Speechwriting: How to get in, how to get out

Advice for communication generalists who want to break into this lucrative niche in the business; and advice for pigeon-holed scribes, too

Speechwriting probably should not be listed among the highstakes professions. Stunt drivers, day traders, relief pitchers and mobsters probably have more day-to-day pressure to deal with.

On the other hand, they probably have a more elaborate support network than speechwriters, and the path in and out of their professions is much better defined. Ragan editors have been getting two questions a lot lately—the same two questions we’ve gotten for years. We thought we’d spend one story answering them—and inviting your insights, too. How do I get into speechwriting?