 Hello, hello, writers. I'm Kristen Kiefer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources. And you are listening to the Well-Sturried podcast, where I share insights, encouragement, and actionable advice designed to help you craft sensational novels and build your best writing life. Always in 30 minutes or less, so you can get back to writing, of course. Ready for the show? Let's get talking. All right. Here we go, friends. Come on in. I hope you're having an awesome day. And thank you for joining me for today's episode of the podcast. Today's episode translates the latest article from the Well-Sturried blog into audio titled, Can You Really Make a Living? Writing Fiction? You can find the article that also serves as the episode transcript at www.well-sturried.com slash living. Now let's dive in. So, you want to make a living with your writing. Most of us live in cultures that encourage us to turn our passions into careers, so it's no wonder that many hobby writers are interested in making a living with their work. But desire alone shouldn't determine whether you pursue a career in writing. There are many factors at play here, and if you don't take time to consider them all, you may be setting yourself up for heartbreak. I'm going to let you in on the secret. Most writers who ask whether they can truly make a living with their writing are asking the wrong question. Building a writing career is absolutely possible, but chances are that you harbor some common misconceptions about what life as a full-time author looks like. The far better question to ask is whether pursuing a career in writing is truly right for you. When considering this question, you must set aside what you think you know about making a living as a published author. Though writing may be your passion, a career in writing is still a career. Publishing for profit comes with its fair share of trials and tribulations, and if you aren't willing to take those on, then it's far better that you preserve writing as a hobby. Here are a few hard truths to bear in mind about making a living as a writer. Firstly, building a writing career is a marathon endeavor. There is no such thing as overnight success in publishing. Even on the rare occasion that a debut author rockets to stardom, that debut required years of hard work to write, revise, query, and produce. For the vast majority of full-time authors, careers are built book by book over the span of years, sometimes even decades. Number two, full-time authors don't spend all day writing. Successful writing careers demand readerships, and readerships don't blossom without cultivation. A large part of your work as an author will consist of connecting with readers and marketing your work. This may include going on book tour, attending conferences, appearing on podcasts, running a blog or online community, maintaining your email list, which I should note is an essential step, hosting giveaways, creating Amazon or Facebook ads, running your social media accounts, and more. And number three, building a career on book sales alone is uncommon. Many full-time authors supplement their publishing royalties with related income streams, especially in the early years of their careers. Additional income can come from teaching, book coaching, editing, speaking, freelance writing, and other contracted work, community-driven patronage, often via Patreon, and beyond. To look at extremes, novelists who produce high-volume genre fiction are often able to support themselves from book sales alone once established, whereas even the most renowned literary writer typically relies upon grants and fellowships, teaching positions, or patronage to make their livings. If these hard truths don't sit well, pursuing a career as a fiction author might not be the right choice for you. If, on the other hand, you're willing to take them on, great! But don't dive in just yet. Before you slap your book up on Amazon or start pitching to every literary agent you can find, you'll want to consider a few additional factors and make a game plan for personal publishing success. Eight questions to ask before pursuing a writing career. Question number one, am I willing to act as an entrepreneur? To be a full-time author is to run your own business. Your books are your products, your readership is your customer base, and everything from your pen name and cover designs to the fonts you use on your author website and the public posts you share on social media are a part of your branding and marketing. This holds true for trade and indie authors alike, though authors who are traditionally published will have less creative control over some of these elements. Building a business also demands risk. Are you willing to pursue traditional publishing knowing that there's no guarantee you'll ever get a book deal? Are you willing to assume production costs to publish a professional indie novel? Are you willing to put time, energy, and money into marketing efforts that may not see a return? Question number two, do I truly want to write at a professional level? Though there will always be an exception to the rule, to make a living as an author demands that you write at a professional level. This entails that you not only seek to improve the quality of your work on a consistent basis, but that you collaborate with a variety of editors to ensure that you're always producing top-notch work. Writing can still be something that brings you joy and fulfillment as a full-time author, but writing for profit frequently piles on a bit of pressure that you wouldn't otherwise experience in your writing life. Are you willing to take that on? Question number three, am I willing to write for market? The concept of writing for market often gets a bad rap, but here's the thing. To make book sales you have to write books that people want to read. Writing for market doesn't mean selling out and writing stories you hate simply because comparable titles are currently dominating the charts. It simply means doing your due diligence, completing market research within your niche, then making necessary adjustments to your work to ensure your writing books that captivate readers. This step is equally important for trade and indie authors. Writing for market is a great way for trade authors to increase their odds of landing an agent and a book deal, whereas indie authors can use this strategy to grow and maintain an invested readership. Question number four, am I willing to put in the energy to pursue this career? The vast majority of full-time authors are not J.K. Rowling's, Stephen King's or George R.R. Martin's. While it's fun to imagine your wildest writing dreams, don't pursue them without recognizing that writing careers demand a vast amount of time and energy, take years to build and consist of work that goes far beyond spinning stories. Don't set yourself up for disappointment. Read authors' experiences, learn the dark sides of the industry and break down your idealizations with a true understanding of what it will take to build the career you desire. It's okay if you'd rather maintain writing as a hobby or a side hustle. You aren't any less of a writer for doing so. Question number five, what does make a living mean to me? Don't be nice to get filthy rich from book sales. The authors who do are the exceptions to the rule. To build a successful career, be realistic. How much income do you need to pay the bills? To lead a comfortable lifestyle? What qualifies as a living in your book, pun intended, may not be the case for another writer. Get clear about how much money it will take for you to confidently call yourself a career novelist. Then add an additional 10-20% for good measure. Knowing this number will help you avoid rash decisions and set achievable goals for career success. Question number six, how are writers in my niche making a living? To better understand whether pursuing a writing career is right for you, take a look at how authors in your niche are making their livings. How often do they publish? How do they market their work? Do they have any income streams beyond book sales? At what point were they able to quit their day jobs? Question number seven, which publishing path is best for my niche and interests? Traditional and independent publishing are both great options for writers, with neither being in any way superior to the other. They are, however, vastly different options. So consider the pros and cons of each, and research how authors in your niche have chosen to publish their work. Which path will you pursue? Don't make this decision lightly. There's far more to traditional publishing than validation from industry pros, and far more to indie publishing than creative freedom. Take a good hard look at the trade-offs and make sure to choose the option that's truly best for you and your work. Question number eight, which fiction business model best fits my niche and interests? Considering what you've learned about how writers in your niche make their livings, examine their business models and ask whether you feel energized by the prospect of pursuing a similar route. Take each of these four elements of an author business model into account. Products. These are the books and any related physical or digital products you're going to sell. Income streams. This can be print sales, ebook sales, audiobook sales, foreign language rights, teaching and services, freelance writing, patronage, etc. Customer base. This is your readership, especially your ideal reader. And financing, which is how you will pay for the production and marketing expenses, travel, etc. Note that signing with a publishing house doesn't ensure that your marketing and travel expenses will be paid. With these elements established, begin building a business model of your own. One that aligns with your niche and interests. The more specific you can be in defining each element, the better. With a rough plan compiled, ask whether it's a business model you feel confident pursuing. Are you ready to pursue your writing career? If after asking yourself those eight questions, you feel confident that pursuing a writing career is right for you, allow me to congratulate you on making a wise and well considered decision. In doing so, you've established a strong foundation for long term writing success. But before you take the first steps in your career, here are a few additional tips and truths to bear in mind. Firstly, like any marathon, building a writing career is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. What doubts commonly keep you company? Don't fight them. Acknowledge the uncertainty that they represent, then take the necessary action to resolve that uncertainty. Two, your day job is an investment in your career. Don't quit until your creative income streams are well and truly established. Three, start building a consistent writing habit today. If you can't show up when writing is a side hustle, you're unlikely to show up when it's your job. Four, scout the terrain on the road ahead. Learn as much as you can about your chosen publishing path prior to pursuing it, and you'll avoid many of the missteps that have felled other writers. And five, don't allow overwhelm to kill the dream. Making a living with your writing is no easy task. Build an action plan. Take it step by step, and don't forget to breathe along the way. You're going to build an incredible career writer. All it takes is a little time, patience, and persistence. Thank you for listening to today's episode of The Podcast Writer. I hope you found it helpful to your writing journey. If so, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode and to give the podcast a quick rating and review. Doing so goes a long way toward helping the podcast reach new writers and lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm creating. You can also give me a shout out directly on Twitter at christen underscore keeper. For additional guidance as you work to craft sensational novels and build your best writing light, be sure to head on over to www.well-storied.com where I share blog posts, workbooks, e-courses, and other helpful resources for writers. Again, that's www.well-storied.com. Thank you again for tuning in to today's episode, my friend. Until next time, happy writing!