dont quit your day job - Writers Forum

Wannabee · 05-08-2007, 09:48 AM

This is common advice for anyone entering the writing field or any creative field for that matter. There is certainly some wisdom in it, ie dont do anything foolish.

But has anyone ever become a successful writer without quitting their day job? If so, please name 3.

It seems to me that successful writing is a fulltime occupation. Maybe the advice should be "work on your writing until it's publishable, then save enough money (or reduce living expenses) to live off of for a year or two, then quit your day job and concentrate on writing fulltime because otherwise you'll just be yet another part-time hack".

imapoet_lol · 05-08-2007, 12:19 PM

this was a good effort, but isnt it a little cliche???!!!?

honestly, i cant see it being a best seller!!!!!!

fearlessrees · 05-08-2007, 01:09 PM

Not sure about books, but Gail Simone and Will Pfieffer both write comics and both have full time jobs. (She's a Hairdresser, he works in an office somewhere) and both are great writers.

valeca · 05-08-2007, 01:52 PM

Note: Moved to Tips & Advice. Crit and Advice is for advice on a specific piece of writing.

SilkFX · 05-08-2007, 05:13 PM

Unless I'm mistaken, Scott Turow wrote Presumed Innocent on the commute between the Chicago suburbs and his lawyer job downtown. According to the Wikipedia article on him (not the best source, but hey), he's still practicing, although he mostly works pro bono.

If your goal is publication, and you can produce quality writing while working a day job (and doing all the other things that life's about), then God bless you and keep doing what you're doing. I wasn't able to do it with the job I had so I'm in the process of looking for something else that won't suck up all my writing energy.

G. Palmer · 05-09-2007, 06:19 AM

Want 3 names?

Scott Turow, Ian Fleming, Frederick Forsyth. John Grisham also worked as both a lawyer and a member of the Mississipi House of Reps when he was writing his first novels.

There's four for you. I guarantee there are more.

chris54321 · 05-09-2007, 06:51 AM

Dickens and Asimov both had jobs when they began writing their first works, I'm sure. I think it's far more uncommon to find someone who quit their job and then became a successful novelist than vice versa, to be completely honest.

CZ · 05-09-2007, 10:51 AM

Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis while working as an insurance agent.

Seriously though, why write in a vacuum? What would you have to write about?* Personally, I couldn't limit myself to being a full-time writer - the people I meet and their stories and experiences are too awesome. Even the bad days are fuel for some sort of inspiration.

*If you're 80 or something and have lived a full life, then I apologize.

Mike C · 05-09-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wannabee

It seems to me that successful writing is a fulltime occupation.

Dream on. I can name a couple of dozen writers who have to keep up their day jobs even though they have one or more novels in print - it's harder to name a dozen that are full-time novelists; even the relatively successful have to take up the financial slack with book reviews, etc.

Terry Pratchett didn't feel secure enough to give up work until after the publication of his third novel.

Wannabee · 05-09-2007, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Dream on. I can name a couple of dozen writers who have to keep up their day jobs even though they have one or more novels in print - it's harder to name a dozen that are full-time novelists; even the relatively successful have to take up the financial slack with book reviews, etc.

Terry Pratchett didn't feel secure enough to give up work until after the publication of his third novel.

It seems that most writers want to be novelists, but doesnt fiction pay pretty poorly? And its more competitive too. Maybe I should have specified non-fiction writers in my original post. I dont know if it would b easer or not for non-fiction writers, but it cant be harder.

Anyway it was just a stray thought because I'm quitting my day job. Not because I think I'm going to suuport myself writing anytime soon, but because I hate it.

It just got me to thinking, which is always dangerous.

quarterscot · 05-09-2007, 02:45 PM

Joseph Heller wrote Catch-22 when he had a full time job. He also didn't produce anything half as good when it was sucessful enough for him to become a 'professional' writer. Which rather supports CZ's argument about the experiences of normal life being an inspiration. I know that the freaks and malcontents I work with have given me plenty of ideas.

SeattleCPA · 05-09-2007, 03:54 PM

OK, I've written about as many non-fiction books as anybody. And those books have sold really well. But I didn't really turn off my consulting practice (which is what I was doing before I started writing a lot) until after I had a couple of pretty sold backlist sellers.

Specifically, I think it was after I'd written maybe my third book (the first being a book about financial modeling with Excel, the second being a silly little book on DacEasy, a little business accounting program, and the third being this book I didn't even want to write about a checkbook program called Quicken.)

I remember lying there one night at bedtime, next to wife who wanted to fall asleep, me all jazzed up about my most recent royalty statement... "Honey," I said, "I think there might really be something in this computer book writing thing... I'm thinking about quitting consulting."

She scoffed, told me there was a limit as to the number of books one can write, said I should go to sleep.

BTW, all this silliness aside, there is a practical economic reason to delay quitting the full-time job. In general, the lag time between starting writing a book and actually getting your first royalty check--which is basically what you would need to quite a real job-is terribly, terribly, terribly long.

It might take you several weeks or months, even years if you're slow, to write the book. It'll take many publishers months and months to edit and setup the marketing... and then you need to earn out your advance...(that'll take a quarter or two at least )... and then you need to wait four the next royalty accounting period to end.

Mike C · 05-10-2007, 01:37 AM

Seattle CPA gives good advice (congrats on your success also, Seattle!).

Writing novels (unless you're one of the lucky 5% or so) doesn't pay a fortune. Writing non-fiction is often worse, because subject matter will automatically limit your audience. Also most non-fiction writers also work, geberally because they're writing as an expert in what it is they do for a living.

Don't expect to get rich writing. Write, and if by some miracle it gives you a steady income, give up work. Don't do it the other way around.

SeattleCPA · 05-10-2007, 12:14 PM

I actually think non-fiction writing economics may work better.

For one thing, the book prices are higher... So if you're getting, say, 12% of a book that wholesales for $20, you're making much more per unit than a book that wholesales for $5.

For another thing, a sturdy little nonfiction title can grind along for years as a steady backlist title--even if it was never a powerhouse bestseller.

I know it was only fiction, but remember the character that Bob Newhart played where he was a writer running a Vermont Inn (?) and also writing books about niche-y little topics like changing bathroom plumbing fixtures?... That was not altogether unrealistic...

A final point (which is sort of bad for people who want to earn a living by writing non-fiction books). One thing that does foul up the reference and nonfiction markets are the professionals who in some ways don't even need to get paid for writing a book on their subject matter expertise because being a published author helps them sell more consulting, etc. I.e., if you make $5 an hour for writing but can more easily sell an extra $100K of $200 an hour consulting because you're an author, well, book writing doesn't even need to make money in that case.

spotlightne · 05-10-2007, 01:52 PM

I have been writing stuff for 20 years and I am far from rich. Talking of books like Harry Potter, they're rare. Or maybe you just have to be very lucky.

I don't limit myself to one particular style of writing. I have written short stories and articles, humour, and even cartoon strips. I think if you cover many areas it gives you inspiration in other areas.

But you'll never get rich, and I don't have a day job to give up. But if I did, I'd still use writing as a sideline.