Multimedia writer Michelle Ponto specializes in writing content for multimedia
campaigns, websites and interactive media. Ponto says being a multimedia
writer involves using as many different forms of media as possible to communicate
with the reader or viewer.
"For example, I'm working with ABC (Local News) right now," says Ponto.
"I'll write a web-exclusive article, but there will be Twitter and Facebook
that goes along with it, there will be slide shows that go with it that need
captions written, there will be a video that needs a script with it, so you're
not just writing one thing. You are writing everything to go with it to get
people to come and read it."
Professional writer Robin Grant studied journalism at university and has
since worked on many types of projects. A few examples are web content development,
technical writing, photography and television production.
"A burning curiosity about the world and an almost insatiable love of learning
are perhaps the most important building blocks of any multimedia writer,"
says Grant. "An entrepreneurial spirit and a strong sense of discipline also
help."
Ponto has applied her creativity and writing skills to many different types
of projects over the years. For example, she has developed content for online
and social media contests, corporate videos, websites, flash components, video
games and trivia challenges. Ponto is also a produced screenwriter and has
written for both film and television.
Ponto says your earnings as a multimedia writer largely depend on the types
of clients (or employer) you have.
"It depends on your industry," says Ponto. "If you're corporate, and you're
a multimedia writer, you may get paid a lot more than if you're working in
newspaper or TV. But if you don't like writing corporate stuff, then you're
willing to take the lower salary. It's a trade-off. It is an art form and
you want to do what you love, and everyone's passionate about different things.
Like, if you love writing about finance and banking, then writing web content
and business/financial copy for a financial company may pay you more than
writing a web article for a newspaper."
Writing for multimedia takes a special skill, says Paul Lima. He has been
writing professionally and teaching writing for more than 25 years.
"It takes some skill to write, because if you're writing for multimedia
and it's a series of still images, then [with] your words you have to get
the timing down," says Lima. "Also, writing for the ear is different than
writing for the eye. So if you're writing for the newspaper or a magazine...
you're writing for the eye, versus multimedia [where] you're writing for the
ear."
In other words, not all writing is the same. If you want to have an employer,
or clients, for a particular type of writing, make sure you have plenty of
practice doing that kind of writing.
"A good writer will learn how to write for different media, but don't
go into it cold, and don't go into it blind, and don't go into it thinking,
oh yeah, I've written 2,700 articles, I can write for this video or I can
write for this animation or this podcast, or even this speech," says Lima.
"It's different skills."
Once you get some practice, you can start to market yourself. But be sure
to have a focus. Trying to be all things to all potential clients or employers
doesn't work.
"If you're a health specialist, market yourself as a health specialist,
because that's what you are," says Lima. "Now you could be a health specialist
in print and multimedia -- that's not a big stretch. But if you market yourself
as a health specialist and a legal specialist and an automotive specialist
and a manufacturing specialist in 17 or 20 print formats and every multimedia
format out there, then the chances of you landing work are minimized."
The bottom line is that if you want to become a writer, just write. Consider
Lima. While in high school he didn't just write for his courses -- he wrote
in his spare time. Later he edited a college magazine and wrote for the university
newspaper. And he did it because he enjoyed the writing process itself.
"People tell me, 'I'm thinking of becoming a freelance writer,'" says Lima.
"And I say to them, 'Do you love to write?' And if they say, 'Well, not really,
but I think I can do it.' I say, 'If you don't love it, go find another job.'
"You really have to enjoy the process of writing to get into
this business [because] you have to spend a lot of time learning about it
and doing it."