: Re: Is there enough money in writing for me to quit my dead end job? I am currently working full time hours in a dead end job, I began writing a novel with a friend about five months ago now.

@Annie587

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Short answer: No.

There are, of course, some people who become millionaires from their writing: JK Rowling, Stephen King, etc. But the vast majority of writers do not make anywhere near what you could make by devoting the same amount of energy to something really lucrative, like, say, flipping burgers at a fast-food place.

If your goal is to make money, you have a much better chance of making a nice living if you become, say, a programmer, pharmacist, stock broker, etc. You'll get a much better return on your investment going to school to learn such a profession than practicing writing.

My advice would be to write because you want to write, and if you make a few thousand dollars out of over the course of your lifetime, great. I suppose if you're someone who likes to take a big, all-or-nothing gamble, then writing is one of those professions where a small number of people make big bucks, so yeah, it could pay off. But the vast majority make little or nothing. Like acting and music and gambling. For every big rock star who makes a billion dollars, there are a thousand wanna bees still struggling to get their first paying gig. If you're looking for a decent-paying steady job, you're in the wrong place.

I write because I like to write. I've been writing on and off for 20+ years, and my total earnings to date are probably on the order of ,000. (Ballpark guess. I haven't actually added it up. It would be too depressing.) I'm sure there are people out there and on this forum who have done better than that, but I'm sure there are plenty who have been plugging away for 20+ years and have yet to make a dime, too.

I'm not trying to discourage you from writing. I think it's a fun and worthy pursuit. I do discourage you from approaching it as a business venture.

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