Want to make a great living as a writer? Let me promise you… not only is this possible, but writers can make as much as six-figures a year.
I’m proof, and it was a heck of a lot easier to do than I thought. I’ll even show you how.
But before your eyebrows shoot up and your chin tilts down in disbelief, I have a confession.
I totally didn’t believe it, either.
I mean, c’mon — most writers are starving artists, right? Sure, you’ve got the occasional, break-out star who writes a single bestseller and lives off the fat of the land.
But — so the story goes — the majority of writers struggle for pennies and go unappreciated in their own time. (And they wear black and brood a lot, too, right?)
My Unexpected Journey to Writing
Even though writing was my lifelong hobby, not once did I entertain the notion of becoming a professional writer. Who wants to live off rice? I’m a fine-dining kind of gal.
So I took the safe route. Went to college. Got a business degree. Landed a nice job with a nice salary and benefits.
Sadly, by the time I turned 26, I wanted to leave my job. But I didn’t just want to quit my job. I wanted to be done with all jobs.
I was fed up with a 60-hour workweek. I dreaded the two-hour daily commute. I hated being under the thumb of a boss all the time (and my boss was a real crankster, which didn’t help the problem).
The Day it All Changed…
After just one year of traditional employment, I was on the lookout for an escape.
Yet, the day I got a letter about a writing profession that could change everything… well, I didn’t believe it.
It just didn’t make sense to me. How was it possible to become a writer, schedule my own day, write about stuff that interested me, and make more money than a lot of doctors and lawyers?
Psssht.
But, like I said… I wanted freedom from standard employment.
So I kept going back to the letter. I Googled the people mentioned in the letter (they were real). I started reading their blogs (their stories were real). I looked up the company that sent the letter (it was real, and even had a top score with the BBB). And if you don’t know who I’m talking about… it was AWAI.
It didn’t take long before I up and did it. I quit my cushy-safe, conservative job after just 14 months of employment. I can still remember my Dad shaking his head in bewilderment. I’ll give him credit — he still totally encouraged me, but let’s just say it looked like I was walking the plank.
Why’d I do it?
Looking back, I think I was most motivated by the idea of taking charge of my life and not giving my best years to a job that didn’t excite me.
And the idea of becoming a writer… that thrilled me to no end. Being paid well and working from home were just extra perks.
The day after quitting my job, I hung out my shingle as a writer.
The Payoff in Persistence
It’d be cool to say everything was butterflies and fairy-boats from there on out.
The truth is, I struggled a heck of a lot my first two years — and barely made any money.
But that third year, something happened. Well, a bunch of things happened:
- I made a public goal to make six-figures as a writer
- I hooked up with a support system of fellow writers
- I realized how to find clients willing to pay well for good writing (and I upped my rates — a lot)
- I discovered the reasons a lot of writers struggle
It’s true — and it shocked the heck out of me: I hit that six-figure mark at the very end of my third year as a professional writer. And I met loads of other writers who had been making six-figures for years.
The take-home message here is simple:
If you want to be writer, quit your day job, harness your freedom, and make good money… YOU CAN.
It’s not always easy. And yes, it requires effort. You need to know specific writing techniques. You need to know where to find the paying clients. And if you’re like me, you’ll have to do some serious work on your self-confidence and time-management skills before you can earn decent money.
Not to mention practicing your writing. A lot. A LOT.
But if you take the leap, do the work, and get the payoff? Trust me when I say it makes life very sweet.
Very sweet indeed.
So tell me… is that something you’re ready for? Is the writer’s life something you want? How long have you wanted it?
If you’re interested in starting your own writer’s life, consider joining us at the Barefoot Writer today.
