creative writing job wiki

Creative Writing 2024

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Wiki page for Academic Jobs in Creative Writing advertised during the 2023-2024 hiring season. This page is for jobs that begin in 2024. Google is taking people to the old locked page! Please spread the word about this page so it is updated! This is the functioning Creative Writing Jobs wiki for 2024.

6/6/24: Page for 2025 is now available: Creative Writing 2024-2025

Last year's page: Creative Writing 2023

See also: English Literature 2023-2024

• 1 Instructions
• 2 RECENT ACTIVITY on Creative Writing 2024 Wiki
• 3.1 FICTION: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions:
• 3.2 POETRY: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions:
• 3.3 NONFICTION: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions:
• 3.4 OPEN GENRE: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions:
• 3.5 VISITING/LIMITED-TERM POSITIONS:
• 3.6 ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS:
• 4 FICTION - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions
• 5 NON-FICTION - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions
• 6 POETRY - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions
• 7 OPEN GENRE - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions
• 8 VISITING/LIMITED-TERM POSITIONS Positions
• 9 ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS
• 10 WHO IS USING THIS WIKI?
• 11 WORD ON THE STREET

Instructions [ ]

Please add jobs in the following format and order them alphabetically by the name of the institution.

• Example University. Position Title. Specializations. Deadline. TT/NT. FT/PT. Link to Job ad(s).

TT/NT: Tenure-track or Non-tenure track.

FT/PT: Full-Time or Part-Time

PD: Post-doc

For the sake of user-friendliness, please do not add more detailed content of the job ad on this page. (This is a departure from previous years, when these pages tended to become difficult to navigate. The new guidelines are modeled on more user-friendly Academic Wiki pages serving other disciplines.)

Add updates to the end of each entry as they come in: Additional materials requested, video interview scheduled, campus visit scheduled, offer extended, offer accepted, rejection received.

Please post "Have you heard?" questions below, under Word on the Street .

RECENT ACTIVITY on Creative Writing 2024 Wiki [ ]

72.49.182.67 at 00:40, 13 September 2024 - 72.49.182.67 - 2024/09/13 00:40

97.115.196.101: /* POETRY: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions: */ - 97.115.196.101 - 2024/08/31 01:59

72.49.182.67 at 19:55, 19 August 2024 - 72.49.182.67 - 2024/08/19 19:55

Glrblorg: https://x.com/AlanaSaab/status/1825366968221778041 - Glrblorg - 2024/08/19 05:15

24.130.59.200: /* NONFICTION: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions: */ - 24.130.59.200 - 2024/08/18 17:51

Subscribe to RSS Feed for This Page : http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Creative_Writing_2024?feed=rss&action=history

WHO GOT THE JOB? [ ]

Fiction: full-time / tenure track positions: [ ].

Berry College: Brigham Young U: Carleton College: Gwen Kirby Case Western Reserve University: Fairfield University: Grinnell College: Bruna Dantas Lobato, Stef Torralba East Carolina University: Hollins U: Hope College: Illinois State U: Kansas City Art Institute: Kennesaw State University: Ohio University: Casey Plett Penn State: Princeton U: Purchase College (SUNY): Queens College (CUNY): Search canceled. Seton Hall University: Smith College: Allegra Hyde St. Mary's College of California: Stony Brook (SUNY): Alana Saab SUNY Stony Brook: University of Central Florida: U of Chicago: U of of Hawai‘i at Mānoa: Joseph Han U of Iowa: U of St. Thomas: U of Illinois-Chicago: No hire University of Louisiana at Lafayette: University of Victoria: Wayde Compton U of Virginia: Wake Forest U: Ebony Flowers Waldorf University: University of Central Arkansas:

POETRY: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions: [ ]

Antioch University: Baruch College: Sally Wen Mao Beloit: Tacey Atsitty Bethany College: Binghamton University (SUNY): Colorado College: Emerson College: Porsha Olayiwola Florida Atlantic U: Romeo Oriogun Franklin and Marshall College: Niki Herd Hendrix College: New College of Florida: Joseph Massey New Mexico Highlands U: Oklahoma State U: Stephanie Choi Reed College: Joan Naviyuk Kane School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Texas Tech University: UC Davis: Cindy Ok U of Central Arkansas: U of Cincinnati: Search canceled U of Massachusetts Amherst: Desiree C. Bailey U of North Carolina-Chapel Hill: Carlina Duan U of North Carolina-Pembroke: U of Pittsburgh: U of South Florida: Ajibola Tolase U of Tampa: Victorio Reyes Asili U of Vermont: Aria Aber (with spousal TT hire) U of Virginia: Sumita Chakraborty Wichita State University: Adam Scheffler

NONFICTION: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions: [ ]

U of Tampa: Auburn U Montgomery: Bowdoin College: Jordan Eisner Centenary College of Louisiana: Colorado State University: Sarah Perry Cornell College: Denison U: Elon University: Search Canceled Florida Atlantic University: Howard University: Santa Clara University: Miah Jeffra Sarah Lawrence College: St. Mary's College of California: SUNY New Paltz: Katherine Blackburn U of Central Oklahoma: U of Chicago: U of Idaho: U of North Carolina-Wilmington: Michael Ramos (internal hire and former BA and MFA student in the program) U of North Dakota:

OPEN GENRE: Full-Time / Tenure Track Positions: [ ]

Catawba College: Natalie Rogers Chapman University: Jean Chen Ho College of Wooster: Davis and Elkins College: Emerson College: Franciscan U of Steubenville: Greenville County School Fine Arts Center: Illinois State U: Le Moyne College: Loyola Marymount U (two positions): Nathan Kweku John Southern New Hampshire U: Texas State U-San Marcos: US Naval Academy-Annapolis: U of British Columbia: U of Georgia: U of Mary Hardin-Baylor: U of Michigan: U of Missouri-Kansas City: Jennifer Maritza McCauley U of South Florida: Weber State U: Winston-Salem State U:

VISITING/LIMITED-TERM POSITIONS: [ ]

Amherst College W-i-R: Brown U Post-MFA/doc: Clemson U W-i-R: Dartmouth Poet-in-Residence at The Frost Place: Aurielle Marie Davidson College McGee Distinguished Professor: Emory U Fiction Fellowship: George Washington U Jenny McKean Moore Writer in Washington: Georgia Tech Brittain Fellowship: Oberlin College VAP: Katie Berta Scripps College VAP: Jesslyn Whittell Sewanee: Jim Whiteside Trinity College A-i-R: Tufts University: US Air Force Academy W-i-R: U of the Bahamas: Helen Klonaris U of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Kenan Visiting Writer: U of North Carolina-Wilmington: Wellesley College: Wesleyan University W-i-R: Wichita State U Distinguished Visiting Poet: Wichita State U Distinguished Visiting Fiction Writer: Wichita State U Visiting Emerging Fiction Writer: Wichita State U Visiting Emerging Poet:

ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS: [ ]

Michigan State U, Assistant Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and Director for the RCAH Center for Poetry: Toby Altman U of Houston, Associate Director of Creative Writing Program:

FICTION - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions [ ]

• Angelo State University. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. [Note: PhD required]. Rolling . https://employment.angelo.edu/postings/5423
• Berry College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 10/15/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178520557&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Tenure%20Track%29 . UPDATE: Video interview scheduled 10/30 Update: Campus Visit Scheduled 11/20.
• Brigham Young U. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 9/15/23 . https://hrms.byu.edu/psc/ps/PUBLIC/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Employee&SiteId=70&JobOpeningId=123899&PostingSeq=1&
• Carleton College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 11/1/23 . https://carleton.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/CarletonCareers/details/Assistant-Professor-of-English_R-00528-1 UPDATE: Letters of rec requested x2 (11/10/23) UPDATE: Video interview scheduled (11/20/23) Rejection: no longer under consideration (12/6). Campus visits complete 2/8
• Case Western Reserve University. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 12/22/23. https://case.edu/academic-careers/assistant-professor-tenure-track-creative-writing-fiction-department-english
• Fairfield University. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 11/22/23 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178602588 UPDATE: Video interview scheduled ( 12/08 ). Update: Rejection after Zoom interview ( 1/23 ).
• Grinnell College. Assistant or Associate Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 11/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178528995&Title=English%2C%20Creative%20Writing%2DFiction%20%2D%20Tenure%20Track%2C%20Start%20Fall%202024
• East Carolina University. Assistant Professor. Fiction Writing. TT. 11/9/23 . https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/3001334/assistant-professor/ UPDATE: More materials requested (11/28/23) Zoom interview scheduled x 2 (12/01/23); Campus Visit Invitation 12/18/23.
• Hollins U. Assistant or Associate. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT or Tenured (?) 9/15/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37505429/english-and-creative-writing-tenure-track-assistant-or-associate-professor-new-/ . UPDATE: Video interview scheduled 10/31 ; Campus visit scheduled 11/10
• Hope College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 12/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178557220&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing%2D%2DFiction UPDATE: Zoom interview scheduled 12/15
• Illinois State U. Assistant Professor. Prose Genres. TT. 11/13/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178555637&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Prose%20Genres%29 Update: Zoom interview scheduled (12/5) Update: Campus visit scheduled (12/26)
• Kansas City Art Institute. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction-Liberal Arts. TT. 1/2/24. https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=b8eda22f-d280-4db8-a8b7-bc0ed820ee60&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=468164&lang=en_US&source=CC2 Update: Video interview scheduled (2/5)
• Kennesaw State University. Assistant Professor of English (Fiction Writing). TT. 12/2/23 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37554576/assistant-professor-of-english-fiction-writing-/ Update: Zoom Interview request (1/23/24).
• Ohio University, Assistant or Associate, Creative Writing—Fiction, with secondary expertise in one or more of the following areas: screenwriting, playwriting, storytelling for new media, digital writing, or other narrative medium, TT, 10/23/23 (preferred) https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/postings/47481 Update: Zoom interview scheduled (12/4) Update: Campus interview scheduled (12/22)
• Pennsylvania State University. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction). TT. Posted 3/1/24; "Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled." https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178712797 Rejection no interview (4/19/24)
• Princeton U. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 10/1/23. https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=31181 UPDATE: Rejection no interview x3 (11/14/23)
• Purchase College (SUNY). Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 12/13/23 https://jobs.purchase.edu/postings/1123 Update ; rec letters requested from Interfolio, Zoom interview scheduled 12/19
• Queens College (CUNY). Assistant Professor - English. Fiction. TT (although ad doesn't say specifically?). Open until filled with review on 1/31/2024. https://main.hercjobs.org/jobs/19392249/assistant-professor-english#expand
• Seton Hall University. Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction). TT. 1/1/24 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178627639
• Smith College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 10/1/23. https://apply.interfolio.com/129824 UPDATE: Zoom Interview request (11/29/23) Rejection no interview (3/12/24)
• St. Mary's College of California. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Prose. TT. 10/20/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178546155&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20in%20Fiction%20and%20Nonfiction%20%28full%2Dtime%2C%20tenure%2Dtrack%29 . Update: Zoom Interview scheduled (11/20)
• University of Central Florida (UCF). Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction). TT. 12/7/23 . https://ucf.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Orlando-FL-Main-Campus/Assistant-Professor-of-Creative-Writing--Fiction-_R106530 1/11/24: Zoom Interview request.
• U of Chicago. Associate Professor. Creative Writing-Prose Genres. Tenured. 9/18/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37504159/associate-professor-of-english-and-creative-writing-prose-genres-/ UPDATE: Rejection w/o interview (10/27/23)
• U. of of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Assistant Professor of English—Creative Writing (Fiction). TT. 11/15/23 . UPDATE: Request for more materials (11/29/23) , Zoom interview scheduled 12/21 https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37541458/assistant-professor-of-english-creative-writing-fiction-/
• U of Iowa. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. 10/1/23. https://jobs.uiowa.edu/faculty/view/74930 UPDATE: Video interview requested (10/30/23); Does anyone know if they've scheduled campus visits yet?; UPDATE: Campus visit scheduled (12/4/23)
• U of St. Thomas (MN). Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. 11/1/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37522219/tenure-track-assistant-professor-creative-writing-fiction-/ UPDATE: Rejection (1/16/24)
• U of Illinois-Chicago. Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. (Note: PhD required.) 11/1/23. https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/6895?c=uic
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing–Fiction. TT. (Note: PhD required; deadline not specified?) UPDATE: Interview request https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178622766
• University of Victoria. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. (Limited Hire: Black Authors) 01/19/24. [1] https://www.uvic.ca/faculty-staff/careers/faculty-and-librarian-postings/current/crea_230_079.php UPDATE: Invitations to Interview (02/19/24) UPDATE: Campus interviews scheduled (03/24/24) UPDATE: Search complete, position filled (07/01/24)
• U. of Virginia. Associate or Full Professor - Sydney Blair Memorial Professorship in Creative Writing (fiction). Tenured. 12/1/23 . https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/3013336/associate-or-full-professor-sydney-blair-memorial-professorship-in-creative-writing-fiction-/ UPDATE: Video interview requested (1/31/24) UPDATE: Campus interviews scheduled (2/20/24)
• Wake Forest U. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Fiction. TT. (Note: "We seek a fiction writer whose work engages with African American contexts.") 11/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178556156&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2C%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Fiction%29
• Waldorf University. Assistant Professor. English & Creative Writing (Prose). TT. (Note: "We seek a fiction writer who can teach speculative fiction and both fiction and creative nonfiction workshops"). No date given but applications are being reviewed immediately and will continue until filled. https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6d21694746ba5187&tk=1hkpnqv66i7kq800&from=serp&vjs=3
• University of Central Arkansas Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction + Secondary Genre) (2/5/24) https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178685445&utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic UPDATE: Campus interview scheduled for Mid-March

NON-FICTION - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions [ ]

• U of Tampa. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 11/1/23. https://utampa.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty/details/Assistant-Professor--English-and-Writing_R0007896-1?q=english%20and%20writing UPDATE: Video Interview Scheduled (11/8/23)
• Auburn U Montgomery. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 10/16/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178533834&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing UPDATE: Video Interview Scheduled (11/10/23) UPDATE: Campus Interview Scheduled (11/18/23)
• Bowdoin College. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 10/1/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7544/assistant-professor-of-english-creative-nonfiction-/?porder=Creative+writing&ix=4#top-pagination UPDATE : Rejection without interview (02/20)
• Cornell College. Assistant Professor. Multimedia Writing and Publishing/Creative Nonfiction/Digital Storytelling. TT. 1/1/24. https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/COR1036CORN/JobBoard/30d770d7-3983-4bf1-867a-479db251bad8/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=849be3fc-7087-4701-b65e-e55854a58276
• Denison U. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 11/1/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37504265/assistant-professor-of-english/ UPDATE: Video Interview Scheduled (12/1/23)
• Elon University. Assistant Professor of English. Creative Writing/Nonfiction. TT. 11/13/23 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8096/assistant-professor-of-english/ Update: Rejection w/o interview (1/5/24) UPDATE: Campus visit scheduled for Feb. (1/15/23)
• Florida Atlantic University. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 11/18/23 . https://fau.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FAU/details/Assistant-Professor-in-Creative-Writing--Nonfiction_REQ16849 UPDATE: Additional Materials Requested (11/21/23) UPDATE: Campus visits scheduled (1/10/24) UPDATE: Offer made (2/19/24)
• Howard University. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 12/1/23 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8300/assistant-professor-of-creative-writing/
• Illinois State U. Assistant Professor. Prose Genres. TT. 11/13/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178555637&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Prose%20Genres%29
• Sarah Lawrence College. Undefined TT. Creative Nonfiction. 9/15/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37486201/writing-nonfiction-tenure-track-position/ UPDATE: Video Interview Scheduled (10/17/23)
• St. Mary's College of California. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Prose. TT. 10/20/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178546155&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20in%20Fiction%20and%20Nonfiction%20%28full%2Dtime%2C%20tenure%2Dtrack%29
• SUNY New Paltz. Assistant Professor of English (Creative Nonfiction). TT. 11/1/2023. -anyone have an update yet? (1/19/24) Video Interview Dec 15 (1/22/24) https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=178577315
• U of Chicago. Associate Professor. Creative Writing-Prose Genres. Tenured. 9/18/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37504159/associate-professor-of-english-and-creative-writing-prose-genres-/ UPDATE: rejection received (10/27/23)
• U of Idaho. Assistant Professor. Nonfiction. TT. 10/15/23 . https://uidaho.peopleadmin.com/postings/42081?fbclid=IwAR1GXvAfdUCNRFoJuOy6Cet5gWYLrwV3ArkyzK91uByz2YP1SMq-6aBotSM
• University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Nonfiction. TT. 11/20/23 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37548413/assistant-professor-of-creative-writing-nonfiction/
• U of North Dakota. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. (Note: PhD required.) 11/1/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7878/assistant-professor-of-english/?porder=Creative+writing&ix=3#top-pagination UPDATE: Request for more materials (11/9/23, 11/14/23) UPDATE: Video interview scheduled (11/28/23 x3) Rejection after video interview (12/19/23) Position Filled (2/24).
• Centenary College of Louisiana. Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction and/or World Literatures. TT. Rolling Deadline: 12/1/2023. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37550677/assistant-professor-of-english-literature-and-writing/
• Colorado State University . Assistant Professor. Creative Nonfiction. TT. 1/12/2024 https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/136979 UPDATE : Rejection without interview (02/18)
• University of Central Oklahoma. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing (Nonfiction). TT. 2/1/2024. UPDATE: Video Interview Scheduled (2/5/2024) https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37573022/assistant-professor-eng/
• East Tennessee State University. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing (Nonfiction). TT. 3/15/2024. https://jobs.etsu.edu/postings/28021

POETRY - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions [ ]

• Antioch University. Core Faculty. Poetry. 1/1/24. https://www.antioch.edu/job/core-faculty-in-poetry/ UPDATE: Rejection, no interview, mentioned having >140 applicants (4/3)
• Baruch College. Assistant Professor–English (Creative Writing–Poetry). TT. 1/10/24 . https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/3039726/baruch-college-assistant-professor-english-creative-writing-poetry-/ UPDATE: Zoom interview request 1/18; UPDATE: Online campus visit and job talk request 2/5
• Bethany College (WV)/Assistant Professor/TT/FT/poetry and composition/closing date 2/1/24 https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178614733&Title=Faculty%20%2D%20English%20%26%20Composition
• Binghamton University (SUNY-Binghamton). Lecturer/Associate Director of CW Program. Creative Writing-Poetry. NTT. 10/27/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7694/lecturer-and-associate-director-of-the-creative-writing-program/? JbeBatchId=1570&porder=Creative+writing&JobAlertId=18897&utm_source=JobAlert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2023-09-07
• Colorado College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 11/1/23 https://employment.coloradocollege.edu/postings/7405 UPDATE: Rejection email (3/25): "offer was made" to (internal) candidate.
• Emerson College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 11/8/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178540176&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20in%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Poetry%29 UPDATE: Zoom interview requested (12/5) UPDATE: Job talk scheduled (late January) UPDATE: Rejection, no interview (2/5) x2
• Florida Atlantic University. Assistant Professor. Poetry. TT. 11/18/23. https://fau.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FAU/details/Assistant-Professor---Creative-Writing--Poetry_REQ16827 UPDATE: Request for more materials (11/27/23) UPDATE: Zoom interview and rec letters requested (12/15) UPDATE: Campus visits scheduled (1/14) UPDATE: Offer made (2/19/24)
• Franklin and Marshall College. Assistant Professor (or Instructor). Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 11/13/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178527734&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2FInstructor%20of%20English%20%28Creative%20Writing%29 UPDATE: Zoom interview and rec letters requested (12/20) x2
• Hendrix College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry (Secondary Specialization in CNF). TT. 10/16/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7801/assistant-professor-of-english-creative-writing-poetry-w-secondary-field-creative-nonfiction-/?porder=Creative+writing&ix=3#top-pagination UPDATE: campus visit (11/16)
• New Mexico Highlands University. Assistant Professor of English -- Poetry. TT. No close date? https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=178580184 UPDATE: first round interview scheduled mid-May (5/1). UPDATE: finalist interviews scheduled late May-mid June (5/15).
• Oklahoma State University. Assistant Professor in Creative Writing–Poetry. TT. 11/22/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8239/assistant-professor-in-creative-writing-poetry/
• Reed College. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 9/15/23. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37495229/tenure-track-appointment-in-creative-writing-with-a-concentration-in-poetry-/ UPDATE: first round interview scheduled (mid-December)x2. Update (3/18): Rejection, no interview--"position filled."
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Assistant Professor. Writing-Poetry. TT. 1/8/2024 https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37513552/tenure-track-assistant-professor-position-in-writing/
• Texas Tech University. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing--Poetry. TT. 10/16/2023 https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7772/tenure-track-assistant-professor-creative-writing-poetry/?kw=Employer%3a+Texas+Tech+University+English+Department&so=Date#top-pagination UPDATE: Zoom interview and letters requested (11/20/23) Update (12/19): Campus visit scheduled for January
• UC Davis. Assistant or Associate Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT/Tenured. 11/2/23 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37540498/assistant-professor-or-associate-professor UPDATE : zoom interview scheduled
• U of Cincinnati. Assistant or Associate Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT/Tenured. 9/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm? JobCode=178487827&Title=Assistant%20or%20Associate%20Professor%2C%20English%2C%20Poetry Update--11/8, position "canceled"
• U of Massachusetts. Associate or Advanced Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 10/27/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178530104&Title=Tenure%2Dtrack%2C%20Associate%20or%20Advanced%20Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Poetry Update--REJECTION email 11/12; Update (12/4): Zoom interviews scheduled for early January; Update (1/11): Rejection after Zoom call
• U of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Walker Percy Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 10/21/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7932/walker-percy-assistant-professor-in-poetry/?JbeBatchId=1591&porder=Creative+writing&JobAlertId=18897&utm_source=JobAlert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2023-09-28 Update--11/8: Zoom interview scheduled for late November/early December; Update (12/4): Campus visit scheduled for January
• U of North Carolina-Pembroke. Assistant Professor English/Creative Writing - Poetry. TT. No close date?? https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=178579624
• U of Pittsburgh. Toi Derricotte Chair (Associate or Full Professor), also Director of Center for African American Poetry and Poetics. Tenured. Creative Writing-Poetry. 11/1/2023. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178541740&Title=Toi%20Derricotte%20Chair%2D%20English%20Dept
• U of South Florida. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. 12/11/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178559452&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20%2D%20English UPDATE: zoom interview request (1/2/24); UPDATE: Campus visit schedule for February (1/24/24).
• U of Tampa. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing--Poetry. TT. 11/1/23, review begins. https://utampa.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty/details/Assistant-Professor--English-and-Writing_R0007866-1
• U of Vermont. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry. TT. 10/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178455171&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20in%20Creative%20Writing%20%2D%20Poetry . UPDATE: Zoom interviews scheduled for mid-December (12/4)
• U of Virginia. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing-Poetry/ TT. 11/6/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=178561440 UPDATE: Zoom interviews scheduled for mid-January UPDATE: Rejection, no interview (2/5)
• Wichita State University. Assistant Professor of Poetry Writing. TT. 1/1/24. https://jobs.wichita.edu/postings/31246 n UPDATE: rejection 1/30/24 UPDATE: Zoom interview scheduled mid-Jan. (1/20/23)
• University of Central Arkansas. Assistant Professor of Poetry Writing. TT. (2/5/24) UPDATE: Campus interview scheduled for Mid-March
• New College of Florida Poetry. TT (12/19/2023) https://www.governmentjobs.com/jobs/4319760-0/tenure-track-professor-in-creative-writing
• Beloit College. TT (3/27/2024) https://www.beloit.edu/live/profiles/7722-tenure-track-assistantassociate-professor-of?fbclid=IwAR1lM0UI2hisyeLH4lRI8uuoShul572UW7VIsjqtYQ48S2Emkl-_Yy3OiLE [2] UPDATE: zoom interviews scheduled for (April 18-20)

OPEN GENRE - Full-Time / Tenure-Track Positions [ ]

• Chapman University. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction, Nonfiction, and/or Poetry). TT. UPDATE 1/19: Video interview requested X2. UPDATE 2/14: rejection (no interview) stating they've extended on-campus visits to three applicants (kind of love this specificity in this otherwise general form rejection) x4. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37575341/assistant-professor-of-creative-writing-tenure-track-fall-2024/
• College of Wooster. English Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Fiction and/or Poetry). TT. 1/10/24 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8441/english-tenure-track-assistant-professor-of-creative-writing-fiction-and-or-poetry-/ UPDATE: Video interview requested on 2/6.
• Davis and Elkins College. English Faculty. Creative Writing. NTT. 9/25/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178515890&Title=English%20Faculty
• Emerson College. Open Rank (Assistant, Associate, Full). Creative Writing. TT/Tenured. 11/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178540175&Title=Open%20Rank%20Faculty%20Member%20in%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Multi%2DGenre%29 UPDATE: Video interview requested for mid-December x2. Update 12/20: Request for letters of rec. kinda update, 1/24: form rejection, no interview x2
• Franciscan U of Steubenville. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing. TT. 10/15/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178506633&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20English
• Greenville County School Fine Arts Center (High School). Creative Writing Faculty (open genre) NT, FT. 3/1/2024. https://gvlprod-lm01.cloud.infor.com:1444/lmghr/CandidateSelfService/lm?dataarea=lmghr&_frommenu=true&context.dataarea=lmghr&context.session.key.JobBoard=EXTERNAL&context.session.key.HROrganization=1000&JobPost=2&JobReq=18804
• Illinois State University. Assistant Professor (Prose Genres). English Department. TT. 11/13/23 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37535284/assistant-professor-of-creative-writing-prose-genres-
• Le Moyne College. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. "We seek a specialist in fiction or poetry, with the ability to teach a second Creative Writing genre." 11/10/23 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37538761/assistant-professor-of-creative-writing/ Update: Rejection w/o interview (2/23/24)
• Loyola Marymount U. Assistant Professor (2 Positions). Creative Writing. TT. 10/13/23. https://lmu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Careers/job/Westchester-Campus/Assistant-Professor-of-Creative-Writing_R6685 Update-11/1 request for materials x 2, Update-11/28 FORM REJECTION, 12/3 Zoom Interview scheduled., Update--12/19 FORM REJECTION (was this form rejection after a Zoom interview or after not hearing anything?)
• Millikin University. Assistant Professor of English - Creative Writing (Tenure-Track). Open: "prose (fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid forms)." TT. Posted 3/1/24; deadline 4/1/24 . https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37618580/assistant-professor-of-english-creative-writing-tenure-track-/
• Mount Royal University. Assistant Professor, Creative Writing. Open: "students who are learning to create as well as read and understand fiction and nonfiction, drama, poetry, and emergent forms of creative expression and production." TT. Posted 3/5/24; deadline 3/31/24 , "or until a suitable candidate is found." https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178717256
• North Carolina Central University. Assistant Professor and Endowed Chair in Creative Writing. TT. Open: "Ability to teach a wide variety of Creative Writing courses, including multi-genre Introduction to Creative Writing, Fiction, Nonfiction. Ability to teach Drama Writing and/or Poetry a plus." Posted 2/13/24; "Open Until Filled." https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178694368
• Southern New Hampshire University: Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. Mixed genre but requires Fiction MFA or PhD. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178521934 Update-12/3 Zoom Interview. Request for letters of rec and campus visit 1/9.
• US Naval Academy, Annapolis: Assistant Professor. Creative Writing. TT. NOTE: PhD required. 10/2/23. https://www.usna.edu/HRO/jobinfo/Tenure-track-English-Creative-AY24.php UPDATE: Request for more materials x2 (11/9/23) UPDATE: Zoom interview scheduled for mid-December x3 (12/4) UPDATE: Rejection from "Initial" Campus Visits but leaving it open in case they want to do another round ( 12/22)
• Texas State University, San Marcos, TX: Associate Professor. Director, MFA in Creative Writing Program. TT. NOTE: position starts Spring 2024. 9/15/23. https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/43570 . Position filled.
• University of British Columbia. Assistant or Associate Professor in Black Speculative Writing. "Black alternative imaginations and/or futurisms in any genre, including fiction, non-fiction, lyric forms, graphic forms, etc." 12/11/23 . https://www.pw.org/job_listing/assistant_or_associate_professor_in_black_speculative_writing
• University of Galway (Ireland). 2 x Lecturer in English (Creative Writing). Permanent half time (0.5FTE). "Nonfiction will be an advantage, but...a capacity to teach across genres will be expected." 03/21/24 https://www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/jobs/
• University of Georgia. Helen S. Lanier Distinguished Professorship. Tenured. No date given. "We are seeking an advanced scholar or practitioner of writing with expertise and experience in teaching in one or more of the following areas: composition and rhetoric, creative writing (fiction or nonfiction), and literary translation." https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37579269/helen-s-lanier-distinguished-professorship/
• U of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Assistant/Associate Professor. Creative Writing. (Note: "UMHB seeks faculty who are active Christians"). No date given. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178553038&Title=Assistant%20%2F%20Associate%20Professor%20%20Creative%20Writing
• U of Michigan. Lecturer III. FT, NTT. Creative Writing/Literary Publishing/Managing Editor of Michigan Quarterly Review. 10/13/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7612/lecturer-in-creative-writing-literary-publishing/?porder=Creative+writing&ix=2#top-pagination Update: Zoom Interview Scheduled 11/20.
• U of Missouri Kansas City. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing. TT. 10/20/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178436609&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing%20%2F%20English%20Language%20%26amp%3B%20Literature%20%2F%20Umkc%20School%20of%20Humanities%20%26amp%3B%20Social%20Sciences UPDATE: Rejection 01/23/24
• U of South Florida. Assistant Professor. Creative Writing. TT. 12/11/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178559452&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20%2D%20English
• Texas State University, San Marcos, TX: Assistant Professor. Creative Writing. TT. 11/6/23 . https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/44053 Update: 1/5 Zoom interview request
• Catawba College, Salisbury, NC. Fiction and Non-Fiction. TT. 01/25/2024 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178570173&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20English
• Weber State University, Ogden, UT: Assistant Professor. Creative Writing/Screenwriting/Fiction. TT. 12/1/23 . https://jobs.weber.edu/postings/21076 Update: Campus visit scheduled 12/15 (for January); position filled, 2/7/24
• Winston-Salem State University. Assistant Professor - EHRA-English. Creative nonfiction and fiction. TT. No date given. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37586583/assistant-professor-ehra-english/
• East Tennessee State University. Lecturer. Creative Writing (Open). NT. FT. 3/15/2024. https://jobs.etsu.edu/postings/28015

VISITING/LIMITED-TERM POSITIONS Positions [ ]

• Amherst College. Writer in Residence. Creative Writing. 10/1/23. https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7533/writer-in-residence/?porder=Creative+writing&ix=2#top-pagination Update: Zoom interview scheduled 11/3. Campus visits scheduled (early December). Form rejection stating search was "completed," no interview 1/3.
• Brandeis University. Lecturer in Creative Writing / Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence. NTT. PT. Posted 4/25/24; deadline: "First consideration will be given to applicants who apply by April 27, 2024." https://brandeis.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Jobs/jobs/details/Lecturer-in-Creative-Writing_R0010135
• Brown University. PostMFA/Postdoctoral Fellowship in Critical Classical Studies. Open genre and medium, including translation. Project must bear in the broadest sense upon classicism and/ or the ancient greeks and Romans. Rolling but review begins 1/16/24 . NT 2 year, NO TEACHING. https://apply.interfolio.com/133409 .
• University of The Bahamas. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (Nonfiction). 1/31/24. NT 3 year contract renewable to 10 years. https://www.higheredjobs.com/international/details.cfm?JobCode=178612803&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2C%20Creative%20Writing%20%28Nonfiction%29 Update: video interview scheduled 4/11/24, offer extended 7/29/24, offer accepted 8/8/24 , rejection received 8/8/24.
• University of Chicago. Assistant Professor of Practice in the Arts - Creative Writing. Fiction. NTT ("initial term of four years, with reappointment possible following review"). Posted 5/11/24; deadline 5/20/24 . https://main.hercjobs.org/jobs/20086216/assistant-professor-of-practice-in-the-arts-creative-writing#expand
• Clemson University. Writer-in-Residence. "The genre is open." 1-2 years. 12/8/23 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8341/writer-in-residence/ UPDATE: Letters of rec requested (12/16/23)
• College of the Holy Cross. Visiting Full-Time Faculty Position in Fiction Writing. NTT. Posted 3/1/24; deadline 4/8/24 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178712751
• Columbia University. Lecturer in the Discipline of Writing. NTT. Posted 3/11/24; "Open Until Filled." Open: "fiction, nonfiction poetry, and/or cross-genre." https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178723209
• Davidson College. McGee Distinguished Professor (Spring 2025). 11/1/23. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178530664&Title=McGee%20Distinguished%20Professor%20of%20Creative%20Writing
• Emory University. Fiction Fellowship 2024-2026. 2 years. 2/15/24 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178648834 (4/04/24) Has anyone who made the longlist heard back yet? Not sure if they go straight from longlist to finalists, or if there's a middle step.
• George Washington University. Jenny McKean Moore Writer in Washington. Creative Nonfiction. 11/13/23. https://www.gwu.jobs/postings/105882
• Georgia Tech. Brittain Fellowship (January 2024). 10/15/23 for optimal consideration. https://wcprogram.lmc.gatech.edu/brittain-fellowship/brittain-fellowship-application-process
• Hunter College, MFA Creative Writing Program. Distinguished Lecturer. Creative Nonfiction. NTT. Posted 3/28/24; deadline 4/30/24 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8731/distinguished-lecturer/
• University of Iowa. Visiting Assistant Professor. Nonfiction. NTT. Posted 4/21/24; "Review of applications will begin immediately." https://main.hercjobs.org/jobs/20015997/visiting-assistant-professor-non-fiction-writing#expand
• Oberlin College & Conservatory. Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Poetry. 1 year. 2/15/24. https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178656787 Update: Zoom interview scheduled 2/23/24
• Oberlin College. Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Fiction. NTT. Posted 5/7/24; deadline 5/17/24 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178782263 Update: Zoom interview scheduled 5/22/24
• Ohio University. Visiting Professor, English (Non-tenure track). Open. NTT. Posted 4/28/24; deadline 5/28/24 . https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/postings/49670
• University of Pittsburgh. Visiting Assistant Professor in Writing (English Department). NTT. Posted 3/17/24; no deadline listed. Open: "multi-genre classes (poetry/fiction/nonfiction)." https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178729787
• Scripps College. Visiting Assistant Professor of English (Poetry and Poetics). 11/1/23. https://www.scrippscollege.edu/hr/faculty/visiting-assistant-professor-of-english-beginning-fall-2024 Update: Zoom interview scheduled 12/14 x2. Interviewed 2/23 x2—have you heard anything? 3/25 rejection saying person made offer and accepted x2
• University of South Dakota. Visiting Assistant Professor of English/Creative Writing. Poetry. NTT. Posted 4/26/24. Open until filled. https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/38800 . Interviewed 6/25. Letters Requested 6/27. Offer made 7/3/24.
• Trinity College. Artist-in-Residence. Open genre. "Appointment for an initial term of three years with possibility of renewal every five years thereafter." 11/15/23 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/8179/artist-in-residence/ 1/29: Personalized Rejection x3
• Tufts University. Professor of the Practice of Creative Non-Fiction and Journalism. "Initial two-year contract with a renewable appointment and eligibility for a rolling contract in the sixth year after a review." 12/1/23 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178566505 Update: Zoom interview scheduled 1/26
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kenan Visiting Writer / Lecturer. Fiction. 1 year. 1/10/24 . https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/3025804/lecturer/
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington. / 2 FT Lecturers. Creative Writing. 1 year. 3/28/24 https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/31395
• United States Air Force Academy. Writer in Residence. Fiction 1 year. 1/15/24 https://www.globaljobs.org/jobs/41151-colorado-springs-united-states-air-force-academy-writer-in-residence
• Wellesley College. Visiting Lecturer (1-2). Creative writing: video game writing and TV writing. Until position filled. 1 semester or 1 year. https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/wellesley/wellesley-faculty/job/Wellesley-College/Visiting-Lecturer-in-English_R0004681
• Wesleyan University. Distinguished Writers in Residence. Open ("writer-scholar, critic, journalist, novelist, poet, playwright, or translator"). 1 year. 1/15/24 . https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178607376 UPDATE: Rejection 02/15/24 x2
• Wichita State. Distinguished Visiting Poet for Spring 2024. 9/15/23 https://www.awpwriter.org/careers/job_view/106575/wichita_state_university
• Wichita State. Visiting Emerging Fiction Writer for Spring 2024. 9/15/23 https://www.awpwriter.org/careers/job_view/106576/wichita_state_university
• Wichita State. Distinguished Visiting Fiction Writer for Spring 2025. 02/15/24 https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_las/english/creativewriting/writingnowseries.php . Planning to select the writer in April.
• Wichita State. Visiting Emerging Poet for Spring 2024. 02/15/24 https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_las/english/creativewriting/writingnowseries.php

ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS [ ]

• Ashland University. Assistant/Associate Professor of English, Director of MFA in Creative Writing - College of Arts and Sciences. NTT. Posted 4/4/24; no deadline listed. https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178748062
• Michigan State University. Director for the RCAH Center for Poetry. TT. "The ideal candidate will be an effective leader […] A teaching load of three courses per year is expected." 11/16/23 . https://joblist.mla.org/job-details/7830/faculty-tenure-stream/
• U of Houston. Associate Director, Creative Writing Program. https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37510032/associate-director-creative-writing-program-sta013043-/ Update 11/6, position filled.

WHO IS USING THIS WIKI? [ ]

under 30: 5

prefer not to state age:

Fiction Writer: 6

Nonfiction Writer: 4

Multi-Genre: 13

Script writer (TV&Film):

Script writer (Theatre):

Search Committee Lurker:

Employment Status

Unemployed and looking for job: 1

Administrative job/Publisher: 1

Employed in other field, wanting to re-enter academia: 1

Employed in other field, just trying to break into academia: 1

Finishing MFA or Ph.D. & going on the market: 9

Have fellowship after MFA or Ph.D. & going on the market:

Working as adjunct/lecturer, looking for TT job: 5

Have visiting gig, looking for TT: 5

Have fixed-term gig, looking for TT: 2

Have visiting gig, looking for another visiting gig (not TT):

Have TT job and looking for new one: 7

Have TT job and on the market because of a spouse/partner:

Had TT job but quit to go on the market because of spouse/partner:

Have TT job and want to keep it but need an offer elsewhere to get a raise:

Tenured and on the market because of a spouse/partner:

Have tenure but looking for new job:

Tenured at undergrad-only institution, looking for job in MFA program:

Tenured, looking for visiting position:

Permanent NTT job, looking for tenured job: 3

Window shopping:

Have "SR" NTT job, looking for tenured job: 1

PhD and MA:

PhD and MS:

PhD and MA (lit, not cw): 6

Phd and Terminal MA:

MFA and ABD: 4

MA and ABD:

MFA, MA, and ABD: 2

MFA, MS, and ABD:

MFA and MS:

MFA only: 10

MFA and MA: 2

PhD and MFA: 10

MFA and MAT: 1

Published articles or stories (Magazine, Anthology, or Journal, etc): 5

No book yet: 4

First book under contract: 2

Two books under contract: 1

First academic book under contract:

First book published: 5

First book forthcoming + multiple edited books published: 2

First book + edited anthologies published:

Edited book under contract:

First book + academic book under contract:

First book + critical book published + edited book under contract:

First book published, second book under contract: 3

First book published, second book in submission:

Second book published: 3

Second book published, third under contract: 2

Multiple books published: 6

Multiple books + edited anthology published: 5

ICYMI: Who previously held the job. In some cases this year (and every year) these job postings are replacing people who have moved on to other institutions. This can be useful knowledge if you want to find out more about the position from the last person who held it. For example:

Grinnell College: Replacing Dean Bakopoulos, who's now a Professor of Film at U-Iowa.

Princeton: Replacing Jhumpa Lahiri, who's now a professor at Barnard. (*And Kirstin Valdez Quade, now Associate Prof at Stanford.)

U of Vermont: Replacing Major Jackson, who moved to Vanderbilt.

U of Pittsburgh: Replacing Dawn Lundy Martin, who moved to Bard.

U of Massachusetts: Replacing Ocean Vuong, who moved to NYU.

Reed College: Replacing Samiya Bashir, who's now director of Lambda Literary.

Denison University: Replacing Melissa Faliveno, who's now at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Franklin & Marshall College: Replacing Meg Day, who's now at NC State.

Bowdoin College: Replacing Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, who's now at UBC.

Colorado College: Replacing Nate Marshall, who's now at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Oklahoma State University: Replacing Janine Joseph, who's moved to Virginia Tech.

Colorado State University: Replacing Jaquira Diaz, who's moved to Columbia University.

Know of other replacements or moves? Add them here.

WORD ON THE STREET [ ]

10/26: Anyone heard anything from the Naval Academy?

I received a request for secondary materials today (11/9/23)

From LMU or from the Naval Academy??

Apologies, from Naval Academy!

11/7: Anyone heard anything from Loyola Marymount? | 11/28: Got the rejection today.

11/13: Anyone hear anything from Bowdoin (CNF) or Florida Atlantic? | 11/28: FAU asked for more materials a week ago

I got an email from Bowdoin asking me to confirm my interest, since the position is Asst. level and I'm currently an Associate.

Bowdoin first round interviews happened in December. Any word on on-campus interviews?

11/14: Anyone hear anything from Princeton?

11/15: Does anyone have any info about Hope College? It seems like this job is posted every year or two. Does it keep going unfilled, or do they have trouble hanging onto people due to the religious aspects of the school? 11/28: curious about this too! 12/31: I was curious as well and did a bit of digging. I found two articles. One: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/02/06/division-investigations-faculty-departures%E2%80%A6-what-going-hope-colleges-music and: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/18/hope-college-moves-away-immediate-plan-fire-president To me, these articles point to some instability that would make it difficult to work there (for me, anyway, which is why I didn't apply). I also found student review comments on some websites that said that, although chapel attendance isn't mandatory for students, it is frowned upon and makes students who don't go feel isolated--I would think it would be the same for faculty members? But that's me just speculating based on those student comments.

A: As someone who grew up in the neighborhood, Hope has the reputation for a deeply religious work culture. I would bet a donut that is at least part of why they struggle to keep staff.

11/15: Anyone hear anything from Reed yet besides that email in October outlining timeline?

First round interviews were scheduled for mid-December.

11/19 Received request for more materials from UVM on 10/23. Any word on interviews?

11/20 Any word from Smith?

12/3: Any word from UC Davis?

12/23 seems like Zoom interviews went out/happened but no word on campus visits

12/3: Any word from UMass Amherst (besides the 11/12 rejection)?

12/11: Any word from Le Moyne, Franklin and Marshall, Trinity?

12/13: Anyone apply to UATX? Or hear from them? Review of apps began 11/15.

1/9: Can anyone confirm if Zoom interview requests from USF went out only for the Poetry position or also for Open Genre?

1/10: Any new info from Colorado College, other than the job listing mirroring the bio of the current visiting professor who’s also the partner of a current faculty member?

1/18: Anyone heard anything from CC (poetry)? 1/19: See below about posting matching qualifications/experience of the current visiting poet/partner of current faculty.

1/19 meaning it's likely an internal hire...?

2/15: I reached out to Colorado College's Human Resources department, twice now, 3 weeks ago and 1 week ago, inquiring about the status of the search: no response at all.

2/16....I also have not heard anything from CC....has anyone reached out to anyone involved in the search? i.e. the chair?

3/29: wow! The initial presumption on Colorado College was correct. The VAP is listed on 2024-2025 courses as of today. (Though technically no info on whether as a continuing VAP or in the TT role)

1/24: I have a Q, it's my first time on the market and I've noticed that I've applied to some places where people have gotten both interviews and form rejections. If I haven't gotten the rejection, is this just sloppy responding on their parts? or when doing these searches do schools tend to have some sort of second tier that they keep on the back burner in case all interviews don't go well? Curious if anyone knows. Answer: First, congrats on getting interviews your first round! Hoping you get a good place to work. And, honestly, it's hard to say. Sometimes HR is gumming up the works (I've gotten a form rejection over a year after an interview). Or they don't seem to want to reject anyone until they have the new hire secured—ostensibly hedging their bets? Or, again, HR protocol. But yes indeed could also be sloppy af. Flyouts and no rejection, etc, happens all the time. Takeaway: after a certain amount of time you should feel free to email and ask for an update. (Disclaimer: I have not been on a hiring committee, so take this with a grain of salt.) R2: It's likely just an oversight. Most schools are interviewing 9-20 people for the job, then inviting 3-4 to campus. If you get an interview and don't hear from them, you could be in a reserve pool of semi-finalists in case none of the finalists work out--that's very common. But if you didn't get an interview around when some of the other requests were made (not every school extends all interview requests on the same day, but they're generally pretty close together), your application is likely dead. This might mean that you were very close to being an interviewee and didn't get rejected in the first batch but also weren't advanced, or it could just be an HR glitch--I've seen the other side of these searches and some of the software interfaces are just dreadful.

1/25 - any word on campus visits at Smith, UH-Manoa, or SUNY Purchase?

2/14-Any word on campus visits at Franklin Marshall College? Any word from Binghamton?

2/20-CUNY Baruch Q: did the campus visit go ahead? Last I heard from them they said the process was delayed.

3/08 - Any news from Emerson College? It's been over a month since job talks/campus visits, has anyone heard of an offer being made? Or of people who weren't originally given job talks being flown out?

3/08: Any news from Texas Tech (Costa Rica)?

3/8: Any news from The University of Tampa? Campus visit, notified 3/12

3/13: Any news from Antioch?

3/23: A technical question on the process: When you already hold a TT position but would like to re-enter the market because you're not happy with your current job & town, how do you guys go about collecting reference letters? Do you ask your current colleagues and faculty, or go back to your PhD/MA mentors? Thanks! A: I got one from a colleague at my current job; I was told from folks who have been on hiring committees that it would look good (I went with a trusted friend/colleague, not my Dean or others because I didn't want them to know I was trying to leave). The other letters were from former professors/mentors and one person with whom I went to graduate school with who teaches at a different school--I was also told by people who served on committees that it looks better to have your letters from people at different schools (if you've had the same job for a time). I hope this helps! I should add: I think it helps in the cover letter to write about why you want to leave the current school as related to a positive you find in the school you're applying for; in other words, never say or hint at anything negative about the current place.

3/25: Colorado College sent rejection, noting that "other candidates [who]...more closely matched the College's needs were selected for interviews and an offer was made." Curious to see if the offer was made to the current visiting prof who is a partner of a current full-time faculty. I mean, no problem really--but why make people go through al the hoops of applying, interviewing, traveling, etc., when you want to hire the person already there? If their hands are tied because of policy or law, I get it, but it's dumb. Spare us the waiting and the effort.

4/7: Any news from Oberlin? Invited for virtual campus visit Any updates? the poetry VAP has been offered and accepted

4/11: Any news from Beloit? First round interviews scheduled for Apr 18-20 Any updates?

4/15: Any news from BPI // Paris Review Visiting Assistant Prof. Position?

5/5: Anyone heard from Wichita (for any position)?

5/8: Has anyone heard from Binghamton about the Lecturer/Associate Director of CW position?

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Professor of Creative Writing and Director of Creative Writing

University of South Alabama Department of English

The University of South Alabama Department of English invites applications for full-time (nine-month), tenure-track Assistant, Associate, of Full…

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing—Fiction

Department of English Studies at Western Carolina University

The Department of English Studies at WCU seeks candidates for a 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing—Fiction.

Assistant Professor of English Creative Writing (Fiction)

UNC-Charlotte, English Department

Assistant Professor of English: Creative Writing (Fiction) The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of English invites applications…

Assistant Professor in Creative Writing

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT UMBC

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) English Department invites applications for the tenure-track position of assistant professor in…

English Faculty

Chadron State College

Nature of Work Full-time faculty in the English, Humanities, and Philosophy Department with primary teaching emphasis in English and related areas as…

Assistant Professor of English, Creative Nonfiction

Belmont University

Required Education: A Ph.D. in English or Creative Writing or progress toward a terminal degree in the field of study is required. Required…

Visiting Assistant Professor of English

University of Mary Washington, Department of English and Linguistics

Visiting Asst. Prof. of English in Creative Writing: Fiction. This is a one-year appointment, renewable for up to three years.

Distinguished Professor in Creative Writing

UNC Chapel Hill

The purpose of the Distinguished Professorship of Creative Writing with a specialization in teaching and writing fiction position is to teach a 2/2…

Assistant Professor, English

Skidmore College

The Department of English at Skidmore College invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of English in Fiction Writing. We seek…

Tenured or Tenure Track English Professor in Creative Writing (Poetry)

University of South Dakota-English

The University of South Dakota Department of English seeks a tenure-track assistant or tenured associate or full professor of creative writing …

Southern Foodways Alliance Assistant Professor

Center for the Study of Southern Culture. University of Mississippi

Southern Foodways Alliance Assistant Professor | Center for the Study of Southern Culture University of Mississippi | Oxford, MS The Center for the…

Assistant Professor of English - Creative Writing (Tenure-Track)

Millikin University - Human Resources

Millikin University is a private, comprehensive institution serving approximately 1,800 undergraduate, graduate, full-time and part-time students.

A Seriously Long List of Jobs That Involve Creative Writing

Who says you can’t make any money from creative writing?

Okay, so a lot of people. But they’re wrong. If you’re a creative writing major, have a degree in writing, or simply identify this skill as the best thing you’ve got to offer the world, there are a ton of ways to build a career with your talents.

In fact, writing skills are way more valuable than your Uncle Richie realizes (or whichever relative scoffed at your dreams last Thanksgiving). Anyone with a gift for words has the ability to communicate vital information, motivate others into action, and help others feel seen and understood.

The survival of many industries depends on their ability to connect with human beings. They need brilliant wordsmiths. And here’s the really exciting part: not everyone can do what you do as well as you can do it.

So no, being a writer does not mean you’re sentenced to a life as a “starving artist.” 

That said, some creative writing jobs are easier to snag than others. There’s also a difference in pay across different writing gigs. Some jobs will be easier to fill with AI in the future, and—the important detail—some will be more in line with your vision for your writing career. 

So here’s a comprehensive list of opportunities and considerations to help you narrow down your focus. You’re about to find out:

• What writing jobs are out there
• The skills you need to land work in the creative writing field
• Which industries are looking for folks like you
• What type of education or experience you need to get started

Let’s start by taking a look at your many, many options.

Career Opportunities in Creative Writing

Before we launch into this very long list of creative writing jobs, I’d like to clarify the term “freelance writer.”

A freelance writer is a contractor. Rather than hiring them on as employees, an individual or business hires a freelance writer to complete specific tasks within their area of expertise. 

If you choose to work as a freelancer rather than an employee, you’d be your own boss. You’d set your own rates, determine your own schedule, and decide which projects to take on and which to skip. You’d also be free to work with as many different clients as you’d like.

The downside is that you don’t get benefits like paid time off, health insurance, and employer contributions to your retirement fund. You’re responsible for paying quarterly taxes directly to the government, as no one withdraws them from your paycheck. 

Depending on the specific creative writing career you’re building, you might also need to look into professional liability insurance or setting up an LLC. These topics get complicated and vary according to where you live, so I’m not even going to try to give you advice on any of that. It’s better to consult your accountant, mentor, and/or fellow freelance writers in your area.

The main thing I want to convey is that if you choose to freelance, you have to think of yourself as an actual business. That’s what you are after all. It comes with a lot of freedom and extra responsibilities. So weigh your options carefully.

One more quick note:

Salary Ranges Are Tough to Nail Down

I’ve included an average salary range for each of the job descriptions below. These ranges are huge and the numbers are almost meaningless. I put them there because if I were you, I’d want to see them so I could at least get a sense of the income one might make from these different writing jobs.

But the standard salary for each job can vary widely depending on the size of the company hiring you and the cost of living in your (or their) area.

The income range gets massive when you add freelancers to the mix. A rookie freelance copywriter who’s just building their portfolio and client list might make $20,000 in a year. Meanwhile, an in-demand freelance writer could make well into six figures and out-earn an in-house copywriter.

So use the salary information I provide to get a general idea of what’s possible. For more concrete numbers, check out job listings in your area and talk to people who already do the kind of work you want to do.  

And what kind of work is that? Let’s decide! Here are a ton of ways you can make money as a writer.

Content Writing Jobs

Content is all the media that encourages consumers to engage with a brand—blogs, videos, social media, podcasts, you name it. Creative writers like you and I might prefer to think of those things as art, but in business-speak, it’s content.

And as a professional content writer, you’ll have to ride that line between creativity and capitalism. After some looking around, you should be able to find an employer or client who wants you to bring some creative vision to your work. But you’ll also have to care about which creative strategies get buyers to bite. 

More on that in a bit, though. For now, here are the most common content writing jobs.

Content Writer

A content writer focuses more on long-form writing that builds a relationship with the target audience. In other words, content writing is less about making a sales pitch and more about being helpful and conveying the brand’s personality.

Common content writing tasks include:

• Email newsletters
• Articles and blogs
• Case studies

Average Salary: $40,000-$70,000 per year

A copywriter is more involved with the kind of creative writing that says, “Hey, you should spend money on this.” They compose things like:

• Website copy
• Landing pages
• Print and online ads
• Sales emails
• Sales pages and mailers

In many businesses, the content writer and the copywriter are the same person. But if you freelance as a copywriter specializing in one specific area—sales emails, for example—get familiar with the other materials your client is putting out to make sure your sales copy builds on the relationship they're already building through content.

Average Salary: $60,000-$120,000 per year

Technical Writer

Technical writing is basically “how-to” writing. It includes:

• Instruction manuals
• Explainer video scripts
• White papers
• Spec sheets

Technical writing might be your jam if you’re great at grasping complex concepts and clarifying them for the rest of us. It’s truly a magical writing skill that involves simplifying and being thorough at the same time. 

If you can pull that off, it’s only a matter of time before you’re considered an irreplaceable rockstar in someone’s business.

Annual Salary: $60,000-$90,000 per year

Social Media Writer

You’ll sometimes see social media fall under the umbrella of content writing, but it’s also its own position in many businesses.

As you can probably guess, a great social media writer comes up with brilliant captions that engage audiences on social platforms. But there’s more to it than that.

To do this job well, you have to be on top of social media trends so you can jump on challenges and hashtags while they’re still fresh. You also need to understand which customer segments are more likely to be on which platforms and how to engage with them.

Depending on the size of the company you’re working with, there’s a good chance you’ll also have to come up with the visuals and create the videos that accompany your brilliant captions.

If you love social media, you’ll be in heaven. If you don’t, you probably won’t be able to fake it. 

Average Salary: $50,000-$80,000 per year

Journalism and Media Jobs

In this category of creative writing jobs, we’re looking at everything that has to do with news and mass communication.

I know. That includes a lot. So let’s get to it.

A journalist investigates, researches, and writes the news for print and/or online publications. That’s a tidy little sentence to describe a writing job that involves a lot of specialized skills and a strict code of ethics.

While journalism absolutely belongs under the heading of “creative writing careers,” it’s an area where you can’t get fast and loose with your creativity. Journalists are responsible for revealing the truth to the public. Ideally , they do this without guiding the reader’s opinion or embellishing actual events. 

The ability to compose engaging articles that inspire thoughtful questions without pushing an agenda is a remarkable skill in and of itself. Successful journalists also tend to be curious, driven, resourceful, and fast writers.

This is one of the few writing jobs where having a degree (usually in journalism) is relatively important, especially if you hope to work for a notable publication. 

Average Salary: $60,000-100,000 per year

Broadcast Writer

A broadcast writer prepares the news for television, radio, and online media. In other words, they take all the deets about what’s going on in the world and turn them into scripts to be read by news anchors.

Like a journalist, a broadcast writer faces the challenging task of conveying information in an unbiased way. They also need to be adept at writing pieces intended to be read aloud—scripts that flow naturally for the speaker and can be quickly understood by the audience. 

Much like journalists, broadcast writers must be able to work quickly, often under pressure. If you like the idea of being in front of the camera yourself, this creative writing career path can include conducting interviews, attending press conferences, and reporting the news.

Average Salary: $40,000-$100,000 per year

Scriptwriter

A scriptwriter is anyone who writes a script for a play, movie, radio show, podcast, video game, or television show. Scriptwriters who write plays are called playwrights, movie writers are more commonly called screenwriters, and television writers are best known as—get this—television writers.

Playwrights and screenwriters almost always work on a freelance basis. Much like traditionally published book authors, they work with a literary agent and are constantly trying to sell their next project.

Television authors also need representation, though they’re usually hired onto the writing staff of a TV show as an employee. There is such a thing as freelance television writing where a writer steps in to pen a single episode of a show, but this practice isn’t as common as it used to be.

All of these jobs have the potential to be deeply fulfilling for a creative writer. They come with fun challenges like learning how to tell a great story purely through visuals and dialogue. 

Keep in mind that—much like becoming a successful author—it takes a long time to build a solid career in this field. There are a lot of gatekeepers and frequent rejection .

Film, theater, and television are also much more collaborative art forms than book publishing. Whatever you write, you have to be prepared for producers, directors, set designers, sound designers, actors, and editors to put their fingerprints on it, too. It’s entirely possible that the end product will be quite different from what you imagined.

In other words, if you’re precious about your work, this might not be your field.

Average Salary: $40,000-$80,000 per year

Publishing and Editing Jobs

Feel like your true home is in the book world? Then you’re looking for something in publishing.

When we think about creative writing jobs in publishing, we usually think of authors first. After all, that’s the dream for a lot of creative writers. But it’s no secret that authorship comes with rejection, requires a ton of patience, and doesn’t always cover the bills.

The good news is, you can still build your career around books even if you’d prefer to pass on all the uncertainty that comes with being an author. This field has plenty of other opportunities to flex those creative writing skills.

But we’ll get to those in a moment. First, let’s look at the best-known writing job in publishing.

As I mentioned before, authors are almost always freelance writers. This means that whether you plan to publish traditionally or self-publish, you have to think of yourself as a business.

Publishing traditionally means working with a publishing house to release your book into the world. This process usually involves finding an agent who then pitches your book to publishers and negotiates a book deal for you. We have a guide to the entire process right here .

Self-publishing means you produce and market your book yourself. This publishing model has boomed in both popularity and earning potential in the past decade and change. You must have an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed on this publishing path, though. You can learn more about it here . 

Whichever path they choose, successful authors build platforms and a following through channels like social media , email newsletters, and speaking engagements. Those platforms help them develop relationships with readers, give them more visibility, and make them more appealing to publishers.

You also need to some degree of sales smarts, whether you self-publish and take on the full responsibility of marketing your book or you decide to publish traditionally, which requires creating a compelling book pitch that gets agents and publishers onboard.

Average Salary: I can’t even give you a range in good conscience. So many factors influence author earnings, and only a small percentage of authors make a living on books alone. I recommend checking out this article for a clearer understanding of what you can make as an author. 

As Doug can tell you , there are several kinds of editing you could do, including:

• Developmental editing
• Line editing
• Sensitivity reading
• Fact-checking

Each type of editing evaluates a different aspect of a written work. These options also allow you to zero in on your greatest strength as a creative writer. Are you the sultan of story structure ? You might be interested in developmental editing . Are you a research rockstar and a stickler for accuracy? Maybe fact-checking is for you. 

This is a job you can do as an employee of a publishing house or as a freelancer. If you go the freelance route, you’ll likely be working with a lot of indie authors.

Average Salary: $60,000-$80,000 per year

Copy Editor or Proofreader

Copy editors are magical beings who have the kind of superhuman focus that allows them to catch tiny issues like grammar errors, misspelled words, inconsistencies in story details, and the like.

It’s true that AI is getting better and better at catching these mistakes. That’s why Dabble uses ProWritingAid to power grammar, spelling, and style checks. It helps creative writers prepare a draft that isn’t utterly riddled with errors.

But at this moment in time, we still can’t count on AI to catch nuanced errors, recognize clever word play, or appreciate an author’s deliberate decision to shirk old grammar rules. We still need human eyes to do this job.

Often confused with a copy editor, a proofreader is the very last person to review a book, and they look for any and all errors. If there’s a missed typo, a messed up margin, or a wonky image, they’ll flag it. Think of them as quality control.

As you likely guessed, both jobs require you to be extremely detail oriented.

Average Salary: $50,000-$90,000 per year

Literary agent

You probably associate this career path with sales more than creative writing. But the literary agents who succeed are the ones who understand what makes a book great . 

This job is best suited for someone who’s ready to do a ton of reading and enjoys rubbing elbows. You can expect to spend plenty of time on the phone, in lunch meetings, at publishing events, and in pitch meetings. You have to be good at building relationships and love talking books. 

What many creative writers don’t realize about agents is that their job also involves giving feedback on current projects and helping their clients talk through new ideas. The advice of a good agent can mean the difference between a book deal and a manuscript that never graduates beyond PDF status. 

Keep in mind that it takes time to succeed in this career. As a literary agent, you’ll make 15% of what your authors earn from their books. Expect some lean years as you build your client list.

Average Salary: $50,000-$70,000 per year

Book Reviewer

As a creative writer, you’re probably great at explaining why books work. You have smart things to say about character development , plot structure, and pacing. And if you’re a fast reader—and would love to make reading part of your creative writing career—you’d probably enjoy being a book reviewer.

Book reviewers do exactly what you think they do: they review books. Many choose to specialize in a specific genre or two. Specializing can be an effective strategy when it comes to building a name for yourself and giving readers a reason to value your opinion. It’s a way of establishing yourself as a genre expert.

Just note that this isn’t an easy career to just plop into. While you can find job listings for book reviewers, there aren’t many of them. Most people who do this for a living start by writing reviews on a freelance basis or even for their own blog/social media platform.

As you build your portfolio and reputation, you can submit your reviews to other publications, monetize your own review website/podcast/vlog, or possibly land a job as an in-house reviewer for a magazine, newspaper, or online platform.

Average Salary: $20,000-$80,000 per year

We already covered what a copywriter is, so I won’t go too deep on the subject here. I just want to make sure you know that it’s possible to do copywriting work within the world of publishing.

Publishing houses have copywriters on staff to handle things like press releases, media kits, author bios, social media content, and marketing materials.

In this role, you’d be able to enjoy the stability of a marketing-focused creative writing job while still getting to think about books all day. Not too shabby.

Average Salary: $50,000-$120,000 per year

Advertising and Marketing Jobs

If you’re on the lookout for creative writing jobs that make your value as an employee easy to quantify, advertising is the place to be. 

The goal of all advertising is to persuade your audience to make a purchase or take some other action that benefits the business you work for. 

Modern technology makes it easier than ever to track the success of your ad copy and marketing campaigns, which means you often have access to numbers that demonstrate what the return on investment is when someone hires you.

Now, all this might sound very cold and business-y, but this is an area where creative writers thrive because your goal is the same as it would be if you were writing a novel or screenplay. You’re trying to find the best words to connect emotionally with your audience.

Not everyone can do that. You can.

Let’s take a closer look at the different ways you can do that.

Advertising Copywriter

Oh, look! We’re talking about copywriters again. Since we’ve already covered this, I’ll give the abbreviated explanation for the article skimmers.

An advertising copywriter writes copy (go figure) advertising a product or service to potential buyers. This includes anything that could potentially lead to a purchase, including:

• Marketing emails
• Print or online ads

Brand Strategist

If you already know what a brand strategist is, you might be surprised to see this position appear on a list of creative writing jobs. Brand strategists don’t write as much as they, well, strategize brands.

This person is responsible for conducting market research, analyzing trends, creating buyer avatars, planning campaigns, and overseeing the production of marketing materials. 

Depending on the size of the marketing team, a brand strategist might also write copy and content. But what makes this career a decent option for a creative writer is the storytelling aspect.

Brand strategists are responsible for translating the business’s message into a story that resonates with buyers. They also need to understand their consumer on a deeper level—a skill that comes more naturally to someone who’s spent time studying character development.

Creative Director

Much like a brand strategist, a creative director looks at the big picture of a company’s marketing efforts. What story is being told? How can they best use the creative resources available to tell that story in an emotionally compelling way?

The creative director leads all the creative professionals on a marketing team, including copywriters, designers, and social media content creators. They make sure everyone is on the same page, telling the same story and communicating the same message.

Average Salary: $120,000-$200,000 per year

Content Marketing Specialist

Remember when we talked about content writing? This is that, plus some added responsibility.

While a content writer is usually told what to write, a content marketing specialist is the person who decides what type of content will be most effective for the business. 

They strategize content like emails, blog posts, videos, and social media depending on which formats and messaging are most likely to help buyers connect with the brand. 

This person also selects the SEO and analytics tools to help them make sure their strategy is effective. They watch the results closely and regularly optimize their content marketing efforts to get better performance.

And yes, a content marketing specialist might also write some or all of the content themselves.

Skills Required for Creative Writing Jobs

I tried to give you some sense of the skills required to stand out in each of the creative writing jobs we just went over. 

Nevertheless, if you’ve found something that interests you, I strongly suggest researching it further and connecting with someone who’s already killing it in that field. Get a sense of what it means to excel and you’ll be in a good spot to pursue your creative writing career seriously.

If you’re still not sure where you want this journey to lead, no problem! Follow your curiosity and let yourself gravitate towards the work that excites you. In the meantime nurture the following skills essential for every creative writing career.

Writing Skills

Okay, so I’m not exactly dropping a bone-rattling truth bomb here. Of course you need strong writing skills to build a career as a creative writer. You know that. That said, some writers underestimate the importance of building on the skills they already have. 

This is an issue I think tends to plague young writers the most. We catch wind of the fact that we’re “good writers” from teachers and peers and get attached to the idea that a good writer is something we already are. Like inherently.

I know I wasted a lot of energy in my early adult years worrying about whether or not people thought I was a talented writer instead of working to continuously become a better writer.  Ongoing improvement is how you’ll stand out from the crowd, especially as you zero in on the type of creative writing you want to do. 

If you want to be a copywriter, find a mentor and start a course on copywriting. If you dream of being a bestselling author who makes a living from books alone, join a writing group, attend writing conferences, and download this free e-book on writing a novel that rocks.

Keep sharpening those writing skills, no matter how exceptional you already are.

Research and Analysis Skills

Research and analysis sounds like a skill set that only applies in marketing and technical writing. But in all creative writing jobs, research and analysis have the same goal: understanding what it takes to connect with an audience.

Now, if you become a screenwriter or a novelist, you might not pore over metrics the way you would if you were a brand strategist. What you will do (hopefully) is consume a ton of art in your genre to understand what works.

Constantly refresh your understanding of what speaks to readers, which trends are hot, and why current bestsellers are selling so well. It’s also important to stay on top of new developments in the publishing industry and strategize your career accordingly.

And if you plan to be a self-published author, your research and analysis skills will help you make important marketing decisions.                                                                                                                              

Creativity and Imagination

If there’s one area where you have a leg-up on AI, it’s this one. Everything AI creates comes from ideas and structures that already exist. As an adaptable, creative human being, you can find unique ways to express ideas that haven’t been explored before.

This skill is essential for all the creative writing jobs we’ve discussed. The best ad writers figure out how to write copy that stands out from the competition. Great editors help writers tap into their own original voices. Even in technical writing, imagination is crucial for finding new ways to simplify complicated topics.

Communication and Collaboration Skills

There are no writing jobs that allow you to compose brilliance alone in your cave and release it into the world with no input from anyone else. 

You have to be open to feedback, and in ultra-collaborative fields like screenwriting, you must be ready for the possibility that your vision won’t often be everyone’s top priority. (It hurts, I know.)

If you’re still working on building your collaboration skills, I can offer a few suggestions.

One is to make a habit of identifying what’s important to you about every project you work on. What’s motivating you? What are your goals? When you can answer those questions, you’ll be more confident gently pushing back on things you care about and more open to offering compromising when it comes to less important issues.

Another tip is to cultivate a genuine appreciation for what others can contribute. As a writer who regularly wrestles with a stubborn, foot-stomping ego, I often return to this interview with Dolly Parton for a reminder of the kind of artist I want to be—someone humble enough to celebrate when another person makes my good thing better.

And of course, working with people you respect helps boost that collaborative spirit, too.

Finally, clear communication is absolutely essential. Make sure you know what clients, employers, or team members expect from you. Also manage their expectations by being frank about your availability, timeline, and expertise.

Adaptability and Time Management

Most writing jobs involve deadlines and your reputation as a reliable writer hinges on your ability to meet those deadlines. That means you’ve got to get good at managing your time.

This can be especially difficult if you’re a freelance writer, because there’s no one dictating your schedule. There’s just today, a deadline in the future, and all this space in between that can be whatever you want it to be.

Time management takes practice, and a quick Google search will take you to loads of suggestions for making the process easier. You can try time blocking , the Pomodoro Technique , deep work strategies … test whatever you think will do the trick.

For me, the most effective method is to remember two things. First, I need to maintain my reputation as a reliable writer if I want to pay my rent and gradually increase my income. Second, I don’t want to be stuck at my desk when my husband comes home from work or friends are inviting me out on the weekend.

Those two limits help me draw time boundaries on that wide-open calendar and keep me motivated to stick to it.

Even as you create structure for yourself, however, you have to keep in mind that things might change. A client might shift direction. A project could fall through. You might find yourself partnering with a collaborator on something you thought would be a solo situation.

It’s important to know your own work boundaries so you don’t get walked on. But being adaptable (within reason) is also crucial for building positive, long-term professional relationships.

Industries That Hire Creative Writers

We’ve examined your professional opportunities by looking at the most common creative writing jobs. Now let’s take a look at them by industry.

If you’re already in the workforce, you might discover that there are writing jobs within your current industry—jobs you never even knew were there. If you’re in school pursuing something other than a creative writing major, you might discover that you can totally flex your wordsmith skills in your field of study.

And if you still have no idea how you want to put your talents to work, this list might help you uncover some less obvious job opportunities.

Entertainment Industry

You already know that the entertainment industry needs scriptwriters. You can probably guess that there’s a need for copywriters in those massive marketing departments, too. 

But there’s also song writing, video game writing, script reading/analysis, and script consulting. Every single thing you see on TV has a writer behind it—usually an entire writing staff —including award shows and reality television.

You can even get hired to rewrite or “punch-up” someone else’s script. 

Publishing and Journalism

We covered the big writing jobs in this industry earlier, so for now, I’ll just add this:

As technology advances, these creative writing careers are more accessible than ever. You develop specialized skills online, build your own platform, and publish your own work. It’s entirely possible to forge your own path in these industries that used to be heavily guarded by gatekeepers.

That’s not to say it’ll be easy to make a name for yourself, nor is it to say that I think everyone with a Wordpress account should feel free to market themselves as a journalist. 

What I mean to say is that if you want a career in these traditionally intimidating fields, there’s space for you. There are more ways than ever to learn what you need to learn and create what you want to create.

Advertising and Marketing

Again, we’ve talked about these writing jobs, so I’ll just tell you a quick story.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I took an improv class (it’s mandatory here) with a woman who was a freelance namer. That was her whole job. She named products for major companies and made a whole entire L.A. living doing it.

While I can’t help but wonder if AI has taken over her job yet, it’s an important reminder that writing skills are worth a lot in marketing. The right words are straight-up gold . 

Education and E-learning

Creative writing is a teachable skill. If you enjoy guiding others, teaching might be a solid career option for you. You could teach creative writing in a formal education environment (you’ll need a degree), at a local community center, or even online.

The education world also needs creative writers to put together written materials like textbooks, discussion guides, glossaries, and study guides. You could even write scripts for educational videos.

This is an area of creative writing that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but there’s an increasing demand for it. Not only do modern students turn to the Internet for information and homework help, the digital world has made self-directed learning easier than ever. You can find an online course for almost anything from auto repair to world literature. 

What’s great about this industry is that it allows you to combine your passion for creative writing with your interest in another subject. Plus, there’s the business about inspiring curious minds and all that.

Nonprofit Organizations

If you’re intrigued by the challenges of a job in marketing but want to feel like your work serves a greater purpose, consider writing for a nonprofit.

You’d be doing many of the same things you’d do for a for-profit business: email marketing, advertising, blogging, video creation, and the like. The goal is similar—you want to get the word out about the organization and create a positive association in people’s minds.

But there’s also a strong fundraising element, since that’s how a nonprofit stays afloat (and covers your paycheck). This means you can also expect to write grant proposals and oversee donor communications. 

You can do all of this as part of the team or on a contract basis. Grant writing in particular is a good option if you’re looking to set up shop as a freelance writer.

Corporate Communications

Corporate communications is an oversized novelty umbrella that covers a lot of stuff. Simply put, this term refers to the many ways a corporation communicates its mission, goals, successes, and functions to everyone. 

Seriously, everyone . The public, employees, shareholders, partners… every person who exists.

Now, if you work with a small startup, “corporate communications” could be your entire job. For larger companies, however, you’re more likely to work in a specific department. You might be on the marketing team or you could be responsible for internal communications like employee manuals and reports.

Bottom line: if you’re dreaming of a creative writing career in the corporate world, the job opportunities are definitely there.

Career Development and Education Options

You know what creative writing jobs are out there. You know what skills these different industries are looking for. What about education? What kind of training do you need in order to land the job and crush it?

It depends on the specific job as well as what kind of time and money you have to invest in your creative writing education. 

The good news is that you don’t have to rack up insane student loans in order to make a good living as a writer. There are certain positions where a degree is mandatory, but there are plenty of hiring managers who don’t care where you got your creative writing skills as long as you have them.

And it’s never been easier to find training as a writer. Let’s look at your options.

Degree Programs in Creative Writing

If you plan to get a four-year degree to boost your knowledge as a writer, you might be eyeballing a creative writing major. This area of study is most useful if you plan to become a fiction writer, screenwriter, poet, or the like.

If you’re mapping out a career that’s a little more predictable and a little less “artsy,” consider majors like journalism, communications, technical writing, or marketing.

Industries that are most likely to have a mandatory college degree requirement include journalism, academia, and large corporations or nonprofits.

If you plan to go into entertainment or work as a freelance writer, a formal education can help you develop essential skills. Although—real talk—many of those skills can be learned through the less expensive educational avenues we’re about to go over. 

Many folks who earned creative writing degrees will tell you that the biggest benefit of their program was the network it provided when they left college. That’s no small thing, but it’s also not what we think we’re going to college for. 

Writing Workshops and Online Courses

You can easily find live workshops, online courses, and writing groups to help you sharpen your skills or develop new ones. 

This option is a good compromise between a formal education and fully self-directed learning. There’s often a fee, but it’s tens of thousands of dollars less than you’d spend on a creative writing degree. There’s a structure to keep you on track but you don’t have to show up at a physical location multiple times a week for months at a time.

Whatever type of creative writing skill you want to work on, a quick Google search will help you find courses you can take. You can also search the course selection at sites like Coursera , Udemy , and Masterclass .

Finally, a lot of folks who sell online writing courses offer free webinars as a way to get you on their mailing list and pitch their full program. If you don’t feel like you have a clear enough goal to invest in an entire course, these webinars provide a great opportunity to pick up some basic insights and start practicing new skills.

Networking and Professional Associations

Look for networking events and professional associations specific to the field you wish to enter. You absorb so much information just by being around experts and peers, plus you’ll have access to seminars, boot camps, training programs, and more.

Many organizations also hold or participate in conferences. These conferences provide learning opportunities that not only sharpen your creative writing skills but also educate you about your chosen industry. If you don’t have the travel budget, you can attend many conferences online at a discount.

And don’t forget to build your own little network of creative writers! Even fiction-focused communities like Dabble’s Story Craft Café are full of writers who rely on more predictable writing work like copywriting and communications to pay their rent. These are great places to share information about building creative writing careers of all kinds.

Building a Portfolio and Gaining Experience

Finally, we learn best by doing. As you pick up new advice and information through your chosen educational channels, put that insight to work immediately.

Offer to write the press release for your cousin’s startup. Ask a strapped-for-cash nonprofit if they’d be interested in letting you write your first grant proposal on their behalf. Create a blog that allows you to showcase the kind of content you hope to one day get paid to write.

These things help you build a portfolio to show prospective clients or employers. They also give you an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, get feedback early, and discover the challenges that are unique to different writing jobs. 

The faster you experience those things, the faster you learn and the sooner you’re ready to make a living as a creative writer.

Writing is an in-demand skill. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you dream of paying your bills with your words—either as a full-time job or a side hustle—you absolutely can. It may take patience, diligence, and a lot of learning, but the work is out there.

The last bit of advice I’ll offer you is to find a community of writers who have your back. No one understands the journey like another writer. You can count on your network of fellow wordsmiths for moral support, job leads, feedback, and more.

If you’re still in the process of finding those friends, join us at the Story Craft Café—especially if fiction is part of your writerly aspirations. The community is free to join and a great place to talk craft, share your work, and stay productive with daily word sprints. Follow this link to get started.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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