Purposeful Prose Advice Column: What About My Day Job?

Dear Purposeful Prose,

My dream is to be a full time author. I want to be able to live off of my books alone. I know that it’s possible, and I want to follow my heart. My family is telling me to keep my job and to write on the side, but that’s not what I really want to be doing right now. I’ve done a little self-publishing, but I don’t know what my next step should be. Should I follow my heart and quit my job or should I listen to my family and just write on the side?

There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s start with the good. 

First and foremost, you have already self-published, so you have published works in your portfolio. That’s a good start. Second, you do have a job. 

Let’s move on to the unknowns. I don’t know how well your current works are selling, how much you’re making in your current job, and what your expenses look like. These aren’t things that I need to know, but they are important for you to know. Can you, reliably, quit your job and still maintain an income that will allow you to take care of yourself?

If you’re in a toxic work environment and you need to move on from your job for other reasons, that’s another issue entirely. If you’re currently experiencing a toxic work environment, I highly recommend looking into resources on that. My advice to you will assume that this is not the case.

I’ve been teaching and tutoring for a long time. In order to do my job effectively, I have to be able to give feedback in many different ways. Some students prefer that I draw diagrams. Some students prefer that I explain using lists. Others will prefer that I model strategies for them. As an editor, the same applies. 

Some authors prefer that I create tables for them. Some prefer pages of notes. Others prefer that I stick to comments within their document. 

All of this is to say that there are likely some skills that cross over between your job and your aspiration. They might not be as straightforward as teaching and editing, but the act of writing and composing does not solely take place between yourself and your writing implements. 

Your unique style, what we call a “voice”, comes from your experiences. What you do in regards to your job is entirely up to you. If you currently rely on your job for your living situation and your day-to-day expenses, and you cannot rely on your published works for that, I definitely don’t suggest quitting. 

What I suggest is this. If you can’t quit it, use it. 

Use the experiences you have, and continue to create what’s meaningful to you. If you are able to quit and solely focus on your writing over time, that’s great. At the same time, as an author, it’s important to find ways to inspire yourself.

Remember that taking care of yourself and your needs, even if those actions feel uninspiring and mundane, is an adventure in itself. There are people who will want to read about that. Are you wanting to create some form of escapism? Do it. There will be an audience who needs that escapism as much as you do. 

While the struggling artist stereotype exists for a reason, you shouldn’t have to struggle to be an artist.

Feel free to reach out to me if this post didn’t completely answer your question, and I look forward to hearing more about your work in the future! If you have a writing or editing-focused question, I would be more than happy to dedicate a post to you. Contact us for any questions you might have or to schedule a free consultation with yours truly!

All submissions will remain anonymous unless you explicitly request for me to include your name.