How to Become a Professional Writer

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

Do you know how to become a successful writer? Since [bctt tweet=”content is the only medium to sell anything online”], the need for more writers is ever-increasing which means you need to be in the know of just how pure awesome CONTENT is made by professional writers.

Are you a copywriter, blogger, freelancer, or marketer? Or maybe into any business at all that leverages the written word to ‘sell’… this is how to build a massively successful professional writing career and business.

Introduction: Professional Writing As a Career [& Business]

‘How To Build A Massively Successful Professional Writing Business [Full Writer Course to become a professional writer]’

Hello!

You probably want to learn the art of making a COPY, not just mere content, you want to learn how to create razor-sharp articles that beget clicks; you want to become a professional writer?

Or…

Already a writer, wondering if there’s anything awesome about your future as a writer?

Starting with the latter, it may interest you to know that top professional writers make an average of $20k+ monthly, doing just the same thing you’re here today for. Fortunately, there’s absolutely nothing they’ve accomplished that someone like you couldn’t do just as easily.

Good writers earn lots of money and freedom for obvious reasons;

First…they decide to work from anywhere as freelancers,
Or… get hired by a big enterprising business;
Better still… make a business out of their career.
The life of a writer is full of freedom– being able to write from anywhere!

So do you want to become a professional writer? This post is specifically made for YOU!

Who Am I?

My name is Afonne-CID Paul Onyedikachi and I have been a professional copy-master for approximately 7 years now, blogger, and I have experienced a lot of success along the way.

I have a confession to make and that is, to be successful at writing, you have to possess a strong commitment towards success.

P.S: A major barrier facing every novice writer today is that they’re so focused on money that they forget to horn skills first.

What Makes A Great Writeup?

In reality, content serves two masters, search engines and readers. And since only the best content wins, a great writeup is optimized for both.

An effective copy should and can,

…boost Google SERP rank placement of websites based on their chosen category,
…introduce a brand to an audience,
…connect businesses with their to-be customers,
…sell any product/service, with the written word, to the world,
…create a strong emotional connection between the people that care and companies that help, etc.

All that’s what a professional writer ensures and that’s what you are going to learn by the end of this mini-course.

So how will you be like after going through this mini-course?

At least, you’ll become way better at writing (anything) than you are.
Learn every trick of the trade that you need to become a world-class writer that clients wait in line to hire.
Learn about all the writing essentials that make up a great copy…engaging your readers, writing great headlines, Google search optimization, etc.

Just all you need to do in return is to do what true professional writers (and pretty any others) do, push yourself every single day to become a better writer… give yourself the time and chance to take this learning to heart, study this material; read and digest it thoroughly.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 1: Growing Over Time From A Beginner-to-Pro Writer

All writers started from absolutely nothing at one point in their career and business. This is always the case, no matter the level they are at right now, we all did.

That’s a good way to tell you that some work awaits you.

So it’s time, if you’re still looking for a shortcut around online writing success other than hard work and constant practice, to understand that actually, there was no easy way after all.

Consistency and hard work are a must-have to start and grow as a writer.

With that out of the way, to step up your game from a novice writer, you’ll want to find the playground, a trustworthy platform to write for, as you grow.

Not all the hundreds of websites arrow-heading make money right from the comfort of your upholstery, actually deliver on their promises.

As difficult as writing can be, some of these websites never pay writers when due, or take a lot of time after submission to give feedback, worst case, many rarely ever have sufficient jobs for writers in their network.

That’s something to look out for and avoid to grow as a writer.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 2: Keywords and Their Place in Content Writing

The quality, style, and wording of any content are more important than anything else because copies are meant for humans first, and lastly, for humans.

While writing, you should stick to common words. You don’t want to use a string of three and four-letter words just because you want to fix-in a keyword. Your job is to find the happy medium where everyone would feel comfortable.

The search engines are there to help more humans find your content. But that doesn’t mean that deliberate actions should not also be taken to optimize for search.

You’ll want to do both things- write a great article focused on engaging your readers, and make the semantic keywords fit for ranking your page.

What Is A Keyword?

A keyword is a word, group of words, or phrase that identifies the main intent of a blog post, sales copy, article, or any writeup, for the sole purpose of search ranking.

In essence, every single word you type qualifies as a keyword if its use is aimed at increasing the ranking of content on search engines.

Google analyzes every article you write before ranking: How?

In the first place, it searches for the most regularly utilized words in your post to find out what the article is about.
Then, it looks at the extra important keywords (those used in the titles and sub-titles, first paragraph, quotes, italics, and bold).
Next, it compares your main keywords to see how they relate to each other.
Finally, the search engines look at the detail of your writing in general and how your keywords seem to fit that particular topic.

Google also determine the quality of your writeup by:

Estimating how hard your article is to read which you generally want to fall right in the middle of their scale (around 7th – 8th-grade reading level).
Checking Readability: knowing if your writing is too simple or too technical. Note: Using too many ‘difficult’ words can affect the readability score of your content.

Generally, search engines like Google utilize keywords to figure out what your article is really about. And since computers can’t exactly think like people yet, it implies that you must be very cautious with regards to researching and selecting keywords.

Always remember that keywords are a very big deal in any form of online content and play a major role to get a business found in the search engines. So mastering this information can make or break you as a professional writer; be you copywriter, blogger, freelancer, content creator, social media marketer, affiliate, etc.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 3: My Perfect First Paragraph Strategy

You don’t need to overwhelm them, but the very first sentence you put out should take your reader by surprise and immediately draw them in. The next few lines should clear any doubts that they have come to the right place, then wrap up with a promise of value in what’s to come thereafter… all the while ensuring that your reader will want more.

Your first paragraph is like an “elevator pitch”, used amongst entrepreneurs to describe a short sales talk prepared to impress potential investors.

It’s critical to completely hook your readers within the very first paragraph for several specific reasons-

build interest right off the bat, to
echo your authority in the niche, and
establish reader’s trust.

There are hundreds of ways to engage your readers in the first paragraph- storytelling and asking a question are just a few of them.

After the first paragraph, the work continues. Each line of your content should lead to the next line, the other to the next. Just like that right from the start.

Part of that can be achieved by ensuring you transit nicely from one sentence to the next and keeping your paragraphs tight, while the remaining part comes from formatting.

Just like an elevator pitch, you’ve got about 20-30 seconds to completely win or lose a reader.

The next time you write an opening paragraph, see it as an elevator pitch for new customers.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 4: Style And Formatting

You might have noticed that I have continuously added sub-titles and some special formatting sparingly to this post. That’s just one of the many tricks that help break up the page into smaller digestible sections.

The more you have…

Sub-titles,
Shorter paragraphs,
Nice wording, and
Punctuations,
Photos/images,
Videos, plus
Charts,
Diagrams, and
Infographics

…the neater and better the content flows with a very seamless readable feel to it. These are especially useful for an appealing read of longer posts.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 5: #1 Way to Improve Your Writing Abilities Exponentially

Every great writer started right where you are today, and their earliest work wasn’t that great.

Now they know better, earn better and write best!

The only way to expand your vocabulary and discover new ways to string words together as a professional writer and get paid for it is by reading. And since there are amazing resources out there on just about every subject, you have zero excuses for not reading about the things you’ll be writing about.

If you want to grow fast in your writing career and business as a native or non-native English speaker, then you must understand that

Reading alone is not enough, learn to read critically. Re-read every content you come across and enjoyed reading. slowly pick it apart line by line, find out what makes that writing style work, and think of how to make something like that yourself in the future.
Create a writing schedule. Write a lot, every single day of your life, whether you feel like it or not. Write at least 3,000 words every single day about anything.
- Create a blog and post on it daily.
- Work on your unpublished book.
- Send emails to friends, family, and loved ones.
- Start a journal to write your goals daily.
- Write a short story about anything.
- Write email campaigns to prospective clients.
- Post on forums and answer questions.
- Post on writers’ groups on Facebook.

Social media have come to stay, but let it not be a distraction to your future as a writer.

Besides the waste of time that arises from excessive use of social media platforms, it can also hamper your writing soundness. Apart from social websites, try your best to avoid anything that keeps you from attaining your best self as a writer.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 5: Dedicating Yourself towards Professional Writing Success

Nobody is going to give you the passion to become a professional writer. You either have it or you don’t. The same holds for success in it.

Learning to write comes only from the process of writing itself, and there is no substitute for gaining that experience.

The place of disciplined commitments cannot be overemphasized. Start writing today no matter how it may suck.

Get committed. Never settle for okay…always aim for awesome. Criticize your work, study your writing and make at least three full edits before you hit submit. Fret over the small details and work towards eliminating sections that don’t say anything of importance.

Always aim for perfection every single time you write. That’s what real professionals do every single day of their lives, so you need to do the same thing right off the bat of your career as a writer.

Becoming a Professional Writer- Chapter 6: Making Content that Always Gets Noticed [Reader’s Choice]

One common mistake novice writers always make while writing is spending far too much time saying nothing of real value.

So many beginners say a lot of nothing, thereby wasting time and space that could be used for pure awesome content.

Learn just how to create razor-sharp content that cuts!

There’s really nothing more important than engaging your readers– followed by making keywords fit into an article for the search engines, it’s your primary objective.

Take a look at the great content map for your next 500-word post-

Intro	75 words
#1 Important Fact	100 words
Supporting Statement	25 words
#2 Important Fact	100 words
Supporting Statement	25 words
#3 Important Fact	100 words
Supporting Statement	25 words
Closing	50-75 words

Template To Write Razor-Sharp Content [The Sagacious Technique]

As we all know, people have shorter attention spans nowadays than ever.

Coupled with SEO best practices to observe while still keeping quality at top-notch, becoming an experienced writer that knows how to write for the internet could be a lot of work.

So if you know how to write good content that helps readers stick around, you are rewarded handsomely.

That is the work of a blogger! So the question becomes how do we achieve that.

Templates Come To The Rescue.

As a blogger, you may know how life-saving templates are.

Thanks to WordPress, getting a site up and running needs just as little as a web hosting subscription plan, WP installation, and a template.

Today I have come up with the Sagacious Technique to always write razor-sharp and pin-pointed content from your next post .

Let’s quickly get a rundown of the Sagacious technique of content creation.

Write and structure your content in nuggets.
Nobody will ever complain about a too-easy-to-understand post.
The science comes first, then the art. (What do you have to say).
Your content “must be selling something.”
Write in the open-ended format (use open and closed loops).
Speak to a feeling that is already there (humans are emotional beings).
Be that man you’ll want to listen.
Find your voice.
Trim, make it punchy and as concise as possible.
Storytime.

Template To Write Razor-Sharp Content

If you can make the sagacious technique of writing a habit, then a professional writer that consistently churns out bang-up content will become.

And any day content creation is no longer a hurdle, then success in the online world is bound to happen.

Fortunately, that day happens to be today.

Do you want to know how?

Then let’s get to it.

1. The science Comes First, Then The Art

You should have something important to talk about even before reaching out for a writing pad.

That’s where it actually starts, the rest naturally follows.

So what do you have to say? That’s the science part of every content you’ll be writing from now on.

Once that is identified.

Just do a good job of putting it in writing.

That’ll be the art side of it.

2. Write and Structure Your Content in Nuggets.

This is one of the real differences between print and online content.

A blog post doesn’t have to be another page on a science textbook.

Make it easy for people to read by breaking bulky paragraphs into 2-4 sentence long nuggets.

It also helps the rate of content engagement.

3. Nobody Will Ever Complain About a Too-Easy-To-Understand Post.

Even if you will, I won’t. And I can guarantee there are a thousand-and-one people out there who won’t either.

It’s better too easy than too hard to read.

Easy to read content boost readership and understanding than vocabulary-filled write-ups.

With the sagacious technique, you will want to write in as simple terms and words as possible.

The main goal is to pass your message across. The content is just a medium.

And if your content fails to deliver this, then it has not done its job as a medium of communication.

4. Your Content “Must Be Selling Something”

Sales don’t only happen when we sell actual digital or physical products.

Sales happen every single time we interact with other people.

For instance, in this post, I’m selling you my ideas, experiences, expertise, opinion, etc. And it’s my job to make you understand that I know exactly what I’m talking about.

The same happens in our day-to-day interactions with others. When you negotiate, debate, argue, discuss, advise, you name it.

Even when you write, you are selling, so you just need to be conscious of it and do a little extra job to make it come out, right.

It could be your point of view, an idea, or a product.

Anything at all!

Your content is a medium for sales and engagement.

5. Write in Open-ended Format (Open and Closed Loops)

To encourage the free flow of engagement, corrections, opinions, and suggestions, you’ll want to make room for it.

That is by asserting less and rather discuss and teach.

This method allows questions and even corrections from the reader or student.

It doesn’t make you less of an expert, that is just the sagacious technique of writing.

This is the best way to engage an audience, whether in a video or textual content.

6. Speak To a Feeling That is Already There

Humans are emotional beings, so the best way to make a deep connection with them is through their emotions.

It may sound exploitative but that’s what happens in our day-to-day lives.

You remember when you saw ads asking questions like:

Are you fat and need to shed some flab?
Of course, anybody that considers themselves fat will want to lose weight.
Do you want to make $1millio daily, all while watching your television at home? 🙂
I mean, who wouldn’t want that?

Now can you think for a second why people will fall for these kinds of promotions?

It all boils down to feelings and emotions.

There’s no better way to get someone’s attention (and even money) than by their interests, ambitions, beliefs, and convictions.

Don’t exploit people, but speaking to a feeling that’s already there is a sure-fire for sales, content marketing, blogging, and what have you.

7. Be That Man You’ll Want To Listen

Teaching is considered the best way to mastery because teachers get to teach themselves before their students.

That’s the reason I write what I will enjoy reading.

Being the person you would like to listen to will make you keep up-ing your game, hence others in turn see who they’ll want to listen to in you too.

This simple principle helps us perform at our best because you’ll keep asking yourself if I was this person, will I do it.

8. Find your voice.

I am CID and my principle is: Before ME, there was none like ME, and when I’m gone, there will never be anyone else after ME, like ME.

The way I write is different than the way any other person does.

This skill will evolve and grow as I grow. And it will only keep getting better.

This is my voice and my style.

What’s yours?

The simple way I discovered to find your voice is to keep talking, keep writing.

According to the principle of compound effect, efforts, experiences, any and everything compound.

With time, you’ll start doing better than you did. Then you’ll start seeing your weak points.

As you leverage your strengths, a unique you will emerge.

9. Proofread and Trim

Your content needs to be punchy and as concise as possible.

The amount of work this may need depends on how you write.

For me…

Sometimes I’m tempted to binge-write an entire piece at a stretch.

Other times, I take the incremental approach.

Whichever method you may use, proofreading is necessary.

After the spelling and grammar are improved, you then need to punch it down.

Trimming entails removing fluffy words as much as possible.

Overall, with this step, you make your text easier and sweet to read and digest.

10. Storytime!

Stories appeal to almost everyone.

Children, adults, everyone likes to listen to stories, be it as gossip, in a song, dramas or comics books, movies or video games.

Why?

Well, for some they are entertaining.

Besides entertainment, it helps imagination and creative thinking amongst others.

When used effectively in a blog post, you will have any readers’ full attention.

11. Master creating headlines that sell the reader on the content below it.

1. Start with a catchy headline

Your headline is the first thing your readers will see, so make it count. Start by writing a catchy headline that will sell the reader on the content below it.

2. Write a clear and concise lead

Your lead should be brief and to-the-point, introducing the main points of your post.

3. Use strong visuals

Including strong visuals can help break up your text and make your post more engaging for your readers.

4. Use persuasive language

Use persuasive language to draw your readers in and keep them engaged.

5. Use statistics and facts

Including statistics and facts can help back up your points and add credibility to your post.

12. Always use a captivating introduction that gets the reader hooked the minute they start reading.

Be sure to use strong and compelling language throughout the post.

Make sure to use plenty of images, infographics, and videos to break up the text and keep the reader engaged.

Include helpful and informative data and statistics to back up your points.

End the post with a strong, thought-provoking conclusion.

13. Use open and closed loops in your writing such as ‘questions’ that make the user want to keep scrolling to read more.

By using open loops, you can keep your reader engaged and coming back for more.

For example, you might pose a question in your introduction that is answered later in the post.

This will keep the reader engaged and make them want to keep scrolling to read more.

Closed loops can also be effective in your writing.

For example, you might promise to reveal a secret at the end of the post.

This will also keep the reader engaged and make them want to keep scrolling.

14. Use bullet points to break down long sentences.

Start with a catchy headline
Write in an easy-to-read style
Use short, simple sentences
Use bullet points to break down long sentences
Use subheadings to organize your thoughts
Write in an active voice
Use descriptive adjectives and verbs
Use humor and wit
Use analogies and metaphors
Use images and videos
Use hyperlinks
Proofread your work
Use proper grammar and spelling

15. Add a sprinkle of power words to evoke emotion, such as hack, discover, undeniable, efficient, etc.

As a professional writer, it’s important to make sure that your content is engaging and easy to read.

You want to keep your readers hooked until the very end, so here are a few tips to help you do just that.

Your readers are more likely to be engaged if your post is emotionally charged.

Use words that evoke strong emotions, such as hack, discover, undeniable, efficient, etc.

16. Readability

When you are writing for the web, you need to make sure your content is easy to read.

This means breaking up your text with short paragraphs, using clear and concise language, and avoiding jargon and technical terms.

To make your content more readable, use headings and subheadings to break up your text, and use bullet points and lists to highlight important points.

You can also use images and videos to add visual interest to your content and make sure to use readable fonts and colors that are easy on the eyes.

17. Using an active voice more often.

To make your writing more engaging and powerful, consider using an active voice more often.

An active voice sentence is more concise and direct, and it sounds more active and alive.

In contrast, a passive voice sentence is often longer and more convoluted, and it can sound weak and passive.

Here are some examples of active and passive voice sentences:

Active: The committee voted against the bill.
Passive: The bill was voted against by the committee.
Active: She hit the ball.
Passive: The ball was hit by her.

As you can see, the active voice sentences are shorter and more direct.

They also sound more active and alive. If you want to make your writing more powerful and engaging, try using an active voice more often.

Summing-up

And there you have The Sagacious Technique Template To Write Razor-Sharp Content every time.

Which of the points do you consider the most important, have been using this technique, or what do you think?

Let’s have your thoughts in the comments section.

Good writers may be born, but professional writers are made. They make themselves and in turn, paid enviously for their craft.

Work the work to become a professional writer today.

See you at work!