professional writers of canada

professional writers of canada

The Importance of Professional Writers in Canada

1. Introduction

The Canadian public service has been described as big, complex and lumbering, to such an extent that serving the public has become a bureaucratic exercise; for the simple reason that it is now, before all else, a function of government, and so it can be understood only in the context of what has happened to the Canadian state as a whole. This broadly interesting and provocative statement suggests that working for the government holds controversy and a degree of gravity. However, it is safe to say that writing for the government, in any capacity, is a task generally overlooked and undervalued, particularly in Canada and particularly in today’s society where people value efficiency, brevity, and visual punch. Writing is one of the most fundamental and primary public service falls under the simple category of communication in the form of transmitting information to a given audience. Professional writers dedicate their careers to the communication of various groups as well as the transmission and reception of a variety of messages all with the intention of improving the clarity and effectiveness of communication while upholding the highest standards of ethical practice and treating the audience with the utmost respect. Unfortunately, the practice of hiring professional writers in both the public and private sectors is verging on a state of desuetude, and has almost become a lost art in Canada. This paper will analyze and describe the role, importance, and decline of professional writers in the Canadian public service, an examination that unveils a great deal about the nature of the public service itself. Professional writers approach the task of communication with a level of skill, rigor, and artistic intent unmatched by the layman. Their significance in today’s diverse public service is immeasurable, but their cessation is often a quiet and unnoticed affair. This paper intends to make their departure much less discreet.

2. Benefits of Hiring Professional Writers

By employing a professional, you can be safe in the knowledge that the end result will be written well. This takes a lot of burden off of your shoulders, as you won’t have to worry about scrutinizing the work done, and getting the writer to redo things, you know it will be done right. This in turn can save loads of time.

Professional writers have a way with words and know how to write well. Not all good writers are professionals, however in a professional communication environment such as a website, it will make sense to go to the professionals. Bad web copy is probably the most common mistake websites make. Seldom is there a site so badly designed that it’s unusable, however it’s a common occurrence that websites are full of bad copy. The grammar might be poor, words ill chosen, and often there just isn’t enough of an explanation given.

Content is available in a plethora of forms. This could be anything from online, through to traditional methods such as magazines and newspapers. Websites can be flash, static or database driven. All of these methods of communication require words, to sell, inform or entertain. If you’re not a good writer, this can take significant time. By hiring a professional, you free yourself to do what you are good at, safe in the knowledge that the job will get done and can be considered an investment.

3. Professional Writing Services in Canada

The highest demand for professional writing services in Canada is with writing for the web. Unfortunately, it is also the lowest paying of all professional writing work. This has led to a mass exodus of Canadian writers to the US where the cost of living is cheaper and competition for high paying writing contracts is less fierce. Many Canadian writers who write for the web also do a lot of work for US-based clients. This is a good way for Canadians to earn an income equal to or greater than the average Canadian wage while working from home. Unfortunately, this also means that they are competing directly with foreign writers willing to work for less money due to differences in the cost of living and wage expectations.

One of the primary ways that professional writers earn a living is through the offering of professional writing services. There are many different types of professional writing including technical writing, business writing, and writing for the web. Each of these provides a viable means for Canadian writers to make a living.

4. How to Choose the Right Professional Writer

5. Lesson Plans – If employing a writer for a school-related project, get a feel of her organization and planning skills by requesting a writing lesson plan. This can often be in the form of a free test written to be a guide for any future writing.

4. Tests and Trials – If the project is large, you may consider a short paid test project to be absolutely certain of a writer’s compatibility with your company. Any writer should be enthusiastic about taking a small trial to gain your business.

3. References – This is a standard in any industry. Get a writer’s references and follow up on them. A writer may have impressive samples but getting a feel of her reliability and professionalism from a previous employer can be even more assuring.

2. Does she have a variety of writing samples? It is obvious that you should review any writer’s samples before hiring her, and it is even better if she has written something similar to your project, however quality samples can be indicative of well-developed writing skills. Writing4careers has dozens of samples across media and writing styles.

1. Does the writer take time for initial consultations? If he offers none or a quick one by phone run! It is important for a writer to take time to glean important information from you, to brainstorm the project, and to discuss your goals. I have found that the clients with whom I’ve worked more extensively have been happier with the final product.

There are many ways that you can ascertain a professional writer’s competency, before using her services.

5. Conclusion

Aristotle once said that the culture of a society is known by the way they think, feel, and act. Literature is the mirror to that culture. It provides a perspective into the lives of people during various periods of time in history. In Canada, English literature has always been an important subject towards nurturing a better culture for society. The impact of literature, however, has majorly increased in the last decade. This is because of the increase in the variety of mediums literature is being transmitted into our brains. In the 1800s, literature was simply written text and speech. Today, literature takes the form of visual art, video, and the most common form, being the internet. The increase in these different forms of media is increasing the variety of different people’s perspectives on understanding Canadian culture. English literature has become an important education towards understanding cultural differences and people who form the Canadian society. Therefore, literature today is not only changing Canadian culture, it is defining it. English literature provides the perspective towards understanding the vast variety of cultural values and norms from different ethnic societies in Canada. These values and norms are important for an immigrant to understand so they can adapt to a new way of life in Canada. Typically, people do not have the time to experience and understand a new culture. They gain perspective from literature on the same topic. This literature can be useful to individuals and corporations that hire professional English writers. High-quality content is meant for a target audience and since it holds so much value today, professional writers play a significant role in the formation of future Canadian culture.