The Many Hats of Writers


With fewer traditional publishers willing to publish new authors and the overall publishing industry getting harder books published, today's writers must wear many hats by necessity.

Today’s writer has two options, DIY or outsource. Outsourcing can become expensive and some writers may not be able to afford outsourcing, so that leaves DIY.

The hats of DIY that writers must wear.

  1. Writer
  2. Editor
  3. Proofreader
  4. Publisher
  5. Promoter
  6. Marketer
  7. PR person
  8. Video Creator
  9. Retailer/Wholesaler
  10. Booking Agent
  11. Web Designer
  12. Content Creator
  13. Web Manager
  14. Content Manager
  15. Social Media Manager
  16. Networking Manager
  17. Shipping Manager
  18. Bookkeeper
  19. Entrepreneur
  20. Record Keeper
So much for time to write. If you want to be a writer, you’ll find the time to write. No one ever said the writing is easy in today’s writing market.

Writing take dedication and hard work to be successful, whatever that means to you. Only a few writers make it big, the rest work hard and with some luck and hard work can make some money writing.

Writing is a calling, not a way to get rich unless you come up with the next “Harry Potter”, which rarely happens. There is a good deal of luck in making it big. J. K. Rowling the author of the “Harry Potter” series, was rejected 12 times before a friend of her daughter read it and told to her father about how good it was. He took a chance on publishing it, we know how well that went.

If you are a writer that must DIY everything because you just don’t have the money for a literary agent, which can cost thousands of dollars, if you can find one to take a chance on your book, you will have to wear many hats and learn what you need to get your book in front of readers.


This article is to enlighten you about the uphill battle you face as you work toward publication, and getting your book into the reader’s hands.

Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Proofreader/Reviewer/Marketer



14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting article. That is a lot of hats that today's writer wears.

Donna McDine said...

And I thought juggling parenthood was difficult!

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

It's a different world that writer's travel these days.

Karen Cioffi said...

Yikes! It's frightening when you actually list the things we writers must do. Donna, parenting is still way more difficult! :)

Heidiwriter said...

Wow, no wonder I'm so tired! :)

Bob said...

Thank you, Susanne.

This is why writing is a business.

Bob said...

Parenthood is the most difficult thing.

Bob said...

Unfortunately, true, Mary Jo.

Bob said...

I agree the parenting is harder, Karen. Writing today isn't like it used to be.

Bob said...

And harried, Heidi.

Debbie A Byrne said...

Wow. Very helpful post.

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Nice one, Bob. What a good job we all love multi-tasking, and aren't we lucky to have the opportunity to learn so much about the business from every perspective.
Like the thought of all these hats in rainbow colours piled Bolivian style one on top of the other.

Bob said...

It is indeed a chance to learn what it takes to get a book published in today's publishing arena, Annie.

Bob said...

Thank you, Debbie.

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