Am I mad to think I may earn more as a writer than as a journalist?

[savemefrommymind]

Please, help me see sense as I am a bit confused now. I'm a journalist, mid career I think. I'm on my thirties 32 and just had my first child. I'm wondering what I should do when maternity leave ends, in a few months.

I have a full time job as a reporter in a very specialized field, and the outlet I write to has a small niche readership. It's just just a job, not part of a career, IYSWIM. It helps pay the bills, but won't lead me anywhere.

I was planning to invest in something more significant, pitching stories to better outlets, magazines and national newspapers, things like that. Get things published in places that matter (I have a few things published in national media, but not enough).

However, it takes a lot of energy and time to go pitching and pitching, and building contacts, both with editors ans sources, before the whole thing gains momentum. I'm not sure I want to invest that time and energy on that now (my priority is my child, of course).

I'm planning to go back to my old job part time if they accept it. I need to earn some money. (it doesn't make sense to have a full time job now, 1- because I want time with DS and 2- the full time nursery costs nearly the same as my net salary, so I wouldn't really be earning anything). DH has a decent salary, but we don't want to live only on what he earns (specially because we haven't been able to save anything these last few months).

However, I am one of those millions of people who would like to be a fiction writer. I don't know how good I am, because, I never tried it seriously (and again, I need to put some time and energy at that to see if there's hope for me).

Point is: there is no way I can make a decent money being a reporter, specially in print, which is what I like. I can have a reasonable salary working in PR, or as an editor - but I don't like these options.

Some writers make decent money writing fiction (and selling rights, writing for TV and radio, etc. I know if you write for lots of places, and not only books, you can make a living).

Very few writers make very good money. No reporters make good money.

So, I'm in a bizarre position. I could start as a writer, or continue as a journalist. I can't invest in a journalistic career AND a writer career (as I don't have time and energy to invest in both). Basically, I plan to work part time on my job and invest in one of the options (writer / proper journalist).

I'm seriously tempted to try to be a writer and see if I can. Chances of being really successful are ridiculously low, but they exist. Chances of being a well paid reporter are basically non-existent.

Does all this rambling make ANY sense? I would love some advice or opinions, as I don't know very well where to go from here (I have to admit I don't even know where to start as a writer!)

Why not try being a fiction writer? Frankly, given that you're not going to earn much as a reporter, I don't think you're missing anything if you try an alternative.

A friend who knows about these things has told me that you can earn reasonable money writing fiction for the magazines - but I have to admit that she didn't make it sound huge fun. She said it wasn't that it was bad writing, but that it needed to be very much what the readers wanted to read, and that you have to just get on and write, and if that means writing cowboy fiction, you're writing cowboy fiction.

Do you have childcare available while you're writing, though? A (very, very successful) novelist friend told me that her little boy found it quite difficult to know she was in the house, but not 'available'.

Litchick is a novelist, so you could try PMing her for advice.

GrendelsMum and RoundRobyn, thanks for the comments. You both made me feel like it is a possible thing, not just a crazy idea! (but I'll try to stay on my job, on a part time basis, so I can make some money while - hopefully - the writing thing gains momentum)

I've written fiction since forever, but never took to it seriously. I mean, finishing a novel, writing every day, looking for an agent, this sort of thing. Writing for magazines can be fun as an exercise, I guess, so this blog you recommended may be quite useful, thanks for that.

Since I first posted on this thread I've discussed things with DH and he thinks I should give it a try. After all, there a (small) chance of doing really well, and we'll never find out if I don't dedicate myself to it for a while. (and he has a secretly kept hope that I may write a bestseller some day and we'll all be rich! Not very likely, but would be great).

RoundRobyn, thanks for the recommendations, I'll take a look at them. The podcasts seem like a great idea!

A creative writing course would be nice, but at the moment, if I have 2 hours childcare I think I'll use them to write :) But maybe when DS is at school or something like that, it could be very useful. But I'll check the online resources for sure.

And what about you, are you writing something at the moment?

Give up watiching tv and reading the sunday papers. Give up anything expendable. And then do both

RoundRobyn, I'm writing a blog that I'll turn into a book to DS. I started writing when I knew I was pregnant. Hope he likes when he can read :)

jonicomelately, I've given up this long ago. I nearly don't use facebook and don't play games either... However, I still manage to waste time here and there somehow...