Full time or part time?

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:10 am

Hi there,
I've just celebrated my 100th article sale, and I'm hoping I can start to sell stuff virtually every day from now on (here's hoping! lol).
I know there are people on here who earn a full time living from CC (Word Gypsy and Celeste Stewart, you can stand up now! lol) but how do you get to that stage?
I write for a few other markets as well as CC, but CC is still my favourite. My dream is to become a full time writer, and any tips you can give me here would be fantastic. It's wonderful to see so many other writers doing so well.
Thanks in advance!
Allison (aka missymoo)

Mary Shows · Post by **Mary Shows** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:18 am

Congratulations, Allison, on your 100th sale!! That is great! How long have you been writing for CC? I have been here for a couple of months and have sold a few things but I need to put more time into it. I am only submitting a couple of articles a week, but this is very part-time for me right now.

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:37 am

I have been here for just about a year, I think. I tend to go through phases of writing lots, then not doing very much at all. Although since hitting the 100 mark, I'm determined to put a more consistent effort in.
Good luck with your writing!
Allison

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:19 am

Congratulations on the big 100! Welcome to the 100+ Club!

I do this part time with a steady income and steady work thanks to regular customers who keep me busy. Without the private requests, it would be harder to pay the bills so I'm grateful for those clients.

It does go in cycles from time to time. For instance, this week is a slow one for me so you'll see I'm answering more public requests and writing articles I think will eventually sell.

I've also given myself permission to relax and enjoy the break. I've sent about five queries to agents regarding my novel and already received a nibble --followed by a no thanks, drat! But that's five more queries than I've had the time to send out in the last six months, so I'm happy about that. If today continues to be slow, I'll probably send off some more.

Missy, try to figure out what your sales ratio is, for example, if one out of four articles tend to sell right away and your goal is to sell one per day that means you need to write at least four per day. Those that don't sell right away will eventually and when they do, consider them icing on the cake!

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 10:38 am

Thanks so much Celeste for your help! Especially the info on working out my sales ratio - that's put a whole new spin on the thing, and I WILL work out what it is.

Funny how one little piece of info like that can really make a difference!

It's nice to know you're a part timer, as with the number of sales you're making I can aim for that level myself, while still working a regular job. Maybe one day we'll both be full time writers, hey?

cbhrbooth · Post by **cbhrbooth** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:10 pm

Congratulations on your 100th sale! That's a great milestone.

Are you asking if folks are full time CC writers or full time writers?

Mary

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:57 pm

Thank you Mary!

I'm wondering if anyone can make a full time living here at CC. I guess you can if you really churn the words out... lol

Allison

cbhrbooth · Post by **cbhrbooth** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:37 pm

Well I wouldn't know! I'm neither churning them out nor coming close to making a living on my CC sales!!!

It will be interesting reading replies from those who do!
Mary

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:45 pm

I do it part time like I said but I am making what many would consider a full time income if that's what you are asking.

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:59 pm

That's good to know -something to shoot for!

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:42 pm

I make my complete living here at CC, BUT I have very low overhead and expenses, and a "living" for me can be as low as $250/month.

I guess you could say I'm "full time"--no other jobs--but it doesn't take up all my time, by any stretch of the imagination. I usually write for CC in the morning, and do my fiction writing (which does NOT make a living yet...heh...) in the afternoon.

missymoo · Post by **missymoo** » Thu May 17, 2007 11:52 pm

Ditto for fiction writing! lol Much harder to sell, I think. I started off wanting to do it, but it's articles all the way for me now I reckon...

Word Gypsy · Post by **Word Gypsy** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:06 am

Kudos to you for selling your 100th article! Although I have sold quite a bit on cc, it doesn't pay the bills for me- but I have 4 kids. It does supplement my other income quite well though. I imagine others who have fewer expenses could certainly eek out a livelihood here. I'd suggest looking for other outlets as well if you need a steady income since the tide fluctuates.
To maximize your earnings on cc, add a little structure to your plan. I need flexibility so I have a weekly goal for the number of articles that I submit. If I don’t feel like writing, I read and research. It all boils down to one simple fact- if you don’t write it, you can’t sell it. Good luck!

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:16 am

Something else to think about: the best way to sell stuff regularly is for people to buy stuff regularly. (I know, I know, but bear with me.) Even though CC doesn't have their affiliate program for recommending buyers in place right now, it's still in our best interest to spread the word about CC. And if you know anyone who's interested in buying articles that you don't write, by all means, send them here! The more customers CC has, the more customers we have.

cbhrbooth · Post by **cbhrbooth** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:28 am

Keesa - How does your schedule work splitting between n/f and fiction each day?

I also write fiction and am always tinkering with my schedule to find a good fit. This month I was going to split my weeks so that the first week my monthly deadlines got done first (magazines which I'm a regular contributing writer) then second week, my fiction (YA ms & short stories) third week, spec articles (CC & specialized online sites that I pitch to regularly) and fourth week, marketing, organizing, filing, research for future projects, etc.

I've tried almost everything, but have never found my "groove" with a balance. How does the daily switch work for you? Is it hard to switch the n/f side off to begin the fiction work?

Just Curious --
Mary

Constant Content

Full time or part time?

Full time or part time?

full time or part time?

good question!

split schedule?