Your Guide to the Seattle Writing Scene

There’s an excellent career outlook for Seattle content writers!

Across the seven hills of Seattle, and beyond, companies of all sizes have learned to rely on the skills of content writers to achieve their digital marketing goals. The favorable marketplace for Seattle content writers has created many job opportunities and career paths for you to consider.

Content Writing Jobs in Seattle

With nearly 100,000 businesses across the Puget Sound region, there are many different ways to take your content writing career to the next level. You can assist small business owners with their marketing goals, for example, or work your way up to content manager at a local digital marketing agency.

If you go for that content manager job, Glassdoor reports that you can expect to make an average of $74,259 a year, which is 15 percent above the national average. As you work your way up to manager from the content writer position, you can expect to see an average base pay of $64,499 each year.

Local companies’ willingness to pay well for excellent writers shows their clear understanding of the value of high quality SEO content. Companies across the nation are catching on as well, resulting in a projected job growth rate of eight percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As a Seattle content writer, you can elect to find full-time or part-time employment, temporary contract positions and freelance opportunities. Employers in this tech-savvy region tend to post their open positions on the leading online job boards, including Indeed and LinkedIn.

If you want to push toward senior writing positions, or build your own digital marketing empire, you can accelerate your career with the many learning opportunities and networking events available across this popular region.

Educational Opportunities for Seattle Writers

Within 40 miles of Seattle, you can find 21 four-year universities and countless specialty education centers in support of the advancement of your content writing career. This is not surprising, however, as local residents tend to value lifelong learning opportunities and chances for personal and professional development.

From university degree programs to writing workshops, you can find many local opportunities to build your digital marketing skills and increase your industry knowledge. Attending educational and networking events can help you quickly climb the professional ladder in the content marketing field.

Look through the following learning and networking opportunities for Seattle writers to start planning the steps you will take to the top.

Networking Events for Seattle Writing Professionals

• Seattle Writers’ Meetup, ongoing. The Seattle writers’ community comes together on the networking website, Meetup.com, to learn, collaborate and offer each other support. You can participate in the meetup groups that speak to your interests most and offer the career insights you need to excel. The most popular local meetup groups include Capitol Hill Writing Meetup, Greater Seattle Women Who Write, The Seattle Writer’s Meetup and Seattle Search Network.
• Eventbrite Workshops, ongoing. Thought leaders in the industry often utilize this platform to share writing events with professionals in Seattle. You can find a wide range of affordable writing workshops, seminars and other events on this site.

Seattle Writing Conferences to Attend in 2019

• Digital Summit: February 26^th and 27^th, 2019, at the Washington State Convention Center. Learn the latest digital marketing advancements at seminars hosted by thought leaders from major local companies, including Amazon and Microsoft.
• Vortex: May 3^rd-5^th, 2019, at the Whidbey Institute. Listen to dynamic keynote speakers, engage in lively discussions about professional writing topics and participate in open mic events for new insights and perspective. By women, for women.
• SMX Advanced: June 3^rd-5^th, 2019, at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Engage in SEO roundtable discussions, hear insights from keynote speakers and attend educational sessions to learn about the most effective SEO and SEM tactics.
• MozCon: July 15^th-17^th, 2019, at the Washington State Convention Center. Attend tactical learning sessions about effective SEO and digital marketing practices, listen to talks by keynote speakers and engage in thought-provoking discussions with leaders in the industry.
• Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference: September 12^th-15^th, 2019, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport. Experience the full range of possibilities in the writing world, from marketing to publishing your own novel, through sessions presented by industry experts.
• Write on the Sound: October 4^th-6^th, 2019, at the Frances Anderson Center. Explore professional writing and publishing trends at over 30 workshops, panel discussions and other structured learning sessions.

With all these great conferences held across the Seattle area, you can gain the knowledge you need to build your career as a content writer — and even hire your own team of writers in the future.

Workshops and Courses Offered to Writing Pros in Seattle

To jumpstart on your career, add these Seattle-area workshops and courses to your calendar. With the following resources, you can build your skills and knowledge while networking with digital marketing professionals in your region.

• Hugo House: Check the website for programming schedule. Through writing development classes, keynote speaker events and other learning opportunities, this group strives to help writers improve their ability to craft engaging fiction and non-fiction works.
• School of Visual Concepts: Schedule available on the website. Custom corporate and public workshops on digital marketing and design allow this group to help local professionals achieve their content writing career goals.
• Cascade Writers: Year-round workshop schedule can be found on the website. With regular writing workshops based around the Milford model, this group aims to help writers write fiction and non-fiction books and achieve their publishing goals.
• Seattle Arts and Lectures: Online schedule available on the website. By arranging for keynote speakers to present talks on creative writing, poetry and journalism, this organization helps writers gain the knowledge needed for professional advancement.

The Best Places to Go Write in the Seattle Area

Art and creativity have long taken centerstage across the Seattle landscape, which makes it easy to find quiet and inspiring places to go write. Get out there and flex your content writing expertise alongside the many other local creatives at the following locations:

• Café Argento – Capitol Hill
• Bauhaus – Ballard
• UPS Waterfall Garden Park – Pioneer Square
• Bullitt Center – Central District
• The Riveter – Fremont

With coffee as the lifeblood of the city, you cannot go wrong taking your work to any of the leading coffeehouses in the region. You will find quiet, comfortable workspaces at the Espresso Vivace at South Lake Union and Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company in Wallingford. For a little something different, head over to the gorgeous La Marzocco Café & Showroom in Lower Queen Anne. Of course, you can always go the tried and true route by taking your writing to the iconic Starbucks Reserve shop in SoDo.

Community Groups Supporting Seattle Writers

You can build your network of digital marketing professionals by directly engaging with the community groups in your area. Give these a try:

• Ballard Writers Collective: Through their partnership with a local bookstore, this group offers community support for budding authors and established writers looking to publish fiction and non-fiction literary works.
• Seattle Public Library: The local public library system regularly hosts free networking events, seminars and continuing education classes for content writing and digital marketing professionals.
• American Marketing Association Puget Sound: You can become a member of this group to join local marketing professionals in learning about industry news and trends through state-of-the-art programming.
• Northwest Independent Writer’s Association: As a writing support group, this organization gives members access to career development events, author resources and networking opportunities.

Seattle Companies Hiring Writing Professionals

The demand for Seattle writers continues to increase, as companies realize the value of remaining competitive in their industries with effective digital marketing practices. In fact, a Neilson study reveals that chief marketing officers find digital advertising more effective than traditional advertising channels, including television and radio, in helping them achieve their marketing goals. If you want to contribute to the success of companies across Seattle and beyond, turn your attention to the following opportunities.

Inbound and Outbound Marketing Companies

Across every corner of the Seattle area, there are successful digital marketing agencies looking to hire part-time, full-time and freelance content writers. These four agencies offer local content writers a chance to develop and strengthen their professional skillsets.

• Odd Dog Media
• Portent
• POP
• Add3

Content Marketing Platforms

• WriterAccess: By signing up with our content writing platform, you can join over 15,000 freelance writers and other professionals in helping our clients achieve their digital marketing goals. With your skills and expertise, you can assist clients in crafting the content needed to build their online presence and promote loyalty to their brands. You can apply now to start establishing yourself as a leading content writing professional on our platform.
• Constant Content: You can join this platform to post your blogs, white papers and other SEO content on the open marketplace. The system allows you to set the usage and payment terms for all your literary works for sale to best support your professional goals. Signup is easy, though all articles go through a screening process to verify they align with the house style guide.
• Zerys: When you sign up for this content writing platform, the system helps match you with clients in need of writers with your skills and experience. You will help clients with a variety of writing projects, ranging from blog posts to eBooks, as you build your presence as a freelance writer on this platform.

Jumpstart Your Career as a Content Writing Professional in Seattle

From Betty MacDonald to Sherman Alexie, talented writers steadily come pouring out of the Seattle area in droves. With art and culture setting the scene, and inspiration easily found across the picturesque landscape, the words simply come flowing from the most influential residents to entertain, promote deep thought and enact change.

You, too, can make a difference through your pursuit of a professional content writing career. With your skills and expertise, you can help business owners from Seattle, and around the world, achieve their digital marketing goals. Join WriterAccess to get started on building your career as a successful Seattle freelance writer — or find the writing professionals you need on your side.