Dream? Living the

It’s what every writer dreams of, isn’t it? Being a full-time writer. But how does it pan out? Susie Kearley meets three writers who took the plunge.

Have you ever dreamt of giving up work to ‘go pro’ as a writer? A lot of us have been there, but having the confidence or the opportunity to quit your day job and work on your writing full-time is a big decision. Susie Kearley caught up with three writers who’ve taken the plunge.

KARL DRINKWATER is an independent multi-genre author. Five years ago he quit his information science career to write full-time.

‘I was working as a university librarian and teacher, writing in my spare time,’ he says. ‘I gradually cut my full-time hours down to half-time, so I could spend more time writing.’ Karl had such positive feedback on his stories that after a few years, he decided to leave his job to become a full-time writer.

Did it feel risky? ‘Less than it could have been,’ says Karl. ‘I planned ahead. I combined a small voluntary severance package with my savings, working out how much money I could survive on a month. I knew how long I could support myself for, even if I didn’t make much money from writing at the start. And, because I’d supported my partner through her PhD, she was happy to do the same for me when I quit work to write. That helped eke out my savings.

‘I also provided editing services to other authors, analysing manuscripts and making suggestions at macro structural, character arc, and stylistic levels. Critiquing other works is a good sharpener for your own craft. Editing is always a backup plan, if necessary.

‘Finally, I live frugally. No car, no extravagant holidays, no children, rarely eating out – I’m a vegan so love cooking! A key tip is to live within your means.’

Independent publishing means there is a lot to do, and a lot of challenges. ‘You have upfront costs, hiring people for cover design, interior design, editing, proofreading and marketing,’ Karl continues. ‘On the plus side an independent author gets 70% royalties on each ebook sale, rather than 10% with trade publishing.’

Karl was invited to chair one of the juries for the International Bram Stoker Awards in 2018. ‘It was fun and rewarding, but a hit to my productivity!’ he says.

What has he learnt along the way? ‘You have to find the overlap between what you love writing, and what sells. I’d never write something I wasn’t in love with, just to make money; but neither would I want to spend a year writing a book that only one person will ever read. It can take time to find that sweet spot. I write in three genres (SF, horror, and contemporary/literary), and some of my fans enjoy all of them.’

What’s been the high point? ‘Seeing Lost Solace get to #1 globally on Kobo and Amazon last year was a huge thing. I’m used to great feedback from my readers, but rankings are purely based on sales, and provide hard proof that you’re doing something right.’

Karl values quality over quantity, and has taken a slow and steady approach to building his author profile. ‘My books have long gestation periods, with feedback from editors, rewriting and polishing. I know it’s possible to have success with lots of books rushed out too, but I could never do that. Being an author is a marathon, not a sprint.’

What would he say to other writers thinking of going full-time? ‘Make the books as good as they can be. That will build your reputation. Let it be a gradual thing, with paid employment to support you initially.

‘Be efficient: I usually have three books at different stages of progress at a time – one at planning/ideas, one

at writing/editing, and one complete and moved on to marketing/advertising.

‘Seek support from other writers and organisations, and contribute in return. I’m a professional member of the Horror Writers Association, the British Science Fiction Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.’ Website: www.karldrinkwater.uk

PETER JONES is a novelist and self-help guru, who used to work in credit card banking. He started his publishing journey with a Kindle ebook on happiness, which sold so well, he quickly snapped up a publishing deal.

In 2013, Peter decided to ditch his banking career and become a full-time writer. ‘I’d just sold How to Do Everything and Be Happy to Harper Collins,’ he says. ‘It made me think this publishing lark was easier than I expected. My first novel got snapped up by an agent and I thought my writing career was headed for great things, so I let my contracts expire in banking and never went back.

‘My agent gave me lots of changes to make to my book, so I cut 25%, got rid of chapters, wrote new ones, and beavered away over many months making all the changes she’d asked for. Then, when I went back to see her, she said, “The market’s changed and I’m no longer sure I can sell your book.”

‘I was gutted. I’d just terminated all my contracts in credit card banking and it was a wake-up call. I realised I’d been extremely lucky my first book – How to Do Everything and Be Happy – was published at the right time on Kindle, and it was the first non-celebrity book that the non-fiction department of Harper Collins had published in years.’

On reflection, Peter wished he’d been more cautious. ‘Becoming a full-time writer was the worst career choice of my life, financially,’ he says. ‘A few years later, I was doing so badly money-wise, I tried to get back into banking, but I’d been out of the industry for too long and couldn’t get back in. I applied to be a postman but they turned me down. I couldn’t get a job anywhere! I applied to be a bus driver and sailed through the verbal interview, so that looked more promising.

‘Then I did a talk about my writing at a local church fellowship group, and a crazy old lady who’d been talking to her teddy bear throughout my talk, came up to me afterwards and said, “Why are you wasting your time writing?” Charming, I thought, but she had a point to make... “You should be talking! This is your real talent,” she exclaimed. I didn’t agree with her, obviously, but maybe she wasn’t completely crazy. I decided to focus on my public speaking, and called the bus company to cancel the practical test.

‘I contacted all sorts of groups to offer myself as a speaker, and put my fee up. Bookings started to roll in and my finances recovered. Now the writing is back, front and centre, with public speaking being the second string to my bow. It’s very difficult to be 100% a full-time writer, so some writers teach and do editing. I tried teaching but it didn’t suit me. I’m not diplomatic enough – I told students what I really thought.’

What’s the high point of Peter’s writing career? ‘Being taken on by Harper Collins, and the day my mum said she’d read my book and admitted, “It’s rather good!” My parents had never taken my writing seriously, so to hear her say it was good was an emotional experience – I nearly cried.’

Peter has now had eight books published and his best sellers are How to Do Everything and Be Happy, My Girlfriend’s Perfect Ex-Boyfriend, and How to Eat Loads and Lose Weight.

What does he say to other writers thinking of going full-time? ‘Take a cautious approach. Getting an agent is difficult. Losing an agent is easy. Things change and they might drop you, so bear this in mind when making life-changing decisions.’

Website: www.peterjonesauthor.wordpress.com

SANDRA SMITH is a full-time freelance writer whose portfolio includes a range of national and regional magazines from Landscape, Town & Country and Country Life to Buckinghamshire Living, Hampshire Life and Vale Life. Sandra also offers editing, mentoring and critiques, and was Thame Arts & Literature Festival’s Flash