Columnist Salary

A columnist is an individual who writes or edits columns in specific publications.  Columnists can be found working for newspapers, magazines, online blogs and sites.  Columnists typically work in a certain area in the field of writing and editing such as humor, politics, advice, health, business, beauty, science or religion.  They will often share their ideas, opinions and facts on the topics at hand that they are discussing.  As a columnist you have more free reign over what you are writing about and you will be able to have a unique voice that will separate you from other writers and journalists.  For instance, those of you who watched the popular show, Sex in the City, will remember the character Carrie Bradshaw, who was played by Sarah Jessica Parker.  Carrie was a columnist who worked for a paper and she was able to write what she felt like writing and had her own voice and spin on her articles.  That is the perfect depiction of what a columnist does and what they typically can write about. 

A columnists strives to be heard, to get their opinions and feelings out there about a particular topic and they will worked extremely hard to build up a dedicated reader and fan base to keep their columns alive.  Building up a reader base is one of the most important steps in the life of a columnist.  Since they must strive so hard to keep up the readers that they have they must be extremely hard working individuals who are well organized, thought provoking, self motivated, driven and will do anything to be heard and read. 

A good columnist will be on the lookout for a story every moment of every day.  Just like a comedian or a writer a good columnist will find a potential story in every day activities.  Coming back to our example of the fictional character, Carrie Bradshaw, you will recall that in many episodes she would find her stories through things that her friends, herself as well as what she observed going on to people around her on a daily basis.  This is what a columnist must do to ensure that they will not run out of material.  Columnists must also make sure to constantly be considering issues that their readers may either relate to or want to know about.  As a columnist you will want to research, investigate and communicate the latest ideas, thoughts and topics that are going on at any given moment. 

As a columnist you are one of the major voices that can be heard out there. People enjoy reading columns because a good columnist takes the ideas that are out there and they put their own spin and opinions on them. They make the information interesting, humorous, satirical or straight forward, in such a way that keeps readers coming back for more.  Many people will admit that they enjoy magazines, newspapers, blogs and other sites for the columns and information that they find on there.  This is a huge plus in the field of column writing because that means that what you write will be read and does matter to those out there who read what you are writing. 

An important aspect of a column writer is making sure to have a particular focus.  Being able to focusing in on one area or topic is extremely important because it allows you to create a format for your columns and build around that.  It also gives you and your readers a uniformity that they can come to expect.  This will keep your readers coming back to hear the newest bits of information that you have to give them.  For instance many people will read columns for health, beauty and financial tips, you will also find that political columns are extremely popular as well. 

Even though columnists are given more room to write their opinions on information that they write about they are still journalists and they must provide their readers with accurate information.  One of the fastest ways to be stopped dead in your tracks is when you decide to falsify your subject matter and give your readers biased or false information.  As a columnists you serve the public and since you have a reader base, it will be a lot easier then you think to be caught writing slanderous and untrue statements that can end you up in court for defamation of character and slander. 

Those interested in a career in the world of column writing will find that it is perfect for those who have a need to be read. People who have a nose for journalism, interviewing people, investigating, solving problems, strong written and communication skills and an open mind will be great in the field of column writing.  A columnist must also be able to take constructive criticism well and develop a tough skin fast. When you begin writing and putting out your work you must be ready for praise, criticism, approval as well as rejection.  Having a lot of stamina, heart, strength and being able to cope well will allow you to get far in this industry. 

Many people who become columnists will go to college and pursue bachelors degrees in journalism, communication, literature, English or something in the field of writing and communication. Depending on where you decide to work will depend on how important the degree really is. For those looking to be a columnist, for instance, in a newspaper, will find that they would like to see that there was some experience in the field of reporting, for at least one to two years and that the individual has a journalism degree.  Other publications may not be as bothered by what area your degree is in, they will be more interested in the voice that you plan on bringing to the public.  You will find that the entry level salary for a columnist is roughly around twenty thousand a year, the average based salary is roughly around thirty thousand a year and many columnists will max out at around seventy thousand a year.