# Pursuing a job writing about psychology and philosophy



## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

I'm in my late twenties, with a bachelors degree in psychology and had a concentration in philosophy, and I'm thinking about purusing a career involving writing, ideally a part time job without too much stress because I think and work slowly. I have never really wrote creatively other than psychology papers and philosophy papers in college. I also briefly paid to take a memoir writing course at a writing place, which only included 8 meeting lasting 2 hours each, with 10 other writers and the instructor there. I also read psychology today articles once in a while, read random information about psychology and philosophy online, and I'm currently reading a philosophy book.

I'm interested in writing about psychology and philosophy. Ideally, I would like to write about those two subjects in a way that mixes "objective facts" with my subjective experiences, and combines them to come up with my own theories, conclusions, and interpretations. I want my writing to involve creativity. I think that I want to be what is called a content writer or a freelance writer. My dream job would be to write for a website like psychology today, but really any kind of writing that I could do that would give my work some exposure would be great, even if it is a lesser known website or magazine. I also might want to try writing poems, writing something autobiographical or in some way about my life, or a memoir.

I talked to my career advisor, and she suggested that I start writing some private writing samples and that I should consider starting a blog. The problem with starting a blog is that I don't want my ideas to be stolen by other people. I'm also worried that I might accidentally come up with some idea, which I forgot came from somewhere else, and accidentally plagiarize. I'm thinking about emailing some writers from Psychology Today to ask them what they did to end up becoming a content writer, and if they blogged, find out how they avoided being plagiarized. I also want to know if I could copyright what I write in my blog if I start one.

Lastly, I don't think that I want to pursue a masters or a PhD in psychology or philosophy because I'm not smart enough, I have bad adhd so I work slowly, I don't think I could handle the stress, and don't think it would be worth the money considering the job I want.


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## Dragunov (Oct 2, 2013)

Start a blog or make video essays on YouTube.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Dragunov said:


> Start a blog or make video essays on YouTube.


In my post I said that I've considered starting a blog, but I'm worried that other people might plagiarize my work. I was thinking about looking into trying to get my work copyrighted. I know this sounds arrogant, but I think I have good ideas, even though I'm not expecting success because it's best to lower your expectations in life so as to not be disappointed. Also, it's really hard to come up with something new and interesting. I'm also worried that I might accidentally plagiarize and I don't know how to start a blog.


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## Dragunov (Oct 2, 2013)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> In my post I said that I've considered starting a blog, but I'm worried that other people might plagiarize my work. I was thinking about looking into trying to get my work copyrighted. I know this sounds arrogant, but I think I have good ideas, even though I'm not expecting success because it's best to lower your expectations in life so as to not be disappointed. Also, it's really hard to come up with something new and interesting. I'm also worried that I might accidentally plagiarize and I don't know how to start a blog.


To start, you'll need a website and a domain name, i would recommend using word-press to do this.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Dragunov said:


> To start, you'll need a website and a domain name, i would recommend using word-press to do this.


The issue that I'm worried about the most is if my writings on my blog, if I start one, could be plagiarized, and if so how to stop that. Also, my tentative goal right now is to be a content writer for some psychology magazine, website, or something like that where I can get exposure. I want to know if I should email a content writer for a magazine or website about psychology and ask them how to go about pursuing a job like that.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> The issue that I'm worried about the most is if my writings on my blog, if I start one, could be plagiarized, and if so how to stop that. Also, my tentative goal right now is to be a content writer for some psychology magazine, website, or something like that where I can get exposure. I want to know if I should email a content writer for a magazine or website about psychology and ask them how to go about pursuing a job like that.


Yes you will most likely be plagiarized.
If you get anyone besides your friends and mum to read it that is.
Which is unlikely, unless you write really good stuff that people would love to rip off.
See the paradox?

Why do you want to write a blog, if you don't want your readers to have access to your content?
In terms of your goal, then the blog is merely a stepping stone to the goal.
If you know so little and with so little depth that after making a blog you have nothing left,
then that is the real problem that needs fixing and not that people will rip off your stuff.
Which isn't your stuff anyway, because the stuff you are talking about is other peoples research.
When you mention Freud it isn't you being original, even if you talk about him from a new perspective.
Unless you have made original groundbreaking psych research, but then you wouldn't be here with these goals.

If your stuff is really that good, then write a book.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Inveniet said:


> Yes you will most likely be plagiarized.
> If you get anyone besides your friends and mum to read it that is.
> Which is unlikely, unless you write really good stuff that people would love to rip off.
> See the paradox?
> ...


I want to write a blog because I feel like I have a lot to say about psychological and philosophical ideas and I want to speak. I want people to see what I have to say.

I want readers to access my content, but the thing is after starting a blog I eventually want to be a content writer, if I'm good enough which I'm not sure of. I want to use some of the ideas in my blog to write for a website, magazine, or really write in anyway that my writing can get good exposure. If I write a blog and some of my ideas get taken by other people and they submit it as their own, then if I become a content writer the ideas won't be new anymore. Some of these ideas that I want to blog about are really personal and meaningful to me, like mystical experiences that I have had, and my theories I've developed about them, and I don't want them to be plagiarized.

My stuff isn't going to be just psychological and philosophical ideas which I've learned about(other people's research), its also going to be talking about it while adding in my interpretation and conclusions about it. I'll try to use what I've learned to come up with my own theories, ideas, and questions, or try to take what others have said and take it a step further. Like I said, I want to combine the "objective facts" with my "subjective" experiences. Everything that I post is not going to be completely new, because I believe that few things are really truly new. I'm also going to incorporate psychological and philosophical ideas while writing about my personal experiences and how different psychological and philosophical ideas manifested themselves in my life. Furthermore, I will be giving my opinion on psychological and philosophical ideas, in terms of how I've experienced it, as well as how I think about it in other people. For example, writing about what experiencing depression was like for me, using my own words and experiences as well as what I've learned about depression, to write it. I want there to be a creative, subjective, personal, and story like aspect to my blog.

By the way, you seem to be setting the bar high for writing a blog when you say things like "unless you have made original groundbreaking psych research". Also, what's wrong with your example of talking about a Freud from a different perspective, even if it isn't original?

I don't want to write a book because I'm not confident in my ability to write a book. I have little to no experience writing a story whether it be fiction or non fiction. Also, I work so slowly so writing will take a long time, and there is an uncertainty as to whether it would be worth it because I don't know if enough people will read it. I don't want to waste my time on that.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> I want to write a blog because I feel like I have a lot to say about psychological and philosophical ideas and I want to speak. I want people to see what I have to say.
> 
> I want readers to access my content, but the thing is after starting a blog I eventually want to be a content writer, if I'm good enough which I'm not sure of. I want to use some of the ideas in my blog to write for a website, magazine, or really write in anyway that my writing can get good exposure. If I write a blog and some of my ideas get taken by other people and they submit it as their own, then if I become a content writer the ideas won't be new anymore. Some of these ideas that I want to blog about are really personal and meaningful to me, like mystical experiences that I have had, and my theories I've developed about them, and I don't want them to be plagiarized.
> 
> ...


Well it is interesting to see your response to my feedback.

There is nothing wrong with talking about Freud from a different perspective.
It just isn't new, and hence one shouldn't pretend that others will be fawning over it,
even though it may be an unique and useful insight.
In the case of Freud, it will be dismissed with the common notion that Freud was wrong...PERIOD...

If you feel that writing a book is not for you that is fine.
With a book though, the people who want to steal will have to get the book,
and at least one person should have to buy it from you to make it available.
Also any attempt at presenting your work as theirs will not last long when you have it in a book.
As your publication clearly show that you presented the ideas before them.
If the idea catches on, it is likely that more people will buy that book.
Hence a book is an investment in ideas that may or may not be successful.
If that is too big a gamble, I fully understand, it is your time and energy.

Anyway...
I basically took what you told us about your situation 
and painted it within the frame I usually see the world through.
If you find that the limitations and options I perceive does not apply to you, t
hen go ahead and challenge them.
It will no doubt be an interesting battle, and regardless of the outcome you will learn a lot.


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## Negotiator (Mar 15, 2018)

If you're going to approach mags, add a list of pitches. Just make sure you've got a good angle (interesting take on the issue), and include ideas for experts you could interview. It's very difficult to get work based on your opinions alone, so be prepared to talk to different people who can offer their opinions. A writing sample might help, too.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Negotiator said:


> If you're going to approach mags, add a list of pitches. Just make sure you've got a good angle (interesting take on the issue), and include ideas for experts you could interview. It's very difficult to get work based on your opinions alone, so be prepared to talk to different people who can offer their opinions. A writing sample might help, too.


By a pitch do you mean like a mini presentation, like a sale's pitch? How do I make a pitch?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Inveniet said:


> Well it is interesting to see your response to my feedback.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with talking about Freud from a different perspective.
> It just isn't new, and hence one shouldn't pretend that others will be fawning over it,
> ...


Why do you think its interesting to see my response? 

Also, about the Freud thing, I didn't think too much about him in your example, and how his ideas were wrong, because the psychological aspects that I want to talk about are not based on psychologists. They're actually more philosophical than psychological, as in existential which is a field which kind of combines psychology with philosophy, and based on my experiences. 

But for example, say I talked about an idea from a psychologist whose ideas were right, and then talked about him from a new perspective, applied his ideas in new areas, used his ideas as evidence for a theory that I come up with, or in some way assimilated his ideas into my framework of what I think about psychological and philosophical phenomena while adding my own subjective experiential input. Do you think that would then be something new, worth reading, or something more than taking someone else's ideas? Also, I'm not expecting that people will be fawning over what I write, I just want people to read it gain something from it and enjoy it.

You didn't really address everything that I wrote in my post. For example, if I'm able to come up with some new and interesting ideas in a blog, is there anyway I can prevent someone else from plagiarizing my ideas? Also, in my third paragraph of my post, I talked about what and how I plan on writing in my blog, and you didn't comment in whether that would be new, interesting, or worth reading. Finally, why do you set the bar so high by requiring writing in a blog to be "original groundbreaking psych research"? Do blog writings really have to be that good to be read. When I read articles on psychology today, every article doesn't seem like "original groundbreaking research" but people still read them and they remain employed.


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

@Kazuma Ikezawa if you want to get into being an author the old school advice would be get published in magazines. get your name out there. have a portfolio of published work so to speak to show publishers when it comes time to try and publish your book. then there's also self-publishing as an avenue to consider. nowadays blogging is a free way to get exposure. you aren't depending on some uppity publishers to publish your work. you would have control of what gets published on the web. it would be up to you to promote yourself or your ideas. it's scary to think your ideas might get stolen, but to me that sounds like a stumbling block that is preventing you from having any good ones on paper in the first place so to speak.. do you get what i'm trying to say? like all i'm hearing is you want a job as a professional author, but it sadly doesn't seem to work that way. for one, anyone without "proper" credentials, mainly a ph D will likely be delegated to the self-help section rather than the psychology section. mixing psychology with philosophy could be good, but you would need to gather an audience. whether it be through magazine articles or blogging... if i were you i'd try my hand at magazines first. then a blog if you are even mildly successful with that. i'd try spiritual based magazines. one that comes to mind are like the kind you'd find free in health food stores. or check bookstores maybe for any suitable avenues. i'm no expert, but i've dabbled a bit in trying to get published. it hasn't been easy but my drive is pretty low for doing it. if you have it though, good luck. even stephen king said he got like literally a million rejection letters before he got published even one short story or whatever. i'm not trying to belittle you, maybe you do have some great ideas that you aren't saying for fear of getting plagiarized, but it just sounds like you have no material to offer as of yet. that would probably be your first step actually. maybe find a magazine you admire that accepts submissions and tailor your article to it to try and get published?


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Why do you think its interesting to see my response?


Because that is what keeps me engaged, to see what the other party has to say back.
It is the whole payoff to interacting with you in the first place.
This should be fairly obvious.
In many ways stating interest is a way of pointing out to the other person that the interaction is still worthwhile.
(You will understand down below)



> Also, about the Freud thing, I didn't think too much about him in your example, and how his ideas were wrong, because the psychological aspects that I want to talk about are not based on psychologists. They're actually more philosophical than psychological, as in existential which is a field which kind of combines psychology with philosophy, and based on my experiences.


Ah sounds pretty Jungian, so not really new.



> Do you think that would then be something new,


No read Jung


> worth reading,


Maybe


> or something more than taking someone else's ideas?


Well you can write a book and make that particular brand of philosophy your thing.
Ikwzawaism for lack of a better term.
But you where not about to write a book...



> Also, I'm not expecting that people will be fawning over what I write,
> I just want people to read it gain something from it and enjoy it.


Yet you want to have copyright...
You are acting inconsistent, if you wanted to JUST give people stuff, then give and be satisfied.



> You didn't really address everything that I wrote in my post.


Nope and I noticed a sharp decline in my interest in what you had to say now.



> is there anyway I can prevent someone else from plagiarizing my ideas?


Not really




> Also, in my third paragraph of my post, I talked about what and how I plan on writing in my blog, and you didn't comment in whether that would be new, interesting, or worth reading.


You are correct



> Finally, why do you set the bar so high by requiring writing in a blog to be "original groundbreaking psych research"? Do blog writings really have to be that good to be read. When I read articles on psychology today, every article doesn't seem like "original groundbreaking research" but people still read them and they remain employed.


Yeah, but that isn't your blog, Psychology Today is an established brand, 
just because they can get away with it doesn't mean that you can.

And I'm not the one setting the bar high, I'm just pointing out that it is high.
*I'm telling you about how the world seem to be from my point of view.*
I'm not telling you about how I made the world, and how I'm forcing you to be in the world.
I'm not God.

So yeah, as I said earlier do whatever you want with my feedback.
I don't really care, especially since you just murdered my interest with a shot to the head.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Penny said:


> @*Kazuma Ikezawa* if you want to get into being an author the old school advice would be get published in magazines. get your name out there. have a portfolio of published work so to speak to show publishers when it comes time to try and publish your book. then there's also self-publishing as an avenue to consider. nowadays blogging is a free way to get exposure. you aren't depending on some uppity publishers to publish your work. you would have control of what gets published on the web. it would be up to you to promote yourself or your ideas. it's scary to think your ideas might get stolen, but to me that sounds like a stumbling block that is preventing you from having any good ones on paper in the first place so to speak.. do you get what i'm trying to say? like all i'm hearing is you want a job as a professional author, but it sadly doesn't seem to work that way. for one, anyone without "proper" credentials, mainly a ph D will likely be delegated to the self-help section rather than the psychology section. mixing psychology with philosophy could be good, but you would need to gather an audience. whether it be through magazine articles or blogging... if i were you i'd try my hand at magazines first. then a blog if you are even mildly successful with that. i'd try spiritual based magazines. one that comes to mind are like the kind you'd find free in health food stores. or check bookstores maybe for any suitable avenues. i'm no expert, but i've dabbled a bit in trying to get published. it hasn't been easy but my drive is pretty low for doing it. if you have it though, good luck. even stephen king said he got like literally a million rejection letters before he got published even one short story or whatever. i'm not trying to belittle you, maybe you do have some great ideas that you aren't saying for fear of getting plagiarized, but it just sounds like you have no material to offer as of yet. that would probably be your first step actually. maybe find a magazine you admire that accepts submissions and tailor your article to it to try and get published?


I don't want to be an author. I want to write a blog first to work through ideas and see what it is like. From there, I ideally want to write for a psychology magazine or website as a content writer. For example, I want to write for Psychology Today, but I know that is setting my sights too high so I would be willing to write for lesser psychology magazines or websites. Really any kind of writing that gives my work exposure I'm interested in, but I don't want to write books. 

As for ideas, I have some ideas which I don't want to share because I don't want my ideas stolen, but mainly I have a huge amount of questions. For example, how have Easterners dealt with nihilism in a way that makes it neutral or positive, compared to Westerners negative nihilism?(and I might talk about mystical experiences and the enlightenment they can bring when addressing this question.) I'm also interested in which personality traits correlate with each other and why, for example why do sensitive people tend to be creative? Or similarly how much do personality traits generalize into other facets of peoples lives. For example if someone is a very picky eater, which is like hypersensitivity, could one predict that the person will be picky in other areas of their lives, for example picky when choosing a significant other or someone to have sexual relations with? Finally, I might have autism which I'm going to get tested for, and if I do I might post about my experiences with autism and try to come up with theories related to autism. I have a huge amount of questions which I've been typing down regularly, and I'm not sure which ones are good or bad ideas, so those are some that I can think about off the top of my head right now. Now that you know what kind of writing that I want to do, do you think that your advice that you gave me would still apply to me, for the most part?


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> I don't want to be an author. I want to write a blog first to work through ideas and see what it is like. From there, I ideally want to write for a psychology magazine or website as a content writer. For example, I want to write for Psychology Today, but I know that is setting my sights too high so I would be willing to write for lesser psychology magazines or websites. Really any kind of writing that gives my work exposure I'm interested in, but I don't want to write books.
> 
> As for ideas, I have some ideas which I don't want to share because I don't want my ideas stolen, but mainly I have a huge amount of questions. For example, how have Easterners dealt with nihilism in a way that makes it neutral or positive, compared to Westerners negative nihilism?(and I might talk about mystical experiences and the enlightenment they can bring when addressing this question.) I'm also interested in which personality traits correlate with each other and why, for example why do sensitive people tend to be creative? Or similarly how much do personality traits generalize into other facets of peoples lives. For example if someone is a very picky eater, which is like hypersensitivity, could one predict that the person will be picky in other areas of their lives, for example picky when choosing a significant other or someone to have sexual relations with? Finally, I might have autism which I'm going to get tested for, and if I do I might post about my experiences with autism and try to come up with theories related to autism. I have a huge amount of questions which I've been typing down regularly, and I'm not sure which ones are good or bad ideas, so those are some that I can think about off the top of my head right now. Now that you know what kind of writing that I want to do, do you think that your advice that you gave me would still apply to me, for the most part?


well, i guess trying to get into a magazine, you would need to submit articles. i don't know if psychology today has staff writers or not. i think autism is a subject people would be interested in because it seems to be fairly common nowadays and I know I for one don't know that much about it and there doesn't seem to be much written about it. even if you don't find you have autism yourself. i think it's great subject to write about, and is something you could write about without fear of getting your work "stolen." people learn from other people. and if someone reads something you wrote about and ends up repeating it in their own work, then you should be proud and not feel cheated. it would mean what you wrote made sense to someone and is valued. writing is about sharing ideas or information with others. even if you have an original idea, it must have been formulated through the works or ideas of others. am i making any sense here? if you want your "own" work to shine i'd suggest getting into art instead.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Penny said:


> well, i guess trying to get into a magazine, you would need to submit articles. i don't know if psychology today has staff writers or not. i think autism is a subject people would be interested in because it seems to be fairly common nowadays and I know I for one don't know that much about it and there doesn't seem to be much written about it. even if you don't find you have autism yourself. i think it's great subject to write about, and is something you could write about without fear of getting your work "stolen." people learn from other people. and if someone reads something you wrote about and ends up repeating it in their own work, then you should be proud and not feel cheated. it would mean what you wrote made sense to someone and is valued. writing is about sharing ideas or information with others. even if you have an original idea, it must have been formulated through the works or ideas of others. am i making any sense here? if you want your "own" work to shine i'd suggest getting into art instead.


I understand what you are saying. It's just that I want writing a blog to be a stepping stone towards becoming a content writer with either some magazine, online website about psychology, or anywhere where I could get my work some good exposure. I'm not confident in my ability to keep on coming up with ideas to write about. This is because I only have a bachelors in psychology and I don't plan on pursuing a masters or a PhD. Also, in general I'm not confident about my intellectual and creative ability. So if I start a blog and a lot of my ideas get copied, then I'm not sure if I will be able to go from there to becoming a content writer with a lot more good ideas. I'm not even sure if my ideas that I've come up with right now are good. If I made it as a content writer, then I wouldn't mind people copying some of my ideas. I would like it because I would like that my ideas helped other people develop their own ideas and theories. Also I looked on the psychology today website and they have staff writers.


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> I understand what you are saying. It's just that I want writing a blog to be a stepping stone towards becoming a content writer with either some magazine, online website about psychology, or anywhere where I could get my work some good exposure. I'm not confident in my ability to keep on coming up with ideas to write about. This is because I only have a bachelors in psychology and I don't plan on pursuing a masters or a PhD. Also, in general I'm not confident about my intellectual and creative ability. So if I start a blog and a lot of my ideas get copied, then I'm not sure if I will be able to go from there to becoming a content writer with a lot more good ideas. I'm not even sure if my ideas that I've come up with right now are good. If I made it as a content writer, then I wouldn't mind people copying some of my ideas. I would like it because I would like that my ideas helped other people develop their own ideas and theories. Also I looked on the psychology today website and they have staff writers.


although your fear about getting copied isn't irrational, at the same time, i wouldn't let it stop you from publishing stuff on the web or wherever. i mean, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or whatever... i guess it depends on what your motivations are. do you want your ideas to affect the world, or do you only want to capitalize on them? i understand the very real need for money, but money isn't everything... i would take a chance. would you rather have your ideas copied or never heard in the first place?


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## Scoobyscoob (Sep 4, 2016)

I'd say start your own newsletter first. That's how a lot of writers get their start as a writer.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Penny said:


> although your fear about getting copied isn't irrational, at the same time, i wouldn't let it stop you from publishing stuff on the web or wherever. i mean, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or whatever... i guess it depends on what your motivations are. do you want your ideas to affect the world, or do you only want to capitalize on them? i understand the very real need for money, but money isn't everything... i would take a chance. would you rather have your ideas copied or never heard in the first place?


My motivation, first of all is to do something in life that I enjoy and that gives me purpose. Most things bore me, but writing is the only academic/work thing that I've ever truly enjoyed and become obsessed with. I feel like I have a lot to say and a lot that I'm curious and want to learn a lot about mainly psychology and some philosophy. I want my ideas to effect the world, but I also want to capitalize on them and make money. Overall, my main motivation in writing is just make me feel, think, and be creative, and to enjoy doing it. I value writing in of itself.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Scoobyscoob said:


> I'd say start your own newsletter first. That's how a lot of writers get their start as a writer.


I feel like I'm not fully confident in my writing ability so I was thinking about starting a blog. It seems like a newsletter is more for someone who is confident in their ability to write and expects an audience. I feel like with a blog, there would be less pressure to be good and I could test out ideas to see what people like and hopefully get better at writing and develop more interesting ideas in the process. Some, but not all, of what I want to write is more personal rather than new and original. Anyways I'm not familiar with how to start a newsletter and I'm not sure if my assumptions about newsletters are correct. How would I start a newsletter and what is having a newsletter like?


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