Honest conversations with working writers about how they make money.
How I Make Money Writing
"Make yourself indispensable by completely owning a beat."
@ddayen.bsky.social, Executive Editor of @prospect.org, breaks down his writing income, the reality of book advances, and how he funded his journalism pivot with a 15-year TV career.
howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
I gave an interview to @slow-words-media.bsky.social about quitting my teaching job and how I make money writing. The short answer is that I don’t make very much, and I’d like to make more! howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
here's my "How I Make Money Writing" interview! Learn all about the glamor of the day job (and my one real money trick - communal queer living) howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
How I Make Money Writing
I did an interview about how I make money writing, which makes me deeply anxious because LOL I still have trouble self-identifying as a writer (despite *constantly* writing and publishing two books, IDK man, identity is weird!). open.substack.com/pub/howimake...
In which I get real — maybe a bit too real? — about the financial volatility of being a full-time writer:
In this interview, she explains:
💰 Why she treats her job as the primary investor in her creative life
✈️ How she uses corporate PTO to fund her book tours
🏆 Why she views poetry as a “terrible grift” for anyone seeking prestige or money
Andrew Marzoni
The math of a double life: In 2025, poet and UX writer Kimberly Nguyễn brought in $135,000 from her day job role and $3,000 from her art. 👇
"I started saying no to anything that paid less than $500."
Science journalist Amanda Heidt (@scattercushion.bsky.social) turned a layoff into a thriving freelance business.
Full interview here: howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
If you want to know how to balance a six-figure corporate career with writing, this one is for you.
howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
How I Make Money Writing
Hugh Ryan
How I Make Money Writing
In this interview, Amanda talks about the financial boundary she set in her second year of freelancing: saying no to any assignment under $500.
