It's a common problem for people just starting out in any field: You can't get a job because you have no experience but you can't get any experience unless someone gives you a job. This drove me crazy at first, especially because I knew that some people had made it through this wall. I knew it was possible.
But I am now in the process of crossing that wall. I wouldn't say I'm over on the other side yet; I'm probably chillin' on top somewhere. And because it is such a long, difficult process to break into this field, especially for those like me who have no formal education in anything even vaguely related to writing, here are some things I have learned.
First, don't doubt yourself. Be confident in your abilities and realize that most companies that you could write for have a house style, as long as you stick to that you'll be fine. Be honest about your experience on your resume or CV but highlight the writing experience you do have, no matter how small. Don't ever feel like the little experience you have isn't worth mentioning.
When I first started out after high school my only experience consisted of co-founding a satire newspaper and a few short stories in local and school publications. So, I started writing for a content mill that didn't care about my lack of experience. I made a little bit of money from them but, more importantly, got some attention and experience. It also helped me to build a portfolio.
Leave your comfort zone. I think the term "comfort zone" is misleading and should be changed. Immediately. "Comfort zone" hides all the insidious implications of sticking to what your comfortable doing. The comfort zone is a trap. A warm, fluffy trap. My wife used to work with a company who, among their many mantras, taught "If you're comfortable, you aren't growing." This is incredibly true and useful to the new writer.
If you wanted to be a great baker but you had only ever made cookies, would you refuse to make pies?
After my work at the content mill, writing mostly music reviews and tragically misguided opinion pieces (I was 19, my opinions were stupid), I was offered a job ghostwriting fantasy fiction for a start-up production company. I didn't read fantasy, I had no interest in it at all. I had actually written entire articles about how overrated a certain famous fantasy writer, who will remain unnamed, was. But, it was a job. A writing job that paid money. So I took it. In the process, I learned how to edit, write screenplays and comic books, and even developed the story that would later become my first novel. (Big World Network is a wonderful new publisher who believes that regardless of experience, all writers deserve an equal chance to see their work published and read. It is not self-publishing or a vanity publisher.)
I got this job from word-of-mouth which is exceedingly difficult in some areas but the internet is packed full of reputable websites for freelancers to find work like this. E-lance is, in my experience, the best.
But that brings me to my next point:
Don't Be Too Proud. While confidence is good and can push you into new things, pride will do nothing but hold you back. Pride will demand that you always get your name on everything you write, in spite of the fact that ghostwriting is a fantastic way to start out. (Ghostwriting describes writing something that the client then puts his/her name on. You get money but no credit.) Pride will also make you forget an important truth: Beggars can't be choosers. You may have to make less money than you'd like or are used to for a time but that's better than nothing. Pride will also make you feel like you are above certain jobs. Which you, most likely, are not.
After writing fiction for a few years and being paid handsomely to do it, the job ended. I was newly married, unemployed and used to making more money than any young man in his early 20s should be privy to. I needed work, desperately. So I responded to an ad for a then small company called Patch (an AOL company). Patch was just starting out in my area and needed people to collect information from local business owners to fill their incredibly detailed directory. This was unfriendly work. Business owners are chronically afraid of salespeople and, although I wasn't selling anything and was in fact offering the businesses free publicity, people treated me like a thief. But, again, the money was good. And, more importantly, it gave me a relationship with a local newspaper and led to future work writing articles and even a food column.
(This also illustrates my point about not leaving out any pertinent experience. I had worked in several restaurants both in the kitchen and on the floor, which was enough to get me a gig as a local restaurant critic.)
And that really opened the gateway to solid writing jobs.
Lastly: Specialize. Don't be afraid to pick a specialization, something you would enjoy writing about constantly. Certification classes in just about anything are relatively cheap and can even be taken from home in most cases. Plus it gives you something to fall back on in case of emergency and gives you an expertise. For me, it was fitness. While writing the fantasy stuff, I was working on getting certified as a Personal Trainer. This, combined with all that other experience, allowed me to write for fitness magazines and some higher paying websites. (I also have a fitness blog.)
I firmly believe that the right game plan is the key to making it as a writer. Start small and build on the experience you have.
