wanting to be a full time author, but don't want a low end side job.

[Chapter V]

(I'll try to be as detailed as possible)

I recently had the guts to speak to my parents and to tell them that I won't be settling for a job that seems like crap. I feel that even though I have no employment experience that doesn't mean I have to work in a low end job.

i told them that my dream career is to be a full time author, writing fantasy fiction. I'm writing a novel that will extend into series, And I KNOW it will be published once I'm done with it. I get a lot of people trying to shove their limiting beliefs down in me, telling me that "it hard to have a career like that", and "only a few are successful in a career of fiction writing"; But that's what I REALLY want to do. Yet, I'll need a side job to support myself as I'm writing my novel. The thing is, I don't want to have a crappy side job, and I never had a job; this will be my first time. So honestly, I don't know. I would like support in what I should do in this situation.

[Oddity]

Well, writing - especially genre fiction - is a job where many are called and few are chosen. But, if you know a lot about publishing, and your writing is of good quality, you'll probably make at least a few bucks off of it.

As for side-jobs, perhaps take a look at some of the online options - monetized blogs, affiliate programs, you can even try to get popular YouTube videos going and become a partner (if you're good at animation and/or making games you can do the same on NewGrounds, and I'm sure there are other sites jumping in on this scheme).

Alternatively, instead of looking for a "crappy" side-job, try to get something part-time at a publishing house or other strategic place to work at, and try to take in as much information on the industry as you possibly can while you're there.

[Lioness]

Originally Posted by Chapter V

(I'll try to be as detailed as possible)

i told them that my dream career is to be a full time author, writing fantasy fiction.

"Dream" career. It's still a dream and the reality is that you will have to earn a living in the meantime. I don't want to sound like another negative naysayer, but to succeed in fulfilling your dream, you have to be realistic and do whatever it takes.

I'm writing a novel that will extend into series, And I KNOW it will be published once I'm done with it.

Most publishing houses won't even read submissions from first-time authors, so many excellent novels simply never get beyond the "slush-pile" of unsolicited manuscripts. To get to a publisher you have to have an agent, and to get an agent you have to be a published author, a kind of Catch-22 situation.

The only way you can KNOW that your book will be published is to self-publish, and self-published books tend to be expensive flops. OK, enough negativity. My suggestions are to write every chance you get, and research. Buy a copy of The Writer's Market. Try submitting articles to online mags. Join writer's forums, especially in your area of interest. If you have a little community newspaper/bulletin, volunteer to write for them. Even if you are an excellent writer, try to continue with creative writing courses. Read the biographies of successful authors. See how long it took Stephen King to get published and how he did it.

The thing is, I don't want to have a crappy side job, and I never had a job; this will be my first time. So honestly, I don't know. I would like support in what I should do in this situation.

The thing about a crappy jobs - they make for great writing material, and you need some real-life experiences, even if you are writing fantasy. You can always quit when you find something better, or of course, when you get that mega-publishing deal

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by Chapter V

(I'll try to be as detailed as possible)

I recently had the guts to speak to my parents and to tell them that I won't be settling for a job that seems like crap. I feel that even though I have no employment experience that doesn't mean I have to work in a low end job.

i told them that my dream career is to be a full time author, writing fantasy fiction. I'm writing a novel that will extend into series, And I KNOW it will be published once I'm done with it. I get a lot of people trying to shove their limiting beliefs down in me, telling me that "it hard to have a career like that", and "only a few are successful in a career of fiction writing"; But that's what I REALLY want to do. Yet, I'll need a side job to support myself as I'm writing my novel. The thing is, I don't want to have a crappy side job, and I never had a job; this will be my first time. So honestly, I don't know. I would like support in what I should do in this situation.

You can succeed if you are determined - BUT, you may have to start small then get bigger, before you are dramatically successful.

I spoke to a man named Michael C. Anthony after one of his shows. He told me he is living his dream job performing on stage all over the country, doing hypnotism shows as well as adding in things like card tricks and a little bit of comedy.

I asked him how he got into that profession - and he told me, that he started by performing card tricks in restaurants . He then slowly worked his way up over the years into performing for huge corporations, and for other places like Universities and such, raking in the big bucks and having a blast.

So, don't get discouraged if you have to have a "crappy side job". If it can pay the bills while you pursue your passion in your free time, then so be it. If you are successful with your passion, then you won't need the crappy side job anymore.

[sheffy4]

Don't look at all those "low end" jobs as an insult to your intelligence and ambition; instead, view them as opportunity to gain valuable life experience that can be used in your writing. Even if you are writing fantasy, your characters are still human (or at least human-like in that they probably have emotions and relationships and crises that make a good story), so it would benefit you tremendously to interact with as many different people as possible. You can meet some fascinating people in those "crappy" jobs you talk about, if you only talk to them and see what is under the surface.
Good writing doesn't come from being hunched over a computer, alone, all day. If I were you I would definitely not just get some online job. Get a job where you have to interact with people, and learn things you have never done before. Use the things that happen to you each day as an opportunity for a writing exercise.

[robcartoons]

Chapter V

I agree with sheffy4, you can use 'low-end' jobs to gain experience and help to support your writing as part of your long-term plan. A friend of a friend wants to be a sci-fi/horror writer. As far as I know, he started off 100% reliance on his job for income, while he wrote in his freetime. He started to get paid writing work and now is in a situation where his income is about 50/50 from his job/writing. Of course his aim is to keep going and change the percentages. He is super-disciplined and very dedicated.

I myself have a main job while I work on my cartoons in my spare time. It is very early days with the cartoons, but I keep on going and gain a lot of experience from the process (which I am enjoying hugely!).

The most important lesson I have learnt is definately work on your self-discipline.

Keep writing!

Cheers,

Rob

[PipHunn]

Good on you for being clear about what you want!

I recently quit my job to write full-time, so I can appreciate what a challenge it is.

If you're going to support yourself, you'll need another source of income. It doesn't have to be much, it depends where you live and how much money your lifestyle needs.

I live very cheaply, and get by on about $100US a week, including rent. THat's not much work at all - a day and a half's work doing unskilled labor.

The best place that I can recommend to hunt for jobs?
Bookstores.
Second-hand bookstores don't often need staff, as they're usually owner-operated, but chain stores are often on the lookout for staff, especially those flexible with shifts.

They offer lots of benefits for writers:
1) a finger on the pulse of the writing world
2) Lots of industry contact-building opportunities
3) Generally varied and interesting customers
4) Opportunities to meet awesome authors at book signings, tours, etc.

Through my time working at bookstores, I got to have chats (and drinks!) with people like Cecilia Dart-Thornton and Neil Gaiman. Awesome? Awesome. A friend working in a bookstore is now working for Penguin.... Once you get into the 'loop', you'l find it's a very intimate, jobs-for-those-in-the-gang sort of environment.

Good luck!

[James81]

All right, I'm an aspiring author who has gotten a little deeper into the process than you (I'm currently querying agents), so I'll offer you some tips from what I've learned thus far:

1. REALITY CHECK! (this is where you jump up and say "Praise Jesus!" ) Seriously, take a baseball bat and hit yourself over the head. Can you handle that? Good. Then maybe, maybe you can handle the path to getting published. By the way, I'm not a negative naysayer here (I'm on your side), but I want to be extremely clear here that this is no easy road. Another reality check I want to give you: You do not KNOW anything about your novel. Let's clear that up immediately. You might want to wake up and realize that your first few works are going to be just practice. That's right, you might go through several novels before you get a bite on your work. I'm about to shelf my first one, because I've run out of agents to query it to. (fun, isn't it? lol) I've even heard authors say that the first million words are for practice. Just to give you an idea of the gravity of writing. (Don't take that literally...just realize that writing is something you get better at by doing it.)

2. Second tip, it doesn't matter how great your novel is, if you cannot put together a query letter that's going to hook an agent/publisher, you're novel is going to sit on your shelf and collect dust. Research how to write great queries and practice with them.

3. Revise, revise, revise! One revision is not enough. Two revisions are not enough. Three revisions are not enough. Get used to the idea that you are going to rewrite your novel several times by the time you are done revising. THEN, after all that crap, you'll want to send it out to beta readers to get their comments and revise again after that. Then, you'll query agents who'll want you to revise again. Then the publisher will want you to revise again. Fun, right?

4. Grow a thick skin. If there is one important thing that I can convey to you it's this. Don't take rejection personally. Remember, Gone With the Wind was rejected like 30 times before it got published. THIRTY TIMES! And it's considered one of the most classic stories of our time. This is a game of persistance. And I tell you, the rejection and harsh criticicism stings (but it's so amazingly helpful!). If you can take criticism on your babies (that's what a novel is to a writer), then you'l have half the battle won right there. So, please, make sure you can handle criticism because it takes a real masochist to get into this business.

5. Be a reader in the genre that you want to write in. I absolutely believe that you can't write saleable stuff without being an avid reader.

***

Ok, so those are my tips for the writing end of the stick. Kudos to you for wanting to pursue your dream. I commend you for it, and if you can even do half of what I just said, you deserve a pat on the back (especially since you sound like you're pretty young).

Now to even more reality. One simple fact remains:

YOU HAVE TO EAT.

Or maybe I should say, YOU HAVE TO EAT OR YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.

Is that a little more harsh and brash?

The process of getting published is a LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG process. From the conception of the story to the moment of publishing can take 2 years or more. And you won't receive a dime until it goes to publication.

How will you live in the meantime?

How will you live until you get enough works published that you garner a bit of a following for your books so that you can write to live? Despite what people say, writing isn't some lucrative career. Sure, it is if you are Stephen King. It is if you are Steve Pavlina and have a massive blog following.

But for the average author? It's not going to make you rich. You can live off of it, but it's going to take a long time before you get to the place where you can support yourself from your writing.

In the mean time? You're going to have to suck it up and get one of those jobs that you are resisting. Either that or get someone else to support you.

So there you go, I tried to be as realistic as possible for you so that you know what you are getting into.

Remember, I'm not a naysayer. I support your decision ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. Go for it man. Go balls to walls for it actually. Write until your fingers bleed and edit until your eyes pop out of your head. Seriously.

But be prepared.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by PipHunn

Good on you for being clear about what you want!

I recently quit my job to write full-time, so I can appreciate what a challenge it is.

If you're going to support yourself, you'll need another source of income. It doesn't have to be much, it depends where you live and how much money your lifestyle needs.

I live very cheaply, and get by on about $100US a week, including rent. THat's not much work at all - a day and a half's work doing unskilled labor.

The best place that I can recommend to hunt for jobs?
Bookstores.
Second-hand bookstores don't often need staff, as they're usually owner-operated, but chain stores are often on the lookout for staff, especially those flexible with shifts.

They offer lots of benefits for writers:
1) a finger on the pulse of the writing world
2) Lots of industry contact-building opportunities
3) Generally varied and interesting customers
4) Opportunities to meet awesome authors at book signings, tours, etc.

Through my time working at bookstores, I got to have chats (and drinks!) with people like Cecilia Dart-Thornton and Neil Gaiman. Awesome? Awesome. A friend working in a bookstore is now working for Penguin.... Once you get into the 'loop', you'l find it's a very intimate, jobs-for-those-in-the-gang sort of environment.

Good luck!

What's your secret for getting hired in a bookstore? I've applied to 5 of them now (used book stores as well as Barnes & Noble, and Borders) and haven't heard back from any of them. Is this an easy job to get into if you don't have any retail experience? (apparently not, in my case)

[Manomanman]

Read Tim Ferris's blog. He talks about how to break into the book-writing business.

You're looking for an advance.

My main advice: LEARN TO NETWORK. NOBODY is going to learn how awesome your writing is if you just sit there and write.

Get connected in the industry. Make your name known.

[SomeRandomGuy]

It is all about priorities. If your priority is to become a full-time writer, then you are going to have to find a source of income until your writing starts generating enough money to live off of. That may mean taking a crappy job.

If your priority is to never work a crappy job, then that may mean postponing your writing career so that you can focus your time an energy on a rewarding job that you enjoy and brings in sufficient income.

Hopefully you can find a solution that lets you write full time without working a crappy job. If you are unable to do that, however, then you'll have to make a decision about which is the most important priority; being a full time author or never working a crappy job. Regardless of which path you choose, good luck.

[PipHunn]

Getting a bookstore job is a little more difficult than getting other retail jobs, because it's a default go-to position for people who love
a) reading
b) writing
who tend to be intelligent, articulate people.

I'd suggest making a special effort to talk to the managers. See when they need people available. Ask if they need temporary staff. Coming up to Christmas is a great time to get your foot in the door. Impress them with knowledge of popular books in every genre, not just the ones you're interested in.

Shop there.

Lots of people will just drop a resume in. It's up to you to try and stand out from the crowd as best you can.

[wakeshine]

Write your novel.

[blossom]

Are you sure you aren't trying to substitute a real life for a fantasy/fiction one?
Be realistic!
You need to support yourself while you are bringing this dream to reality, unless you can find a rich man/woman who will keep you