Jean Johnson's Blog
March 4, 2015
Being A Full-Time Writer
Hi, everyone;
This isn't an easy thing to post. In fact, it's kind of awkward, really...
I've tried hard to be a full-time writer, and have tried carefully managing my funds and my workload to maintain that goal. For a while, I succeeded...but due to an expensive series of health setbacks, I've pretty much run out of money; in a career where you have to plan and scrimp and save to stockpile enough money to make it through six months at a stretch without any income coming in...it's come down to the choice of either appeal to others, or stop writing full-time to focus on finding a non-writing way to rebuild my finances.
I love writing. I love being able to tell engaging, entertaining stories that delight readers around the world. I'm also very much one of you, a fellow reader; I'm writing these stories specifically because I want to read them, too. (Alas, since nobody else is writing them, I have to do it myself.)
But authors do not make what everyone assumes we make, and I haven't figured out the magic whatsit that'll make my books go viral and garner a lot more readers, increasing my income to an actually livable level. (If you know who to contact or how to make my books go viral, please do so! I've been told repeatedly that my books are well-written, and I know my romances are filled with healthy relationship interactions. I think that deserves going viral a lot more than some books, don't you? I just don't know how to do it myself, and I've tried.)
Anyway, if anyone is interested in the details, I've set up a GoFundMe account at /JeanJAuthor
I want to keep doing this. There are just certain health situations that are beyond anyone's control, and when it impacts a person's ability to work and create...this is what happens. I want to keep being a full-time writer. I have so many stories to share, I honestly, truly don't think that I'll ever run out of plot ideas. (They breed like rabbits, which is why they're called plot bunnies.)
But it's no good having the story ideas if you no longer have the time free to write them all out. If I have to look for another means of employment, I'm not going to be able to keep producing them at a steady rate, even though my health has now greatly improved.
So, that's the state of things. Any help you can give would be deeply appreciated. Anything you can do to spread the word, either about the GoFundMe or about my books in general, or one particular book that you really liked in specific, that would be just as appreciated.
If nothing else...it's been my honor to entertain so many of you. Thank you for reading.
Jean
This isn't an easy thing to post. In fact, it's kind of awkward, really...
I've tried hard to be a full-time writer, and have tried carefully managing my funds and my workload to maintain that goal. For a while, I succeeded...but due to an expensive series of health setbacks, I've pretty much run out of money; in a career where you have to plan and scrimp and save to stockpile enough money to make it through six months at a stretch without any income coming in...it's come down to the choice of either appeal to others, or stop writing full-time to focus on finding a non-writing way to rebuild my finances.
I love writing. I love being able to tell engaging, entertaining stories that delight readers around the world. I'm also very much one of you, a fellow reader; I'm writing these stories specifically because I want to read them, too. (Alas, since nobody else is writing them, I have to do it myself.)
But authors do not make what everyone assumes we make, and I haven't figured out the magic whatsit that'll make my books go viral and garner a lot more readers, increasing my income to an actually livable level. (If you know who to contact or how to make my books go viral, please do so! I've been told repeatedly that my books are well-written, and I know my romances are filled with healthy relationship interactions. I think that deserves going viral a lot more than some books, don't you? I just don't know how to do it myself, and I've tried.)
Anyway, if anyone is interested in the details, I've set up a GoFundMe account at /JeanJAuthor
I want to keep doing this. There are just certain health situations that are beyond anyone's control, and when it impacts a person's ability to work and create...this is what happens. I want to keep being a full-time writer. I have so many stories to share, I honestly, truly don't think that I'll ever run out of plot ideas. (They breed like rabbits, which is why they're called plot bunnies.)
But it's no good having the story ideas if you no longer have the time free to write them all out. If I have to look for another means of employment, I'm not going to be able to keep producing them at a steady rate, even though my health has now greatly improved.
So, that's the state of things. Any help you can give would be deeply appreciated. Anything you can do to spread the word, either about the GoFundMe or about my books in general, or one particular book that you really liked in specific, that would be just as appreciated.
If nothing else...it's been my honor to entertain so many of you. Thank you for reading.
Jean
