As an author or writer, you’ll write, edit and analyse written material. Working creatively, you'll produce pieces of work for publication, collaborate with clients and write for different audiences. Find out more about a career as an author or writer including what you could study.
Working as an author or writer will typically mean you’ll get to work on a variety of projects. Whether you go self-employed or in-house, you could be writing for television or radio companies, newspapers, magazines, game design agencies, websites or government departments. You might write scripts, reports, articles, app content or books.
Or, you might write your own poetry, fiction or non-fiction and aim to get your work published. It’s a competitive, creative sector that needs resilience and dedication on your part, and many writers supplement their income through a portfolio of work. The struggle for many writers is committing to writing on a regular basis to keep improving.
Daily tasks will vary but could involve:
The average salary for an author or writer in the UK is £33,800. Graduates start at around £22,500.
Travel in this role is rare. However, you might need to travel for conferences, festivals or other events.
Many people are self-employed and work from home. If you have an office-based role, flexible working arrangements are common.
Use our Career Matcher to see which industries and roles align best with your interests.
