Diet and Fitness Writer Job Description, Career as a Diet and Fitness Writer, Salary, Employment

Diet and Fitness Writer

Education and Training: Bachelor’s Degree

Average Salary: $20-30 Per Hour

Job Outlook: Very Good

Job Description

Diet and fitness writers are generally considered to be experts in this niche or area of expertise. Though their main responsibility is writing, they are usually expected to bring with them a lot of expertise, knowledge, and background information. If this is not a background that they hold, then they may be required to perform a great deal of research.
Writers within this capacity write on the subjects of health, nutrition, well being, diet, fitness, and other related topics. They may research their topics through a variety of sources to gain the background information that is required for them to write their pieces. They often write articles on the subject, but may be involved in any sort of writing responsibilities including web content, literature, and even books.
As a part of their writing responsibilities, they may be required to perform interviews of experts in the diet and fitness areas. They may be required to get involved in the activities that they are writing about so that they can provide a truthful and firsthand point of view in their writing. This is a very involved type of writing and may require the writer to go above and beyond to get involved in the subject that they write on.
As diet and fitness writers often work on a freelance basis, they are therefore responsible for running their own business. They must work to find new clients all the time, keep their current clients happy, bid on new work, and handle all of the administrative responsibilities. Though writing is their first and foremost responsibility, they are often engaged in all sorts of administrative responsibilities to keep their business running and the work coming in.

Education and Training Requirements

Though the educational requirements may vary based on the position itself, it is generally expected that a diet and fitness writer have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. This is usually the norm for writers of all types, and becomes even more important when you are getting into detailed writing such as this. Though experience may take the place of a formal education in certain circumstances, most of the time employers like to see that a writer in this niche has a bachelor’s degree.
It’s quite important for a diet and fitness writer to keep up on their training and education. Not only do they want to keep current with various writing styles and formats, but they also need to keep abreast of new information on these topics. They may be involved in webinars, training courses, or even attend conferences on the subject matter to be sure that the information that they write is as current as possible. This will only help them to further their experience and reputation within this niche.

Getting the Job

The best way to get a job as a diet and fitness writer is to demonstrate experience. Initially this may be done through other writing samples, even if they are outside of this niche. However moving forward it becomes quite important to be able to demonstrate experience writing on the topics within diet and fitness. Therefore having a full portfolio that showcases the pieces that a writer has created will come in handy to get the jobs that they are after.
It’s important to show that diet and fitness writers know how to perform all of the necessary research to get the work done. As the details can be rather specific in this type of writing and it’s important to convey accurate information, this will be an important way to get the job. Having experience with a client in the past or getting business through word of mouth proves to be an excellent way to get the job as well.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook, and Career Development

Since freelance writing is how the trend seems to be going, there are some great opportunities within this field. Writers who are willing and have demonstrated experience working in a freelance capacity can expect to do quite well. There continue to be a growing number of opportunities for writers within this niche, and this appears to be a growth trend moving forward.
The more experience that a diet and fitness writer has, specifically within these two niches, the better their chances for growth. If they can show firsthand that they were successful with this type of writing in the past, then clients will be inclined to hire them. Freelance writing can be a competitive business, but there are great opportunities for those that have proven experience and the right attitude.

Working Conditions and Environment

As this is generally a freelance position, diet and fitness writers may work from wherever they want. Usually they have a home office set up, but may expect that they can handle most of their work wherever they can take their laptop. It takes a very disciplined person to work as a diet and fitness writer as they must properly manage their deadlines and get the research and the writing done in a timely manner. Additionally they must be able to handle stress well and to work until completion when a deadline approaches.

Salary and Benefits

Generally speaking diet and fitness writers work on a freelance basis. They may be paid per article or may often be paid on an hourly basis. The average range for writers in this niche tends to be around $20-30 per hour, but that may vary widely. Though there is always a possibility that diet and fitness writers may work as a salaried employee, the majority work as independent contractors on a freelance basis. This means that they may earn more per hour working on this basis, but that they may not receive any benefits. They often have a fair amount of flexibility associated with this job and can usually write from anywhere, as telecommuting is quite common in this job. However since these writers work for themselves, they are responsible for handling and supplying their own benefits such as health insurance.

Where to Go for More Information
National Writers Union
256 West 38th Street, Suite 703
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-254-0279