How to become an author, writer or translator
Official title: Authors, writers and translators
Also called: Author, Writer, Translator, Copy writer, Lyric writer, Report writer, Screen writer, Script writer, Travel writer, Medical writer, Creative writer, Subtitle writer
Authors, writers and translators write, edit and evaluate literary material for publication excluding material for newspapers, magazines and other periodicals but including scripts and narrative for film, TV, radio and video games and animations; and translate spoken and written statements into different languages.
Main tasks
- Determines subject matter and researches as necessary by interviewing, attending public events, seeking out records, observing etc.
- Generates and develops creative ideas for literary material
- Selects material for publication, checks style, grammar and accuracy of content, arranges for any necessary revisions and checks proof copies before printing
- Negotiates contracts with freelance agents and with buyer on behalf of writer
- Writes instruction manuals and user guides, technical reports, catalogues and indexes, prepares sales literature and writes technical articles for trade journals
- Converts documents or spoken statements from original or source language into another language
- Provides communication support for the hard of hearing or the visually impaired
How to become one
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Postgraduate and professional qualifications are available and are required for some occupations.
Ways in
- University: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £39,459 a year The middle half earn £32,036 to null.
- About 124,900 people work in this job now, and about 138,800 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)
Related jobs
- Musicians
- Arts officers, producers and directors
- Artists
- Actors, entertainers and presenters
- Dancers and choreographers
- Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators
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Questions people ask
How do I become an author, writer or translator?
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Postgraduate and professional qualifications are available and are required for some occupations.
How much does an author, writer or translator earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £39,459 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is an author, writer or translator a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 124,900 to about 138,800 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become an author, writer or translator?
Usually. 82% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.