Writing As A Career -
should you give up the day job?
By Sharzi Avins (c) 2001
So you want to be a writer? What an exciting and rewarding career choice! You've honed your skills, learned how to write a good query letter or proposal, know the ins and outs of submitting your work properly... but should you give up the day job?
NO!
Like any business (and that is basically what a freelance writer is), it takes 3-5 years to get your business off the ground, and that is provided you work full time at it and market, market, market. Submitting to publishers is a job in itself, and waiting for responses can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months, and sometimes more.
Unfortunately, there are few writers who actually make a living at it. Publishers receive thousands of submissions per year, so you can see that as a writer you are a small fish in a huge pond! But it's not hopeless! If you love what you do, then you owe it to yourself to forge ahead!
Give yourself time. Don't jump into those cold, shark infested waters too quickly. If you are getting steady work as a writer and the money coming in is fairly decent, it is still a good idea to hold off for at least one year. Publishers, agents and editors can be fickle. Just when you think you have a market snagged, you may hear the words, "been there, done that," and the publisher/editor will turn down those latest articles or stories because they are old news or yesterday's fad.
The fact is, fiction writers are much less likely to make a living at their craft then someone writing nonfiction. If you write manuals, grants, proposals or do any type of technical writing... then go for it. You have a much better chance of having your work published then the writer who focuses on novels, short stories, or poetry. This is not to say that fiction writers can't make a go of it, but it will take nerves of steel, and a very strong will.
There are exceptions to every rule. If you are a writer, let it be your passion... but let your day job keep you afloat until the advances or checks are coming in regularly. That's when you can sit back and enjoy some smooth sailing!
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2001
The contents of this article may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, or with intent to republish, without written permission from the author,
Sharzi Avins.
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