Here are three creative writing jobs that will let you flex your artistic writing muscles

We hope you’ll use the resources below to find some ways to earn money writing stories, creative prose, or even poetry. 

Literary Journals and Magazines

Literary journals and magazines are a great place to submit your creative writing, especially if you’re trying to build a portfolio of published work. It may be harder to be accepted in some publications than others, but think of rejection letters as a way to work toward improvement.

If you want to start publishing your work, here are some journals and magazines where you can submit your stories or essays. 

OneStory

“ONE STORY publishes one great short story at a time. We bring people together through reading, writing, and learning about short fiction.” 

While ONE STORY accepts fiction, they do state that they accept literary fiction. As you start to write and submit, make sure you know the difference between literary and genre fiction and you understand what individual publications are looking for.

Submissions for ONE STORY should be between 3,000 and 8,000 words and they pay $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication.

Check out their publication guidelines for more information. 

Strange Horizons

Strange Horizons accepts speculative fiction and also publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews. Even better? They are open for submissions soon! For fiction, they accept stories up to 10,000 words and pay $0.10 per word. 

Check out their guidelines and get ready to submit. If you have speculative fiction polished and ready to go, this might be a great place for it! 

The Sun Magazine

We’re looking for narrative writing and evocative photography from all over the world. Send us work that maps the human landscape, where the light catches on the faintest joy, where darkness sometimes threatens to overwhelm, and where ✗ never marks the spot because the truth is never so simple.

The Sun Magazine pays $200 and up, depending on length for fiction and essays. Review their guidelines for their writing and think about submitting! 

Podcasts 

If you haven’t noticed, even the literary world is making the move to digital and a lot of people prefer to listen to their stories than read them. It’s time to get your piece of that pie and look at podcasting for viable creative writing jobs. Here are a few podcasts that will pay you for your stories and feature them on their podcast. 

PseudoPod 

“PseudoPod is always looking for quality fiction to feed our listeners. If you’re a writer with a short horror story that you’d like to hear narrated by one of our talented performers, we’d like to see it. Probably.”

PseudoPod seeks dark or weird fiction and pays $0.08 per word for original fiction, $100 flat rate for short story reprints, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1,500 words). 

You can learn more about when they are open to submissions and their guidelines on their website. 

PodCastle is a fantasy fiction podcast from PseudoPod. If you write speculative fiction, this is the portal for you. Learn more here.

Cast of Wonders

Write young adult speculative fiction? Cast of Wonders is a young adult short fiction market, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. Dig deep into the submission guidelines here, as they make it clear they are looking for a specific type of story. 

Clarkesworld Podcast

“Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles and audio fiction.” 

Clarkesworld pays $0.12 per word but claims first world electronic rights (text and audio), first print rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights for their annual Clarkesworld anthology. 

If you’re new to submitting your work, you’ll want to learn more about first rights and what that means for your work. They offer a resource here. Check out their submission guidelines to see if they are a fit for your writing. 

Thirteen Podcast 

“Thirteen is a monthly audio fiction anthology podcast featuring atmospheric, slow burn, spooky stories.

Thirteen Podcast is looking for, “stories that will make you smile, break your heart, and have you wishing for a night light.”

They have new episodes on the 13th of each month and feature one longer story each episode rather than several shorter ones. They are looking for stories of 5,000 words or more and a first-person narrator works best for their format. 

Authors of stories over 5,000 words in length will be paid $75 if accepted. Authors of stories under 5,000 words in length will be paid $50 if accepted. 

Review their guidelines and reach out, especially if you like your short, creepy stories on the longer side. 

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Podcast

 “Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine welcomes submissions from both new and established writers. We publish every kind of mystery short story: the psychological suspense tale, the deductive puzzle, the private eye case—the gamut of crime and detection from the realistic (including the policeman’s lot and stories of police procedure) to the more imaginative (including “locked rooms” and “impossible crimes”). We need hard-boiled stories as well as “cozies,” but we are not interested in explicit sex or violence. We do not want true detective or crime stories. We are especially happy to review first stories by authors who have never before published fiction professionally.” 

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Podcast offers accepted writers $0.05–$0.08 per word for works ranging from 250 to 20,000 words. Review their guidelines for more information. 

Greeting Card Companies 

Do you have a flair for one-liners? Do you always get asked to write notes for friends or loved ones when they have a special occasion or loss? Can you make someone sniffle in just a few words? Then writing greeting cards might be one of the best creative writing jobs for you. Some companies pay $100 for an accepted verse, so it’s a great way to add to your writing income. 

Check out these companies to get started. 

Blue Mountain Arts

Blue Mountain Arts is looking for rhymed poetry, religious verse, or one-liners. That said, they want, “contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people today want to communicate to one another, but don’t always know how to put into words.” 

If you think you can capture a common sentiment in a new and unique way, give their submission guidelines a look. 

Oatmeal Studios

Oatmeal studios favors funny over feelings. They want “humorous greeting card ideas that appeal to a range of ages and interests. Review their guidelines page and see if their style meets yours! 

While there are options when it comes to submitting your work for creative writing jobs, we should make it clear that making money from in these non-traditional ways isn’t easy. It takes constant improvement, research, and patience. The landscape is always changing so continue to learn and, most importantly, continue to write! 

From ancient Greek amphitheaters to the far corners of bookstores and even the Internet, rhetorical devices have long been a cornerstone of effective communication.

While often associated with persuasive speeches, the art of rhetoric extends far beyond the podium, weaving its magic through every type of writing, including fiction. Using rhetorical techniques can make any kind of writing compelling, turning simple messages into memorable narratives. 

Keep reading to explore rhetorical devices, from what it is to the ways you can utilize it in your writing to captivate readers

What is Rhetoric?

What is rhetoric exactly? It’s is the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of certain techniques known as rhetorical devices. 

Elements of Rhetoric

To employ rhetoric, you need to understand the elements needed to make it function effectively. Those elements are as follows: 

Credibility

Establishing the writer’s or speaker’s credibility and authority is crucial when it comes to convincing an audience of anything. This can be done by demonstrating expertise or shared values with the audience. In fiction, this could also apply to the main character. More often than not, we need to be able to trust our narrator and believe they have some sort of authority to lead us through their journey. 

Emotion

Humans are emotional beings. Appealing to your reader’s emotions will help you connect with them and that connection will make it easier to persuade, convince, or lead. Utilizing this element involves creating an emotional response through anecdotes, descriptive language, and the rhetorical devices we will talk about shortly.

Logic

Simply put, things need to make sense to a reader or listener if they are going to listen long enough to be persuaded. Making a logical argument for your stance, or regarding the rules of your world, or your character’s actions will make your story more believable. This entails providing clear reasons, evidence, and logical structure to support the argument (or premise) you are presenting. 

Depending on the type of writing you’re doing, you’ll rely on some of these elements more than others. In non-fiction, logic and credibility are going to be at the forefront of your writing and you’ll want to use rhetoric or a rhetorical device to drive home your knowledge and reliability. You can also use rhetoric to make complicated subjects easier to understand for readers. 

However, in fiction, emotion is going to play a leading role. While credibility and logic will be important, the rules of your world will need to make sense and readers will need to know which characters to trust. When writing fiction you’ll want to make your readers feel.

Rhetoric or rhetorical devices can help you do this by helping readers understand a situation more deeply or relate to a character or situation they have no previous understanding of or experience with. 

How can you do this? By using rhetorical devices.

Let’s take a look at some different rhetorical devices, the tools you can use you can apply rhetoric to your writing, and how they might help in different types of writing. 

What are Rhetorical Devices?

A rhetorical device is a technique used by writers or speakers to convey a message to the audience or to evoke a particular response or emotion. To engage the elements of rhetoric, you can use a rhetorical device. These devices can be used to enhance the meaning of a message, make it more memorable, or make an argument more persuasive. They are used in persuasive speeches, non-fiction, and fiction writing. 

Here are just a few of the rhetorical devices you could use (because there are a lot).

Rhetorical Question

Asking a question not for the sake of getting an answer, but to make a point or draw attention to a topic.

Examples: “Is the Pope Catholic?” or,  “Are you kidding me?” 

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial sound in a series of words.

Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Example: “I have a dream” from Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.

Hyperbole

Exaggerating for emphasis or effect. 

Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

Metaphor

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one is the other.

Example:  “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players,” from Shakespeare.

Oxymoron

Combining two contradictory terms. 

Example: “deafening silence.”

Personification

Assigning human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities or abstract ideas. 

Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.” 

Example:  “She sings like an angel.” 

Famous Examples of Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices have been used throughout literary and oral history to paint pictures, pull an emotional response from an audience or prove a point.  

Oxymoron 

From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

The juxtaposition of “sweet” and “sorrow” captures the complex emotions of love and longing. 

​Anaphora

From Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness….”

The repetitive “it was” at the beginning of each clause creates a rhythm and emphasizes the contrasts.

From Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream Speech: “So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania….” 

Alliteration

From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes….” 

The repetition of the “F” sound is a rhythmic alliteration. 

These are just a small sample of the examples you can find across literature and of course rhetorical devices are used in movies and modern works as well, even articles, blogs or videos. 

Why Use Rhetoric in Your Writing?

Because rhetoric and rhetorical devices are so common and so effective, it can be hard to know when you’re even using them. This might leave you wondering why you should use them. This subtleness shows why we should use them. 

When an author compares the emotion of a character to an experience or emotion the reader can relate to, it pulls the reader into that emotion so effectively, they don’t even realize they’re being “convinced.” 

While the average reader might not understand what it feels like to send a loved one off on a quest from whence they may never return, they probably understand the ache that grows in your stomach when you send a child off to their first day of school or even a spouse to train for the military. And even though it’s not directly the same experience, they will start to feel that ache in the moment and may be able to relate more to the character than they did previously. 

That’s the power of a rhetorical device. So the next time you’re writing, give it a try. Use a rhetorical device to convince your readers they’re feeling an emotion or help them understand a stance you’re making.

J.K Rowling.  Dr. Seuss. Mark Twain. Nora Roberts. 

These authors aren’t who you think they are.

Well, on paper at least. These authors, and many more, choose to write under a pseudonym, also called a pen name, meaning the names printed on their books are not the names they were born with. 

Some people might think it’s strange to put a different name on their books, but there is a rich literary history of writers publishing under a name pseudonym. While motivations may have changed throughout history, there are many reasons an author today might choose to publish their work under a pen name even after they’ve become well-established in the industry under a different name. 

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons a writer might choose to write under a pen name so you can decide if it’s right for you. 

1. Use a Pseudonym to Explore Different Genres

Branching out and exploring other genres is a great reason to write under a pseudonym. 

Authors who start out or make it big in one genre might want to experiment in another. But the marketing techniques and audiences are often different from one genre to another. 

Romance readers might be drawn to bright, cheerful color palettes, while horror readers know to look for dark shades and sinister taglines. To keep things simple and separate, a writer who began in romance might choose to use a pen name if they want to try writing horror. 

When J.K Rowling wanted to break away from the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts and explore a new genre, she wrote under the name Robert Galbraith. 

J.D. Robb is a bestselling crime and thriller writer…who also happens to be bestselling author Nora Roberts. Though Nora Roberts was already a pen name, she began writing under J.D. Robb to break into the suspense genre and went on to write dozens of books in a futuristic police procedural series. 

Beyond marketing, a writer who is well-established in one genre might have a hard time convincing their fans they will be able to create compelling stories in a new genre…so, they might want to create a pen name to break away from the reputation they’ve already established. 

2. Use a Pseudonym for Gender Neutrality

Authors may use pseudonyms to write under a gender-neutral or opposite gender name to avoid bias or discrimination based on their real gender…because sadly, it still exists (particularly in certain genres). A pseudonym can help boundary pushing authors reach a wider audience or challenge gender stereotypes.

This is the reason Joanne Kathleen Rowling chose to publish as J.K. Rowling, which is technically a pen name. Her publisher suggested she use her initials to avoid any bias that may have been shown toward her as a woman writing in the primarily male-driven fantasy genre. 

This technique goes both ways and Wade Rouse, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and internationally bestselling author of 13 books, writes his books under the name Viola Shipman. He uses the name and his stories to honor the women, and the voices, that raised him. 

In the 2010s, 97% of bestsellers in the Spy/Politics genre were men. If you’re a woman who wants to break into this genre and worried you might not be taken seriously in such a male-dominated genre, you might consider using a pen name. 

If you don’t want your readers to know your gender, identify under a different gender than your birth name, or just don’t want to be a stereotype within a genre due to your gender, you could consider using a pen name. 

3. Use a Pseudonym for Privacy and Anonymity 

Using a pseudonym allows authors to maintain their privacy and protect their personal identity. This can be especially important for individuals who want to separate their writing career from their personal life, change careers, or who wish to discuss sensitive or controversial topics without fear of personal repercussions.

If you’ve established yourself in one career, especially one that practices another type of writing or is fairly public, a pen name can help you keep both careers separate and achieve a level of professionalism in both. For instance, if you’re a reporter with a well-established career and you want to break into fiction writing, you might consider using a pseudonym for your fiction work. 

If you want to write a memoir and you’re worried about revealing facts or information about your family, you might wish to protect their identities and your own by writing under a pen name. 

4 More Reasons to Use a Pseudonym 

You might also choose to write under a pen name of pseudonym if:

• Your name is common or already used by another author
• Your name is too similar to an already famous author 
• Your name is difficult to pronounce or spell 
• Your name doesn’t fit your genre (Sarah Loveless might be a great romance writer name but probably not a great fit for a horror writer. In this case, Sarah might choose to write under a pen name) 

How to Choose a Pseudonym/Pen Name 

There is no right or wrong way to choose a pen name but it’s a good idea to choose one that means something to you, that you like, and you won’t mind seeing and being called if you’re successful! 

In the case of Wade Rouse, A.K.A. Viola Shipman, he chose his grandmother’s name as his pen name because her heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction. 

While the right name should feel right to you, here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing your pseudonym. 

• Check for availability (websites, social channels, etc)
• Choose one that fits your genre (look at other author names)
• Make sure it’s easy to spell and say 
• Make sure it won’t be confused with another name 
• Consider how old (or young!) the name makes you sound 
• Use a pen name generator (you can find these online just by Googling) 

Should You Use a Pseudonym?

While these are all reasons why you might choose to use a pen name, the real question is; should you? In the early 1900s, it was fairly easy to disguise your identity by writing under a pseudonym…today, it’s a lot harder. Even when writers choose to write under a pen name, it’s fairly easy to find their true identity. 

So, if you’re choosing to use a pen name, you should consider how strict you’re going to be about keeping your real identity a secret. 

If you’re choosing a pen name due to branding and marketing, then it’s not a big deal if your double life is revealed. If you’re trying to stay anonymous, you’re going to have to be a lot more careful. 

Choosing to write under your real name or use a pseudonym is a big decision and should not be taken lightly. The choice will follow you for your entire career and is a hard choice to undo once you start publishing. Consider your reasons, your audience, and the type of career you’d like to have and then…get writing!

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