Introduction                       Challenges and Opportunities
Careers In Culture

Writing and Publishing - What You Need to Know

Starting with you

On this page:


Can you imagine a world without words?

There would be no books, no songs, no newspapers, no magazines, no films, no television programs, no Internet – the list of things that would not exist without language is enormous. Words are the building blocks of human expression. They convey information. They express our needs, emotions and desires. They are our means of communicating with each other.

If you’re interested in a career in writing or publishing, then you’re thinking about working in one of the most important areas of human knowledge and endeavour. Perhaps you have a driving ambition to become a famous writer. Maybe you want to be part of the process that gets written work to the public. Whatever route you choose, you will find that having a successful and enjoyable career in writing and publishing begins with developing your skills and using them to their highest potential.


Curiosity checklist

How can you know if a writing and publishing career would be right for you? The answer is within yourself. Your interests, talents and skills are important clues to finding out if a particular career path would be a good choice, providing you with challenging, satisfying and meaningful work.

Curiosity Checklist


Do you...

Like everything that has to do with words and the printed page?
Enjoy reading?
Love language?
Read magazines and newspapers?
Spend lots of time in bookstores and libraries?
Think the Internet is a great source of information?
Have good communication skills?
Write for your own enjoyment?
Think being your own boss would be great?
Notice spelling and grammar mistakes in printed materials?
Enjoy publicity, promotion and marketing?
Have a creative flair— for words and graphics?
Find public issues and trends interesting?
Know you can be flexible and adaptable?
Prefer to work independently?