A speech writer is a professional who creates written materials for political leaders, executives, and other high-ranking individuals to use in public speeches, media appearances, and other public communications. They research and analyze various topics, gather information from experts and senior leaders, and then craft messages that accurately convey the speakers intended message. They also handle tasks like managing communications strategies, revising collateral materials, and developing talking points.
Have you ever listened to an inspiring speech that motivated you to take action or moved you emotionally? Many of history’s greatest speeches – from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” to JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you” – have been delivered by skilled orators. But behind every great speaker is an equally gifted writer.
Speech writers work diligently behind the scenes to research, outline draft and edit speeches so that their speakers deliver clear, impactful messages. If you love working with words and want to influence audiences, a career as a speech writer may be right for you. This comprehensive guide outlines everything you need to know to break into the field.
What Does a Speech Writer Do?
Speech writers are professional communicators who compose speeches, toasts presentations and other scripts for individuals in business, politics, academia, and more. Their primary responsibilities include
-
Interviewing the speaker: Speech writers meet with their clients to understand their goals, speaking style, and target audience. This helps shape the tone and content of the speech.
-
Conducting research: Thorough research ensures speeches present accurate, relevant information. Speech writers gather facts, statistics, examples, and stories to back up the speaker’s key points.
-
Outlining the speech: Using the information gathered, speech writers create detailed outlines to organize the speech and map out logical flow from introduction to conclusion.
-
Drafting the speech: Speech writers compose clear, engaging speech content tailored to the speaker and audience. This involves choosing the right words, sentence structure, and rhetorical devices.
-
Editing and revising: Like any good writer, speech writers refine and polish drafts multiple times before completing a speech. This perfects the wording, tone, length, and flow.
-
Formatting the speech: Speech writers properly format speeches for oral delivery, including attention-grabbing openings, easy-to-read fonts, and space for notes.
Strong speech writers are excellent researchers, communicators, listeners, and wordsmiths. They are also adept at meeting tight deadlines under pressure.
Education Needed to Become a Speech Writer
A bachelor’s degree provides the essential writing, research, communication, and critical thinking skills for a speech writing career. Some common majors include:
- English or journalism – Develop writing and editing expertise
- Communications or public relations – Master oral and written communication
- Political science – Gain knowledge of government and politics
- History – Build research and analytical abilities
Coursework in rhetoric, linguistics, and public speaking is also extremely helpful. Aspiring speech writers are encouraged to take on writing-intensive internships at PR firms, political offices, or companies during college. Writing for campus newspapers, speech clubs, or debate teams also builds relevant skills.
While not required, an advanced degree like a Master of Arts in Communication, Writing, or English can help speech writers specialize and advance in their field.
Key Skills and Qualities for Speech Writers
In addition to formal education, speech writers need a specific set of hard and soft skills to succeed:
Excellent writing and editing abilities: Speech writing requires superior writing skills and a meticulous attention to detail. You must be able to craft compelling, grammatically correct content tailored to different speaking styles.
Research expertise: Strong research skills allow speech writers to provide accurate supporting facts and examples. You need to know how to efficiently find credible information sources and identify the most relevant details.
Communication and interviewing skills: Speech writers must collaborate directly with clients to understand their goals, voice, and audience. You need to be an active listener who asks thoughtful questions.
Creativity and storytelling ability: The best speech writers use vivid details and narrative elements to bring speeches to life. You should be imaginative and know how to turn ideas into impactful stories.
Organizational and analytical thinking: Speech writing requires structuring information in a logical, coherent way. You need sharp critical thinking skills to analyze research and outline speeches effectively.
Flexibility and versatility: Speech writers produce very different types of scripts for diverse clients. You must be able to adapt your writing for different styles, tones, and contexts.
Grace under pressure: Speech writers often work under tight time constraints to deliver quality work. You need to handle deadlines and last-minute changes calmly.
Passion for language: Above all, successful speech writers have a way with words and tireless dedication to their craft. You must constantly seek to improve as a writer.
Steps to Start Your Speech Writing Career
If you have the right education and skills, here are the key steps to begin a speech writing career:
Get speech writing experience. Look for opportunities to write real speeches during college or right after graduation. Apply for internships with politicians, companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations that need speech writing help.
Start small. Offer to write simple speeches for smaller community organizations, religious groups, or local businesses for low pay or volunteer experience. Use an online portfolio, website, or writing samples to showcase your work and abilities.
Network and make connections. Attend industry conferences and join professional associations like the National Speechwriters Association to meet fellow speech writers and potential clients.
Consider a communications job first. Many speech writers start in related fields like journalism, corporate communications, or PR. This allows you to hone your researching, interviewing, and writing skills.
Go freelance. Once you build a portfolio of speech writing samples, you can strike out as a self-employed freelance writer. Market your services through your website, social media, job boards, and business connections.
Specialize your skills. Develop expertise writing for a specific field like tech, medicine, or finance. Specialization makes you more attractive to potential clients in your niche.
Partner with PR or marcomm firms. Established PR, marketing, and communications firms often employ speech writers or contract freelance writers for client projects.
With perseverance and dedication to perfecting your craft, you can build a rewarding career giving others the gift of impactful words.
Speech Writing Tips and Strategies
Mastering speech writing takes considerable practice. Follow these tips to write compelling, memorable speeches:
-
Analyze examples of great speeches to understand what made them effective. Note structural elements, rhetoric, and word choices you can borrow.
-
Get to know the speaker deeply through multiple interviews. Learn their personality, interests, speaking style, and goals.
-
Research extensively to ground the speech in factual information tailored to the specific audience.
-
Create a strong outline to organize ideas in a logical flow with distinct beginning, middle, and conclusion.
-
Use simple, conversational language suited for oral delivery rather than complex, formal prose.
-
Employ rhetorical techniques like repetition, metaphor, and rhetorical questions to heighten engagement.
-
Read speeches aloud during the editing process to ensure the words sound powerful when spoken.
-
Use vivid imagery and narrative elements to connect with audiences through storytelling.
-
Avoid jargon and overly complex words that are difficult to understand out loud.
-
Be concise. Speeches shouldn’t be too long. Tighten text by eliminating unnecessary words.
-
Format the speech for easy reading, with short single-spaced lines, wide margins, large font, and space for notes.
Remember, speech writing is collaborative. Work closely with speakers and request feedback to improve. With practice, you’ll be penning inspiring speeches in no time.
Types of Speeches to Write
Speech writers create a diverse array of scripts for different contexts. Some common speech types include:
Informative speeches – Present information or explain a concept, idea, process, or event. Used for teaching, briefing on reports, company updates.
Persuasive speeches – Argue a specific position or convince the audience to take action on an issue. Used for debates, political speeches, advocacy.
Special occasion speeches – Commemorate events or pay tribute to an individual. Used for weddings, graduations, retirement/farewells, eulogies.
Motivational speeches – Inspire audiences by appealing to their emotions. Used for coaches’ pep talks, religious sermons, conference keynotes.
Demonstrative speeches – Show the audience how to do something by walking through a process step-by-step. Used for tutorials, how-to explanations, sales demonstrations.
After-dinner speeches – Entertain audiences with humor at banquets or ceremonial events. Used for toasts, award acceptances, comedic monologues.
The process remains largely the same, but the tone, length, structure, and rhetorical techniques vary based on the specific speech purpose.
Salary and Job Outlook for Speech Writers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for writers and authors, including speech writers, was $63,200 in 2019. Salaries can vary based on factors like:
-
Location – Speech writers in major metropolitan hubs tend to earn higher wages.
-
Experience level – Writers early in their careers generally start with lower earnings.
-
Employer – Working for large PR/marketing firms or high-profile individuals
How long does it takes to become a speech writer?
It typically takes 5-6 years to become a speech writer:
- Years 1-4: Obtain a Bachelors degree in a relevant field such as English, Communications, Journalism, or Political Science. During this time, learn about writing, research, and critical thinking skills.
- Year 5-6: Gain the necessary work experience. This can include internships or entry-level positions where you write speeches for clients, politicians, or executives. Learn about public speaking, persuasion techniques, and tailoring messages to specific audiences.
- Salary$61,897
- Growth Rate8%
- Jobs Number38,009
- Most Common SkillExecutive Communications
- Most Common DegreeBachelors degree
- Best StateWashington
Key steps to become a speech writer
-
Explore speech writer education requirements
The educational requirements for a speech writer are typically a bachelors degree, with some having masters degrees. According to Dr. Claudia R. Fernández, Clinical Assistant Professor of Spanish and Director of the Spanish Basic Language Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago, “If your major is Spanish or any other language, linguistics or literature, and you want to continue in the field and get a relatively good job in education or in the private industry, most likely, you will need to study a Masters or a Ph.D.” This suggests that while a bachelors degree is often sufficient, a higher degree can open up more opportunities in the field.
Most common speech writer degrees
Bachelors74.3 %Masters18.8 %Doctorate3.5 %
-
Start to develop specific speech writer skills
Speech writers need a range of skills, including the ability to interview subject matter experts, verify information, and manage the crafting of speeches and remarks. They must also be able to research and write executive-level communications, congressional testimony, and major public remarks. Additionally, they need to develop advance briefing systems, conduct data-driven research, and proofread presentation materials. As Dr. Heidi Laudien Ph.D., Associate Professor at Manhattan College, notes, “It is critical for students to be confident in their academic foundation. An English related field will undoubtedly require strong critical thinking and writing skills.”
Skills Percentages Executive Communications 13.36% Strategic Communications 13.07% Proofreading 10.76% External Communications 9.44% Blog Posts 7.84% Show more
-
Complete relevant speech writer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New speech writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a speech writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real speech writer resumes.
-
Research speech writer duties and responsibilities
Speech writers are responsible for developing and preparing speeches for various purposes, such as public events, media appearances, and congressional testimony. They conduct research to gather information, interview subject matter experts, and verify facts to create engaging and informative content. They also prepare remarks, press releases, and other written materials for senior executives. Speech writers are skilled at condensing complex ideas into clear and concise language, and they often work closely with their clients to ensure that the messaging aligns with their goals and objectives. They must be able to write for different audiences and in different styles, and they need to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently.
- Maintain guest blogging strategy and policies to achieve a consistently diverse authorship and to grow readership.
- Coordinate logistics management for signal elements, including securing training sites, movement of personnel, communications, and equipment.
- Work closely with the senator and key staff members to develop editorial content for constituent and stakeholder communications.
- Research and write executive level speeches, PowerPoint presentations and articles for global venues.
-
Get speech writer experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a speech writer. The most common roles before becoming a speech writer include reporter, internship team lead and editor.
-
Prepare your speech writer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your speech writer resume. You can use Zippias AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a speech writer resume. Youll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Speech Writer Resume templates
Build a professional Speech Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Speech Writer resume.
-
Apply for speech writer jobs
Now its time to start searching for a speech writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies youre interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
Are you a Speech Writer?
Share your story for a free salary report.
How I Became a Speechwriter | Cheril Clarke
How do I become a speechwriter?
Complete a bachelor’s degree Though a bachelor’s degree isn’t necessary for starting a career as a speechwriter, it can help you earn different jobs that might lead to a speechwriting career. Journalism, communications and English literature are common degree choices for future speechwriters.
What degree do you need to be a speech writer?
Speech writers may benefit from a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or English, as well as a liberal studies degree with a concentration in writing or marketing. It’s important to study writing, editing, rhetoric, debate techniques, and other topics related to public speaking and speech writing.
Should you go to college to become a speechwriter?
That said, college provides some necessary education for learning how to become a speechwriter, along with potential networking opportunities, depending on the type of speechwriter you want to become. The specific benefits from journalism and communications-focused degrees, along with English and writing courses can go a long way.
How long does it take to become a speech writer?
To be a Speech Writer typically requires 4-7 years of related experience. Speech writers draft strategic communications designed for delivery by executives, politicians, community leaders, and others. The speeches must be clear, concise, and well researched, while also matching the tone and style of the person presenting the speech.
