Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Novelist

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A novelist writes fiction books.

Education: None required, although a background in communications or creative writing is probably a plus.

Skills: The ability to tell a story in a compelling way.

Job outlook: As with online writers, “employment of authors, writers, and editors is expected to grow 8 percent … from 2008 to 2018,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.
Possible employers: Some websites or blogs are interested in publishing short works of fiction. Also, compilation books like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series also publish short nonfiction and fiction stories.

Preparation: Join a local, regional or national writers group to talk to other writers and see what’s selling in your genre. Also get involved in an in-person or online critique group to gain feedback on your work from other writers. Consider taking an online or in-person creative writing class if you need a refresher course.

Get your foot in the door: Start by working on a short story or two. Also try the National Novel Writing Month, in which you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel from scratch during November. That can be a great way to jump-start your creativity.

Testimony: Melanie, an award-winning novelist from Portland, Ore., loves writing from home. “No commute. Few meetings. Flexible schedule. Always available if my family needs me. And I can pursue the talents and dreams that God gave me. Some women are called to be caregivers around the clock. If I don’t have goals or accomplishments outside of caregiving (which is a never ending job), I feel like I’m going crazy,” she says.

Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.

Until next time,

Sarah