Steps to Go Pro: Planning to Make Your Dream a Reality

Even though my last day of full time teaching was June 6th, the beauty of electing a twelve month pay schedule has kept my pay checks coming all summer long. For someone going into business for themselves, three months of guaranteed payment is a glorious thing. This summer I have been able to test out my “working hours”, add to my freelance work load, advance a few fiction manuscript projects, and still take all of our family vacations. (Which, when you have a two-teacher family and no work in sight for several weeks, is admittedly, a lot.)

A few days ago, on September 1st, I needed to officially start earning my own way. I have done a lot of things to make this opportunity a success. If you are thinking of quitting your day job to “go pro” in your creative pursuit, here are some steps that I took, that you may want to consider.

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Go Pro Envelope

In January 2017 I made the resolution to set aside 20% of my writing earnings into an envelope (Dave Ramsey style).  I lovingly called this my “Go Pro Fund”. In a year and a half, I amassed just under two months of income. My plan was to have a pool of cash to pull from if I ended up short of my goal earnings at the end of the month. (Tip: Figure out what you make in your take home pay on a monthly basis from your day job. Use this amount as an earning goal as you move forward into self-employment.) When my computer unexpectedly crashed in July, my Go Pro Fund also acted as an emergency fund to replace this necessary tool without negatively affecting my family’s savings. This purchase was the first time I ever pulled from the envelope, and I did so guiltily, but how is a writer supposed to earn a dime without a computer!?!?

Business Bank Account

The second financial step I took was to create a business bank account. It is where I have been putting the other 80% of my writing earnings. I use this money to pay for conferences, book orders, contest submission entry fees and office supplies. At this point, the account is not bursting at the seams, but it does hold a balance that will allow me to continue to pay for a few of these expenses for a while. This account will allow me to continue to operate as a financial benefit to my family, instead of a drain. I have also pre-paid the conference entry fees for events I am attending in September and October and have a healthy supply of (already paid for) books in my basement. (Let me know if you want one, or a dozen!) It feels good to know that my major financial obligations are covered in these first two months of my self-employed journey.

Diversify Income Opportunities

Another important action I took was to diversify my income opportunities. I now am paid by Western Technical College,  Big Shared World, Teachers Pay Teachers, KWiL Publishing, Amazon  and events including in person book sales and school visits. At their varied income levels, one of these income streams alone could not sustain me, but at the same time, I am not reliant on any single company/employer/revenue generator to keep me afloat. Should one collapse or cease to exist, I could still press on and make it. I also worked to fill up my calendar, giving myself guaranteed money making events in the near future. You can check out my website for the fun word nerd events I have scheduled in October, December, February, March, April and June!

Have a Back Up Plan

And finally, I have a back up plan. On paper, I have earned all I need for the rest of 2018. BUT, if everything crashes and burns by January 2019, I always have the option of substitute teaching for $120 a day. It’s not ideal and it’s not what I really want to do. But I can, if I have to. It’s peace of mind, and mighty fine to have in my back pocket should I need it.

Starts ups take time to grow. I know because I’ve been at this writing gig for 7 years now and am just now ready to take this leap.

If you have any tips of your own to add, please share them with us in the comments below. If you have any questions for me on how I made it to this place, feel free to comment on this post or email me!

If you are contemplating your own creative leap, I wish you the best of luck. With passion and planning, you can do this. I know it, because I have.

What was once a dream, is now my reality.

Summer Reading Round Up

In between all of my writing and traveling, I did manage to read a few books this summer, and some of them were spectacular. I wanted to share them with you in case you are looking for something great to read as the weather cools down and we spend more time inside. Check out my list of books below, encompassing many genres, age levels and topics.

Happy reading!

Amanda

Middle Grade

Even though I won’t be teaching middle school this year, I can’t dump my love affair with middle grade and YA books. This summer, I encountered two amazing ones.

Breakout by Kate Messner 

Mark my words, this book will be willing all sorts of accolades come book award season. It tackles the really tough topic of racism, through the lens of the prison and media institutions. Set in a small town, this book tells the story of a real-life prison break, through the eyes of the Prison Superintendent’s twelve-year-old daughter, Nora. Captured in bits and pieces, this narrative is completely made up of letters, text messages, school announcements, newspaper articles, and recorded conversations. When Nora decides to take reporting into her own hands, many great ELA teaching components come into play including accurate quoting, reliable sources and the importance of doing research. Questions of prison and town demographics, reported incidents of prisoner abuse, stereotypes and societal rules arise as Nora digs into the events that are turning her town upside down. The final gem of the book is that Elidee, a newcomer to the town, reflects on her feelings via poems and song lyrics inspired by famous writers including Lin Manuel Miranda and Jaqueline Woodson. This book will inspire… inspire conversations, inspire activism, inspire writers and inspire friendship. I’m not kidding when I say dust off the Newbery. This book might get it. Bravo Kate Messner! Add it to your child’s bookshelf ASAP. 

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 

This book is the sequel to the Newbery Honor winning book The War That Saved My Life. I will confess that it sat in my To-Be-Read pile for FAR TOO LONG. (Life is busy!) But once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Ada is living through WWII in the English countryside with her brother Jamie, and guardian, Susan. The war permeates everything they do and attacks their personal lives from every angle forcing the characters of this book to push on, move on and live on… even when they don’t want to. Who is your enemy? Who is your friend? What is family? What is right? What is wrong? Lessons abound and so do wonders. Especially wonders of the heart. This book is a treasure. I admire Kimberly Brubaker Bradley for taking on difficult and controversial topics with a grace that makes them accessible for middle grade readers. Her words tug at my heart strings and pull me entirely into her story. This historical fiction at its best, and even though it is written for middle schoolers, readers of all ages will love it. (Both my mom and I did!) Head over to Amazon and put this one in your cart; you won’t be disappointed. 

Books My Boys Loved

Some of my favorite reading I did this summer, was with my boys. Whether in a tent on the deck, in the car, or just before bed, we were able to experience some fun stories this summer!

Hide and Seek-A-Saurus by Sherri Roloff

Dinosaurs, pizza and a game of hide and seek? What could be better? Pretty much nothing in the Zieba boys’ estimation. We have so much fun reading this book, counting down while the dinosaurs hide and then trying to find them in increasingly difficult spots in their backyard. And when the game is done, everyone gathers in the kitchen to eat the pizza that had been cooking while they played. This is not a passive reading experience! A perfect, interactive, read aloud. Bonus, Sheri is a Wisconsin author! Show her a little literary love by requesting that your local library add this book to their collection, or by buying it for your child’s classroom teacher as a back to school gift! (Pssst. There’s a coloring book version too!)

The Day of the Dinosaurs by Johnathan Rand

My boys have a favorite author, and it isn’t me. (I get the coveted #2 spot.) #1 belongs to Johnathan Rand, thanks entirely to his series Freddie Fernortner, Fearless First Grader. When I returned home from a trip to Michigan where I was teaching at Johnathan’s young writer camp (Author Quest), I brought back the newest installment in the series. The Day of the Dinosaurs starts in a sandbox, but quickly travels to a land of faraway imaginings, many, many years ago. My sons love the adventures Freddie goes on, and the delightful illustrations that occasionally accompany the story. There is no hope of reading just a single chapter with this series. As soon as I read the last word, they are begging, for just one more chapter. If you have little boys in your life that are ready for chapter books, add these ones to your list!

Books for Writers

Your shelves are full of these, right?!?!? Make room for two more. Don't worry, they are small in size, but not in power. 

Steal Like and Artist and Show your Work by Austin Kleon

These two tiny books are the best pep talk I have read in a long time. The amount of quotable inspiration that comes from Austin Kleon in these pocket-sized how-to manuals is mind boggling. Almost every page bears the addition of my ink, underlining important thoughts or jotting down my ideas that it has spring boarded into existence. The books go beyond inspiration to practical applications creatives can take to move their work and their career forward. The best part is you can read these books quickly. Just a chapter in a few minutes, or the entire book in an hour or two sitting. It is great for writers to learn and read, but at the end of the day, writers need to write, and creatives need to create… if we spend huge chunks of our time NOT creating… for whatever reason… that’s a problem. These books are the remedies. I know that the holiday season is a long time away, but if you have a creative on your list, pick up these two books and you can check stocking-stuffer off your list. (Or just surprise them when a little pick me up… just because you love them and want to see more of their work.)

Okay, that's it.

I mean, not entirely. I did read other books. These were just my favorites from this season. What did you read? What did you love? What's next on your list/pile? Comment below!

Happy reading! :)