The Wrong Question

The Wrong Question I come back from a conference with all sorts of fodder for editorials, sometimes for a great article to pitch a magazine. A lot of times too much material, but thats part of what makes conferences energizing and rejuvenating. They provide spark. Like your teachers said in school, or shouldve said if they didnt, is there is never a stupid question. At a conference, all questions should be welcomed. But that doesnt mean that some questions arent the wrong ones to ask. For instance, one writer asked, Lets say I just quit my job and have this book to sell. How can I make enough money to live off of? I was moderating the panel, so I seized control first. I wanted to answer this one. I actually wanted to pull this writer aside and talk specifics with him. This was a very cart-before-the-horse question. First, a writer leaves the day job only after he has made specific plans on what he will write, how he will market it, and what income he can expect to come in. Books are not quick money makers, at least not until you have a platform and have multiple books under your belt, and even then, only if youve mastered indie publishing. There are So many steps there to take BEFORE you quit the day job. Items to consider before you quit the day job to be a writer: 1) How much money have you made writing while still on the day job. If youve made $5,000 while working ten hours a week, then hopefully youll make $20,000 while working forty hours. Whoa. Doesnt sound like much, does it? Then stick to the day job until youve raised how much you make part-timing it. When youre making $10,000 or $20,000 part-time, then you might have something. Dont try to convince yourself that full-time will enable you to make way more . . . more than the hourly basis youre making part-time. Because writing full-time will involve administrative tasks like taxes, computer maintenance, and self-promotion that eat up your time without pay. 2) Make sure you have solid health insurance. One broken arm and no insurance can derail you time-wise and financially, to the point youd kill to have that day job back again. 3) What writing income can you develop in addition to book revenues? Im a believer in any writer freelancing, because one That writer didnt ask a stupid question. It turned into quite the good discussion. Asking a question that had its priorities screwed up became a learning tool for the entire room. Ask any question, because often the wrong question can turn into the right one.