Being an author is still not considered to be having a job. An author’s life is very different from the life of a person who has a nine to five job. Perhaps that is why most budding authors and writers always take up a day job as a journalist or a lecturer or even as copywriters in advertising agencies. It is almost an unwritten rule that writing books can never earn you a living. Many people actually consider it to be a luxury to be an author; that only the affluent few can indulge in their creative side. But do you know that it is actually possible to write what you love and at the same time, earn a living out of it? Having said this, you need to be aware of the little tricks that can actually land you a pretty good income for sustenance. I am going to tell you about five things that can actually help you turn your passion into your profession.
1. Love
As long as you are sitting at your desk and writing (or typing) away to glory, there is nothing to not like about it. But once you enter the market to sell your book, you have to face a lot of rejection and disappointment. There is no formula that can instantly fetch you money through your book. You have to have the patience and keep up the passion. This is very important – because unless your passion is alive, this will also become another nine to five nightmare.
2. Discipline
Once you decide to make a living as an author, you need to be disciplined way beyond you can imagine. You have to set deadlines for yourself and work towards keeping them, as much as you can. If you fix appointments with publishers, you need to turn up on time. If you have given someone a deadline, you need to match up to it. This is no longer the time of Ernest Hemingway; everyday hundreds and thousands of authors like you are striving towards making a living out of their books. If you want to keep up, you need to have a disciplined way of working.
3. Read
This is essential even just for the sake of developing and sharpening your writing skills. Read good authors of your time. Figure out what is in their books that makes them sell. The marketing part is important; but it also needs to be good literature. Compare your writing to others who are selling right now. Are you as good as them, or better? Do you have room for development? Read and continuously assess yourself.
4. Approach
A lot of writers fail at this. They get the right moment and the right person. But either because of the fear of rejection, or a certain self-imposed pride, they fail to approach those right people at the right time. It is a fine quality to believe in your writing; but it is also important to communicate with people and take every rejection as constructive criticism. So, do not back out when you need to approach people. Grab any opportunity that you get. Remember, selling your book to a publisher is actually a business. And you need to have the mind-set of a business person while you do it. This is one of the most important things about making a living as an author; achieving the balance between creativity and salesmanship.
5. Consider
You write for yourself, yes. But when you are out to make a living as an author, you also write for your potential publishers and readers. You have to be considerate and realize that this is a service that you are offering. Be humble and honest. Do not put yourself on that pedestal where many writers climb up- of self-created importance and pride. Having said this, remember to remain positive and confident about you and your work.
Image credit: Satish Krishnamurthy on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Abhinanda Banerjee is a full-time freelance writer and stage actor. She’s an avid reader, culinary enthusiast, and lover of everything about the sixties.