Thank you for this post, Eric. Last year I dropped out of my psychology PhD program to write a novel, and this post spoke to me more than any other article that I've read on subject of "making it" as a fiction writer.
One thing that I've been really curious about is whether or not I should try to get my work published at one of the big publishing houses, try to get it published at an indie publisher, or just self-publish.
I read this report by Hugh Howey that seemed to strongly suggest that publishing through an indie publisher was my best bet to earning enough to be able to write full time: http://authorearnings.com/report/may-2016-report/
Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks again.
You're welcome @mjsmith ! I've read the report by Hugh Howey and I agree with his assessment. I would highly suggest reading James Atucher's book, "Choose Yourself". Self publishing is definitely the way to go now. I have published both ways and much prefer self-publishing. It's HARD work but if you do it correctly it can pay off. The key is to build your readership somewhat through blogging 12-18 months before releasing your book. Have a website built to capture people's email addresses and start building your own mailing list so you can communicate with your readers outside of social media. Pay for professional editing, professional cover design, and a publicist (if you can afford it). Best of luck with your project!