Pursuing any dream can be costly. But it is definitely worth it.
And if you love writing, you could turn this hobby into a full-time job.
As you start to publish your book and make money on a side, you can start thinking whether or not you can do it for a living.
The good thing is that you can have a full-time income as a writer and live the life you have dreamed of.
Some people may say that you have to take a giant leap, but you can take a different approach.
To turn your love for writing into a full-time job, you can take small steps, one at a time.
1. Write a few books
You must have something else going before you decide to quit your day job.
It is scary to be an independent entrepreneur. You need to deal with a lot of unknowns. You will have no idea if you will have an income monthly and how much it will be.
To eliminate these unknowns, write some books first while you still have your day job.
Doing so will help you to get used to the process while you develop your skills.
It also gives you time to build a network that can assist you in publishing your books. Plus, it will help you to grow a fan base and create a steady flow of income from your books.
How many books should you write?
Aim for at least three books to help you start generating income that can sustain your lifestyle and grow your audience.
Before you quit your day job, write and publish two books and have another one in the works.
If you don’t write books, you can’t sell. If you don’t sell, you can’t make writing your full-time job.
2. Self-publish your books
If you are still waiting for a publishing house to print your book, you should consider self-publishing your work.
Your goal here is to get your work out there.
Opt to use a self-publishing house to release your full-length book, instead of just sitting around, waiting for publishers to contact you.
Do it on your own.
3. Build professional relationships with other writers
But not just writers. Make sure that you share the same mentality.
You should network with writers who are willing to do everything in their quest for success.
These people will continue to challenge you so you can be a great writer.
You may join a writer’s group in one of the best places for writers in the world.
This is your opportunity to share your work with other luminaries and get some feedback from them, too.
4. Learn the writing business
You can’t just write and make it a full-time job.
Instead, you need to know how to navigate in the writing business. Keep in mind that without your writing business, you won’t have a writing income.
When you get to know more about the writing business, you will learn that you need to put a cushion first in case of emergencies.
Even if you are earning more than 50 percent of your monthly income from your books, you need to have six month’s worth of income in your bank.
In this way, you have something to spend if a major life emergency hits.
Remember that you won’t know whether or not people will buy your books. But you can control how you plan for surprises.
With six months’ worth of income, you can have enough breathing work that can help you work on your career as a writer without having to worry about drying up your funds.
5. Start building your email list
As you make writing your full-time job, you become an entrepreneur.
It means that you must find your tribe. One of the ways to market your work is to build an email list.
Email is ideal for reaching people as they check their emails each day, any time of the day.
To build an email list, use an established email marketing service.
Then, build a website to showcase your work and create an attractive signup form for your website.
Make sure to email your subscribers each time you have something new to publish.
6. Allow people to understand your writing
After building your email list, you should introduce yourself by publishing your manifesto.
People will get a better understanding of your work and who you are as a writer, thus building more interest.
At this point, you want to try and sell at most opportunities, so make sure you're capturing their interest from day one.
7. Set a deadline
It is true that you need to make a plan and build a safety net to make sure that you will become a successful independent writer.
However, it is also easy to plan and never do. That’s why it is crucial to set a deadline.
You are likely to perform your best and meet your goals if you have a deadline. It makes your plan concrete.
When you set a deadline for quitting your job, you are committing to building a future that you desire.
But make sure that the deadline is reasonable. Give yourself enough time to sort out your plan and create a safety net.
Summary
Thanks for the tips Catrin!
Ultimately, if you want to do something (e.g. writing) then there are ways and means of getting there.
Negativity is never going to move you closer to your dream!
So step by step, good luck on making your career work in writing.
And these steps can apply to other jobs too in a sense, such as photography, music production, and other (usually more arty) careers too.
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