All New Writers Should Have Full-time Jobs

Why an alternate 9-to-5 job guarantees writing success

There are hundreds of articles about how to monetize your writing, attract new clients and charge high rates. However, one thing that no successful writer spells out is the notion that all new writers should have alternate full-time careers other than writing.

This might seem paradoxical because who has time or discipline to work on 2 careers? Also, how can you write enough to make a living wage from writing, if 8 hours per day are spent chained to a salaried deskjob?

However, good writing comes from experience and expertise. So unless you are J.K.Rowling or Malcolm Gladwell, here are some reasons why a full-time career helps you avoid the “starving artist” syndrome and promotes better writing.

1] Freedom of Choice

Being broke sucks and forces you to make bad decisions. Money cannot buy happiness, but it erases away a lot of problems. Having a steady paycheck allows you to focus on long-term success, instead of writing to market or catering to finicky clients. The day job (however mundane) allows writers to sponsor writing activities without having to pinch pennies.

$20-$50 on a stunning cover that attracts readers and guarantees sales? Check.

Want to run a $25 ad to blast your book to a site that boasts 100,000 readers in your niche? Check.

Need $100 to host your own Wordpress site, create a portfolio and build an email list? Check.

Write 2 years for FREE until you find your unique voice, build an audience or simply experiment with writing? Check.

For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger made his fortune in real estate and landscape work before he hit stardom as an actor. While other impoverished actors fanatically auditioned for penny-roles and accepted every mediocre role that fell to their lot, he could pick and choose. The money from his other career allowed him to wait for the perfect opportunity (Terminator) and reject all other mediocre offers.

2] Escape from Work

Having a writing task allows you to look forward to your evenings and weekends, instead of wasting it on binge watching TV re-runs or other mindless activities. The duality of identity of (day job + writing) brings focus to both tasks.

3] Escape from Writing

Writing is hard. It takes willpower and effort, and some days there is zero motivation. If your income relied solely on writing, it would also become soul-sucking! Plus, unless you are Seth Godin, Emma Leech or David Baldacci, it is extremely hard to keep churning out bestsellers on a daily or monthly basis! Not being a “fulltime” writer takes that pressure off and allows you to retain the joy of writing.

Even Superman worked full-time as a reporter, so why should we complain?

If you just need a break due to writer’s block, you may want to read this instead:

4] Better Writing

Personally, I have found that the double commitment forces me to be more efficient, write faster (900 word per hour), be disciplined about time (no saying yes to boring social invites) and ruthlessly guard my work-life balance.

My salary (from my day job) also allows me to pay for classes and activities that improve my writing skills. For example, I am paid member on Medium, and get to read unlimited articles from top writers on productivity, writing, freelancing, business, etc. I can happily enjoy beach vacations for a complete break from work and writing and experience complete mental and physical rejuvenation. I can buy a dozen books per year to stimulate my creativity, and so on. Just for these perks, I love my day job and do everything I can to excel there as well.

If you do not feel like paying for a writing class, explore this article instead:

5] Triple Threat

According to Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) every successful person is essentially a triple threat! They are above average (or brilliant) in 3 unique skills that no one else has perfected. This allows them to monetize their craft and charge high rates. For example, Adams himself worked in corporate America and knew about office politics, bad managers, and employee eccentricities. He was also an excellent sketch artist and decent comedian. Individually, the skills are not brilliant, but he was able to merge them together to create the synergy of success.

However, if you think deeper. If Adams had created his bestselling illustration fresh out of college, would they have been so popular? Nope. The stories would have been hearsay, and likely never have resonated with millions of office-goers.

On a similar vein, your non-writing job can provide fodder for a lot of writing, irrespective of genre. You can visit new places, attend seminars and even use human drama from work politics into your writing.

6] Kudos from Society

I saved this for the last because it is a vanity metric more than anything! But boy, is it motivational!

Having an identity separate from a writer brings a lot of kudos to both roles. Your writer friends praise you for having the discipline to write after a hard day’s work and look at you enviously for having money to indulge in honing your writing craft. On the other hand, your work colleagues praise you for having the motivation to write after a hard day’s work and look at you enviously for diversifying your income. Win-win from both angles! :)

This positive reinforcement encourages you to look for novel ways to become a better writer and make more money from writing and your day job!

So, if you are just starting out or earn less than $100/mo, then do not think about quitting yet. If you are already a full-time writer, then consider taking a part-time role or diversifying into something that can bring a steady income for the near future.

Until then, adieu and happy writing!