# Do you make a living as a writer?



## Justin Rocket (Jun 30, 2014)

If not, then can  you guesstimate what percentage of your income comes from fiction writing?  (I don't want your total income, just the percentage from fiction writing)

I currently make no income from fiction writing.  I'm trying to figure out how to change that.


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## J.T. Chris (Jun 30, 2014)

There isn't a lot of money in fiction writing. Keep your job until you write a few Bestsellers.


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## Bishop (Jun 30, 2014)

Nope! 0%. Zilch. Nada. 

Will that change? That'd be cool. But until then, I'ma just keep writin', ya?


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## Jeko (Jun 30, 2014)

I get paid by improving; the more I write, the better I get. Becoming a better writer is the gain, while the loss is time. From what I've seen and discovered, I think I've made a profit so far.

Aside from that, I once won £75 worth of children's books by winning a competition. That's it on the monetary side of things.


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## InstituteMan (Jun 30, 2014)

I get the bulk of my income by writing . . . just not fiction. I'm a lawyer, I write legal stuff. Just between you and me and the Interwebs, I write legal things better than most lawyers, if by better one means slightly more effective than typical and vastly more understandable to a non-attorney than is typical. In a very real sense, my writing skills, such as they are, let me do a bit better than some of my colleagues who don't write as well.

My fiction has netted me lots of people I consider friends on here, the occasional approval of InstituteWoman, and personal satisfaction. I would like to sell some work for actual money, and I am even slowly working toward that as life permits. Heck, I am totally willing to make a few bazillion dollars off my fiction writing, just to see what that would be like, but I am not exactly planning on quitting my law practice.


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## dale (Jun 30, 2014)

i've made about $260 from fiction writing in my life so far. that's not even a decent night out at a strip club.
you can make money freelance content writing fairly easy. fiction writing? it takes a while, if ever, to make a living at.


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## Justin Rocket (Jun 30, 2014)

As mentioned elsewhere, I've had to give up my job due to my disability.  But, I figure writing is something that I can do flat on my back.  So, I need to learn the business side of fiction.  I'm discouraged that no one here seems to be making much of a living off of their fiction.


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## Pidgeon84 (Jun 30, 2014)

Nope, though I haven't even really made an attempt at becoming a professional author yet. Although I do write for a music site (news, reviews, op-eds) and that also doesn't pay lol maybe in the future though if I ever get on with a bigger site or my site gets bigger. My editor as some decent connections, so here's to hoping.


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## Bishop (Jun 30, 2014)

Justin Rocket said:


> As mentioned elsewhere, I've had to give up my job due to my disability.  But, I figure writing is something that I can do flat on my back.  So, I need to learn the business side of fiction.  I'm discouraged that no one here seems to be making much of a living off of their fiction.



Not everyone wants to. Sure, it'd be cool, but I write for me and me alone. I've never submitted to a publisher, never queried, never self-published... and yet I've got two and two half novels under my belt. I'm just enjoying it as a hobby, and I think you'll find there's a lot more people in that boat than are advertised.


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## Terry D (Jun 30, 2014)

Most published fiction writers do not make enough money to write full-time. I've cleared a few hundred dollars from my books, and am hoping to increase that with each new book.


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## bazz cargo (Jun 30, 2014)

Wordsmith for hire? 

You need a copy of Writer's and Artist's yearbook. It has contacts and guidelines and other useful stuff, time to start submitting to the magazines.

I have made £25.00p in gift vouchers.


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## Schrody (Jun 30, 2014)

Nope. I think (almost) nobody on this forum does. Things will change for some, eventually.


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## Pidgeon84 (Jun 30, 2014)

Schrody said:


> Nope. I think (almost) nobody on this forum does. Things will change for some, eventually.



Somebody has knock J.k. Rowling off that throne, right?!

What's that? A Harry Potter theme park? Well, there goes my dreams...


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## Bishop (Jun 30, 2014)

Pidgeon84 said:


> Somebody has knock J.k. Rowling off that throne, right?!
> 
> What's that? A Harry Potter theme park? Well, there goes my dreams...



The theme park of my work will look a lot like the set to Escape from L.A. combined with Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Also, it'd be adults only. There's nudity.


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## Bruno Spatola (Jun 30, 2014)

Are you a Star Trek fan, Bishop? You kept that hidden. You think you know someone, and then boom... 

I give my life meaning by writing, so I do 'make a living' in that sense. I dearly hope to be published one day; that's my current goal. When I've achieved that several times, and gotten my hands well and truly dirty with ink, I'll be happy. If I ever made significant money from that, great -- I know it's within my capability -- but it's unlikely to happen, time-wise. It's in the back of my mind every time I put pen to paper, though.


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## Schrody (Jun 30, 2014)

Pidgeon84 said:


> Somebody has knock J.k. Rowling off that throne, right?!
> 
> What's that? A Harry Potter theme park? Well, there goes my dreams...



Of course. You and me Pidge, we're gonna land among the stars  Okay, Bishop too  



Bishop said:


> The theme park of my work will look a lot like the set to Escape from L.A. combined with Star Trek: The Next Generation.
> 
> Also, it'd be adults only. There's nudity.



All my work is adult only. 



Bruno Spatola said:


> Are you a Star Trek fan, Bishop? You kept that hidden. You think you know someone, and then boom...
> 
> I give my life meaning by writing, so I do 'make a living' in that sense. I dearly hope to be published one day; that's my current goal. When I've achieved that several times, and gotten my hands well and truly dirty with ink, I'll be happy. If I ever made significant money from that, great -- I know it's within my capability -- but it's unlikely to happen, time-wise. It's in the back of my mind every time I put pen to paper, though.



Oh Bruno, he did mention it only 264 times


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## garza (Jun 30, 2014)

Writing is the only 'work' I've ever done, but it's been non-fiction all the way. I'm learning to write fiction now but strictly as a hobby. My younger grandson will inherit the books and stories I've written along with all my notes and he can do as he pleases with them.


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## Bishop (Jun 30, 2014)

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.

View attachment 6067


That being said! In relevance to this topic, the old phrase "Get a job doing what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" is true because you'll be unemployed, they're not hiring. Same can be said for most creative endeavors. It's a great goal to shoot for, but realism and a day job are what keep you afloat and give you the ability to write. I used to think time got in the way of creative endeavors if you had a full time job. Not true. Only motivation or lack thereof can deter creative growth and production. So while it might not be my "living" I do still depend on it, as my creative outlet and my passion.


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## Pidgeon84 (Jun 30, 2014)

Bishop said:


> The theme park of my work will look a lot like the set to Escape from L.A. combined with Star Trek: The Next Generation.the
> Also, it'd be adults only. There's nudity.



Oh good, I've always wondered what the green ladies looked like nude. 



Schrody said:


> Of course. You and me Pidge, we're gonna land among the stars  Okay, Bishop too
> 
> All my work is adult only.



We'll get filthy stinking rich of our sci-rotica. It'll be so hot.


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## kilroy214 (Jun 30, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Don't hate me because I'm beautiful..



That's not why we hate you, Bish.


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## Schrody (Jun 30, 2014)

Pidgeon84 said:


> We'll get filthy stinking rich of our sci-rotica. It'll be so hot.



Oh ya, like, so hot, people will need popsicles to cool themselves. Do I hear a ka-ching!


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## Ixarku (Jun 30, 2014)

I've not yet produced any fiction suitable for publication, but I will.  I will sell something.  I will sell more than one something.  I will be proud to be in print somewhere.  I will make a little bit of money.  And I will keep my day job, even though I find the idea of trying to write full-time and make a living off of that alone appealing.  Twenty more years on my job and I can retire, and then I will write full-time.  In the meantime, I will write part-time and I will continue to learn and hone my craft.


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## Bishop (Jun 30, 2014)

kilroy214 said:


> That's not why we hate you, Bish.



View attachment 6068


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## Schrody (Jun 30, 2014)

Bishop said:


> View attachment 6068









Spock


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## TWErvin2 (Jun 30, 2014)

Remembering last year's taxes, I would say close to 3% came from my published novels and short story collection. This year might be better.

Of course, I am a teacher, a village councilman, teach/grade e-course work, and also a small amount of editing. So I have a variety of paying jobs, of which writing is only one.


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## kilroy214 (Jun 30, 2014)

Mmmmmm,  let me taste your tears! Mmm, yes, the taste of unfathomable sadness, yummy!


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## kilroy214 (Jun 30, 2014)

.


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## Justin Rocket (Jul 1, 2014)

I wonder if this works  http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-...-living-with-your-short-fiction-updated-2013/


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## Schrody (Jul 1, 2014)

Okay, I am a short stories writer (not 5000 words short), more like novelette, but it's good to know there is a market for short stories!


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## dale (Jul 1, 2014)

Schrody said:


> Okay, I am a short stories writer (not 5000 words short), more like novelette, but it's good to know there is a market for short stories!



http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Search.aspx


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## Kyle R (Jul 1, 2014)

Justin Rocket said:


> I wonder if this works  http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-...-living-with-your-short-fiction-updated-2013/



It's an interesting article, but this is quite a difficult standard to meet:



> You are good enough storyteller and marketer to sell 5 stories to those traditional markets the first year



If anyone can show me an author who sold five stories to professional markets their first year, I'd love to meet them and pick their brain.


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## Schrody (Jul 1, 2014)

dale said:


> http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Search.aspx



This is one cool thing


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## FleshEater (Jul 1, 2014)

Justin,

I'd say if it's something you really want, then it's absolutely possible. Hard work usually always pays off. It's only a matter of when. 

Though not many make a living from writing here, it doesn't mean it's impossible.


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## J.T. Chris (Jul 1, 2014)

My last story sold for $3. My highest-paying story sold for $200. To make a living as a short story writer, you would need to sell one story to a professional market every week for a year. You might barely clear minimum wage.


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## Justin Rocket (Jul 1, 2014)

dale said:


> http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Search.aspx



https://duotrope.com/  is similar but is a fee-for-service.  I wish I'd heard of the grinder earlier.

I feel I can write short stories which are of the same quality as what I've read in Clarkesworld.


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## Plasticweld (Jul 1, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.
> 
> View attachment 6067
> 
> ...



I have come to learn that if you want kill your passion about something turn it into a job, I started a motorcycle company and had a great business it lasted 12 years before the down turn in the economy made it impractical.  While others were doing what I wanted to do all I did was make it possible for them to do it, I sponsor a race team and spent my time helping them not racing myself anymore. 

It was in this business that I did all of my writing to promote my company and advances in technology I also did all of the sales work which may or may not be classified as fiction. I know I have enough word power to separate people from their money and send it to me based on our sales. Writing back then was a real chore, writing now for fun when my pay is not tied to it is a lot more rewarding


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