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Making money as a fantasy writer (or at least feeling good about entertaining people)
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<blockquote data-quote="PaulKemp" data-source="post: 1905991" data-attributes="member: 2809"><p>You've probably heard this before, but I'll repeat it anyway. Earning enough to write for a living is quite rare.</p><p></p><p>Here are the numbers that I've heard making the rounds: Among published writers of fantasy fiction (as opposed to writers of gaming material, about which I know nothing), some 5% or so earn enough to make a living. About 5% of that 5% (I went to law school to avoid math, so you'll have to derive that number yourself <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ) actually make a GOOD living with their writing.</p><p></p><p>Most full-time writers either have an understanding and well-paid spouse, are habituated to living a fairly modest lifestyle, or have a nice nest egg. The Robert Jordans and RA Salvatores are extraordinarly rare. </p><p></p><p>I actually wrestled at one point with whether or not to quit my day job (corporate lawyer) to pursue the writing career full time. At the time I was making this decision, I already had a couple novels published and my signature character was gaining popularity. But faced with the numbers I set forth above, I decided it would be unwise to try and make a go of it solely as a writer. That was the right decision for me. My books are doing well, my characters seem quite popular, but I still need my legal salary to provide for my family. So, I write on my lunch hour, in the evenings, and on weekends. If ever my books sell one-quarter as many as Bob Salvatore's, I'll reconsider my course. </p><p> </p><p>Obviously, you have to do what's right for you. I just thought you might find it useful to hear from a working writer. </p><p></p><p>Paul</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PaulKemp, post: 1905991, member: 2809"] You've probably heard this before, but I'll repeat it anyway. Earning enough to write for a living is quite rare. Here are the numbers that I've heard making the rounds: Among published writers of fantasy fiction (as opposed to writers of gaming material, about which I know nothing), some 5% or so earn enough to make a living. About 5% of that 5% (I went to law school to avoid math, so you'll have to derive that number yourself :) ) actually make a GOOD living with their writing. Most full-time writers either have an understanding and well-paid spouse, are habituated to living a fairly modest lifestyle, or have a nice nest egg. The Robert Jordans and RA Salvatores are extraordinarly rare. I actually wrestled at one point with whether or not to quit my day job (corporate lawyer) to pursue the writing career full time. At the time I was making this decision, I already had a couple novels published and my signature character was gaining popularity. But faced with the numbers I set forth above, I decided it would be unwise to try and make a go of it solely as a writer. That was the right decision for me. My books are doing well, my characters seem quite popular, but I still need my legal salary to provide for my family. So, I write on my lunch hour, in the evenings, and on weekends. If ever my books sell one-quarter as many as Bob Salvatore's, I'll reconsider my course. Obviously, you have to do what's right for you. I just thought you might find it useful to hear from a working writer. Paul [/QUOTE]
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