51111 Authors and writers (except technical)

What this occupation covers

Authors and writers plan, research and write books, scripts, storyboards, plays, essays, speeches and other non-journalistic articles for publication or presentation. They are employed by advertising agencies, governments, large corporations, private consulting firms, publishing firms, multimedia/new-media companies and other establishments, or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Conceive and write novels, plays, scripts, poetry and other material for publication or presentation
• May conduct research to establish factual content and to obtain other necessary information.
• Write e-copy, blog posts, e-books, podcasts and other forms of Web-based content
• Conduct research on a variety of topics to inform writing and may consult with clients to determine the goals of the writing.
• Study and determine selling features of products and services and write text for advertisements and commercials.
• Authors and writers may specialize in a particular subject or type of writing.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 51110 Editors
• 51113 Journalists
• 11202 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
• 51121 Conductors, composers and arrangers
• 51112 Technical writers
• 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters

Excluded from this code

• Editors (See 51110 Editors)
• Journalists (See 51113 Journalists)
• Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (See 11202 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations)
• Songwriter (See 51121 Conductors, composers and arrangers)
• Technical writers (See 51112 Technical writers)
• Translators, terminologists and interpreters (See 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

ad writer · advertising copywriter · advertising writer · author · biographer · blogger · content creator - writing · content writer (except technical) · copywriter · crossword puzzle maker · designer and script writer · dialogue writer · dubbing dialogue writer · essayist · feature writer · fiction writer · ghost writer · humorist-author · interactive media writer · lexicographer · literary writer · multimedia author · multimedia script writer · multimedia writer

Employment requirements

• Copywriters usually require a university degree or college diploma in French, English, marketing, advertising or another discipline.
• Creative writing programs are offered by universities and colleges.
• Talent and ability, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work, are important hiring criteria.
• Membership in a guild or union related to the occupation may be required.