College Grad Freelance Writer in New York City
Name: Melissa Kravitz
Career: Writing
Company Field: Writing
Located In: New York City, New York
Grew Up In: New York City, New York
Graduated From:
Majored In: Creative Writing (Fiction)
Graduated In: 2013
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What It's Really Like to Do Writing as a Profession After College in New York City


After College Lifestyles
 


Melissa is a freelance writer in New York City. (She is doing the Sex in the City thing.) Her job entails contractual writing gigs, and searching on Craigslist for the new opportunities. Melissa is very passionate about writing as she shares her lifestyle with us. Tour her life and her apartment in New York City.

List of Available Jobs:


Overview:

Name: Melissa Kravitz
Career: Writing
Company Field: Writing
Located In: New York City, New York
Grew Up In: New York City, New York
Graduated From:
Majored In: Creative Writing (Fiction)
Graduated In: 2013

Quick Stats on Writing as a Profession:

Work Hours/Week: 80 hours
Work Hour Flexibility: High
Quality of Lifestyle Outside of Work: High
Work Stress Level: Medium
Level of Routine Work: Low
Interaction with Co-Workers: Low
Pay Level (out of 5): $$


Life of a College Grad Writer:

 

Fresh out of commencement, I declared myself a professional writer! Basically, this means I write words that appear on screens and paper and hopefully people pay me to do so. In addition, I have my own website www.melissabethkravitz.com.


Writer's Daily Routine:

9:00 AM Wake up, check email, go back to sleep

10:10 AM Wake up again. Respond to email. Make a list of daily tasks

10:30 AM Catch up on Blogs, check up on the five blogs I contribute to

11:15 AM Pack up laptop to go write for the day. Head to an East Village coffee shop

11:30 AM Check Craigslist and Elance for new writing gigs

12:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM Work on contacting writers, updating website with new articles, social media, contacting businesses for review, and making staff agendas

3:00 PM I have an hour carved out to work on fiction (part of my novel or a short story)

5:30 PM Apply to any interesting Craigslist writing gigs

6:00 PM Go to hostess job (because writing doesn't always, or ever, pay the bills).

11:30 PM Get home from work. Check email, do re-writes, edits, and urgent jobs

2:00 AM Bedtime

Writing as a Profession After College
How To Get Into The Field
I majored in Creative Writing at Columbia, with a concentration in fiction, which means that making up stories is my goal for primary income. There are a few ways to go about this, and I chose freelancing, as it allows me to get the most writing done everyday, though it's not always for myself or under my name. School prepared me by teaching me to be independent, self-starting, and organized. I work for myself so I'm responsible for my schedule, my deadlines, and my communication with editors or supervisors. The best way to get started as a writer is to write. Anything and everything! Then find someone who wants to publish your writing-- a blog, a literary journal, a local newspaper-- and continue building from there.

What Do You Really Do?
My current job entails a lot of negotiating and planning ahead. I'm currently balancing five different contract jobs now and I have other side projects I dedicate time to. I didn't realize that I would need some business sense and tough skin to get into the industry! Writing is a skill, most people in the professional world know how to form sentences and paragraphs, and will not want to pay a premium for your services. I prove that my skill is valuable and billable, and offer a sense of professionalism that people may not understand comes alongside being a person who works from home in her pajamas at least half the week...
Pros/Cons of Your Job
I love my job because I do exactly what I want! As my own boss, I can decide what projects I want to work on and which I can turn down. I work closely with my editors to improve my writing and constantly build my craft and my profile on a daily basis. That being said, there's never really a day off, as I'm always reading, researching, or writing for a deadline. I love the flexibility in my schedule, I can work from anywhere at anytime, and I can travel if I plan in advance accordingly. The biggest con is the pay, it's not much and it's not steady, but I know as I grow more experienced I can work my way up to higher-paying jobs.



Tour My New York City Apartment:



Quick Stats on New York City

Job Opportunities: High
Competition for Housing: High
Housing Cost: High
Population of Young People: High
Nightlife: High
Safety: Medium
Biggest Industries: Finance, Advertising, Marketing

The Life of a College Grad In New York City

 

Living in New York City After College

What's it Like to Live Here?
NYC is the best! I can't imagine living anywhere else. I love that there are always people around me, at any time of the day, and while New Yorkers may be known for being "rude" they're also funny, outgoing, and endlessly interesting. I can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and end up building a friendship or perhaps just get a fun story. I constantly stumble into unexpected opportunities like attending the world pogo championship, dining with a food celebrity, or consulting on a comedy show.

How Did I End Up Here?
I always dreamed of living in NYC. I went to college at Columbia for the academics and the NYC social scene, and planned to stay in my East Village apartment after graduation. That I did!
My Set-Up
I live with three other girls in a converted studio apartment. We all have our own bedrooms (mattress caves) and share a kitchen/living room. I love our neighborhood because it has a history of housing writers and artists, and I'm always meeting new people in my field.

Closing Advice

 

Be passionate about what you do! Even if it's difficult, at least you'll love what you're doing and hopefully not get deterred. Being a writer is one of the hardest careers out there, I didn't choose it for ease or automatic success, but I look forward to working each day and that's what keeps me motivated.



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