How can I become a columnist? What starting salary can I expect?

A columnist writes under contract or as a freelancer with a media house. The newspaper or the magazine pays as per assignment or as per the agreed salary/fee. The first question is about the process or requisites of becoming a columnist: The Skill of Writing and that too with a subtle and serene style which had an excellent sense of engagement is what the hallmark of a successful columnist is. Along with this, the HOW involves higher level of general awareness and good observation skills. GK and general studies of the asked subject of writing are needed to be the best. The opinion and inclination had to be neutral so that the writing does not show a bias. A course/degree in a language, media, management, research level degree in any stream which one wants to write about should be there. Along with this, one should also have a regular association with media writings. The starting salary: I have an idea that one gets from 1k to 5k for an article published as a column. Yes, it is quite higher and big for established authors and specialists of the field for which the newspaper or publishing platform has approached the writer. Salary as a regular contributor goes from 4 lacs to 6 lacs per annum for impressive beginners and from 8 to 12 lacs per annum for the best of writers.

0 Upvotes 0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

• • Report Abuse
• Comment

A columnist is a journalist contributing regularly usually in a series to a newspaper or magazine. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. The job would be to collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation, or observation and to report and write stories for newspaper, news magazine, radio, or television. So for this one needs to have a lot of reading, thinking and writing capabilities. There is no specific academic qualification necessary for this profession. But It is beneficial to have a bachelors degree in journalism, English, or mass communications. Most columnists begin their careers as copy editors in small publications or local newspapers. They are given general assignments and have to work their way to getting published as a columnist. Job opportunities for entry-level positions in local organizations are often advertised in newspaper classifieds and career sites on the internet. With suitable expertise a columnist can move into publishing, editorial, and production positions. Pay scale: The initial salary would be 4-5 lakhs per annum if it is a reputed firm. With expertise, one can earn more.

0 Upvotes 0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

• • Report Abuse
• Comment

Hi, Being a columnist is so cool. You get featured separately which gives you a celeb feeling. Okay, so now comes the part that how to become one. They say start small and I will recommend the same. Shortlist few small magazines, newspapers, and lesser-known websites and let them know that you want to write for them. I would suggest that you send them samples of your writing along with your request so that they can consider you. The small organizations always look for writers who can chalk down interesting articles for them for free. Yes, for free. So, be ready to write the initial columns for free and then start charging. That's totally okay and worth it as they will feature you prominently in their magazine, newspaper, and website.none very important thing is to identify what you write about the best. This will sell your writings better. With these small steps, you might end up being a columnist for bigger organizations. The average pay for a columnist is Rs. 243,264 per year for starting.

0 Upvotes 0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

• • Report Abuse
• Comment