It’s been pretty crazy at the day job and I’m finding it challenge to fit my time in for writing. Times like these I muse about how my life would be if I could just dedicate all my time to writing.
But of course, I need to eat. And currently fiction doesn’t feed me.
I read this blog post Writing for a Living last week at The Kill Zone by guest blogger Mark Terry.
Through his experiences, he poses some sobering conclusions about making a living from writing:
1. Just because a writer gets published doesn’t mean they make a living as a writer.
2. Many writers who write full-time as novelists have:
- A well-paid, supportive spouse
- Retired from a job and are on pensions and social security
- Made a lot of money somewhere along the line and are now living on it
- Write more than one novel a year
- Supplement their novel-writing with other types of writing
- Are lying
- Are Top 10 bestselling authors
3. Just because their books says “bestselling author” does not mean they’re making tons of money.
4. There’s money to be made, but it’s not very reliable.
I do know of some writers who make a living from their words but it’s very few.
The realistic point as a writer is that you may never make your primary income from your words alone. But I think this is where you must write because you cannot write. You are doing it for more than just the money.
During these hectic times, I do wish there was more time to dedicate to my novel, but also during these times I feel blessed to have a job that sustains me financially.
What do you think? Is it naive to want to write for a living? Or should you think of writing as supplemental income?
Karen, I think many writers dream of doing it full-time, but it does seem like it’s almost impossible these days. I have to say that I don’t think I could write full-time; spending so much time alone would drive me a little batty. That’s why I love teaching – though it isn’t exactly a get-rich-quick kind of job, it gives me a chance to interact with other people and to talk about writing all I want. :-)
I suppose there are all kinds of writing you can do to write for a living. For a while, I worked at home writing educational materials, but it was basically supplemental income to my husband’s salary. I don’t do so much of it anymore, in part because I have a salaried job. It’s nice to dream that one day, I could stay home and work on writing novels, though. But I think it’s mostly a dream.
Anna: I think one of the reasons I like my day job is because I like the work and the people I work with — although it can be extremely crazy at times, I find that it makes me focus more on writing in those designated times.
Andrea: For a few years, I was a technical writer and it actually helped me write more concise. It was a little draining at times though writing all day and then writing later on the novel at night. But now since I’m not making any money from creative writing at all — I too think of mostly as a dream. But you never know what could happen in the future.
Well, I do write for a living as a copywriter, and I think I would like my published works (one day, I hope!) to be more of a supplemental income. Of course it would be great if I could just write my own creative things and get paid enough to live, but for now, I’ll be happy with the fact that I can write all day for money, and then write for pleasure at night.
What you plan for and what you hope for don’t have to be the same thing. You plan to have alternate income sources and you hope that some day you won’t need them.
Tiana: I’m a night owl by nature, so even if I didn’t have a job, I probably wouldn’t start until like 9pm anyway so I might well do something with my day. Cool that you are a copywriter — that probably helps you a lot during the revision phase.
Carl: This is so true. My grandma always told me to have a Plan B — and I think most artists do. Those artists who don’t have Plan Bs or other income streams probably didn’t start out that way — unless they were already independently wealthy.
It’s fun to dream. But along with dreams, it’s wise to be realistic. I’ll go as far as the journey takes me.
Your post. It drew me as soon as I read the title. :D
For me it’s a no-brainer: it’s absolutely foolish and unrealistic to rely on writing to put bread on the table while keeping your banker happy. Especially when you’re starting.
Enjoy having a job, I’m telling you. :D
Laura: That’s the right kind of attitude to have. Writing is a journey and just go where it takes you.
Nathalie: Ha. I have some friends tell me “When you get published, you’ll quit your job right?” I’m like, “Uh, no. Unless you know something I don’t know.” LOL.
I don’t think it’s “naive” as per se…but I do think that if you plan to make a living as a writer someday, you need to emulate the writers that currently *do*. Those would be the people who have a strong head for the business side of writing…the people who are actively marketing their words and treating writing as a job. I think a lot of writers find the business side “distasteful” and contrary to creativity. They aren’t generally willing to put in the effort it takes to really make a go of it (just like any other self-employment endeavor). Any kind of self-employment is hard, and uncertain. My dad’s been self-employed for most of my life, so it’s a reality I’m used to.
I have what I think is a solid business plan for how to make writing fiction into a full-time job I can replace my current income with. But I don’t mind the business side of things, and I know it’s going to take a ton of work in diverse directions to do it. So yeah, I’m comfortable thinking that I may be able to quit my day job and write for a living someday. It’s not going to be easy though…
Jamie: Thanks for stopping by.
Nothing worth having is ever easy. I think the thing about writing is that some people believe that everyone can do it. That some writers can write *one* book and then sit back and watch the money roll in.
Not necessarily true.
The business side of writing is something that some writers steer clear of but things have drastically changed and if you want to forge a career in this business then you are going to have to do a *lot* of the work on your own and that requires forsight and a plan.
So you’re *way* ahead in that regard to other writers that I know.
I heard a bestselling author say he doesn’t make tons of money. Several books. Why doesn’t he make tons of money? I don’t understand that concept.
Hey Gwendolyn: Thanks for stopping by. If you go to the blog post link, Mark Terry references some informative resources that talk about how a writer earns their money.
I think there is still a misconception of how much a “bestselling” author makes. It’s not as much as you think.
While I believe you can still make a decent living as a writer, the truth is the authors making “mega” bucks like Stephen King, James Patterson, etc. comprise only 1% of all published writers.
In my opinion, if you want to make a living as a writer, you have to be realistic and be willing to deal with the financial “lows” which may span several years. If you want to make a *good* living as a writer, you’re going to have to sacrifice a lot, work really hard — in both the artistic side AND the business side and then be willing to be in it for the long haul before reaping results.
It’s not for the weak of heart.
It’s not naive to want to become a novelist at all. Wanting to be a full time novelist is difficult but not impossible. You can supplement your income by writing short stories, articles, and all types of internet-related writing.
Always keep striving to keep your dream alive. Writing fiction is hard work, but it’s honestly the best type of writing to do.
And you can invest a $1 per week in the lottery! If you win, you can write as much fiction as you want! :)
I’ve had people ask me many questions about my writing. One of them was, “Did you take time off from work to write?” My answer was no. I do not have that luxury. I write during nights, weekends, and holidays. Another question was, “Do you plan on writing full-time?” My answer is probably not, unless I sell MANY books, because the literary world is very competitive and novelists don’t make as much money as some people perceive.
Lisa: Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I totally agree with you writing fiction is the best type of writing to do — believe me — after years of technical writing. It’s difficult but not impossible — it’s all about how you can make it work.
Medeia: A lot of my non-writer friends ask me this question. One of them asked me if I was going to move to NYC after I sold my book. Ha, I wish. But I think this is just the perception a lot of non-writers have about the business. But hey, you never know what can happen. The only thing you can do is have a plan and work it.