What is it like working as a full-time academic writer?

Well it all started with an Instagram ad. I saw this ad that looked quite appealing to me. The company in the ad was Wordsmith. Catchy name right? I thought so too. From then on I applied for a writer position, my application was accepted and I underwent several trainings then I started writing as a full time writer. 8 months later now I’m working as a full time marketing executive for the same company.

Well this blog tells you about how it is working as a full-time academic writer. In this blog I’ll tell you how my day goes from my work schedule, writing practice and even my daily routine.

Morning

Well, we don’t really have Monday anxieties because we’re really not required to report to work too early, I don’t need to wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning to arrive in my office at 8 or 9 AM. We’re required to report at 10 in the morning, so an academic writer can literally wake up and head straight to his or her laptop and work!

However, since I’m naturally an early riser, I love breakfast and coffee and starting my day cozy without the morning rush so I wake up early – earlier than my alarm even. I like starting my day reading something personal and listening to podcasts.

Little background first: well, academic writing really isn’t that easy as most people think, it isn’t your usual college paper students cram into four hours of work. The schools for which we write for are international schools which of course have high standards in terms of writing papers, hence it is imperative that we produce quality output for our clients.

So now how do I work? I communicate with my boss on a daily basis through Skype, we do daily chats and weekly calls. When it comes to our projects, details are sent through a link in our company account for details we need in accomplishing our output. These details include lecture notes, instructions from professors, word count, due date and citation style. Our account would store all the information we would need for writing our paper.

Now how do I write? One important thing I learned writing for Wordsmith is understanding what the paper is really requiring. This means answering one important question: what does the professor want to read? It is important that you address exactly what the paper requirement is seeking for you to answer and tackle. Deviating away from this can merit a low score.

I figure out what the paper really requires in 3 ways:

First, I scan through lecture notes. Remember that you are writing for a topic you have little to no background about. It’s important to familiarize oneself to the lectures given. But be careful not to confuse yourself and write too far from what the paper is just requiring.

Second, I read the professor’s instructions very carefully. I would even write down item per item what the paper is asking. Then I make sure as I write through my piece whether I am addressing these points or deviating away from them.

Third, I write my outline.

Then research is very important in our line of job.

Our company prides upon the quality work that we produce. Plagiarizing is a mortal sin! We make sure that our sources are reliable and properly cited. I usually acquire my sources from Google Scholar. Researching actually takes a huge chunk of my time. Sometimes I even research a little longer than I write. But research usually gives me a clearer understanding of what I’m supposed to write. The moment I get a grasp of my topic, then I write uninterruptedly. Once I have my outline ready, understood my topic and researched thoroughly, then I proceed to writing process. Note that the outline may differ upon further research and understanding of your topic.

My writing process goes accordingly with the standards I learned in my trainings with Wordsmith. These things are very important because these standards are what make Wordsmith a quality company for academic papers. We follow a structure from Introduction to the Body content down to the Conclusion, while following these standards, we ensure that we write accordingly with what is required of the paper.

In order to avoid writing beyond the prescribed focus of the paper, I usually go back to my outline and guide questions making sure I am writing accordingly with what the paper is supposed to achieve in order to get a high mark for the paper!

Afternoon

That’s not all! Well now… what are the other things I can do while working a home-based job?

The only time I would take long break such as lunch is when I have seen that I already made progress with my work. I also always eat while working so lunch wouldn’t really be much of a difference. (Haha!)

Sometimes, I take a nap in the middle of my day. I find it refreshing especially when I write about complicated topics. It refreshes my mind to continue and finish through my paper. Plus it’s a form of beauty rest for me! (Haha!)

Well here’s the catch! Since I’m working a flexible job, I still can incorporate my personal daily routine.

Anywhere within the day I am able to do some personal reading such as news, informative articles, or books. I also memorize 3 words during my short idle moments! (I am developing this habit of familiarizing myself with new words daily, from a Word Bank I have containing all the words I am not familiar with from the books I read).

I also workout! I go to the gym either in the middle of the day or after I finish my work. Depends on my mood! See the benefits of working an online writing job?

If you want to know more about the benefits of working an online writing job, read the other blog article I wrote: 5 Benefits of Having an Online Writing Job in Manila

There you go!! Gave you sneak peek of what it’s like a day in the life of a full-time writer!