Wordpreneur.com

BY LAURA COLLEGE

Most people are confused when I tell them what I do for a living, and to be honest, I can’t fault them. When I first discovered ghostwriting, I was just as confused as the general public, and I had no idea that people other than novelists actually wrote for a living.

But the question is not whether I can write for a living, but whether you can. And to be honest, you are the only person who can answer that question.

Writing for a living is not always all it’s cracked up to be. When business is slow, it can be hard to pay the rent, and when business is booming, it’s a struggle to keep up. The world of ghostwriting tends to ebb and flow, sometimes following the economy, and the dry times can be almost as frequent as the floods.

The hard part, however, is getting started because you honestly don’t know what you are doing. You read articles like this one, written by writers who have been around the block, but none of them tell you what you really want to know: Can you survive off of a writer’s paycheck?

Let’s make one thing clear right away: As a writer, you don’t get a paycheck. That’s right, those little pay stubs with your name typed out and the zeroes at the other end of the dollar sign are a thing of the past. Instead, you’ll be relying on the payments from your clients. If you have no clients, you have no money, which is a scary concept for any prospective entrepreneur.

Depending on your circumstance, it is best not to quit your day job until you have at least a few ongoing clients and have developed a reputation of sorts. Sometimes, this isn’t possible due to personal and financial situations. For example, making a living as a writer is perfect for people who are disabled or who must work from home to take care of a family member. You can work in your underwear, set your own hours and take breaks without asking for anyone’s permission.

You must also be willing to take a chance. Many people are dependent upon the very idea of financial security. If you have a panic attack just thinking about having to cut back on the comforts to which you have been accustomed, then starting to making a living as a writer may not be the best career move for you. It takes strength to live on the edge of a financial precipice with no idea where your next dime will be coming from.

So take a moment to examine all areas of your life and think about how that life will change when you decide to start making a living as a writer. Consider your family situation and whether or not you will have a second income. If you have children or other financial responsibilities that must be met, you might want to consider writing part time until you can equal your current income.

Laura J. College is a professional ghostwriter with more than 10 years of experience writing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Her work can be found all over the Internet, and she is currently accepting ghostwriting clients. Check out her website.

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