The writers life, what to consider before quitting the day job

7 December 2009

The confessions of a semi-successful author by “Jane Austen Doe”…

Never an enthusiastic employee, I quit my job at age 35 to become a full-time writer, to live life on my own terms. After publishing four books — each of them critically acclaimed, several of them award-winners, none of them big enough sellers to ensure my next book contract, let alone the lifetime of book contracts I crave — I feel less in control of my finances, my schedule, my priorities and my well-being than I did when I had bosses and employees to answer to.

Originally published Monday 7 December 2009, with subsequent revisions, updates to lapsed URLs, etc.