. This goes for all sorts of writers – whether you are a professional copywriter or an academic writer.
Consider this scenario: If a student is looking for cheap assignment writers he will obviously search for them on the internet, and so if the writer hasn’t done any sort of advertising or optimization to appear in the search results, he will lose business. Hence, if you want to promote yourself to the level of a professional writer then you have to learn how to promote your work.
They stay connected with their community:
Another thing that professional writers do is, hang out with other writers. They have a community and they stay connected. This allows them to communicate what each of them is up to, and help each other out.
Amateur writers, on the other hand, do not necessarily spend time with the individuals who are dominating the field of writing, and hence miss out on the opportunity to learn and grow in their field.
They are disciplined:
Professional writers value their time and their work, and they stay away from distractions while they are working. Professional writers value their personal space because they understand this simple fact – if a writer is to produce his best work, he has to be in the “zone” where he can think and write freely.
Final thoughts:
Now you know what makes great writers great. If you want to pursue writing as a career and you are just starting out, you can adapt some of these. However, it is not recommended to break all these rules unless you know exactly what you are doing. If you take guidance from professionals, your journey to becoming a professional writer will become easier. It’s always good to have a mentor to guide you lastly if you want to hire a writer, hire a professional instead of an amateur. Whether you are looking for British Essay Writers, or a writer to handle your marketing content, always go for a professional, because professionals will always deliver a greater quality of work.