Definition
A full-time author is someone who has made writing their main source of income and their daily occupation. This does not necessarily mean they only write novels all day. Many full-time authors piece together earnings from book sales, freelance work, teaching, speaking gigs, and platforms like Patreon or Substack. The key distinction is that writing and writing-adjacent work is how they pay rent. It is a milestone many writers aspire to, but it usually takes years of building a backlist and readership before it becomes financially viable.
Why It Matters
Understanding what it actually takes to go full-time helps you set realistic expectations and plan accordingly. Too many aspiring writers either romanticize it as pure creative freedom or dismiss it as impossible. The truth is somewhere in between, and knowing the real numbers and strategies makes all the difference.
Types of Full-Time Author
Famous Examples
Dillard's slim meditation on what it means to write every day as your life's work captures both the discipline and the solitude of being a full-time author.
Martelle helped popularize the idea that indie authors can reach full-time income by strategically building a catalog of 20 or more books.
This podcast transparently breaks down the financial realities of being a full-time author, covering everything from taxes to diversifying income streams.
Common Mistakes
Wait until your writing income consistently covers your expenses for at least six months before making the leap. Have a financial cushion.
Expect to spend a significant chunk of your time on marketing, admin, emails, social media, and business planning. Protect your creative hours intentionally.
Factor in the full cost of self-employment, including taxes, insurance, and savings, when calculating whether your writing income is truly enough.
Try It Yourself
Calculate what you would need to earn monthly from writing to cover your current living expenses. Then research how much indie authors typically earn per book sale on Amazon. Work backward to figure out how many books you would need to sell each month, and how big a backlist you would need to generate that volume. Write down your findings and what surprised you.
Build Toward Full-Time Writing
Use Novelium's writing analytics to track your daily output, set sustainable production goals, and build the consistent pipeline of work that makes full-time authorship possible.