A while ago an article on Wise Bread talked about how complaining via a letter works much more effectively than complaining with phone calls. This made me think about all the other ways good writing skills could be financially beneficial to a person. Here is a list of ways good writing skills could save and earn money for you.

1. You will be able to negotiate more effectively in large transactions - My grandfather told me that he saved about 30000 RMB on his condo purchase because he wrote a nice letter about why he deserved a discount. He showed me the letter and it was very concise and listed both personal and business reasons why he should get a price break. If he did not know how to write so clearly then he might not have gotten the discount. My mom also did the same thing when she and my dad purchased their first home. She wrote a clear letter detailing the issues surrounding the house and got a discount of $7500 beyond the accepted offer.

2. Good writing skills make you more desirable to employers - In many instances, the first impression you make on a potential employer is in a cover letter or resume. An interesting and well written cover letter could potentially lead to an interview and eventually a job. Even when you do not have a formal cover letter, there are often many email exchanges during an interview process. Emails that are clearly written generally makes you seem more intelligent and responsible to a potential employer. Personally, I know that my ability to write coherent emails has given me an edge in finding software engineering jobs because most software engineers are not taught to write properly.

3. It is a cheap hobby - Writing is probably one of the cheapest hobbies out there. You do not need expensive materials or equipment and you can start with a plain notebook and pencil. Writing could also take up quite a bit of time so you could be entertained for hours by your own imagination and creativity.

4. Well written content has monetary value - Many people make a living through writing. For example, even in a software company we have copywriters and technical writers. The ability to communicate useful information is worth its weight in gold. Even if you are not a professional writer, it is possible to start a blog and earn a bit of side income because there is an endless amount of content on the internet and good content is rare.

Writing is a skill that can be learned and improved. You can take a class at a local college that teaches you to write or just read articles and books about the art of writing. Another great thing is that you can practice it anywhere and any way you want. I think it is unfortunate that proper writing is not emphasized in this highly technical world and we have mainstream journalists that publish phrases like "we wuz robbed" , but I believe that being able to communicate effectively through language will always be valued.