tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post11373086687784741..comments2024-03-15T09:26:02.796-05:00Comments on PROJECT MAYHEM: Can You Make a Living from Writing?Project Mayhemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05154342399869089664noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-78648969958667742352017-11-30T09:34:44.042-06:002017-11-30T09:34:44.042-06:00Helpful post.Helpful post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07553094122435583373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-27150973475568548802013-03-02T13:47:21.804-06:002013-03-02T13:47:21.804-06:00This is fascinating. I've never seen it broken...This is fascinating. I've never seen it broken down in this much detail before. It's really eye-opening for me since I've yet to sell anything! Joanne R. Fritzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08076959910493197255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-70867077285177948222013-03-02T12:03:42.566-06:002013-03-02T12:03:42.566-06:00That's lovely of you to share all of this, Chr...That's lovely of you to share all of this, Chris. It's a hard go and for everyone who has their first book out, remember that the second book (Especially in a series) sells the first, too. I keep reminding myself that as I head into Bk 2. Also, doing class visits, coming as a visiting author (especially to international schools) is great, too. Many schools have authors-in residence. International schools will often pay travel, housing and per diem. The last school I visited (a British International School here in Cairo) paid me £500 per day doing presentations in classrooms. Many schools pay more. Writer-In-Residence programs often pay between $10,000-20,000 per school year. The benefit from getting into classrooms is that people learn about your books. My publisher said they could actually see spikes in sales every time I went out on the road.eden unger bowditchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17874537224610872095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-69183491726673963582013-03-02T09:04:13.877-06:002013-03-02T09:04:13.877-06:00There is power in knowledge! Plus, I love the Myth...There is power in knowledge! Plus, I love the MythBusters, so why not bust a few myths of my own?Kris Bockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217265282250089583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-20671180308232624892013-03-02T03:05:07.869-06:002013-03-02T03:05:07.869-06:00Wow, thanks for sharing and your honesty. This is ...Wow, thanks for sharing and your honesty. This is usually a topic writers want to shy away from. Good to see a professional approach :)Charmaine Clancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18059559142070140041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-91020258771566450372013-03-01T16:59:52.248-06:002013-03-01T16:59:52.248-06:00Interesting. Thanks so much for the breakdown and ...Interesting. Thanks so much for the breakdown and peek at some of the practicalities. Jan O'Hara (Tartitude)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04930129153455367820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-20952531408929613082013-03-01T15:29:21.570-06:002013-03-01T15:29:21.570-06:00Thank you everyone for your comments. Yes, there i...Thank you everyone for your comments. Yes, there is a business side to writing, assuming you want to be published. Whatever path you take, the business will intrude at some point, unless you just want to write for your own pleasure and never try to find an audience. But hey, it still beats having a "real job"! I'd rather be a writer/businesswoman than work for someone else.Kris Bockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217265282250089583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-17500537384039180212013-03-01T15:25:59.102-06:002013-03-01T15:25:59.102-06:00Thanks, Susan. It's great that you are making ...Thanks, Susan. It's great that you are making so much from self published work. I'd like to hear more about that – is it for children?<br /><br />I'm not making a huge amount from self-publishing yet, but in 2012 I made five times as much as in 2011. If that rate of increase keeps up, I'll be very happy!Kris Bockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217265282250089583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-54540097927654472192013-03-01T11:33:23.922-06:002013-03-01T11:33:23.922-06:00Thanks for sharing this with us, Chris. As my co-b...Thanks for sharing this with us, Chris. As my co-blogger Esther Hershenhorn often says, we writers much "cobble together" a living. I wish more people were aware of this. Most people (mainly non-writers, but sometimes beginning writers, too) I meet think all writers match J.K. Rowling's earnings.Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-61325378756014074242013-03-01T11:04:43.325-06:002013-03-01T11:04:43.325-06:00Chris, this is fascinating. Thanks for sharing. I&...Chris, this is fascinating. Thanks for sharing. I'm not yet making a living wage as a writer, but I'm still plugging away.Dee Garretsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14533945691880883871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-86871866808577635532013-03-01T09:50:02.789-06:002013-03-01T09:50:02.789-06:00This is fascinating, but also a little overwhelmin...This is fascinating, but also a little overwhelming. It looks like to make a living as a writer, you have to be more business-woman than writer! Of course I'm probably exaggerating, but maybe I should just appreciate my non-writing day job a little bit more.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-80345536490294581062013-03-01T09:40:49.402-06:002013-03-01T09:40:49.402-06:00This was interesting, Chris--and I'm very impr...This was interesting, Chris--and I'm very impressed that you have finished organizing all your tax information!Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-1261297012164502232013-03-01T09:37:38.166-06:002013-03-01T09:37:38.166-06:00I do believe you can make a career in writing. But...I do believe you can make a career in writing. But to do so means you have to think outside the box and consider the 'business' of writing, what you are able to accomplish, how you need to budget and set goals. Thanks for sharing your views. But it is a business which means cash flow ebbs and flows.LM Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624508396760965680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-52558253471628701452013-03-01T09:27:52.881-06:002013-03-01T09:27:52.881-06:00Interesting! Very versatile in your ability to tur...Interesting! Very versatile in your ability to turn writing into a supporting career! <br /><br />My answer to your title question is "yes" - at least that's been true for me for the last year and a half. I like your per-capita average income criteria, so I looked it up for Illinois (which is ranked 16th in the country). Last year, I made about 72% of the average, but almost exclusively from my self-published fiction (the remainder from classes/workshops/speaking and a tiny royalty from my small press book). However, I made most of that in the second half of the year, so in 2013, I'm looking to make about double the average (of course, we're only a couple months in, so it's always sketchy to predict such things).<br /><br />I'm amazed at how many writers actually DO make a living from their writing these days. It's a great time to be writer!Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-64213775558990860892013-03-01T07:52:49.765-06:002013-03-01T07:52:49.765-06:00You have always impressed me with your skill and r...You have always impressed me with your skill and reach, Chris. You truly are a one-woman business and a writing machine!Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-67538146174676983342013-03-01T06:47:43.081-06:002013-03-01T06:47:43.081-06:00Thanks for sharing this. I have to laugh when some...Thanks for sharing this. I have to laugh when someone says that publishing a book will bring a fortune. Interesting all the things you're doing. You're a very busy person.Tonja Dreckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07683717853264134466noreply@blogger.com