How to hire writers and authors

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
• Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.
• Present drafts and ideas to clients.
• Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
• Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
• Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.
• Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
• Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree]
• Strong writing, reading comprehension, speaking, active learning, active listening and critical thinking skills
• Working knowledge of English Language and communications and media
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $36.98 an hour ($76,910 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for writers and authors

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to present drafts and ideas to clients. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
6. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
7. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What writers and authors do

• Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
• Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.
• Present drafts and ideas to clients.
• Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
• Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
• Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.
• Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
• Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.

Skills that matter most

WritingReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningActive ListeningCritical ThinkingEnglish LanguageCommunications and Media

Education, experience and outlook for writers and authors

• Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: -0.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 11,900 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay writers and authors

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See writers and authors pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
• News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
• Public Relations Specialists
• Editors
• Technical Writers
• Interpreters and Translators
• Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
• Media and Communication Workers, All Other

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.