Author Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an author. Feel free to use our author job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an author.
Who is an Author?
Authors are professionals who create original content for publication in books, nonfiction books, or textbooks. To complete the required amount of writing for a book, he or she can work alone or with a team. Authors may be required to submit a specified amount of material within a given deadline under a contract with an agent or publisher.
Although there is no formal education for book authors, many have completed bachelor’s degrees. Many will pursue master’s degrees, some in creative writing and others in fine arts. However, to become an author, you will need persistence, a portfolio with previously published work, and the ability to write well. While some may believe that it’s possible to get a book deal even if you don’t have any published work, many will find it impossible. Most agents and publishers won’t even consider unpublished work.
How an author writes a book depends on what type of book they are writing. For example, a nonfiction book or textbook may require extensive research. Some writers also do extensive research to write fiction. This will also apply if the writer is working with an illustrator or another writer to create content. Many writers work as independent contractors. This allows them to schedule their work with some flexibility.
While some people love the ability to set a schedule and others struggle with self-motivation, others may find it more challenging. This could be because authors often work alone and require a high level of concentration and focus. Many authors will have to create multiple drafts. This can lead to lengthy and sometimes difficult work, especially if they are working with an editor. Many book authors have side jobs to make an extra income. Or, they may keep multiple writing projects open at different stages.
Author Job Description
Below are the author job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an author job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of an author include the following:
- Doing research on the topics they are assigned.
- Verifying all data collected during research
- Using the research data to create content, such as blogs, articles, or papers.
- Preparing well-researched pitches, and submitting them to an editor for consideration.
- Creating content for assignments by referring to style guides and project briefs.
- Converting the information that they have gathered into easily-understandable content for their audience.
- Revising their work based on editorial feedback
- Considering characters, plot, theme, and style when creating a story.
- Researching to add factual information to stories.
- Developing story elements (characters and plot, theme, dialogue, style, and style).
- Creating ideas for stories.
- Editing works by other authors
- Researching to add factual information to stories
Qualifications
Authorship is not a requirement. Authors can come from different fields and have many educational backgrounds. However, there are no requirements for a degree or academic background. Writing is the most important thing to be an author.
You may also need to have an education if you plan to write on a specific topic or become an expert in a field. Many authors begin by getting the education necessary to work in this field and then become authors later in life.
Essential Skills
An author can have great writing skills and excellent reading skills. However, these skills will not only help them write better but also make it easier to publish their work. These are some skills that you may want to develop before becoming an author.
- Creativity
Creativity refers to the ability to create and implement unique ideas. Fiction writers, in particular, are required to create their plots, settings, and characters. Authors of any genre should think creatively about how they can publish their books.
- Critical thinking
Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze facts and make new observations or opinions based on those findings. Critical thinking is often used by authors to create realistic characters and plots. They might also use it for determining the best publishing method. Authors can also use outlining and editing to decide how they want to organize content and what they might change or add. This is done using critical thinking.
- Time management
Time management skills include following deadlines. Authors are required to submit and draft content frequently, especially for large publishing houses. Authors may submit one or two chapters each month to ensure their publisher can edit, typeset, and print their book according to the schedule. This skill is also useful for self-publishing since it allows you to be diligent about your due dates.
- Organization
As an author, organization is essential. It allows professionals to keep neat workspaces, desktops, and physical and digital filing systems. Authors are often faced with many documents and other files. Organization skills allow them to spend more time writing, editing, revising, and searching for the right documents. Authors can access all versions of their text easily, which is crucial for their editing and writing processes.
How to Become an Author
- Learn how to write
There are many options for learning about writing: a college degree, workshops, books, seminars, and adult education classes. Each writer’s path to success will vary depending on their interests, priorities, and time. However, the most important thing is to learn how to write.
Even the most skilled authors can learn new skills and improve their craft. Story structure, pacing, and rules for your format, grammar, spelling, and characterizations are some of the most important skills you can learn as an author.
- Inculcate the habit of reading
Reading is a great way to learn for authors. This includes reading books about writing. However, it also means that you can read anything you are interested in to improve your writing. What you read could help you discover new styles or tricks. It is possible to learn more about the topic you are writing about. You may enjoy a certain style or genre. By reading more, you will be able to refine your writing. It is also possible to see which genres and styles are most popular or which publishers do well.
- Learn about genre and format
Although there are many genres and formats for writers and authors, most authors only focus on one or two genres. For example, romance novelists may specialize in historical non-fiction or mystery novelists. Before you start writing, it is important to decide what kind of story you want and in what format. This will assist you in organizing your writing.
It may be easier to choose the type of story, but it can be difficult to decide whether you want it to be a novel or a play. However, there are many differences between how each format is written, so it will save time.
- Part-time work is possible
Many authors find it difficult to publish their first work. Sometimes, even after becoming published, the income might not be sufficient to sustain you, particularly at first. This is why most authors work part-time jobs or full-time when they first get started. For a variety of reasons, some authors choose not to quit their job. However, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have a day job while being an author.
Part-time writing is a good option. You can learn your craft in smaller bursts and still make money. Publishing can be a great way to learn as you write.
- Write as often as you can
Although it may not be possible to write every single day, you can still learn and work towards a career as an author. This has many benefits, including the ability to improve your writing skills, to write shorter, easier-selling works to start a career as an author and to complete a writing project, regular writing may be the best option.
It might seem that writing is the most difficult part. However, the process of writing can be tedious and time-consuming. It can be easier to break it down into smaller parts daily or weekly. You may also find yourself becoming a more efficient writer if you write frequently. This can help you produce more work in the future.
- Start small
Although it might seem intimidating to begin your work as an author of a multi-volume epic series with thousands of pages, it can also prove difficult to sell books like this without any prior experience. This can be avoided by starting with smaller projects. Start a blog, write short stories or articles, or create poetry. You can also write a screenplay of five minutes. You can also find smaller formats of writing easier to publish, such as an anthology or your website.
- Network
Being an author requires networking. It is possible to join writing groups online, attend conventions or happy hours for publishing professionals. It’s a great way to meet other authors and professionals in your field who can help you advance your career. Many authors prefer working with an agent. Networking is a great way to find agents in your genre and format that others recommend.
You can also network with other authors and learn from them, such as through writing groups. You might also meet editors or other publishing professionals who could hire you, or even buy your writing.
- Take control of your life
Editing yourself is one of the most important skills an author can acquire. Sometimes, you may find that editing your writing helps to polish it, no matter how long or what format it is. This skill may require further studies, such as through books or classes.
- Join a writing group
Authors can connect with others and exchange feedback through writing groups. Before you start creating or choosing a group, make sure you know what kind of group you prefer. You can find groups that allow you to share your writing privately or with others for advice and those where you can do both.
If there isn’t a local writing group, you could create one. This would be a great way to connect with other writers and to share your group’s information.
- Locate an agent
Although not all authors require or desire an agent, they can be very helpful for many reasons. Agents can help new authors reach publishing companies that might not be possible. Depending on which type of agent they’re, they can help you improve your writing by providing editorial-style notes. Agents can also help you navigate legal issues associated with being an author. This includes reviewing contracts from publishers to ensure they are fair.
- Read and carefully review contracts
Authorship is often associated with contracts. You will need to sign a contract before publishing your work, regardless of whether you are writing short articles for a newspaper or website. While you don’t have to agree to every contract, it is important to have a contract before you give your work to a company.
- Keep your ideas safe
You might not publish one piece of work if you want to make a career out of being an author. You should keep a journal or a document that you can refer to as you get ideas. This document can be used as a reference for any future projects or ideas.
Keep a notebook by your bedside if you have any good ideas. You might also keep a note on your phone in case you get random ideas. Although it’s important to be specific about the idea you have, sometimes vague ideas can lead to bigger ideas later.
This is a great way to get an agent or publisher. Many publishers love to establish a relationship with authors. You can refer to your notebook if you are asked about any other ideas for projects. You can then look at your ideas and decide what next to write when you are ready to publish that book of poetry, novel, short story, novel, or nonfiction book.
Where to Work
You can gain job experience as an author by working in high school or college newspapers, magazines and radio stations, publishing and advertising companies, and non-profit organizations.
Author Salary Scale
An average author’s annual salary is $41,260. The salary of authors can vary depending on many factors, such as publishing method and genre.
