Artistic writing
Let's say I divide all writing activities in two classes:
- Artistic writing
- Non-artistic writing
Artistic writing includes fiction and non-fiction. Its purpose is either to entertain the reader (fiction) or tell them something they don't know (non-fiction).
Non-artistic writing includes writing e-mails, newsletters, blog posts, white papers, landing pages, social media content etc. The purpose of non-artistic writing is to sell something to the reader, either now or later, either to them personally or to someone they influence.
I consider it non-artistic because it is order of magnitudes easier to write a good, say, white paper than a good fiction or non-fiction book (there is much more good copywriters than there are good fiction and non-fiction writers).
What is a better (shorter) word than "artistic writing" that can be used for both fiction and non-fiction?
Possible answer: Journalism and fiction writing
But it's even longer than the term I want to get rid of.
Example of using the sought expression in a sentence:
Before F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joseph Heller, and Steven Pressfield became masters of
<blank>they used to work as copywriters.
<Blank> -- better word for "artistic writing".
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of literature includes all of these senses:
1 a (1) : writings in prose or verse
especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest
// literature stands related to man as science stands to nature
— J. H. Newman
1 a (2) : an example of such writings
// what came out, though rarely literature, was always a roaring good story
— People
1 b : the body of writings on a particular subject
// scientific literature
1 c : the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age
// French literature
// Renaissance literature
1 d : printed matter (such as leaflets or circulars)
// campaign literature
2 : the production of literary work especially as an occupation
// Literature is his profession.
The fact that the definition includes "printed matter (such as leaflets or circulars)," means that it can also cover "e-mails, newsletters, blog posts, white papers, landing pages, social media content etc."
As such:
Before F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joseph Heller, and Steven Pressfield became masters of literature they used to work as copywriters.