Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office, CA
It’s my turn to blog again. I planned to write on a whole different topic, but this last week I found myself muttering the words “kiss of death” way too many times to ignore an emerging pattern.
Let me explain. The phrase “kiss of death” is shorthand for “Uh-oh, that writer has just stepped off a precipice.” It only takes three words to mark a potential catastrophe. Kiss. Of. Death. And words are not always needed. Janet and I share an eyebrow signal that identifies a kiss of death without benefit of words. It works great if the kiss of death moment occurs in a crowded room or from a lectern.
I’m going to choose four potential career killers I’ve identified as the kiss of death for an author. Today we’ll examine the moment an agent receives a call from her client announcing that he has just quit his day job.When a writer raises his hand in a workshop to ask a question about an author’s remuneration, nine times out of ten he’ll hear the old saw, “Don’t quit your day job.” Everyone in the room laughs and the writer is no closer to uncovering the fiscal realities of his hoped-for avocation. When I was a new writer, it frustrated me. I had come from the world of business and thought it crazy that no one dealt with the financial realities. Now I understand why.
There are too many variables and uncertainties to address the financial questions in anything other than a one-on-one setting. And even then, it’s impossible to plan. Let’s say the book sells. The size of the advance depends entirely on how much competition there was for it, which house bought it and how much clout the author has. The advance can range from nothing to a million dollars or more. Statistically, the four-figure advance is much more common than the six-figure advance. Once the book does sell, there’s no telling if it will make royalties beyond the advance. Even with a two- or three-book contract, there’s no guarantee a writer will receive another contract unless he has solid, growing sales numbers. And who knows how fast a publisher is willing to take subsequent books? Selling the first book guarantees exactly nothing.
How about the multi-published author? When he has had enough success to keep the contracts coming, isn’t that time to contemplate quitting the day job? It depends. It’s going to take a lot of faith, a lot of savings and a lot of courage to live on a writer’s income. The mortgage payment comes due every month. So do all the other bills. A writer’s money comes in fits and starts. Too much is out of the writer’s control to manage the flow. How many writers have turned in a finished manuscript only to have it land on an overburdened editor’s desk? As the writer waits impatiently to hear that the manuscript is acceptable, time and billing cycles tick by.
But that’s not the only reason an agent hates to hear that a client is thinking of quitting his day job too early.There seems to be something about writing as a second job that makes the writer uber-productive. When you only have a couple of hours a day, those hours are golden. On the other hand, when the whole day stretches out before you, it’s easy to lunch with friends, play video games to “warm-up” and spend way too much time on the internet. Besides that, many writers need the stimulation of the work world, rubbing shoulders with all types of people to stay real and write real.
The strain of living on a financial roller coaster seems to sap creativity from writers. So much time is spent trying to keep the money flowing that the writing suffers. And that’s the biggest reason quitting the day job can be the kiss of death to a writer’s career. As the need for money becomes greater, writers often take on too much work, pushing deadlines, working for multiple houses and rushing the art of writing. To build the kind of career that will allow a writer to eventually write full time without financial strain, each book has to be better than the last. A writer can’t keep chasing deadlines and squeezing in books to make ends meet. He needs the freedom to write slowly and artfully.
So that’s why, when you announce that you just quit your day job, your agent may look heavenward and whisper the words “kiss of death” under her breath. But does that mean the time is never right to become a full-time writer? No. When you have multiple contracts, when each book you write is selling a little better that the book before, when you have matched your day job income with writing income and when you have a good cushion of money in the bank– maybe enough money to cover the mortgage, bills and expenses for six months– then it is time to make the career switch.
But let’s be fair here. Some have made the decision to write full-time earlier in their career, and it works brilliantly. Or perhaps you have your own patron of the arts (translation: working spouse). Use the comment section to tell us your story. Tell us why it wasn’t the kiss of death for you. Tell us if you’ve found the perfect day job for a writer.
I have my own patron of the arts, as you called my spouse. I’m also at a point in my life where I have the time and energy to follow my burning passion to write.
I feel blessed after writing that!
Perfect day job for a writer? Try “retired.” Works for me. Other than that, I’m going to be interested in the responses of other readers.
Thanks to you and your colleagues for an informative and entertaining blog.
You’ve captured the realities really well. Wendy. And your paragraph containing the word ‘uber-productive’ had me nodding vigorously!
I am working as an accountant full-time and writing in the evenings and on the weekends. It is slow going but eventually it will get done – one baby step at a time.
I, too, have my own patron of the arts – the best husband ever! 🙂 He supported my writing when it was but a hobby while I worked as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. (No paycheck with that job, and teaching piano to a handful of students doesn’t do much but give me fun money.) 🙂 Though writing is now becoming more of a career, my husband still supports us. I knew early on, I would probably never make enough money to bay the bills. Thankfully, for now, he does. 🙂
Some days I think nothing sounds better than having the freedom to write all day. But most days, I know that I would be terrible at focusing if I had all the time in the world, and I would probably go batty from being by myself for so long. I feel blessed to have a job I love and then something fun to look forward to when I get home.
Still laughing at “patron of the arts”…
I LOVE my day job. I am a classroom assistant K-5 in the morning for an hour. I leave, home by 8:45 am and then back at eleven to take care of kindermonkeys until 1:00 and then I’m home to work until 3:30 when son comes home. It doesn’t pay ALL the bills but it certainly helps. And I can pick up extra hours throughout the week as a sub teacher. Pretty sweet. Check out extended school day program in your area. They are always looking for caring people and substitutes.
Great blog, Wendy. And yes, I do agree. It’s not quantity but quality that counts.
With no hubbie, I’m applying for an Arts Council Grant (before it all gets spent on the Olympics)to buy time to work on some fiction next year.
I have the best day job in the world–substitute children’s librarian. Four years ago I tried to take “early retirement” after working for over twenty-five years as a children’s librarian. Retirement lasted three months before the library asked me back to substitute. I work an average of three days a week.
My day job enriches my writing. The public library is a microcosm of the world at large. People from all walks of life cross my path daily. What food for a writer’s mind!
Wendy, I love your word, “uber-productive”. So true. I accomplish more writing during weeks that I work extra hours at the library. My writing time becomes so much more focused.
Oops! Time to get ready for my day job! 🙂
I guess I’ll address the flip side. I used to work my day job and write at night and on the weekend. But that eventually hurt my health. I now combine part-time teaching at a university with writing. I’ve learned to live on a lot less and it’s worth it. My writing has much more time to be artful now. As writers grow older, I think we have to measure our energy, and not all of us can do it all. These days–at mid-life–I could’t write if I also had a day job. I’d rather sacrifice to write than not write at all. For the most part, I think your advice is good, but you do need to factor in the energy factor and responsibilities to family, etc. Trying to do it all can be a recipe for burnout, especially if you’re on a deadline.
Fantastic post.
Quitting the day job, yikes. Man, I’d have a tough time doing that one…I’m all about security.
Thanks have a great day
I can’t quit my day job as a stay at home mom. I have to grab the time here and there to write. And I definitely have to make the most of those larger concentrated times. I don’t have the luxury to day dream! Overall, having limited writing time has forced me to be more organized, work faster, and avoid procrastination. Thanks for an insightful post!
Still seeking that “perfect” day job to complement my writing. With four children under 8, a recent liver transplant for our youngest and then the daily work & commute time, writing barely nudges in at all. But I could never fathom actually quitting to focus on writing, at least until I establish a pattern of regular published (and at least mildly successful) novels and magazine articles. Love this post and all the great comments.
I’ve been fortunate to have a mentor and other acquaintences who have been great in balancing encouraging my writing with healthy doses of realism.
Balancing work, family, ministry, church, and writing can easily lead to daydreams of walking away from the full time ‘paying job,’ but it helps to recognize and appreciate that the income is what makes so much of the other areas possible.
If not for the regular job, I never would have been able to afford a couple days off to speak at ‘one’ conference that has led to other speaking and writing opportunities. Recently I was provided a writers escape at no charge, but until then I was renting an area cabin a weekend or two per year – an option only because of the regular job.
I’ve passed this blog on to a number of friends – a half hour spent here on posts and responses are more helpful than manhy books I’ve read over the last few years!
I have been extraordinarily blessed to have a day job that lets me work most of the time from home and is fairly flexible as far as official work hours. Of course, that means family and friends think I have unlimited time to do any and everything they want me to do, too.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but a raise would be nice.
A personal patron of the arts would also be great. 😉
As a stay-at-home Mom, my kids would be in real trouble if I “quit my day job.” 🙂
Thankfully I have a great husband who encourages my dream of being a writer. I’ve never thought of him as a patron of the arts, but it’s a pretty fitting description — especially considering all the kid art projects around here!
I have the perfect writing job–working at a small town flooring retailer. Of my 7 hour workday, I usually have at least 4 hours in which I can *do my thing*. My bosses know and are happy about it (even got me highspeed internet!) because they know there is only so much dusting a person can do. They’re thankful to have someone here who can entertain herself. Sure, I’d like to make more money than I do, but I love my job for itself as well as all the time it gives me. And I’m thankful my husband has a decent job.
Now…I’d like to sell a novel (or 2) but I’m in no hurry to give up my job! I know I’d get less done at home.
Thanks for the timely post, Wendy. I was just thinking about this subject while reading another blog where the first-time published writer was quitting his day job and I remember thinking, “He can do that?”
You’ve addressed one of the big misconceptions about publishing: most writers can’t make a living from it. I guess I’m just content with knowing that if I ever get a book published I *may* be able to help with the mortgage. That’s a big improvement over my current zero- contribution status.
Great read for the day. : ) gave me something lovely to chew on.
Right out of UCLA (’72), I chose a day job over full time writing, both for the financial security and because I saw too many young authors writing shallow books because they hadn’t experienced much in life other than writing. I’ve always planned to return to writing after a teaching career. Teaching both Stateside and overseas, I’ve gained all the depth I could ever hope for. Now I have another five or six years to retirement. That’s when I’ll know it’s time to quit my day job.
Right out of UCLA (’72), I chose a day job over full time writing, both for the financial security and because I saw too many young authors writing shallow books because they hadn’t experienced much in life other than writing. I’ve always planned to return to writing after a teaching career. Teaching both Stateside and overseas, I’ve gained all the depth I could ever hope for. Now I have another five or six years to retirement. That’s when I’ll know it’s time to quit my day job.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
I love this post, and my day job! Favorite part: “There seems to be something about writing as a second job that makes the writer uber-productive. When you only have a couple of hours a day, those hours are golden.” Amen. Even publishing articles within my profession helps, as my current “real job” boss said to me regarding nursing AND writing, “one can help shape the other.” Indeed, this is true AND golden!
I’m a stay-at-home mother to young children, so I’ll quit my “day job” when they’re off to college in 16 years.
I knew early on that I needed to have a job first in order to live and write, so I got that job, became a workaholic, and never wrote. I mistakenly thought I needed hours stretched out before me to write, and I was just drained by the time I got home at night.
Now I write between taking care of kids, wondering what I did with all my free time those years ago! I certainly had more time then than I do now!
Oh no, my comment/post showed up under someone named Brian Carroll! That’s really strange . . .some kind of internet snafu, perhaps? Sorry, Brian, whoever you are!
Oh my goodness, no internet snafu–just complete technological ignorance on my part. Profuse (and mortified) apologies to Brian and Wendy! (I hope fall under the “loose lips” blog . . . “loose & ignorant fingers hitting post and send buttons!”)
I agree the idea of writing all day sounds fabulous. But as a woman who works all day in retail, on my feet and exhausted, I find my days off are usually just as productive in writing as days that I work.
Why? Probably because I’m catching up on everything else in my life as well as writing. And as long as I have a plan…as long as I know what scenes need to get written…I can blitz out a first draft of a scene very easily.
And editing being the slow and steady job that it is, is perfect for little chunks of the day.
I’m in a season of life where I can write more. During a different season, my day job left little time or energy to write consistently, to volunteer or be available to my family’s needs.
Although I earn little income these days, my “patron of the arts” encourages my involvement not only in writing pursuits but also in volunteer Web master work for the church and for times when I’m asked to help with grandkids while their overworked parents both struggle through medical residency programs.
Henri Nouwen commented in one of his books, “You know … my whole life I’ve been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.”
I remember Nouwen’s words when I must squeeze writing into a busy day or week … and I’m grateful for opportunities to live fully and to write.
I’m quitting my day job. For a wide variety of reasons, starting with “I hate it and it’s killing my creativity.” I’m looking forward to having more time to write, among all the other things I like to do, and my spouse works full time. (Tomorrow is my last day.)
I’m not completely quitting; I’m a pharmacist, and I’m signed up with a staffing firm for part-time contracts, though they can’t guarantee any placements in this economy. If it’s still dry in a month, I’ll shop my resume around for part-time work. I’m fortunate that my day career is pretty lucrative, so part time (10-20 hrs/wk) will still be a decent check.
This is one of those bits of advice writers, published and pre-published, hear constantly and the reality isn’t always spelled out as plainly as it is here.
Thanks for the insight.
Dear Wendy,
I was muttering “kiss of death” on my way to work this morning. As a newspaper reporter and writer who hasn’t quit their day job (as, ironically, it is also writing), KOD in my world refers to a business or person (heaven forbid, though it has happened) that you write a story on who goes out of biz or dies within one year. Many examples of that over in Wenatchee, unfortunately. Sigh.
Not quitting any time soon, and hoping the poison pen does not fell another!
Yvette
I quit my day job as an English Teacher in an alternative school, to write full time, after several years of part-time writing. I’m a year and a half into the full-time writing and mostly I love it. For me, it’s been a productive change as I’ve watched the quality of my writing rise. I’m self-disciplined. I know that I left my job to write, so that’s what I’m doing–writing. I’m guessing that the balance of some type of day job will come and go in my life both for financial reasons and for outside stimulation. But for now, I’m loving the full-time writing life.
This week I made the decision to go half-time.
The library where I work is under such incredible budget pressures that I’m almost certain to get laid off otherwise. So I need to either find a new job and relocate, or live on my advance and reduced salary for a while until things get better. Given how tough it is to find a librarian job right now, I’m doing what seems most sensible for me. It’s not with boundless optimism for my writing career, and it’s not with the assumption that it’s going to be permanent. It’s just that I’d rather take this chance than move to Saskatoon.
Thank you for this post. I went back to work last year for the school district. It was my first time working M-F since my teenager was born and the adjustment was brutal. One of the main reasons I did it was to finance my writing. I go on a two week residency each summer and must pay travel and rental car costs. I like to go to a conference when I can. Having the job gives me the ability to do what I want writing career-wise without it affecting the family budget. It also improves the family budget.
I write mostly in the morning before work. You are right- I am more productive now than when I was a stay-at-home-mom. Because I have to be. But I am working toward the goal of being able to leave the day job at some point.
Anyway, your post today really validated my choice to be at work as an emerging writer.
Good post. I don’t normally comment, but I thought I would address the opposite side of the comment about “uber-productive.” I think this is correct for most people, but not all.
I’ve telecommuted for 13 years now. My office is a spare bedroom with separate phone lines, internet, etc. It is my office, not a bedroom. My kids know this.
I don’t know if it takes a certain personality or simply a matter of practice, but I do know that most people cannot work from home. However, I have never had a problem with it. If anything, I tend to work longer hours than normal because I am at home. It’s too easy to remain in front of the computer when most people are driving home. It’s also too easy to head back to the office after dinner when you know there’s a huge project that still needs to be finished.
My problem is just the opposite of what you stated, though. I found myself unable to get anything done at all whenever I had to actually go into my company’s headquarters. There were way too many distractions for me. People kept stopping me to sign things, pulling me in to meetings, grabbing me for conference calls…it was a nightmare!
So, yes, it does take discipline to work from home, whether it’s writing or anything else, but it is doable.
What a wonderful discussion! I’m sorry I’ve been out of the office most of the week. There’s nothing I like better than a lively discussion!
One thing I wanted to address:
If I implied that you will never make a decent living as a writer, forgive me. Many of you will. In fact, many of you have. One of the most encouraging things I learned as a young writer came from one of my mentors. We were sitting at a writer’s conference and I was repeating what I’d so often heard– that you can’t possibly make a decent living writing. This friend nodded and said, “Yes, it took me almost fourteen years as a writer to hit a six-figure income.” Six-figure?!? Just hearing that it was indeed possible to build a career as a writer gave me the encouragement I needed to press on. Now, not all of us will do as well as this writer, but don’t believe all the naysayers either. I’ll bet J. K. Rowling heard the same pessimistic statistics– maybe worse since she was writing juvenile fiction.
Your writing glass is only half full so far. Be encouraged.
Reading such great spouse stories, I think we writers ought to initiate a Patron of the Arts Day when we treat our spouses to one of their dreams.
Patron of the Arts! That’s cherry. I, however, don’t have one. But I DO have parents that are happy to put up with a 28 year old daughter living with them, helping with the bills and spending all her free time writing and painting!
As for the perfect day job, I don’t think there is one, but I’ve got something close. I work on a horse farm. It’s physical, and can be very rough on you, but it also allows for a certain amount of flexibility, and most importantly, I love it (most days anyhow) so when I do manage to get some time to myself, I’m mentally and emotionally happy and ready to write. Would I like to write all the time, as a full time job? YES! But will I, even if I some day can? Not so sure. Let’s see if I ever get there, and assuming that I do, let’s see what I learn along the way, then I can tell you for sure if I’d ever quit my day job.
I think the concept of day job will shift. My ultimate goal is to be a freelance writer/novelist. My freelance income will be the steady stuff, and I will not quit my day job until my freelance income equals my day job pay.
The lack of commute time and effort will free up writing time and family time, and my novelist income can make up the benefits shortfall from quitting my job.
I may think about part-time work close to home, but I would like to leave the full-time, work at an office life behind.
To me, that is what quitting the day job means.
1) Having only been published for free in small presses, I don’t have the luxory to quit my day job.
2) I enjoy working a day job and trying to challenge myself every day to work dilligently on the hours available after my day job, spending time with the hubby, and taking a walk.
3) Working a job is so very important to a writer. Even if I could afford to quit a job, I would at least get a part time job. My dream is a coffee shop. There are so many interesting people who walk in and so many interesting conversations that become stories on the big white screen at home.
4) Lastly, free time is my enemy. I’m a procrastinator without a deadline. I must work so I feel the pressure of an unfinished novel sitting on my shoulders.
(And one more thing…If you write for money, you are in the wrong market. You write because you enjoy it.)
I went Googling for some answers to my own dilemma of day-job versus the writing life. In my case, I spent a dozen years as an arts journalist, reviewing opera by night and art galleries by weekend and working a nonprofit admin job by day, before I left journalism to write biographies. Three have been published, but unless I get a movie deal or win the lottery I can’t let go of the nonprofit admin work I am still doing – especially as I’m working on book #4. The keys to surviving this kind of life have been listed above – stamina, willpower, a wonderful spouse (I have them all). But I agree, too, that having something to push against every day that is utterly remote from the work one does at one’s desk at home in the evenings and on weekends is a wonderful motivator. I sometimes think that if I had a job where I used my writing skills, I’d be too burnt out from that of a day to face working on my own projects later on. The way I endure is by focusing on my current project, with gratitude that it is mine to create, and that it’s rather fun being what I assume is the only person on my double-decker bus to Victoria in the morning who’s sitting upstairs writing a book!
Awesome Grant! I loved reading your comment. I get to think all day about my book.
Great post, Wendy and interesting comments. I’ve been writing since I was a child. That’s been a few years. I was a stay at home mom and farm wife. I worked on the farm, gardened and canned and wrote while the kids napped or were at school when they got older. I tell people I wrote my first novel while Captain Kangaroo was on. My youngest loved Captain Kangaroo.
I sold a few books, made a little money. One year might have even made a living wage, but then I hit a dry spell with my writing. I was still writing, but not selling. And so, with the kids older and needing more and college expenses looming, I started doing temporary secretarial work. I found it very difficult to work all day, come home and do chores, kid activities, etc. and still find time to write. But with temporary work, I could quit for a while whenever the need to write started tearing a hole in my heart. And I would. Of course, my husband was working and so we weren’t totally dependent on my income. It was a big help, but we had learned to do without a lot of the things the Jones’ had early in our married life in order for me to stay home with the kids. So we got by on his income and the farm income and my part time income.
Then because my need to write is so strong I took this bear of a part-time job that allowed me to work from home but kept the middle part of the day free for me to write. Worked early in the morning and late into the evenings. I hated it, but I didn’t quit until I had sold two books and socked away enough money in the bank to equal a whole year’s salary and health insurance payments. Then I gave up part-time work. I read once that sometimes you have to just do a free fall and take a leap of faith. But the thing you newbie writers might need to remember is that I’d been writing for years and years before I was brave enough to take that leap. I have a lot of self-discipline for working at home. But what helps me most is that I have to write. If I don’t, that hole starts tearing open in my heart.
I work for the government. I sit for hours at a receptionist’s window. I do answer the phone and have paperwork…I can get VERY busy. But for long stretches, I am able to write considerable amounts. For example, one slow day I was able to pound out 5,000 words. In reflection, and especially after reading this entry, I DO write more here than at home!