# Quit Your Day Job?



## Charles Harvey (Dec 29, 2010)

Has anyone given any thought to quitting their day job and becoming a full time writer? Is it possible or remotely possible?


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## NathanMeunier (Aug 10, 2013)

Interestingly enough, this is exactly what my new book is about, though it's scaled more to the freelance article-slinging side of things than book authoring. That said, I think some of the advice in there certainly relates.

I've been a full-time writer for going on 10 years now. For most of that time, I've been freelancing in the video game industry, though I do write about other topics like craft beer, geek culture, and the writing process for assorted magazines and sites.

I didn't make the jump to full-time until I knew I had enough steady writing work and income flowing in to ensure I wouldn't fall flat on my face and go bankrupt. I think I did about a year of normal 40-hour weeks as a reporter for a newspaper by day, plus another 10-20 more hours a week slinging articles as a freelancer on the side, before I got to the point where I could transition safely. All the while, I was pushing hard to solidify new gig leads and boost my pay rates.

I suspect it's a bit different when you're authoring books vs cranking out a high volume of articles, but there are certainly many similarities. The first year I made the jump to full-time, I doubled the amount of income I was making off my reporter salary. Part of that was just having the free time to really pursue the writing I was looking to do more intensely. I've had some good years and some rocky ones, but overall I think it's the best decision I've ever made career-wise. Definitely a rewarding one.

And now that I have my first book out, and am in the process of writing 3-4 others, I'm excited to see where this new adventure takes me. I don't plan to rely too heavily on the book sales to pay the rent, but they're a good supplement to my freelancing.

If you're toying with the idea, just be sure you have a battle plan to keep the money rolling in (and as steadily as possible). Also, make sure you've got some savings built up first too.


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## CEMartin2 (May 26, 2012)

I dream of quitting everyday. And not just to be a writer. I need a change from the depressing stuff I see at work. Alas, I think I don't write in a genre that would support that anytime soon, so for now i'll just hope i can reach the level of extra christmas money.


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## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Charles Harvey said:


> Has anyone given any thought to quitting their day job and becoming a full time writer? Is it possible or remotely possible?


Yep. I could do it right now if I wanted to...I make enough. But I'm waiting until February of next year. That is, providing nothing dramatic changes and requires a re-adjustment of that goal.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

Definitely.  There are plenty here who have taken the plunge and plenty more who are getting close.  I haven't taken the plunge yet, but my sales are certainly in a place where it's becoming feasible. 

Personally, I don't want to rush things or make any rash decisions, so I set a three year plan for myself back in Jan. The plan being to release more books, broaden my distribution, increase sales, etc. It should also give time for the market to stabilize a bit so as to be able to determine if this is viable in the long term. If so, then the plunge shall be taken (although just between all of us, I'm hoping my plans get moved up a bit .  If not, then I can't really complain.  I've accomplished far more already than I really had any right to ever hope for.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

I think about it ALL the time.

Is it possible?

Not today.


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## RinG (Mar 12, 2013)

I'm hoping so! Early days yet (since I only have one book!) but it's certainly what I'm aiming for.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

I did a year and a half ago.

It's definitely possible. (And yes, it awesome staying home and making things up all day.)


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I'm coming at it from a slightly different direction as I left my job three and a half years ago when I had kids and never went back. Once they are in school I'm going to be writing full-time. It's slightly less of a leap of faith doing it this way!


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## Ashy (Jul 2, 2013)

Steve Vernon said:


> I think about it ALL the time.
> 
> Is it possible?
> 
> Not today.


THIS.


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## Ashy (Jul 2, 2013)

DDark said:


> Smart. I'd still be working at my last job if my sales and projected sales weren't enough. People have to remember to factor in the self-employment tax and make sure that you aren't making "Just enough" to pay bills, because sales can be volatile. You have to factor in all your bills, medical, mortgage, and also consider if you'll have enough to fund an IRA. I kind of envy those who have a secondary income in the house because this was a big risk for me, but once I got all my ducks in a row, I realized I'd give myself a year and see how things went. Then I'd give myself another year and just continue to play it by ear on whether I needed to pick up a 2nd job (PT or FT). I think the key is to work on reducing your debt, if you have any. Sometimes you make sacrifices. I don't have the expenses of car payments, because I paid for my POS in full 11 years ago. I don't own a cell phone, so no bill there. I also don't own cable (ROKU box, thank ya very much). I've found shortcuts in life to reduce my bills. I understand it's also not an easy decision if you have kids, so I think everyone needs to make important choices, and some people are completely happy with their day job and writing on the side. It can be done!
> 
> Looking back, if I had to keep working, I would have found a job I enjoy doing. I think that would have made it bearable. But I began to loathe what was happening with my career and environment and it became toxic, making it easier to leave, I suppose.


I'm dealing with MANY of these same issues currently as well. But, I'm committed to making it happen: no cable, eating peanut butter everyday, no movies, no eating out, etc. Pay the bills, make them go away and write, write, write in the meantime....


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## gljones (Nov 6, 2012)

Steve Vernon said:


> I think about it ALL the time.
> 
> Is it possible?
> 
> Not today.


Same....


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## HeyImBen (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm lucky in that I get to work from home and be a stay-at-home dad, but I definitely would like to phase out the work from home job
and focus full time on writing.  The plan is to bank most of my book earnings until May of 2014 and then reassess to see if it's doable.


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## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

I'm trying to get up the nerve to quit my day job. My royalties are high enough for me to quit, but I'm somewhat risk averse. And in the back of mind I'm afraid the success I'm experiencing will go away. I'm lucky in that my husband works as well, so we have a second income, but my current employer pays 100% of our insurance premium (I work in the software industry) and I mostly enjoy my job. So my husband and I (our youngest is off at college now) are working toward some specific financial goals before I quit my day job.

I'm still amazed by the opportunities that have opened up in the past few years with indie publishing - opportunities that afford us the possibility of earning a good living doing what we love. As my husband and I approach retirement, I'm so grateful that we now can look forward with more confidence to having an income that will sustain us. You never know what the future holds, but our options have certainly expanded with the income I earn with my royalties.


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## Austin_Briggs (Aug 21, 2011)

Charles Harvey said:


> Has anyone given any thought to quitting their day job and becoming a full time writer? Is it possible or remotely possible?


I'm taking it slow, building a lineup of books in different genres and learning my ropes. I hope this will enable me to retire early.

I actually like my day job -- it's interesting, and allows me to develop myself, travel, and meet interesting people. The only problem is that it's so damn intense I hardly have energy left to write.

So, yeah. Some day.


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## athanos (Apr 7, 2011)

I did, though it wasn't my idea to do so, I was laid off.

Now I lavitate between looking for a full time job and writing.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do


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## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

Austin_Briggs said:


> I actually like my day job -- it's interesting, and allows me to develop myself, travel, and meet interesting people. The only problem is that it's so d*mn intense I hardly have energy left to write.


It makes it harder to jump ship when you enjoy your job, but I've come to realize that eventually I need to go "all-in" on my writing business -- and I need to look at it as a business. I'm not putting the time in that I need to. I've pretty much given up watching TV and other leisure activities, but to really take advantage of the success I'm having, I need to do more.

Now I need to get some writing in before leaving for my day job!


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## KristenDaRay (Aug 4, 2012)

Nah, I just write for the fun of it and my book generates extra money for me. In my mind, it would have to generate close to half a million a year for me to actually quit. That way, if I have a bad year(s), I have money to live off of.


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## Faye Hunter (Jun 5, 2013)

I did it. Being home with my kids means that I am not full time since I am caring for them, especially right now when they are not in school at all, but it is still much better than a desk job. Having the flexibility to be there for my kids right now is priceless. I am very thankful for all the opportunities that have come my way through self publishing.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

It's certainly possible if one puts in the time and effort and work.

I think about it, but then I think about how much I like having health insurance through my employer. Self-employed health insurance isn't cheap.


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## Derrick M. (Jul 27, 2013)

Not me, not any time soon at least. I enjoy what I do too much (owning a book store).


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

I'm getting close to matching what I make in my day job, but then comes the decision of not having two incomes anymore.  It's nice to just put the book royalties into the bank and let them sit there.


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## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

I've started to earn enough monthly, but I'm not sure how much tax etc I'll get when I submit my tax return next year. 

I really hate my job, so I'm very eager to quit, but it's a bad employment market out there right now. I've never had a problem getting work in the past, but leaving my job and working as a full-time writer could be construed as unemployed and make it harder to get a job in the future. 

Like others have said, I'm worried about it all just stopping one day. The best way to deal with that worry is write, write, write!


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## JCKells (Mar 10, 2013)

For those who've quit to write full-time, how long did it take?  How many books had you written?  What were your sales like before you felt confident enough to quit...?  I know it's different for everyone but just curious .


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## NathanMeunier (Aug 10, 2013)

Austin_Briggs said:


> I'm taking it slow, building a lineup of books in different genres and learning my ropes. I hope this will enable me to retire early.
> 
> I actually like my day job -- it's interesting, and allows me to develop myself, travel, and meet interesting people. The only problem is that it's so d*mn intense I hardly have energy left to write.
> 
> So, yeah. Some day.


Can I just say that your book author platform-building book wins 400% more awesome points for featuring an adorable cat on the cover? Just sayin.'


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## BEAST (Mar 31, 2012)

Well, I quit the "day job" for a different, less demanding day job. I teach a couple of classes at the community colleges in my city. I left teaching. The great thing is that I still get to get out the house and educate... which I love. And I keep my health insurance down. With a 6 year-old I'm not sure I'd be too comfortable just relying on the books... Unless I was pulling in like $9,000 a month... But the community college thing is cool because it's only a few hours a day and I don't have to deal with brats who don't want to be there... Oh, and the demand to produce research is not there like it would be if I was trying to become tenured at one of the state colleges. Guess I'm one of those "anchored" writers... Works for me but I still dream...


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## EthanRussellErway (Nov 17, 2011)

This is what I'm building toward as well, though I've also set up a few additional streams of income.  A few helpful books are The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, and Quitter by Jon Acuff.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

It'll be a year and a half in October. Time flies when you're sitting around the house daydreaming about sword fights for fun and profit.

I think I had six (??) books out at the time and quit shortly before my one year anniversary of publishing the first of them.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

JKelley said:


> For those who've quit to write full-time, how long did it take? How many books had you written? What were your sales like before you felt confident enough to quit...? I know it's different for everyone but just curious .


I've always believed that writing income was inherently unreliable, so when I decided I wanted to be a writer (I was 18 at the time), I developed a plan.

Find a "real job" as a technical writer, work until I'm 55, then retire early and write full time.

I actually worked as a computer specialist, and got distracted by the job, but started writing again seriously when I was 40.

Then I retired as planned. While my retirement isn't quite enough, I am endeavoring to "make up the difference" with my writing. I hope to do even better, eventually. Right now, I have about 13 novels, several novellas, and several short stories for sale from various publishers and as indie. I don't make quite what I hoped, but that's something you have to allow for.

But like one of the guys said already, unless I was making about $9,000 a month and knew what it would take as far as production to maintain that, I would not quit a day job. I'm very, very fiscally conservative, however, and can't tolerate a lot of risk. I don't make that much ($9,000) a month and never did, but we can make it on what I get plus the few dollars I earn by writing. We don't owe any money except on a small mortgage. That means, no credit card debt, etc. If we can't pay cash, we don't buy it. You don't want to get into trouble by racking up a large credit card debt because you actually don't earn enough each month to pay for what you consume that month. I also "pay myself" a fake car payment. That car account pays for car maintenance and a new car every 10 years or so. I also use it for critical/major household emergencies.

Like I said, I am very fiscally conservative and always have been. I like my comforts (which mostly consist of supplies to do a lot of cooking and gardening, which I love) and I knew when I was 18 that I didn't want to "do without" certain things (food/gardening and seed supplies/books). So I conceived of a plan that would accommodate that. 38 years later, I can say it worked. *I am now retired and writing full time.* Just like I planned.

So some of that depends upon your ability to tolerate risk and the lifestyle you expect to maintain.

I hope that helps.


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## britrocker (May 16, 2011)

Charles Harvey said:


> Has anyone given any thought to quitting their day job and becoming a full time writer? Is it possible or remotely possible?


I write for a living. It's not fiction though But hopefully in time.


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## Jackal Lantern Books (Aug 30, 2011)

Like so many, I've wanted to quit the day job for a very long time! But I knew I needed to be more responsible than that. My personal choice was that I needed to go a full year making a living wage as a writer before I could quit the day job. I did reduce my hours at the day job which helped a lot with writing productivity and marketing levels.  

Another personal choice was to pay off ALL my debt... which I will be finished with by the end of September. Just have one student loan left to pay off... yup, I'm 40 and still paying those dang things off!  

And since the biggest thing I'm giving up is my medical/dental insurance, I have spent the last 6 months getting anything and everything done that I have been putting off... dental work is all caught up! Exams and such all up to date! Knock on wood- no sudden bout of clumsiness the day after I lose it, that requires casts or time in a hospital! 

Surprises happen, so I've also stashed some cash. Enough to live on for 6 months or so, or to cover any unexpected emergencies. 

I've basically been spending the last year prepping to quit. 

I also have a working hubby to pick up the slack for a while if everything suddenly turned bad, sales wise. 

But best of all, the timing is rather perfect, as my day job is offering an early retirement to start between OCT-JAN this year. I've been with this company for 20 years... burn out madness! 

So I am ready, willing and excited to make the leap very soon! But also scared to death. I won't have that security blanket anymore. Very nervewracking! But I feel as prepared as I can be.


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## phildukephd (Jan 6, 2013)

A very small percentage of professional quality writers have made good livings as independent authors, the very great majority make enough to starve on.

Since so many people write, there is *very intense competition*. To say the least.

Your best bet is to keep your day job and write intensively on the side, working hard to perfect your writing. *How this writing sells will tell you whether or not to quit your day job.
*
Good luck!


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

There are quite a number of us here who write for a living. I do supplement my writing with a little editing though. Going full time was made easier by being laid off in an industry where finding a new job was going to be -- doubtful at best. It might well have meant moving which I wasn't willing to do. Reducing your expenses is a very good idea. So is having at a minimum a year's living expenses saved. Since I had managed those already, I wasn't terribly uncomfortable with the idea and I have to say... it's been GREAT!


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## 60169 (May 18, 2012)

I would love to quit and write full time. My issue is that I make a pretty decent living in a job that isn't all that tough. I'd have to consistently be selling around 4000 books each month at $4.99 before I can even think of quitting.

I can envision that day arriving, but it ain't here yet. Need more inventory... back to writing...


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## Edward W. Robertson (May 18, 2010)

I was freelancing prior to going full-time novelist, so leaving my "day job" was more of a weaning process than a single "I quit!" moment. But for me, being confident enough to quit the last of my freelance work was as much about learning how to publish as it was about having a certain level of sales each month. Like, I was just terrible at launching new books until my fifth one. When it tanked out of the gates, I scrambled for a Plan B, and when it worked, it was like a light went on in my head. I'm no rockstar, but since then, I've felt sure I could move at least a few copies of any new book I put out.

To be more concrete, I started in March 2011 and just failed miserably until Feb 2012. That's when I put out my third book and started to see some real sales. Between then and December, I was selling between 500-2500/month, with two months that dipped below my "minimum money to sustain my existence" threshold (which is pretty modest).

In other words, there were a lot of ups and downs, but by the end of 2012, I had five books out, I'd figured out I could write 3-4 new ones each year, and I had learned to not be a total clownshoes. It was scary to quit the last of my freelance work, but I went full-time in January and haven't regretted it once.


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## 54706 (Dec 19, 2011)

I did it and LOVE it.  This is the best life ever.


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

As a lot of folks above have implied: quitting your day job and writing full time are not necessarily linked activities -- and it can put a burden on your writing if you depend on it to rescue you _financially_ as well as psychologically.

When I was in college, I read a book called "Your Money Or Your Life" which was a frustrating book because it proposed something that, as a writer, I simply couldn't do. But it did change my life and I did a hybrid version of it.

To whit: the premise of YMOYL is that you should postpone your dreams, and go all in on making and saving money to become financially independent as early as possible, and THEN devote your all to your dreams. Even if that dream is a day job you love.

Which is something a writer simply can't do. You can't stop writing for ten years. (And if you do, you worry that you'll never start again.)

However, I kinda did a half-in version. An opportunity came up where if I worked my tuchis off for one year, I could create a situation where I could work half-time at decently paying job. Then I scrimped and saved and invested, and took every bit of financial advice that the Motley Fools and Andrew Tobias could give me. (And also balanced one with the other.)

And when I lost my job well ahead of schedule... I found that I'd saved enough resources to independently poor. Which is good enough for me. (Also, all those years of writing part time, I discovered, has left me with a large trunk of drafts of things I'd completely forgotten. More capital!)

Camille


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

I left my day (very well-paying executive grade government) job back in mid-2011, with the first book published on KDP (then DTP) in 2008, and I think four or so out by 2011, when I had a "break out book" that took the others up the chart with it at that point.

If I could do it all over again knowing what I know now, here are a few things I'd do differently:

1. I would have stayed with my day job for at least another six months to a year, continuing to live off that while socking away my royalties, splitting it between an emergency fund and long-term investments for retirement. Staying on would have been VERY hard to do, as I was at a point in my job where I was just really sick of it. But with 20/20 hindsight, I would have just changed positions and hung on, doing my best to keep up with my writing.

2. As Rachel mentioned earlier, health insurance can be a huge issue. We had coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefit system, and the transition to open-market health insurance was a bitter shock. So if you currently have a good health care plan, get everything you can out of it before you leave, and have the best plan you can get and some money saved away to pay for deductibles and copays before you go. Also note that if you have any serious preexisting conditions, you may not be able to leave at all without serious financial consequences.

3. Most retailers pay on a net-60 basis, so you'll actually get paid for this month's sales two months from now (i.e., I'll get royalties accrued in August in an October payout). The good news with this is that it gives you a two month look-ahead in case the current month's sales go south, so you can tighten your belt if you need to. Major sales slumps CAN, and likely will, happen now and again. Just make them part of your overall strategy and set plenty of emergency money aside to cover shortfalls, and never count on next month's sales. That was a very bitter lesson I learned right after I left my day job. 

4. Diversify as much as possible. While Amazon is the 800 pound gorilla, much of your sales potential is totally beyond your control: changes in Amazon's algorithms can (and have, in the past) wrought havoc on sales. While the other outlets generally don't produce nearly as much revenue, it's to your advantage to build a wider market. 

5. Consistently build your readership using whatever platforms work for you. My biggest success has been on Twitter; my biggest failure (and one of the first thing's I'd fix if I could go back to the beginning) was not setting up a mailing list on day one. If you don't have one, you should set one up and start getting your fans on there. I just use mine for new releases and sales, and the people on that list help drive up the rankings for both.

6. Keep writing. I think the biggest long-term element for success in this business is just to keep putting out good-quality books. Even if your books never hit the top of the bestseller lists, if you have enough of them out there as you build your readership, you're going to start making money, and eventually serious money. But it's like investing: it can take time, and luck never hurts...


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## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

I like my job and what I like more is the assurance of a steady pay-cheque and super health insurance and retirement benefits. That's hard to give up.

However, I'm only four or five years out from being able to take early retirement and I figure that's a good amount of time to tell if this here indie-thing will implode due to freebie overload or Amazon schenanigans   (And to put together a decent inventory, of course)

If I were 20 years younger I'd take the leap but at this point I'd be too worried about having to get back into the job market if the writing didn't work out. Not in this town, anyway, and I like it here.


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## Michael Kingswood (Feb 18, 2011)

Seems like quitting the day job just to write is the Holy Grail for a lot (most?) writers.  I totally get why, but I'm not so sure that's a great goal.

Looking at the economics of it, let's say you've got a median income paying job ($45k in the States).  And let's say you match that in book royalties.  Woohoo!  You can now quit your day job!  Well...no not really.  Because now you've taken your $90k income and reduced it back to $45k.  Now, IF your writing productivity increases enough to recover from that income loss, it may make sense.  But will it?  A lot of people aren't particularly good time managers, and it's really easy to frit the day away and suddenly realize you're not writing any more than you used to.  If you can overcome that, and the marginal return on your time becomes greater from writing than from the job, cool.  But if not...

Now, if you're making REAL money from writing, that consideration becomes moot.

But even in that circumstance, there are other reasons to keep the day job.  Others have mentioned perks and benefits, and that's major.  Especially if you're in one of those rare companies that still has pensions (like me - I just passed 16 years on Active Duty in the Navy.  There is NO WAY I'm not staying in for 20 at this point, no matter how annoying the Navy is becoming.  That would be just stupid).  But here's another reason to keep the job: IT GETS YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE.  And it exposes you to different people, not just family and writers.  These are good things.

It seems to me there are all sorts of good reasons to keep the day job, and folks need to slow down or maybe shoot for a different goal altogether unless they've really REALLY thought it through.  And even then.

Just MHO, for the little it's worth.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

Definitely the dream for me too.


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## thesmallprint (May 25, 2012)

Perhaps the toughest thing to factor in is the natural optimism most of us have, which can lead to overestimating potential success. At the extreme end, it's full-blown delusion, but we're probably all somewhere along the delusion spectrum. How to temper that inclination and quantify it, well, that's a whole other question!

Good luck
Joe


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## Joe_Nobody (Oct 23, 2012)

I quite and went full-time in Oct of 2011.

I've never looked back, but no one considering such a move should think its all roses and unicorn flatulence. 

The problems are different, but they're still problems.
The stress is different, but there still is stress.

I'm not trying to burst anyone's dream-bubble, as I would do it again given the option. I would just hate to see folks making a decision, thinking this lifestyle is worry-free.

Example: When a bad review popped up before, I'd think: "This person is sitting around in a wife-beater in his mother's basement. He has no life and is just trying to bolster his worthless existence with 30 seconds of fame on the internet."

Now that my livelihood depends on books sales, I think: "I wonder if I can find out where this guy lives. He's steeling money out of my pocket with his lies. He's taking food out of my children's mouths. If I can find out where he lives, I'm sure I can convince him to retract this review."


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## Jana DeLeon (Jan 20, 2011)

Michael Kingswood said:


> IT GETS YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE. And it exposes you to different people, not just family and writers. These are good things.


Exposure to other people is highly overrated.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Joe_Nobody said:


> Now that my livelihood depends on books sales, I think: "I wonder if I can find out where this guy lives. He's steeling money out of my pocket with his lies. He's taking food out of my children's mouths. If I can find out where he lives, I'm sure I can convince him to retract this review."


*hurries off to delete a review*


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## AriadneW (Feb 16, 2013)

I would love to and could because my husband earns enough to support us without me working but I love my job and as we're saving for a house it wouldn't make sense to quit. Though it is driving me a little nuts at the moment as I squeeze my current WIP into my life lol. I wrote a chapter at lunchtime yesterday but then yay for being able to take my laptop to work.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

People act like it's riskier to rely on your writing/self-employed income than to have a Real Job, but I had a _great _Real Job - government work is about as stable as you can possibly get - and they had spent my last year threatening to lay me off. You just can't rely on any job to keep you employed for your entire life. The only constant is change. Writing might fall out from under me, but anything could. I'm not worrying about it.



Michael Kingswood said:


> Looking at the economics of it, let's say you've got a median income paying job ($45k in the States). And let's say you match that in book royalties. Woohoo! You can now quit your day job! Well...no not really. Because now you've taken your $90k income and reduced it back to $45k.


That was basically the circumstances I quit under - writing made roughly as much as my Real Job. Quitting halved that amount. But it was soooo worth it. The job was toxic. I was miserable. And the months I've spent since have been the happiest I can imagine.

I can't put a price on how much happier I am working for myself, bumming around the house with my husband and son 24/7, wrestling with my dog, not having to put on clothes every day, the freedom to take spontaneous drives to Canada as long as I'm on deadline... I would live with less money if it meant I could live that lifestyle forevah.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I was forced out of my job as a retail manager almost 3 years ago when folks decided that video stores were no longer cool. I'm now living off college grants / loans and part-time writing. Right now, freelancing pays a little more than my fiction, but I would love for that to change because, to be honest, freelancing is rather soul sucking. Lots of people like it, and I used to think it was fun. Now I'd rather write books.


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## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

Interesting discussion, this. I think that if you consider that self-publishers are entrepreneurs, then you can view the publishing experience as a business and treat it like you would start a company. There are many things to think about there, especially if you have a family and you're one of the breadwinners.

Not sure if you've heard of Dave Ramsey the financial expert but his first financial book was self-published and self-distributed. Now he's a NYT bestselling author. He teaches personal financial management but also corporate finances. I heard him say on the radio some time ago that before you quit your day job you need to have 3-6 months of emergency fund equivalent to enough for you to pay your bills for 6 months. At the same time he also said something similar to this article below, where it would make sense to quit if your business brings in about half (or thereabouts) of your present day job. Check out the last paragraph quoted below which sounds eerily like self-publishing royalties:

"How to Launch Your Dream and Avoid a Nightmare"
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/how-to-launch-your-dream/lifeandmoney_business/

"Dave recommends coming up with an income goal that is a percentage of your salary, and then work like a crazy person to get there. When you reach it, you can concentrate 100% on your new venture. For example, if you make $75,000 a year, your goal could be to quit when your side business has an annual income of $50,000. Remember to set the number high enough to be able to take care of your family and not too far away from your present salary. If you currently earn $60,000 a year and your business brings in $5,000 annually, the gap is too wide." - Dave Ramsey

"On the other hand, if your business is steadily growing each month from all your extra work, from $6,000 to $7,000 to $8,000 for example, the decision to leave your current position may come sooner." - Dave Ramsey

Obviously, just like any self-starting businesses, you have to take care of taxes, payroll, overheads, costs, losses, profits, healthcare benefits, retirement savings, etc.

Now if you quit before your writing career is established, then you need to come to grips, as I have to now, with the fact that I don't have $$$ to pay for customized covers, copy editing, proofreading, marketing, etc. However, I didn't plan on self-publishing until late last year. Prior to that I was going to just query agents and so I didn't have to spend any up-front self-publishing costs. Sometimes I wondered if it had made more sense if I had not quit my company before I started writing. My full-time income would have funded my writing career. However, I had made a choice to stay at home with my baby and only work part-time, and I suppose I had chosen the road less traveled by, and it had made all the difference (uh, soon, I hope).

HTH?


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## Edward W. Robertson (May 18, 2010)

I've always wanted to be a novelist, and have never had a "good" job, so it was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

I've also discovered I actually enjoy a lot of the business side and figuring out how to make all this crazy junk work. It's forcing me to work on a lot of business skills I don't have. (Such as: any of them.) Some are unique to self-publishing, but many of them aren't. If I develop them pursuing this, it will probably make me more valuable to a lot of employers, in the event I'm ever demoted to indie-hobo.


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## thesmallprint (May 25, 2012)

smreine said:


> People act like it's riskier to rely on your writing/self-employed income than to have a Real Job, but I had a _great _Real Job - government work is about as stable as you can possibly get - and they had spent my last year threatening to lay me off. You just can't rely on any job to keep you employed for your entire life. The only constant is change. Writing might fall out from under me, but anything could. I'm not worrying about it.
> 
> That was basically the circumstances I quit under - writing made roughly as much as my Real Job. Quitting halved that amount. But it was soooo worth it. The job was toxic. I was miserable. And the months I've spent since have been the happiest I can imagine.
> 
> I can't put a price on how much happier I am working for myself, bumming around the house with my husband and son 24/7, wrestling with my dog, not having to put on clothes every day, the freedom to take spontaneous drives to Canada as long as I'm on deadline... I would live with less money if it meant I could live that lifestyle forevah.


This. Well said.


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## Blue Bull Book Design (Sep 18, 2011)

This thread is really interesting. Kudos to everyone who has made the plunge to full-time! Like Edward, I've never really had a "good" day job, aka one that pays decently with benefits. So making more money as a freelance designer/writer wasn't much of a high bar to clear.

After seeing so many folks lose everything in the recession, freelancing oddly doesn't seem so scary. I think of it as diversifying my investments. Instead of investing all my time in one company and possibly losing everything if I get laid off, I have multiple income streams so that if one dries up I can focus on another. It's almost more scary in a way to think of having all my eggs in one (corporate) basket...


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

Clare Horton said:


> After seeing so many folks lose everything in the recession, freelancing oddly doesn't seem so scary.


Abso-freaking-lutely! Here in Michigan, we've been in a recession much longer, so I can't claim any epiphanies over the more recent downturns -- but there is nothing like realizing that your day job isn't all that secure either to help you put things in perspective.



Michael Kingswood said:


> But here's another reason to keep the job: IT GETS YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE. And it exposes you to different people, not just family and writers. These are good things.


Getting out of the house? Hey, the folks at my regular Taco Bell not only have my order waiting for me when I walk in the door, but they also give me the pop for free now. (Sometimes they comp the whole meal.)

A lot of people do need to adapt to a new social pattern, though. However, for me, the issue was the opposite: I was so used to getting my morning routine done and then racing out of the house, that I kept on racing out to do errands and such. I had to force myself to stay home.

(The Taco Bell thing, btw, is a habit I picked up in college. TB was the first place in town to offer free refills on pop, and when there was a long gap in my day, I would camp out and write at Taco Bell. To this day the smell of bad tacos inspires my muse....)

Camille


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## Rykymus (Dec 3, 2011)

Did so April of 2012, 4 months in. Then again, I wasn't exactly leaving a lucrative career. Besides, I've always been the type to jump off a cliff into the deep end.


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## William Stacey (Jul 7, 2012)

After 32 years in uniform, I'm about ready to pack it in and go full time as a writer. I'll have a good pension (about 65 percent of my present pay, which is good), so I don't think we'll be out on the street any time soon. 

The problem now, is that my time is becoming more valuable than the paycheck. Writing and marketing and developing an online presence takes so much time. Lately, I've started getting up at 2AM so I could write for at least three hours before I go to work, then I market for another hour or so when I come home. I'm beat, and I'm missing out on my family. My daughter is ten and will only want to spend time with me for a few more years, and then it'll be too late. After seven operational tours, they deserve some of my time now.

So although I've loved the army, and grew up in the army, and even had the crown pay for my college degree, it's time to go--soon. One more year to save up, one more year to develop an online presence, put more books out, and learn how to market myself. Then, I'm out.

If you're in Ottawa a year from now, I might be the guy with the terrified look in his eye handing you your double double at the Timmy's drive-thru--but at least I'll be writing full time.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

smreine said:


> People act like it's riskier to rely on your writing/self-employed income than to have a Real Job, but I had a _great _Real Job - government work is about as stable as you can possibly get - and they had spent my last year threatening to lay me off. You just can't rely on any job to keep you employed for your entire life. The only constant is change. Writing might fall out from under me, but anything could. I'm not worrying about it.
> 
> That was basically the circumstances I quit under - writing made roughly as much as my Real Job. Quitting halved that amount. But it was soooo worth it. The job was toxic. I was miserable. And the months I've spent since have been the happiest I can imagine.
> 
> I can't put a price on how much happier I am working for myself, bumming around the house with my husband and son 24/7, wrestling with my dog, not having to put on clothes every day, the freedom to take spontaneous drives to Canada as long as I'm on deadline... I would live with less money if it meant I could live that lifestyle forevah.


Very true! Just ask anyone in the newspaper industry about "job security" or a number of other industries. In tech fields at the end of the "tech bubble" how many people lost apparently secure jobs? The same when the housing market crashed. A friend lost a job with the City of Portland when they lost federal funding for the project. In the UK they are planning on making thousands of soldiers "redundant" (in US-speak that is firing them).

There is no such thing as job security but I feel MORE secure with being an indie writer than I ever could with a corporation or government.


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## S.L. Baum (Jul 21, 2010)

I did - but my day job had become being a substitute teacher.
I subbed 3-4 days a week and right before the last school year I realized I was definitely making more with my writing than I was subbing - so I decided not to sub at all...
I'm not working this school year either.
But my hubs is the major earner in our family. He keeps telling me to get a book deal so he can quit his job


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## George Applegate (Jan 23, 2013)

Sophrosyne had a nice thread on this.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,150820.0.html

And of course there's the author list:

http://www.kboards.com/authors/


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

Charles Harvey said:


> Has anyone given any thought to quitting their day job and becoming a full time writer? Is it possible or remotely possible?


I did. It was after my second book came out and a starred review in Publishers Weekly led to a paperback auction with ten publishers and a movie rights sale and Book of the Month Club sale and a spread in People Magazine. So I quit. I went back to my old job after I quit ( I was renting apartments in Chicago) and it felt weird. I wasn't quite sure what to do with all my free time. Weird thought now. But that was how it was. And then I would run into people I had worked with and they would act strange and I acted strange. But that was how it ended.


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## kwest (Mar 16, 2013)

It's really interesting to read about everyone's different opinions/circumstances on this. I, too, dream of some day writing full time. But I know that's a long ways off, realistically. I'm making about $300 a month in royalties, and it might sound crazy, but I think that is amazing. It helps me a out a lot and nearly covers my rent every month.

What's so great about indie publishing is, as long as you do everything right and have a knack for writing, you can make money at it. I know the more I add onto my series, the more it will grow into something that can help me out in the long run. It's great, because I absolutely love doing it. Even if I work a day job, I'm still happy, because I'm in the right place and doing the right thing.

One day, I believe I'll be self-sufficient, but just as long as I can continue writing stories, I'll be happy.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

There's a lot to be said for the Dave Ramsey approach. Get rid of your debt, set aside an emergency fund, and downsize your cost of living. Then when royalty income is high enough to cover expenses, go for it.

I think the biggest mistake a person can make is going even one day without health insurance. It is terribly expensive. I know that. What's worse is it is going to get more expensive (for those of you in the U.S.). Nevertheless, you can not afford to be without it. A single accident, an unexpected illness (it happens to even the healthiest people) can destroy your entire financial future. DON'T TAKE THAT GAMBLE! Yes, I know all caps are the same as shouting, but I think it's that important.


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## Scott Daniel (Feb 1, 2011)

Beyond the money aspect, you should consider the doing-it-for-fun vs. need-to-make-a-living aspect, too. I'm not sure if this is a proper analogy, but years ago, when I was in my 20s, I worked as a sports writer. I had grown up wanting to be a sports writer, so I was lucky to live out my dream. 

After a few years, I found myself not enjoying the fan aspect of sports as much. Doing it for a living took a good measure of the fun out of it. For those of you who have gone full-time, have you found this to be true? Have you gotten past the honeymoon stage yet? Just curious


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

I love our vacation home, and freely share those feeling with everyone. I am often asked why we don't live on the lake full-time since we both love it. Here's the reason why: "It would take the fun out of it. It would no longer be our special place." I can see where that could happen going from writing in your spare time, or whatever time you can find, to having to write as the only income source to pay the bills.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

smreine said:


> You just can't rely on any job to keep you employed for your entire life. The only constant is change. Writing might fall out from under me, but anything could. I'm not worrying about it.


This. So this.

I self-pubbed for about two and a half years before quitting my job. I had a crap ton of books then, and now I have a crap ton more, (28 novels and 10 novellas/shorts) and I still make less money than some people who have a third of the number of books I have. And there are people out there with twice the number of books I have now that make a third of what I make.

There are no constants or rules. We are all special s***flakes, and our paths are our own.


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## Error404 (Sep 6, 2012)

smreine said:


> People act like it's riskier to rely on your writing/self-employed income than to have a Real Job, but I had a _great _Real Job - government work is about as stable as you can possibly get - and they had spent my last year threatening to lay me off. You just can't rely on any job to keep you employed for your entire life. The only constant is change. Writing might fall out from under me, but anything could. I'm not worrying about it.
> 
> That was basically the circumstances I quit under - writing made roughly as much as my Real Job. Quitting halved that amount. But it was soooo worth it. The job was toxic. I was miserable. And the months I've spent since have been the happiest I can imagine.
> 
> I can't put a price on how much happier I am working for myself, bumming around the house with my husband and son 24/7, wrestling with my dog, not having to put on clothes every day, the freedom to take spontaneous drives to Canada as long as I'm on deadline... I would live with less money if it meant I could live that lifestyle forevah.


Ditto for me on this. Wish I could convince my family about it


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## WG McCabe (Oct 13, 2012)

Dumping the day job is my ultimate goal. I have a pretty good job so it's going to take some time to equal my salary with publishing. If I get to that point and then it all dries up? Oh well, I guess I have to go back to a day job. And I can go anywhere in the country and get a job in my 'field' tomorrow if need be.


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## LanelleH (Jul 4, 2013)

That would be amazing to write for a living, then again I'm 21 so I've never exactly had a "real" job.  By real I mean steady jobs where you need a college degree.  Just retail, call centers, etc.  But if I could I'd totally give up the jobs.

I'd be able to write and focus on college.


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## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

I am currently making 100x more money from my day job than my writing, so at this time, heck no >.>


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## ingrid avluv (Feb 15, 2013)

I haven't done anything but publish on Amazon for the last 2 years. Earn less than I did previously, but a heck of a lot better quality of life.


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## trublue (Jul 7, 2012)

I was unemployed for years. I would do part time after school jobs once every few months.
At one point had to get food stamps for awhile. Now, I make more a month than I have in 5 yrs.
It happens, good luck .


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## Leanne King (Oct 2, 2012)

I quit my day job eleven years ago. It wasn't specifically to write. In fact, I didn't know what I was going to do. Not a clue. All I knew was that I couldn't spend another day working for someone else, I had to get out. I was making good money (six figures a year if you count it in US Dollars, which I didn't), but as so many have already said on this thread, there's a lot more to life than money.

I had just enough aside to live frugally for a year (probably easier outside the US, no need to worry about health insurance). Not content with making life difficult enough, I rented out my house and moved to another country where I didn't speak the language. The clock started ticking…twelve months to figure out a way to make a living. Eleven years on, I still wake up every morning and can't quite believe that life is so great, for all the reasons others have mentioned. I've made far more money than I ever would have made working the day job, yet 'working' much less. No commute, no evil coworkers, no early mornings. Stress? Sure, but on my terms. 

Robert Kiyosaki (yeah, I know, sorry), wrote that an entrepreneur is someone who jumps out of a plane without a parachute and figures out how to make one on the way down. I'm not saying it's suitable for everyone, but personally, not having a parachute spurred me on to do things I would never have dreamed of whilst working the 9-5 (or the 8-8 as it was most days.)


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## Austin_Briggs (Aug 21, 2011)

Pelagios said:


> I quit my day job eleven years ago. It wasn't specifically to write. In fact, I didn't know what I was going to do. Not a clue. All I knew was that I couldn't spend another day working for someone else, I had to get out. I was making good money (six figures a year if you count it in US Dollars, which I didn't), but as so many have already said on this thread, there's a lot more to life than money.
> 
> I had just enough aside to live frugally for a year (probably easier outside the US, no need to worry about health insurance). Not content with making life difficult enough, I rented out my house and moved to another country where I didn't speak the language. The clock started ticking&#8230;twelve months to figure out a way to make a living. Eleven years on, I still wake up every morning and can't quite believe that life is so great, for all the reasons others have mentioned. I've made far more money than I ever would have made working the day job, yet 'working' much less. No commute, no evil coworkers, no early mornings. Stress? Sure, but on my terms.
> 
> Robert Kiyosaki (yeah, I know, sorry), wrote that an entrepreneur is someone who jumps out of a plane without a parachute and figures out how to make one on the way down. I'm not saying it's suitable for everyone, but personally, not having a parachute spurred me on to do things I would never have dreamed of whilst working the 9-5 (or the 8-8 as it was most days.)


That's an inspirational story, thanks for sharing it. Very glad to see your success, and most importantly -- your happiness.

Because of this thread, I've worked from home 2 days this week, both doing my day-job stuff and writing. It was nice working in my sunny garden and not in the gray office full of stressed and pissed people (of which I'm one). I can see how I'd enjoy a life like that, and possibly end up living longer and happier.

Right now I work 8 to 8, with constant stress of not doing enough, not being fast enough, or even being sold off or laid off (although I'm counted among the top performers ... but after several consecutive years of job reductions, even good performers can be axed, can't they). The fear I have is natural: because the day job produces active income, i.e. I have to be actively employed to receive the money for this month, my income will abruptly and completely stop.

Right now, I'm pretty happy, enjoy working for my employer, love the business travel around the world, and so on. But at the same time, I've began experimenting with passive sources of income. To my surprise, some things work... for one, the books sell when I promote them, but also things like affiliate marketing work, too. I've set up 1 affiliate website as an experiment (took me 2 hours to write all the content), and was surprised to see that it's brought me $200+ in the first 2 months with zero follow-up work from me. If I set up 100 or 1000 mini-sites like that, it would be pretty cool, no? Comfy passive income.

But... I have 3 kids in paid English curriculum schools, an expensive Swiss mortgage, and so on. Quitting the day job overnight is a folly.

Anyway, I'm just being a little envious to your courage, I guess. But I've started moving my feet towards creating my new lifestyle; and although it may take me years to get there, I'll get there. I love seeing stories like yours, they keep me going.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

smreine said:


> That was basically the circumstances I quit under - writing made roughly as much as my Real Job. Quitting halved that amount. But it was soooo worth it. The job was toxic. I was miserable. And the months I've spent since have been the happiest I can imagine.
> 
> I can't put a price on how much happier I am working for myself, bumming around the house with my husband and son 24/7, wrestling with my dog, not having to put on clothes every day, the freedom to take spontaneous drives to Canada as long as I'm on deadline... I would live with less money if it meant I could live that lifestyle forevah.


This, and double this. If you're in a job, even a secure, good paying one like mine was, and it's sapping your life away, it's time to change. My books just happened to take off at about the time I was contemplating sticking a pen in my eye to see if I could still feel anything, but I would have been out looking for something else, regardless. I used to love my job, but they sucked all the enjoyment out of it. It wasn't easy getting here: between my day job and writing, I worked 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week, for almost three years. But now I can sit in my bunny slippers all day if I feel like it and don't have to worry about writing personnel evaluations, peeing in a cup every few months for drug tests (or telling my employees they had to go do their duty), or putting up with managers who had the IQ of a ficus and less compassion than a hyena.

And while working at home does have some downsides (the biggest one for me being that it's terribly easy to get distracted and not get in an actual day's work), they're few compared to the advantages. While I still have some stress from worrying about the business (even though I'm doing absurdly well, I'm just a worry-wart), it's nothing like I had at my old job. I love what I'm doing. I can take a nap - or more than one - if I feel like it. I can go jump in the pool, which is just beyond the sliding glass doors of our home office, or drive the six minutes to the beach for a walk or a swim. We can take extended vacations in the RV a time or two a year, depending on the boys' schedules; I don't get much writing done while we're on the road, but my published books - my employees - are out there working for me even when I'm not writing, and we have a great time. And if I have issues with my company's management, I have only myself to blame.

I guess the bottom line is this, as the saying goes: "If You Don't Build Your Dreams, Someone Will Hire You To Help Build Theirs."


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

I didn't start disliking my day job until I began writing a few years ago.  I enjoy coding software, since it can be a creative outlet also, but now it's just getting in the way of what I really want to do. 

My wife, while staring out the window at a crappy May day that should have been spring-like, but more closely resembled winter: "If you write full time, we can live anywhere."
Me:  "Yes, we can."


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## lmckinley (Oct 3, 2012)

> (The Taco Bell thing, btw, is a habit I picked up in college. TB was the first place in town to offer free refills on pop, and when there was a long gap in my day, I would camp out and write at Taco Bell. To this day the smell of bad tacos inspires my muse....)
> 
> Camille


I have no idea what you were actually writing at the time, but I think there is some terrific irony about the thought of you writing westerns at Taco Bell. It belongs in a story or something;


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## Artemis Hunt (Aug 23, 2011)

Like many of you, I'm currently in a quandary too. I set myself a goal of Jan 31, 2014, to quit my day job. And yet, I have many doubts. I quite like the job, but I dislike my boss, and it's because of him that I am contemplating to quit. 

But my doubts are all about surviving in the ebook industry. It's extremely volatile, and algorithms can change at any moment, or a retailer can decide to play havoc on your books (like what happened when B and N decided to play around with 8 of mine).

I still have property mortgages to pay up for, which makes me so reluctant to quit. I have two outstanding loans totaling around 130K.

My day job pays 200K a year.
Last year, I earned 340K from selling ebooks.

This year, I am NOT on track to earning what I did last year from ebooks, but am still making around 19-20K a month from them.

If you were me, what would you do? I don't spend much, but I just worry about those mortgages and the market's volatility, and my husband's earnings are not stable.


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## Shana Norris (May 31, 2011)

I had dreamed about it for years (my first traditionally published book was released in 200, but I was forced into it this past January when I was laid off from my job of 12 years. I took it as my chance to try the full-time writing thing because I had been saving most of the money I'd made from my books before then and had a good amount in savings as a back up plan. My first two years of self-publishing were great, but this year things have changed and it's been a lot harder. Last year I made as much from writing as I made at my day job. This year I'm on track to maybe make only about half as much as my old salary, maybe less.

It's rough and we've tightened our belts a lot. I do have the good fortune of a husband with a full-time job and we have our medical insurance through his employer, so we didn't lose that when I lost my job. But it does add stress in that I do worry more about what would happen if he got laid off too since I don't have a day job to fall back on and my income is so unpredictable. Going back to work crosses my mind a lot, but it's difficult in that my day job was in web design and there just aren't a lot of full-time web design opportunities where I live.

So I'm focused on writing the books I love, but I also do other work to help bring in more money. I'm doing more article writing for websites and magazines, content writing for websites, ebook formatting, and graphic design work for web clients I take on and book covers for other authors. Focusing only on my novels isn't enough to pay the bills at the moment, so I'm expanding my idea of "full-time writer" to include other types of writing as well as some graphic design work.


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## JamesDearling (Aug 15, 2013)

I dream of quitting my job everyday. 
But I also dream of using Kate Upton's boobs as a pillow.
I'll take either at this point.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

JamesDearling said:


> I dream of quitting my job everyday.
> But I also dream of using Kate Upton's boobs as a pillow.
> I'll take either at this point.


Either scenario, or either boob?


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Artemis Hunt said:


> Like many of you, I'm currently in a quandary too. I set myself a goal of Jan 31, 2014, to quit my day job. And yet, I have many doubts. I quite like the job, but I dislike my boss, and it's because of him that I am contemplating to quit.
> 
> But my doubts are all about surviving in the ebook industry. It's extremely volatile, and algorithms can change at any moment, or a retailer can decide to play havoc on your books (like what happened when B and N decided to play around with 8 of mine).
> 
> ...


If I may be so bold, I have a suggestion. Why don't you live on your net book income (after taxes and expenses) for the next year? Take every after-tax dollar from your day job and pay off all your debts, including the home mortgage, and to establish $100,000 of savings unless that already exists. This will give you 6 months of income cushion. If a year isn't long enough to do that, extend the time another six months at a stretch. Don't use one red cent of your day job income for living expenses or extras or vacations or anything else. It all goes to debt elimination. This income won't exist after you quit, so don't live on it now. Then you are ready to set a date without so many doubts.

If you rue missing the January 2014 date, consider this. It's a great feeling to know you "could" do it now, but you are choosing to wait until you reach some amazing goals that will make life far easier for yourself and your husband.


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## Stuffeshead (Jan 19, 2011)

swolf said:


> Either scenario, or either boob?


Ba-dum - Ting.


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## JamesDearling (Aug 15, 2013)

swolf said:


> Either scenario, or either boob?


Scenario, but I'll take one boob, no problem. It would be foolish not to.


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## bellabentley (Mar 25, 2013)

_"If I may be so bold, I have a suggestion. Why don't you live on your net book income (after taxes and expenses) for the next year? Take every after-tax dollar from your day job and pay off all your debts, including the home mortgage, and to establish $100,000 of savings unless that already exists. This will give you 6 months of income cushion. If a year isn't long enough to do that, extend the time another six months at a stretch. Don't use one red cent of your day job income for living expenses or extras or vacations or anything else. It all goes to debt elimination. This income won't exist after you quit, so don't live on it now. Then you are ready to set a date without so many doubts.

If you rue missing the January 2014 date, consider this. It's a great feeling to know you "could" do it now, but you are choosing to wait until you reach some amazing goals that will make life far easier for yourself and your husband."_

Great advice!!
And also, great situation to be in with such great high incomes! <3 @Artemishunt, how long have you be self publishing? I would love to know! $340,000 last year is pretty amazing! But don't you also have around 100 books? Love your work ethic! How much time outside of your day job did you have to spend writing for such volume of books released? Best wishes to you and to all of you! <3

Personally, I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to quit my day job (full time copywriter) until all of our debt including our mortgage is paid off. Then I will feel "easier" about quitting!  But, honestly, my job is a blessing. I still get to work at home. Yet, I still "have a boss" and only have 2-3 weeks vacation a year. I'm looking forward to the day where I can be like a European and take 2 months off!  Also, I LOVE cooking and being domestic. I look forward to when I'm a full time fiction writer and can explore other creative outlets such as cooking and baking classes etc. But, until then, I'm thankful for where I am now, but I'm definitely planning on quitting asap! Now, if only I can have a breakout book and all my goals met in a month. And quit before Christmas!  A girl can dream, right? <3

Currently, we are using my royalties which are about what I used to make as a full time nanny when I was younger to pay off IRS, and then start paying off debt. Car note, Credit card bill, then mortgage. It would be encouraging to keep this thread alive to keep the inspiration in front of us all! And to also keep me reminded that when a big $$$ royalty deposit comes...to not go and buy a Chanel bag (like I've always wanted)....but to remember my long term goals! 

I love whoever posted the info about Dave Ramsey. Smart quotes! He's a great finance teacher!


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

lmckinley said:


> I have no idea what you were actually writing at the time, but I think there is some terrific irony about the thought of you writing westerns at Taco Bell. It belongs in a story or something;


LOL, because it's more suitable than you think: I don't really write "westerns" in that they aren't historical or even particularly accurate -- they're just cozy mysteries with western costumes. They kinda relate to real westerns the way Taco Bell relates to real Mexican food....

Camille


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## Artemis Hunt (Aug 23, 2011)

Sapphire, that is great advice! The main reason I'm mulling my feet quitting over my day job is because it pays so well, and because health insurance is completely free and I am completely covered. I have been cutting down on a lot of expenses since.

Bella, They are not actually full length 'books'. Most of them are short stories and novellas, and I can do that because I write erotica and erotic romances, and also New Adult romances. My work ethic is to write 2000 words a day at least. I write during my lunch hour.


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## 69959 (May 14, 2013)

That's my goal. Luckily, I run a home daycare and make next to nothing, so replacing my income shouldn't be too difficult. It's not like I get paid the high rates of a teacher or something.


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## Charles Harvey (Dec 29, 2010)

bellabentley said:


> _"If I may be so bold, I have a suggestion. Why don't you live on your net book income (after taxes and expenses) for the next year? Take every after-tax dollar from your day job and pay off all your debts, including the home mortgage, and to establish $100,000 of savings unless that already exists. This will give you 6 months of income cushion. If a year isn't long enough to do that, extend the time another six months at a stretch. Don't use one red cent of your day job income for living expenses or extras or vacations or anything else. It all goes to debt elimination. This income won't exist after you quit, so don't live on it now. Then you are ready to set a date without so many doubts.
> 
> If you rue missing the January 2014 date, consider this. It's a great feeling to know you "could" do it now, but you are choosing to wait until you reach some amazing goals that will make life far easier for yourself and your husband."_
> 
> ...


I was amazed to see how it took off. And I thought for a minute maybe I had posted it in the wrong place. Well there are no easy answers. I think one's success depends on the genre one writes in. Books will far outshine short stories that's for sure. Retailer's making changes are a big factor in making decisions. If anyone has paid attention to B&N lately, you will know what I mean.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2013)

I moved away from home in 2003, and I've actually never had a "day job," in the sense that I've never had a job that offered more than a few months worth of security.  Since graduating in 2010, the gig that comes closest would be teaching English in Georgia for the equivalent of a $300 monthly stipend, but I always knew that was going to end (though I did extend for a second semester).

My goal has always been to go full-time with the writing.  This is the only career that has ever really appealed to me as such, and it's the only one since graduating that I've actively pursued.  I have no doubts that I will get there--the question is only when, and for how long.  Ideally, I'd like to go full-time this year, and be a full-time writer for the rest of my life.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

swolf said:


> My wife, while staring out the window at a crappy May day that should have been spring-like, but more closely resembled winter: "If you write full time, we can live anywhere."
> Me: "Yes, we can."


This is why we moved from Maryland to Florida last year! With me no longer having to make the wage slave commute (my wife was already working from home), we weren't hogtied by geography. Moving from the Baltimore-DC area to Sarasota got us a nicer house for $1K less a month, no state income tax, a beach six minutes away, and a state college tuition program. Oh, and no crappy winter weather...


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