[CJAnderson]

As in writing is all you do. No other source of income. Just curious 

Also, how long did it take you to get there? What was the turning point? 

 

[BlueGen]

I was able to give up the day job after the publication of my fourth book. Every book since then has been a big success. I'm now working on my ninth and I can't see myself ever doing a 'proper' day's work again in my life 

 

[miss_fletcher]

I do. Did it six months after my second book released back in Sep 2011. 2014 was a tough year as I was writing/learning more about craft and not releasing, but 2015 is going to be my best yet. Turning point was realising self publishing would work for me if I gave it everything. I wouldn't have given up my day job if I had kids though. I was young (21) had no debt, and my old corporate job was waiting for me if I failed as I worked in a niche industry. So there was little risk and lots to gain.

 

[RobScottNorton]

Do you want those of us who don't write full-time to reply?

I'm one of those with a day job, and young family to support. Hopefully after a few more books published, the writing will bring in some money.

Don't have it as an aim at the moment to give up the day job.

I'd like to think that my day job as a Technical Writer brings some skills to the table that I can use in my writing so I'm not too bitter about it.

 

[timstevens]

Three years into this self-pubbing business, I'm earning two-thirds of my day job salary. Looking to go part-time in about a year. The turning point was a massive BookBub-fuelled freebie promo last June.

I've got a wife, three kids, mortgage, the lot, so giving up the day job isn't something I'll do lightly.

 

[RhemaTom]

I am writing full time, but I am retired on social security, so I have another source of income, though it is not much. I am new, however, and have only published one book to date, my second will be published this Spring. At least I'm not starving. 

 

[stevenremington]

Not sure I consider it full time, but I write every day Monday through Friday (sometimes Saturday) until I hit about 2,000 words and then I put it away. I do not work. I am a full time stay-at-home-dad of 8 children. So I spend the rest of my day looking after kids, cooking, cleaning (blah), and reading. I make a note to read a couple hours each day. Once the children are in bed I scour the kitchen cabinets for alcoholic beverages 

 

[doolittle03]

I write full time but don't make a full time income from writing. I take contracts in various fields to make money in a 3-6 month burst and then I go back to writing.

 

[hardnutt]

I had eighteen books traditionally published and always had to have a day job as I couldn't earn a living from my writing.

That changed about six months after I turned indie in August 2010, and had a number of my backlist up as digital. Apart from several other novels that were never published, they're all up as digital now. But I still don't earn a fortune. I'm hoping the new, custom covers I'm springing for, will make a difference.

I also get a couple of small pension payments every month.

 

[Wayne Stinnett]

Writing is my only source of income, but I still consider myself a part-time writer. My full time job is marketing and promoting. 

 

[RBK]

Full time writer of just over twelve months here.

 

[Amanda M. Lee]

I've only been full-time since January 10, even though I could have left a year earlier. I worked eighty hours a week between writing and my day job to make sure I had a huge chunk of money put away. When I decided to leave my day job I was making about ten times writing what I was as a reporter. I ended up staying a few months extra to ease my transition and not ruin Christmas for two co-workers. Now it's about fifteen times. I made sure to have all my ducks in a row before I did it. I don't want to live lean. I want to buy what I want, when I want it. Also, writing full-time is still a job. I write six hours a day, five days a week. Two hours a day are spent on other stuff like editing, blurbs, covers, audio books, etc. I do very little marketing. I just got lucky my books took off. This is the best and most lucrative job I've ever had. You still have to work.

 

[CJAnderson]

Awesome feedback so far

 

[Usedtoposthere]

I was the weirdo who started writing my first fiction and gave notice 2 weeks later. Yep. Took me a month to get out of the job (had some obligations to meet), but I finished the book & quit the job in the same week--about six weeks after I started writing. I KNEW it was what I was meant to do.

We gave it a year. Hubby said, we'll cut back & give you a year, and you can see if this is going to work out for you. So don't worry until then--we'll reassess then and you can see if you need to get a real job. (I am married to the Official Best Man in the World.)

It turned out to be totally serendipitous, because by the time, six months later, that I'd written two more books, edited them like crazy (since I didn't know what I was doing at the beginning--did I mention that?) and had all of them thoroughly rejected by agents & editors, I was also extremely ill, and couldn't have done a real job anyway. So--I found what I was meant to do in the nick of time. Knowing that I might well be at the end of my life (not to be melodramatic, it was actually that much of a big deal) gave me the courage to decide to self-publish. Got referred to the oncologist on the same day I got the final rejection that made me say, welp, don't wanna die without publishing my books, so I'm going for it.

Anyway--still here! It was a rocky road but I'm baaaack, as they say, and after that first year of writing? I'd been published four months and was already making more than at the Day Job. A month later, I made seven times more than the day job, and I decided I was here to stay.

Sometimes I still lose that, though. Heck, OFTEN I still lose that. That realization that I could be dead, that everything else that happens is a bonus, and that writing is for me, for fun, for getting to tell my truth (even if my truth is romance and relationships and not taken seriously by many). Get caught up in the rat race of it all, despondent over sales or reviews.

I don't have to do anything else, and I never will. That is HUGE. I get to do the job I love. Oh, and I also get to finalize my expenses today. @#$#@%#@#@. But it's all good. It's all good.

 

[valeriec80]

Full time since January 2012. Don't make a heck of a lot of money, but I'm still managing to make it work.

Used to write a lot of books. Now I write 2K a day with a baby strapped to me in a ring sling while I bounce on an exercise ball (this soothes him and makes him sleep). I'm lucky enough to have a healthy backlist keeping me afloat while I can't release anything.

 

[dianapersaud]

Not sure I consider it full time, but I write every day Monday through Friday (sometimes Saturday) until I hit about 2,000 words and then I put it away. I do not work. I am a full time stay-at-home-dad of 8 children. So I spend the rest of my day looking after kids, cooking, cleaning (blah), and reading. I make a note to read a couple hours each day. Once the children are in bed I scour the kitchen cabinets for alcoholic beverages

I have two and I know the feeling I'd go nuts with 8! I'm surprised you still find the time to write. You must be an expert in time management. I'm still trying to figure out the right balance for me (us).

 

[Mark E. Cooper]

Full time since July 2013 when my day job went the way of the Dodo. i've been self publishing in paper and something that used to be called Glassbook since early 2000s. Glassbooks were just Lightning Source's version of an ebook application that used pdf files. Anyway, in 2011 kindle came to the UK, and I actually made $187 yippee! Fast forward to December 2012, and I already knew my job was leaving in mid 2013, and panicking seemed liked a really good idea. Sales were good, but not good enough to replace my day job. I released book 4 in Merkiaari Wars and thank God it took off. It did so well that it pushed my income way higher than I needed, and I reinvested it all into audiobooks. They did really well, and here I am.

So 7 books of various genres to reach my tipping point, and 8 to push it way over. I'm at 12 now plus 2 box sets. the secret of my 13 year overnight success? 7 books, permafree, and wide distro. The mailing list is new. I was SOOOO late in starting. I might not have needed 13 years and 7 books if I'd started one 13 years ago.

 

[stevenremington]

I have two and I know the feeling I'd go nuts with 8! I'm surprised you still find the time to write. You must be an expert in time management. I'm still trying to figure out the right balance for me (us).

Writing is my escape. And I actually make my kids do things and not sit around rotting their brains out on their electronic devices. They understand I give constantly, and all I ask is they give me some time to write each day. Doesn't always work with that approach. Kids get sick, cranky, etc, but I fight for it. I fight for what's mine.

I periodically remind myself that just because I have kids doesn't mean I have to sacrifice my life and what I enjoy in the process. I can have both.

As far as time management... I am better at it that's for sure. Lately I scoff at those who tell me they don't have time to do things. It's not about time, but about priorities and determining the very things in your life you need to put high on the list.

 

[sela]

Full time and only source of income since November 2013. Self-published my first book in June 2012. By the time I quit my day job, I had published 5 full-length novels in two series. Fourth book was the one that made the difference. It was the first book in a new series. I quit after I published the second book in that series and was making more than my day job in revenues.

 

[Taking my troll a$$ outta here]

I went per-diem as an RN after two books; I quit after my 3rd book. First book came out in January 2013. I made great money as a nurse, but nothing beats sitting home in my jammies making stuff up for a living.

PS - I work twice as many hours at my writing career. If you want to make a living as a writer, be prepared to work your tail off. I'd say good luck, but work hard and don't give up is better advice.