# Reality Check: Part time vs. Full time writing.



## voltigeur (Jun 6, 2013)

As I have stated before I am working on a historical fiction project. I haven’t written since high school (don’t ask how long) so I have lots of questions as I start this process. 

Thanks to this forum, how I'm starting this story and present it has been heavily revised and I have to admit it is much better that my original plan. 

One issue that has come to mind is that I will have to work a regular job while I write this book. If the first book sells then I might be able to write full time since the other 2 books in the series will already be researched and outlined and could get to the publisher rather quickly. 

But in the mean time how do you manage your time writing and fit it in with the rest of life and obligations? 

What has to happen financially to be able to write full time?  How likely is it that an author can be a full time author?


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## JosephB (Jun 6, 2013)

If you work or go to school -- you prioritize and make the time. How that's done depends on the individual. I could tell you a bunch of anecdotal stuff, but that's pretty much what it boils down to. As far as what happens financially goes, I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch. That is, if they ever hatch. I'm not really motivated by the idea of making money -- although that would be a nice-to-have if it ever happens. I've got a family to support (and all the obligations that go with that) so the chances I'd replace my current income by writing fiction are slim to none anyway. I write because I want to and I love doing it -- that's my primary motivation. Any monetary gain-- if there's any to speak of -- will just be gravy.


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## Terry D (Jun 6, 2013)

Most published writers have 'day' jobs. The chances of supporting yourself based on the sales of one book, or book series, are worse than your chances of winning the lottery. If your dream is to make a living as a writer you will need to be ready to do a lot of writing of many different types to keep those checks coming in. Write your novels, but write short stories too, and non-fiction, and features for your local newspaper. Writing pays poorly, but so do many other full-time careers. It can be done, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that the world is out there waiting for your book, ready to throw money at you.


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## Sam (Jun 6, 2013)

I manage to pen at least one novel a year with a pretty intense college schedule that sees most of my writing time used for assignments and prepping for exams. With a full-time job, you can certainly work out a schedule that gives you enough time to do the same -- provided you are willing to put in the work. 

As for writing becoming your sole income: don't bet on it. Few authors make enough money to give up the day job.


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## JosephB (Jun 6, 2013)

Terry D said:


> It can be done, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that the world is out there waiting for your book, ready to throw money at you.



What? And I had my money catching net and a bunch of those big bags with the dollar signs on them ready to go.


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## Terry D (Jun 6, 2013)

Sam said:


> I manage to pen at least one novel a year with a pretty intense college schedule that sees most of my writing time used for assignments and prepping for exams. With a full-time job, you can certainly work out a schedule that gives you enough time to do the same -- provided you are willing to put in the work.
> 
> As for writing becoming your sole income: don't bet on it. Few authors make enough money to give up the day job.



_Chase_ took me two-and-a-half years to complete. I wrote five days each week; sometimes just an hour or two after work, and several hours on Saturdays and Sundays.


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## Skodt (Jun 6, 2013)

Pick a time in the day you are usually free. Whether that entails morning before work with your coffee, or staying up an extra 30 minutes before bed. Just get yourself into a habit of sitting down.


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## jayelle_cochran (Jun 6, 2013)

I haven't been read what everyone had to say yet.  I just wanted to offer my 2 cents before I logged off to go work on my revisions.

I'm glad that the forum has helped with your writing.    Good job!

To be honest, and I'm sure others have said the same, it's difficult to be able to be a full time writer.  Bills and rent need to be paid, food needs to be bought, etc.  Money is a necessary evil IMO.  But, the key word there is 'necessary'.  Unfortunately, most authors still need to hold down a day job.  This is true for both self-published authors and traditionally published ones.  Based on what I've read, it seems that most authors don't build a good fan base until their 7th or 8th novel (this isn't necessarily an accurate statistic...just an observation).  Even then, they may not make enough to support themselves.  There are many factors that go into making an author successful.  A few of those factors are totally out of the writer's control.  One such factor is luck.  Another is having fans who like your work and will pass it on via word of mouth.  You can't control what others will do or what they will like.

I suggest that you keep your job until you're making enough money through your novels to support yourself, and have some set aside for if you hit a dry spell.  Unfortunately, no one on here can tell you how long that will take or if it will happen at all.  Realistically, it could take several years.

For myself, I have it a little easier since I'm a stay at home mom.  I still don't have as much time as I would like to dedicate to my writing.  I've found ways around the time constraints.  Basically, I write when I can.  I have a notebook that I bring with me wherever I go.  With that I can work on my stories while in waiting rooms, which I spend a lot of time in.  I write when most people are watching TV, but then again my stories _are_ my entertainment.  Most of my writing happens while the kids are at school and I have some free time, or after they've gone to bed and the house is quiet again.

Basically, you find the time.  Any point in your day where you're sitting and doing nothing constructive is a point where you can sneak in some writing.  While we all would love to be able to sit at a computer for several hours and pump out 20 pages, the reality is that life will always demand our attention.  Don't let that deter you though.  You may not be able to make a full living at writing from the very beginning, but you never know what the future may one day bring.

*hugs*
Jayelle


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## Sam (Jun 6, 2013)

Terry D said:


> _Chase_ took me two-and-a-half years to complete. I wrote five days each week; sometimes just an hour or two after work, and several hours on Saturdays and Sundays.



That's nothing to turn one's nose up at.  

I type pretty fast and regularly log between five to ten thousand words per three- or four-hour sitting.


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## shadowwalker (Jun 6, 2013)

The other thing to consider besides a steady paycheck is insurance. Purchasing it yourself can be extremely expensive, and even then you don't necessarily get the same coverage as you do with a group plan. Important if you don't want to go bankrupt due to illness, doubly so if you have a family.


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## JosephB (Jun 6, 2013)

For free healthcare, you could move to Canada -- you can simply take advantage of their Unemployed American Writers Unlimited Residency Program. They'll welcome you with open arms.


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## Kevin (Jun 6, 2013)

A 'Nanny-state'...

Possibilities: A Sugar-mama (or Daddy); a patron, you know...someone to foot the bills.
Live under a bridge; the 'true' starving artist.


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## Leyline (Jun 6, 2013)

You _can_ make a living writing. I'm proof.

But you have to be willing to be really, really poor.


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## JosephB (Jun 6, 2013)

Leyline said:


> You _can_ make a living writing. I'm proof.
> 
> But you have to be willing to be really, really poor.



I tried living for my art. I had my design degree in my back pocket, but  the idea was I was going to mostly paint -- give it a good shot anyway. About 6 weeks into it, I took a freelance job at  a design group -- they offered me a full time job -- and that was it. And I've barely picked up  a brush since. Oh well.


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## Angelicpersona (Jun 6, 2013)

JosephB said:


> For free healthcare, you could move to Canada -- you can simply take advantage of their Unemployed American Writers Unlimited Residency Program. They'll welcome you with open arms.


On a serious note, while doctors visits are free, we still have to pay full price for meds and things like dentists appointments unless we have healthcare insurance, and if you need to see a specialist, forget it. Prepare to wait for 6 months to 2 years. Wish I could move to Australia *sigh*


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## FleshEater (Jun 6, 2013)

JosephB said:


> I tried living for my art. I had my design degree in my back pocket, but  the idea was I was going to mostly paint -- give it a good shot anyway. About 6 weeks into it, I took a freelance job at  a design group -- they offered me a full time job -- and that was it. And I've barely picked up  a brush since. Oh well.



I loved painting, but alas, there is no need for it now with computers. Very disappointing. Nothing beats a real oil painting.


Is it just me, or does every beginning writer set their sights on a salary like King and Koontz? It's a great goal...but even they started somewhere. I mean, King made $400,000 on Carrie (and pocketed $200,000 on that), so I think it's safe to say long gone are the days of big payouts on first novels.


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## squidtender (Jun 6, 2013)

I worked fifty hours a week while writing my last novel. I just made myself sit down the same time, the same nights and crank out my word count. I also let it be known to everyone that I was to be left alone, unless someone was dead . . . and even if they were dead, they'd still be that way once I finished so that wasn't a valid excuse. Find the routine that will work in your schedule and STICK TO IT. 

As for making a decent living out of writing full time . . . :rofl:


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## SteelPalm (Jun 7, 2013)

FleshEater said:


> Is it just me, or does every beginning writer set their sights on a salary like King and Koontz? It's a great goal...but even they started somewhere. I mean, King made $400,000 on Carrie (and pocketed $200,000 on that), so I think it's safe to say long gone are the days of big payouts on first novels.



Not necessarily, when it comes to authors with huge blog followings who are also getting their book immediately optioned for a movie.  

But I realized how truly unlikely becoming a full-time writer was only a few weeks ago.  I was reading the Wikipedia biography on one of my favorite writers, the science fiction master Philip Jose Farmer.  

Farmer was born in 1918 and began writing in the early 50s.  I have read his earlier works.  Many of them are absolutely incredible.  However, it wasn't until 1971, with the first book in his _Riverworld_ saga, one of the greatest science fiction series ever, that he could finally become a writer full-time!  

That's insane.  The guy had amazing talent, wrote swashbuckling, adventurous science fiction with wide appeal, and it still took him 20 years and a majorly successful franchise to finally become a professional writer and quit his day job!  And that was back when people actually read and bought books!  

Nowadays?  Outside of a very, very small group (Rowling, Coelho, Patterson, Grisham, Meyer, Evanovich, Steele, a few others), no one is making big money, and only a slightly larger group than that are full-time writers.


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## FleshEater (Jun 7, 2013)

SteelPalm said:


> Not necessarily, when it comes to authors with huge blog followings who are also getting their book immediately optioned for a movie.



Yes, but even then you'd have to have a large production company and producer pick it up. I'm sure David Wong didn't quit his day job when John Dies at the End was picked up by Don Coscarelli for a film adaptation...and I'm sure Palahniuk didn't make much when Choke was adapted.


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## JosephB (Jun 7, 2013)

Angelicpersona said:


> On a serious note, while doctors visits are free, we still have to pay full price for meds and things like dentists appointments unless we have healthcare insurance, and if you need to see a specialist, forget it. Prepare to wait for 6 months to 2 years. Wish I could move to Australia *sigh*



My dad was Canadian, so are all my relatives on his side, and I have dual citizenship -- so I'm actually pretty familiar with how it works. Reviews are mixed -- it seems to depend largely on the health of the person you're talking to.


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## JosephB (Jun 7, 2013)

FleshEater said:


> I loved painting, but alas, there is no need for it now with computers. Very disappointing. Nothing beats a real oil painting.



That's certainly true of commercial  illustration. I took that too as an elective in design -- even though I  knew there was no future in it. My teacher had once made a really good  living doing it for major magazines and clients like Anheuser-Busch  and Coke etc. -- back in the day when clients and agencies would  commission original illustrations. Some of the illustrators were true  artists who were known for a particular style or technique -- some of them were fine artists too. I would have loved to do  that -- but I was born too late. 

It's much the same with  photography -- both have been supplanted by computer generated stuff,  but for the most part it's due to the availability of loads of relatively  inexpensive stock imagery -- which is super easy to search and download  -- and then you can do all kinds of stuff to it Photoshop. We only  shoot original stuff if there's a product involved and there's no other  way around it. And since most of our clients are B2B and provide  services -- I'm stuck using stock most of the time. And I've  commissioned maybe 3 or 4 original illustrations in my design career.  There's just no demand for original imagery any more -- people don't  want to spent the money on it -- which totally bites if you're a  designer.

I don't know if the computer has had much of impact on  the fine art market though. But it's like writing in that only a tiny  percentage can make a living doing it -- as you probably know. I studied  painting and drawing for two years before I switched majors -- and I  know exactly one person from school who makes a living as an artist. I  know another girl who makes quite a bit of money painting portraits --  but she teaches too. Another guy I know used to make a boatload of money  as a dealer -- selling to wealthy individuals, interior designers and  corporate clients. Then amazingly -- or maybe not so amazingly -- he  started losing a lot of business to people sourcing oil paintings in  China. So oddly -- it seems like people still want oil paintings instead  of prints -- they just don't want to pay very much for them. He held  out for a long time, but now he's buying some stuff there too. Of  course, he lost a lot of business when the economy tanked -- for  obvious reasons -- and I'm guessing that's what kicked off the outsourcing.

As for my own art "career," I've sold a few  things. I was in one pretty nice group show. My big commission was a  mural in a Mexican restaurant. Heh. I was supposed to get all this free  food in addition to a paltry sum, but they went of business almost as  soon as they opened. (Hopefully not because the mural made people lose their appetites.) Oddly, I recently sold something for quite a bit that I painted about 10 years ago -- we had it hanging in our house but took it down when we redid the room. I'll get back to it someday -- I have a nice studio  area waiting. Maybe when my kids are older or once they've flown the  coop.


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## Staff Deployment (Jun 7, 2013)

This is mildly off topic but



JosephB said:


> duel citizenship



[spoiler2=DUEL CITIZENSHIP]


I've always imagined the health care system works a bit like this too.[/spoiler2]


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## Rustgold (Jun 7, 2013)

Angelicpersona said:


> On a serious note, while doctors visits are free, we still have to pay full price for meds and things like dentists appointments unless we have healthcare insurance, and if you need to see a specialist, forget it. Prepare to wait for 6 months to 2 years. Wish I could move to Australia *sigh*


Yeah, but we get the doctors west Asia rejects (or those about to be de-registered in their home country).  I've had doctors trying to prescribe anti-biotics on separate occasions for a cold, and for a sprained foot.  On another occasion, when I got a bug (from an overseas trip) and had watery diarrhoea 12 times a day, one doctor didn't think I had anything wrong with me; like hello, needing to sit down on a toilet to pass browny water from your backside 12 times a day, not normal.  It's a worry.


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## Rustgold (Jun 7, 2013)

On topic, most successful writers have had outstanding careers in other areas.  There are a few exceptions of course.


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## JosephB (Jun 7, 2013)

Staff Deployment said:


> This is mildly off topic but
> 
> I've always imagined the health care system works a bit like this too.



Ha ha. Darn those homophones. They get me every time.


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## Leyline (Jun 9, 2013)

FleshEater said:


> I loved painting, but alas, there is no need for it now with computers. Very disappointing. Nothing beats a real oil painting.
> 
> 
> Is it just me, or does every beginning writer set their sights on a salary like King and Koontz? It's a great goal...but even they started somewhere. I mean, King made $400,000 on Carrie (and pocketed $200,000 on that), so I think it's safe to say long gone are the days of big payouts on first novels.



Actually, even then, that was the paperback sale, which was the subject of a bidding war -- after the modest advance paying hardcover version was optioned by Brian DePalma.


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## Leyline (Jun 9, 2013)

JosephB said:


> That's certainly true of commercial  illustration. I took that too as an elective in design -- even though I  knew there was no future in it. My teacher had once made a really good  living doing it for major magazines and clients like Anheuser-Busch  and Coke etc. -- back in the day when clients and agencies would  commission original illustrations. Some of the illustrators were true  artists who were known for a particular style or technique -- some of them were fine artists too. I would have loved to do  that -- but I was born too late.
> 
> It's much the same with  photography -- both have been supplanted by computer generated stuff,  but for the most part it's due to the availability of loads of relatively  inexpensive stock imagery -- which is super easy to search and download  -- and then you can do all kinds of stuff to it Photoshop. We only  shoot original stuff if there's a product involved and there's no other  way around it. And since most of our clients are B2B and provide  services -- I'm stuck using stock most of the time. And I've  commissioned maybe 3 or 4 original illustrations in my design career.  There's just no demand for original imagery any more -- people don't  want to spent the money on it -- which totally bites if you're a  designer.
> 
> ...



My brother and cousin sell art commissions on the 'net. My brother averages between 75 to a 100 dollars for most of his stuff, my cousin around 40-60. They both sell to very niche markets that want custom work done (the brother portraits of kids with cartoon characters -- he's very good at both portraiture and aping any style of cartoon/comic -- and the cousin to...err...other sorts of markets. Ha.) and both have more demand than they're willing to fulfill. 

I make less than either in the average month, though I can't complain. I get 75 bucks for stories that average around a thousand words, which is not just pro short fiction rate, it's pretty darn _good_ pro short fiction rate. I'm just quite a bit slower than both of them. (And my cousin outdoes both of us on average, despite his lower rates -- because he draws really fast.)

But, once again: No way could we make what most people consider a 'good living' doing this. We pay the bills and have a little left over for luxuries. But, since we've all been poor since birth, it's not a huge deal.

And there is something to be said for doing what you love, on your own schedule, with no one interfering, for people who really appreciate the product they receive and aren't shy about saying so. I myself average about an hour to two hours a day on the stories.


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## luckyscars (Jun 10, 2013)

voltigeur said:


> One issue that has come to mind is that I will have to work a regular job while I write this book. If the first book sells then I might be able to write full time since the other 2 books in the series will already be researched and outlined and could get to the publisher rather quickly.
> 
> But in the mean time how do you manage your time writing and fit it in with the rest of life and obligations?


 
I feel your pain. I work upwards of 60 hours per week to support my family, and am also studying to (eventually) be a high school English teacher. As far as the work thing goes - I don't hate (though don't fully enjoy) my job, so that makes the hours a little less hellish (though no less tiring) than they could be. 

As has been said it is important to pursue another 'full time' career because the probability is you'll need it. However there are no certainties here. If you do intend on being a full time writer your goal should be to make that a reality. I know its my goal. There is nothing worse than wanting to write but being to doggone tired to, or just straight up not having the time. Nothing worse.




> What has to happen financially to be able to write full time?  How likely is it that an author can be a full time author?



Since others already answered the latter, I will go with the former. What has to happen financially to be able to write full time is simple: You need to sell books. A lot of them. Depending on what you write and how talented you are it may be easier or harder, but it is never easy. To be a commercially successful author you may find it mentally taxing. You will need to write a lot in order to meet demand, to write under pressure and (if publishing traditionally) to meet the demands of your agent and publisher(s).


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## Jeko (Jun 10, 2013)

Don't try to fit your work life around your writing, and don't try to fit your writing around your work life. They both feed off each other. Neither is more important. 

If you're a full-time writer, then they're both the same. So ditto.

IMO.


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## luckyscars (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence said:


> Don't try to fit your work life around your writing, and don't try to fit your writing around your work life. They both feed off each other. Neither is more important.
> 
> If you're a full-time writer, then they're both the same. So ditto.
> 
> IMO.



Ummm...

If you are a writer and committed to a full time, lifelong pursuit in telling stories that change the world and/or people's lives...then I'm pretty sure THAT is and should be more important then your stellar career at Pizza Hut.

IMO.


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## Jeko (Jun 10, 2013)

I don't.


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## JosephB (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence said:


> don't try to fit your writing around your work life.



If you're responsible for anyone other than yourself -- that's baloney.


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## Jeko (Jun 10, 2013)

Not sure what you mean.


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## Sam (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence said:


> Don't try to fit your work life around your writing, and don't try to fit your writing around your work life. They both feed off each other. Neither is more important.
> 
> If you're a full-time writer, then they're both the same. So ditto.
> 
> IMO.



Run that by me again.

If you work twelve hours a day and have three kids to come home to, you find time to write wherever, whenever, and however you can.


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## JosephB (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence said:


> Not sure what you mean.



I’m saying if you have a family or anyone to support, you have no choice other than to fit your writing around your “work life.” Work takes precedence. The reality is, the people who depend on you probably don’t care all that much about your novel or short stories or whatever. Either does your boss or customers or clients. So you write when you can, in a way that doesn’t interfere with your primarily responsibilities.

But here's a thought -- when you’re out there working and supporting a family, then you can tell us all about it.


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## luckyscars (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence - what we are saying is that it depends on your situation. If you have four kids and a wife then work comes first. If you're reasonably rich, don't pay rent and only 'work' for money to spend on video games and pistachio nuts, then obviously you should put writing first.

I understand you were trying to be profound but your assessment is simply incorrect. You can't make those kinds of blanket judgments. Plenty of writers have found success while only writing in the small amounts of time they can find between kids, jobs and other commitments. Hell, there's plenty who have managed to write books WHILE FIGHTING IN WARS. You can't tell those guys that their writing career is of 'equal importance'. On the other hand, you can't tell the guy who works at pizza hut and lives at home that his job is more important than his passion. 

Circumstances are everything.


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## Jeko (Jun 10, 2013)

Oh, I wasn't making a general statement. I know those don't turn out well anyway.

In the position _voltigeur _is in, I believe that if his regular job is to support him writing his book, then he should not think the regular job is less important than writing the book. The mundane parts of life benefit the more creative and exciting, IMO. My most recent inspiration came from doing the washing-up.

I class being a full-time writer as someone who is getting paid for it and can live off that and that's what they do for a living hence.

When I said 'importance', I meant importance to the craft, not general life-or-death importance.

I should probably write longer posts.


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## luckyscars (Jun 10, 2013)

I do see what you were getting at. Life experience, including working, is of huge importance to writing. Particularly if, like some of us, you are kind of a social wallflower. Work may be the most social period of your day and with socializing comes inspiration. Then of course there is the financial aspect - haha!


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## Terry D (Jun 10, 2013)

Stephen King was mentioned before. His early writing career was actually very representative of most writers; he taught English by day, worked in an industrial laundry by night, and wrote short stories to sell for 5 cents a word to men's magazines in his 'free' time. Carrie got him an advance of $2,500 from its hardcover publisher, that allowed him to get caught up on some bills. When the paperback rights sold for that $400,000 mentioned before, he was able to write full time for the first time. Of course when Carrie was optioned to the movies, he never had to work again if he didn't want to. 

Here's a good article from the New York Times Book Review about what author pay really looks like;

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/books/review/Meyer-t.html?_r=0


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## JosephB (Jun 10, 2013)

Cadence said:


> I should probably write longer posts.



You could just go for clarity -- and ease up on the poetry and philosophical hoo ha.


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## Jeko (Jun 10, 2013)

I think I'm suffering from post-GCSE trauma. Everything I say has to be hard to understand, because the GCSE syllabus is so easy.

It'll wear off in about a week. Until then the poetry and philosophical hoo ha is all that keeps me sane.


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## JosephB (Jun 10, 2013)

I'll keep that in mind and look forward to it. When you cut to the chase, it saves everybody a bunch of time.


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## Motley (Jun 10, 2013)

I intend to be a full-time fiction writer who supports her family solely from fiction writing... some day. I'm 38 and have 2 kids and an aging mother to take care of. Even with that in mind, I do put my fiction writing on a higher level of importance than my job, which is freelance writing. Sure, the bills need to be paid, but it's fine to have a goal... even if it seems a bit crazy.


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## JosephB (Jun 10, 2013)

^ I think there’s a difference between working toward a goal as a big picture priority as opposed to the day-to-day priorities that put constraints on your writing time. I think we were talking more about the latter -- but it’s perfectly possible to have both.


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## voltigeur (Jun 10, 2013)

WOW this is the biggest thread I have started in several forums!  I finally had time to read all the comments. I want to thank everyone for their input and I am so glad I called this thread “Reality Check” lol. 

One thing that was mentioned: blogging to build a fan base so they are there at time of publishing. What kinds of things do you blog about? And how do you fit in blogging and still stay commented to the time it takes to do the novel?  As I finish the research I can’t see spending more that 10 to 20 minutes a day on a blog tops. 

But for all the contributors thanks for the reality check.


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## SteelPalm (Jun 10, 2013)

voltigeur said:


> One thing that was mentioned: blogging to build a fan base so they are there at time of publishing. What kinds of things do you blog about? And how do you fit in blogging and still stay commented to the time it takes to do the novel?  As I finish the research I can’t see spending more that 10 to 20 minutes a day on a blog tops.



Since I was the one that mentioned it, I might as well respond.  If you don't know what to blog about, and don't see yourself "spending more than 10 to 20 minutes a day on a blog tops", then you might as well ignore that route.


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## voltigeur (Jun 10, 2013)

I’m not suggesting it is a bad idea at all. My g/f is a big fan of Pioneer Woman and she started off blogging, now she has a TV show on the food channel. 

My initial reaction was made during a break in today’s job hunt.  I am spending more time looking for a job than I would actually spend working one. 

One idea that came to me after reading your post: Since my novel is about the cold war in the 80’s blog about historical events. If that readership builds then I have carved a niche market for the book to add to the normal Historical Fiction and Techno Thriller fans. 

It is just something I hadn’t thought about.  Also I don’t want to be spending too much time writing about writing a novel.  

It is a good idea and one I know can work.


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## SteelPalm (Jun 10, 2013)

The point is that making a successful, highly-trafficked blog is _almost_ as difficult and unlikely as writing a successful, highly-read book.  

If you don't have the former to begin with, I would just concentrate on the latter instead.  I only mentioned the blogs because that's how a lot of modern authors manage to obtain an audience and sign a publishing deal.  But it's not necessary.


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## Bakslashjack (Jun 18, 2013)

Authors are breaking through all the time. However, the chance of becoming successful with a story that is of as poor a quality as say, Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ is so remote you might as well play the lottery. On the other hand, I believe that you can increase your chances for success with a higher quality of writing. Aiming for the stars is the only way you’re going to reach them.


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## Jeko (Jun 18, 2013)

> However, the chance of becoming successful with a story that is of as poor a quality as say, Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ is so remote you might as well play the lottery.



Whoa. I wouldn't say Carrie is poor quality. Replace 'Carrie' with 'Twilight'.


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## JosephB (Jun 18, 2013)

If I could figure out how, I think I’d dumb down or otherwise degrade the awesomeness of my fantastic novel to make it as “poor quality” as _Carrie_ -- if it could kick-start a writing career like Stephen King’s.  I wonder how he did it.


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