I've felt better
One of my biggest hurdles in life is trying to work when I don't feel 100 percent. These past few weeks I haven't been doing great. I have a sinus infection that is just lingering. It makes concentrating difficult, it makes caring difficult. There are people out there, writers, and so on, that will just work through the pain and discomfort. I've never been one of those people. Just sitting and writing this is difficult. I'm doing it because I know that I need more exposure. There are lots of people who have no clue who I am, and what I write. It is up to me to remedy that.
So here I am, writing a blog post, not because I want to, but because I have to. Indie authors, we don't get paid benefits. Heck, traditionally published authors don't get benefits. Our career choice is a hard one. And just to get something clear, I do not want, or need your sympathy. I was aware of all of this before I started writing. There are times when these things need pointed out, to remind the rest of the world of the behind the scenes.
I had an interesting conversation with one of my students. She'd previously owned her own business, something small. And she hated it. She hated being her own boss. That is an important realization that people need to have. Small business owners, indie authors, we all have to come to that point where we ask ourselves, do I really want to be my own boss?
For myself, I can answer definitively: yes. Yes I want to be my own boss. I cannot stand working for someone else. The prospect is loathsome to me. And I've done it. It was terrible. The experience sucked the life out of me. It helped me realize that the benefits of traditional employment, sick days, paid vacation, stable income, none of them were worth the mental suffering I had to go through just to get out of bed. Yes I still teach, but I'm a subcontractor, with very few restrictions set on me.
Anyway, before venturing out to tackle a career in writing, traditional or indie, it is important to understand what kind of person you are. Are you self motivated? Can you set and meet your own deadlines? Do you understand how to set realistic goals and make plans to meet said goals? If not, are you willing to learn? There is a wealth of free information out there. You don't have to buy expensive books, and take classes, at least not at first. The more success you have, the more you can branch out. Attend conferences and conventions, learn from other people in the industry. My friend Andrea Pearson is who I credit for getting me headed in the right direction.
To wrap all of this up, being self-employed is challenging. It isn't for everybody. It takes more work and time and traditional employment and it often pays far less per hour. But for those of us who really dislike having to work for someone else, following rules we don't agree with, and prefer actual flexibility in our schedule, then self-employment is the way to go.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
So here I am, writing a blog post, not because I want to, but because I have to. Indie authors, we don't get paid benefits. Heck, traditionally published authors don't get benefits. Our career choice is a hard one. And just to get something clear, I do not want, or need your sympathy. I was aware of all of this before I started writing. There are times when these things need pointed out, to remind the rest of the world of the behind the scenes.
I had an interesting conversation with one of my students. She'd previously owned her own business, something small. And she hated it. She hated being her own boss. That is an important realization that people need to have. Small business owners, indie authors, we all have to come to that point where we ask ourselves, do I really want to be my own boss?
For myself, I can answer definitively: yes. Yes I want to be my own boss. I cannot stand working for someone else. The prospect is loathsome to me. And I've done it. It was terrible. The experience sucked the life out of me. It helped me realize that the benefits of traditional employment, sick days, paid vacation, stable income, none of them were worth the mental suffering I had to go through just to get out of bed. Yes I still teach, but I'm a subcontractor, with very few restrictions set on me.
Anyway, before venturing out to tackle a career in writing, traditional or indie, it is important to understand what kind of person you are. Are you self motivated? Can you set and meet your own deadlines? Do you understand how to set realistic goals and make plans to meet said goals? If not, are you willing to learn? There is a wealth of free information out there. You don't have to buy expensive books, and take classes, at least not at first. The more success you have, the more you can branch out. Attend conferences and conventions, learn from other people in the industry. My friend Andrea Pearson is who I credit for getting me headed in the right direction.
To wrap all of this up, being self-employed is challenging. It isn't for everybody. It takes more work and time and traditional employment and it often pays far less per hour. But for those of us who really dislike having to work for someone else, following rules we don't agree with, and prefer actual flexibility in our schedule, then self-employment is the way to go.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
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