Writing Full Time? No thanks.

Alexa, I think this is one of your best and wisest videos. So glad you brought up health insurance. I want to send out up a big warning flare to all writers on the importance of maintaining health insurance ~ and not for the usual reasons you might think! IF YOU ARE AN AUTHOR, RUN INTO A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY, AND EVER HAVE TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY, THE COURT CAN CONFISCATE THE RIGHTS TO YOUR BOOKS, i.e. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THE SAME WAY THEY CAN REPO YOUR CAR OR FORECLOSE ON YOUR HOUSE because YOUR BOOKS are ASSETS. If they're bringing in any royalties at all, even small amounts, they're fair game, either traditional or indie.

I was a full-time professional novelist for more than a decade before I learned this. (Thankfully, not the hard way! I learned it from the ever-savvy Dean Wesley Smith, because it happened to one of his friends. A quite famous, excellent author who lost the rights to a bunch of his bestsellers due to his child's catastrophic accident ~ for which he had no insurance.) So this is one necessity that a writer cannot afford to go without if you have any published books out there. Do whatever it takes, but never declare personal bankruptcy. Word to the wise.

Also, you can check authors' orgs like the Authors Guild and NINC (and I think RWA? places like that) for group health insurance rates. More and more of our orgs are providing this as an opt-in benefit to members, since we're all in the same boat. Good writing juju to all. :)

Congrats on the deal with Crown! Good luck with the release. Hope you get a big advance. (I got burned on my Big5 deal, but I'm going to keep pushing on.)

I'm in New Hampshire with trees and mountains everywhere. I can't imagine living in LA based on my upbringing. I'm a writer and introvert. So, I stay put. Doesn't the population wear you out in LA? It's just wayyyyy too many humans around.

Thanks for being so honest about something so personal! It is really going to help people making decisions.

Thanks for your honesty!

Off topic, but... what makeup do you wear? I have a hard time finding makeup fair enough for my pale skin. Yours is beautiful!

I’m currently working on releasing my first novel this year, and I just wanted to say thank you for bringing me back down to earth lol. I find myself in that headspace of dreaming of writing full-time and finding myself unhappy with my day job, so I needed this reality check! 😂

So! My first college major was playwriting. And when I was interviewed to be admitted into the program the program director said to me " I started teaching to support my writing but now I write to support my teaching." That did not full sink in until I watched this video.
Mind you since then I changed my major to accounting and working in accounting to nursing and loving my job in nursing. Even as I write my book and inevitably fantasize about being a huge success I never think about quitting my job.

Loved this video! You've also highlighted some key differences between the US and UK.

I expect I will keep my day job and keep my writing earnings as extra income. Partly because I like having a guaranteed pay cheque every month (with a pay rise each year), but also because I'm an extrovert, so sitting at home all day instead of seeing my friends at work would be lonely. (Yes, I get on well with my colleagues).
I may decide to work part time if my partner earns enough.

Luckily, we don't have to worry about health insurance in the UK as we have the NHS. There are funding issues but, whether you have an ear infection or need open heart surgery, it's all prepaid through our taxes.
I also have private healthcare through my job, so I have the option if I ever want it.

Don't people in the US have pensions? We get state pensions in the UK and, as of a few years ago, all companies have to contribute to your pension scheme once you earn enough, but you have the option of opting out. Pensions can be low, so savings are a good thing, but I thought US had them, too. If you don't then absolutely save up like crazy!!

Unfortunately, we only have one life to live and if you don’t enjoy your day job then you are living a poor and bad life.

Just found this - so very true. I think this is such an important message. Thanks for sharing.

"you are responsible for taking care of yourself" As if life was a wonderfull gift

I need freedom

Only reason piers Anthony was able to write was because of his wife.
Most artistic jobs can't exist as the only income unless they have a partner. Bills have to payed. Also being inside all the time alone would hurt some mentally.

Buy the makeup! You have mad skills and look beautiful in it. Xxx
Please put one of your cats on a vid 😹
So sorry to hear about your mother.

Love this. My goal is to get my degree so I can have a full time day job to support my children, and traditionally publish to earn some money for myself— savings, travel, Masterclasses and so forth. I think writing full time would be too lonely. I need a network of co-workers.

Thanks for this, Alexa

Pick up Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover" if you want to get on top of your finances.

SO SO SO great to have your honesty, you are such a knowledgeable and realistic person without being negative. I had thoughts of quitting the FT job in the past, but I'm not JK Rowling at all lol. Thank you!!

Thanks for being so transparent. I have a full time job and I’m the higher paid “bread winner” in my relationship. My husband makes a decent income, but not as much as me; so while I want to focus full-time on writing, in order to pay our mortgage and maintain our lifestyle I can’t. I’ve got bills to pay and kids to feed. I’ve just dipped my toe back into the writing world and I’m going to be juggling writing with my full time career so wish me luck!

This is amazing advice, it's interesting seeing how many variables that you consider vs different variables that others could have

thank you very much, Alex x

"Health insurance is my main driving force for staying in work"
Me, living in England: oh no ;-;

I can't imagine being a succesful author and still wanting to hold on to a "day job." How much money does one need? I guess we all define happiness and contentment differently.

I love your transparency!

Ugh thank you for your videos alexa, they make me so sad often, but its good to get to know more about reality xD my goal is still to be a full time writer and i will be quite sad if it doesnt happen, but i am fine with my current job and the pay is good (software developer) , maybe one day i can work part time instead? We will see... :)

Sobering video 👍🏼😅

As a millennial myself, the savings account flows and ebs with the major life events our generation keeps stumbling over. You know- major recession, housing crash, multiple world ending apocalypse, and now Covid. Oh and on top of that all the older generations still blame us.😂

My dream would be to work part time at a bookstore and write with the remainder of my week. Though, that likely wont happen. I've got a house to pay for, a kids college to pay for, health insurance to have and provide, a childhood to build for my son, and retirement to build so I can quit working one day. That's a lot of shit to do in a single lifetime. I'd love to relax and treat myself, but I havent done that since I gave birth.

Thanks for keeping it so real in this video.

Thank you for doing this. I have been published for over a decade, but I need stability in order to create.

I love the honesty in your videos, bringing to light what writers dont usually talk about

I'm wondering then, since you recommend still having a day job, could you see the benefit of that day job being part time? So 3 days for day job, then two full days for writing, then weekend for chores/family/a bit more writing etc

I can relate to everything you said, and I am impressed that you've managed to pull off being a published and in-demand writer while maintaining a career.

I finished my MFA at 30, which is the same year I got a new job that is more than a full-time commitment, and within about two years, I was seriously ill with what at the time doctors thought might be multiple sclerosis. It took five years to confirm that it was long-untreated Lyme disease, and treatment for that was really arduous and expensive, and I think I kicked that, but I developed something called mast cell activation syndrome that makes me allergic to all kinds of insane things. I have to take five medications and now also a monthly biologic injection to prevent anaphylaxis. It all has added up to a lot of money even with good health insurance. Without health insurance, I would probably be disabled because I wouldn't be able to afford the treatments I have to take for the rest of my life.

I also grew up lower middle class, and my mother always told my sister and me that we have to have jobs that provide health insurance. I make a good living, and I am much healthier now, but I am rather out of the habit of writing, and it's really hard to find energy now at 43 to write either before or after work. :( Fortunately, I found a writing group and that has been quite encouraging and got me back into it. And like you, I am single, and it can be time consuming to take care of our personal responsibilities, households, etc., in addition to working and writing. Again, I'm really impressed that you're able to do it and also record these illuminating videos.

I also lost my mom four years ago, and it's the most devastating thing that has ever happened in my world. I am really sorry to hear that you lost your mother at too young an age. :(

I have been living in an excited little bubble for the last 24 hours, and I just want to thank you for talking openly about the serious side of potentially going full-time with writing. Everyone talks about how exciting it is and how freeing and all of that, but no one talks about these elements.

I prefer to write full time

As you get older, pay more and more into retirement revenues and work as long as possible. Then ball hard in the last quarter of your life.

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What did you have to do to get your day job? That is better than anything that I think I could achieve.

Great video

Hearing about where you live and the comforts of life you’re accustomed to, I can understand why a full time writer job wouldn’t be desirable for you. I’d feel the same if my rent was $1,600 too lol.

My goal is to be a full time writer. I am currently a full time freelance artist, so I’m familiar with the pros and cons of an “unsteady” and “unstable” income. I also live in the south east and my rent is only $1,000 (and that’s for a 2bd). I’m currently looking to downsize to a studio bc my partner and I realized that our 2nd bedroom has just become an accumulation of crap we don’t need but feel justified in keeping bc “we have to space” lol.

I think if I was in your position I also wouldn’t quit my day job either. Not with eggs now being $6 a dozen 😭

The danger of writing full time is actually going crazy and I'm not being flippant when I say that. You remove yourself from the world, from reality, and live in your own head all of the time. You have to take breaks during the day - and what do you do in them? Maybe wander around on your own thinking about your book, feeling guilty now that you aren't writing because that is what you are supposed to be doing. As hard as it is, stay working as well as writing because you can become very isolated even if you have a loving family - they have their own lives to be getting on with.

The transparency is so refreshing. We often only hear about the incredibly successful stories that are the exceptions or those that didn't make it and got angry and quit. Or like you said - they are able to do their passion full -time but we don't have the full picture which might be that they have a partner with a very well paying job, or they don't have kids, debts, etc. Again, thank you for this deep dive into a topic that isn't not spoken about enough.

I had a job where I was paid to write full time. Turns out I wasn't as interesting as I thought I was when I was in my 20's. It was boring. I need the stimulation of interacting (and being aggravated) with other humans.

So much truth -- especially the facade of writing full time while a partner/spouse carries most or all of the weight. Glad to have found this, and thanks for another great video!

49 years old, former graphic designer, currently a barista in a supermarket Starbucks kiosk ($18.10/hr... peanuts), inactive musician, and occasional informal writer who wants to get back into it on a more serious level. Not feeling too hopeful about it right now. It seems you need at least a middle class standard of living to have the financial and mental real estate to devote to creative pursuits. I have in the past, sort of. Not now. What you're doing is a good thing Alexa, but I suppose one needs a certain base level of... I don't know what you'd call it, to really benefit from hearing it, it's like I'm not in your league and I'm acutely aware of it. I'm sorry, going through a rough time here. 😢

Thank you for this message. I just published my first short story on Amazon. I work full-time in health care and also a retired teacher, so I now have time to write more. This video is so valuable, and I will continue to keep my day job. 😁