Planning for a Full-Time Writing Future
Now is the time to make your move
I turned 51 recently. Lots of things about that bothered me, but there were things about it that excited me too. Without getting into the laments of midlife, I want to focus on the exciting part.
Since 2004, I’ve been a public school teacher. For twelve years before that, I went to school part-time and worked as a secretary. In just over four years, I’ll be able to retire from teaching. I feel especially excited about it because I hope to start a whole new life. This time, as a full-time writer.
After 25 years of teaching English, I’ll be ready to make a living writing books instead of teaching them.
Though I’m eager to live out this dream, I can’t just dream for the next four years. Now is the time to make plans and decisions that will lead to a successful post-retirement career. It’s really more of a career change—a foray into a new adventure where I have much more agency over my life.
In researching, reading, and listening to podcasts (like the Creative Penn), I’ve learned that establishing multiple streams of income is critical. That way, I won’t depend upon only one creative activity to earn a living.
Another important step is making connections with other writers, potential readers, and those in the industry. Here are a few thoughts on each of these:
Write, Write, Write
The most important and obvious step—WRITE! Last year, my writing output was sparse but is starting to increase this year. Unfortunately, I have creative baggage everywhere. The fiction project I partially outlined is at a standstill. Another unfinished manuscript needs an overhaul.
Still more ideas are brewing in my head but aren’t documented anywhere. I need an appointment with myself for a braindumping session. Getting it all scribbled down will help preserve it for when I’m ready to act.
In the next few months, I also plan to work on an editorial calendar. It will help me plan what and when to contribute to Substack. More importantly, the fiction aspect of my writing would benefit from setting word count goals and designating time on my calendar. I’m learning I need structure to hold myself accountable
Another thing I learned last year? Writing output will not happen on a whim. Treating writing like a proper appointment is essential to increase my written output.
Even in small margins of time here and there, I must be intentional. With the demands of work and motherhood, I have to get serious about establishing and maintaining a schedule. Then, if I have unexpected time I can choose to use on a whim, it will be a bonus.
Eventually, I hope to earn money on Substack. Hopefully, my writing here will benefit my subscribers and followers.
Serving and encouraging readers is important to me. I want to use my work to help people and glorify God. I’m okay with slowly expanding my reach and building my body of work. It’s not a race
Passive Income
Writing takes time, along with editing, publishing, and marketing. Just over a year ago, I started developing an additional income stream by creating a line of printable goods via Amazon KDP. In creating something once, it then becomes a form of passive income.
When an item sells, Amazon prints and ships it for me and sends me my share of the earnings. Work once, keep getting paid.
I like this because creating journals, devotionals, and coloring books is fun and provides a creative outlet beyond writing. Instead of wasting a lot of time doomscrolling, I can use non-writing time designing and uploading evergreen materials to KDP. Then I wait, allowing the slow growth model to do its thing.
In addition to these printed goods, I’m considering designing some writer-focused merch like tees, mugs, and totes as additional passive income earners.
Over time, I hope my efforts will create a sizeable collection of items people want to buy. Hopefully, it will provide a decent stream of income to supplement writing.
Affiliate Income
A friend recently turned me onto Bookshop.org. Their mission is to support and empower local bookstores. From their About page:
“Bookshop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world.
We believe local bookstores are essential community hubs that foster culture, curiosity, and a love of reading, and we're committed to helping them thrive.Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. Our platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.”
Readers and writers can benefit too because they offer an Affiliate Program. If you recommend a book through the program, you can earn 10% of the sale.
This is not only a fantastic way to earn passive income, but you can recommend the books you love while benefitting independent bookshops. Plus, you can even recommend your own books!
I am building my affiliate page, which you can view HERE. I’m hoping to continue adding to it and will be sharing more about this in a future dedicated post
Future Creative Income Possibilities
Perhaps I’ll use my teaching skills to put together online courses someday. Sites like Teachable and Udemy allow users to create and host courses for purchase. Sharing your expertise and connecting with people who want to learn allows a different way to express your creativity while earning from it.
Maybe I’ll launch a podcast and start finding speaking engagements. I have lots of ideas and am excited to explore them. Anything is possible, but none of it can happen without purposeful research and planning.
I’ll tackle one idea at a time. We can’t create and launch everything at once and expect success. Little by little, we plant a garden and watch it grow before we can harvest.
Making Connections
While writing and establishing streams of income are important, establishing relationships is also an integral part of being a writer. Interacting with readers while establishing an audience is important. Simply putting our work out there isn’t enough. We must engage meaningfully with those who give us their time and attention.
Everything we share and talk about shouldn’t be about selling products or gaining followers. Asking questions, sharing about our own lives, and encouraging people to share about theirs are all equally important.
A balanced approach to these things helps us build a reputation as both a trusted creative businessperson and an engaged community member in digital and real-world spaces.
Relationships with other writers and people in the industry also play a role. We need them to have a healthy network of people for this writer’s journey.
Finding beta readers and becoming one for other writers is one way of making these connections. Having people we can invite to guest post or pitch to be a their podcast guest also depends on our cultivation of community.
If you hope to build a career as a writer, decide how you’ll allocate the time you have. Think about what kinds of services and products you’ll offer readers and customers. Be sure to cultivate relationships with other creatives and those in your audience.
The time is now to build a foundation for the life I dream of. For too long, I’ve left it to surges of fleeting ambition and whimsy instead of taking a devoted slow and steady approach. Though I regret that wasted time, I’m ready to change things now. It fills me with hope and excitement. I hope the same for you.
Community Garden:
Join in the conversation by leaving a comment. Let’s get to know one another better as we continue on the writer’s journey.
Where are you in your writer’s journey? Do you have a specific goal for where you’d like go with it?
What’s your best advice for organizing your time and energy for writing?
