# Making Money as a Writer Is a Curious Thing

Source: https://www.theminimalists.com/writing-money/
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2024-06-12
Author: Joshua Fields Millburn

---

*The following transcript is an attenuated Q&A from my recent interview with Thom Chambers in the premier issue of*Micropublisher*magazine.*

**Thom Chambers: I know a lot of people will be fascinated by the dollars and cents aspect of transitioning into writing full-time. You [quit your day job](https://www.theminimalists.com/quit) on March 1, 2011, and in September 2011 published your first book, *[Essential](https://amzn.to/1TVac7W)*, followed by three other**[**books**](https://theminimalists.com/books/)**. In the intervening months, did you have an income source or were you relying on savings?**

JFM: I get this question a lot—especially during our [tour](https://theminimalists.com/tour/). It fascinates me that so many people are interested in this. I have never considered how much money my favorite authors earn; like, “I wonder how much money David Foster Wallace earns yearly?” or “How does Gretel Ehrlich pay her utility bill?”

I have no problem discussing it, though—I’m open with my answer: when I left my old career I was already a multi-millionaire, and I have enough money to live off of the rest of my life.

OK, I’m joking—obviously.

Actually, when I left my corporate job, I left with very little savings—I had enough money to live for a few months, but the key to making it work was [reducing my expenses to bare necessities](https://theminimalists.com/want/). My minimalist lifestyle allowed me to pursue my passion for writing. My only bills when I left corporate America were rent (which isn’t much in Dayton, Ohio), utilities, and insurance. Other than that, I bought food and hygiene products, and [I refrained from other physical purchases](https://theminimalists.com/newyear/).

No matter how much you earn, the equation doesn’t work if your expenses exceed your income. This might sound like a platitude, but it’s the truth. People believe I have a ton of money because I had a six-figure career, but those people didn’t see the other side of the equation: when I was making $130,000 and spending $150,000, the math didn’t work, and so I went into debt. By 27 I was worse off than I was at 18: I had myriad debt I had to pay off, which took me two years of disciplined spending practices and Mozart-esque money management.

I didn’t just jump up and quit my job: over two years I changed my spending habits, sold my house, paid off my car, sold my superfluous stuff, rid myself of nearly all bills (TV, Internet, satellite radio, etc.), moved into a small apartment, and *then* focused on leaving my job and living a more meaningful life.

My initial plan was to become a barista while writing [fiction](https://amzn.to/1Ji0w4r) on the side, which I was completely okay with because it aligned with my values. Then, thankfully, a plethora of people started finding value in our website, and so, yes, I earn money now—our site is [100% reader supported](https://theminimalists.com/support)—but not nearly what I brought home before. And that’s perfectly fine with me: [I don’t need much money anymore](https://www.theminimalists.com/money). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not allergic to money—but the almighty dollar is no longer my primary motivator.

I love writing, I love adding value to other people’s lives—the money is secondary.

***Now available: [How to Write Better: JFM’s Online Writing Class](https://theminimalists.com/class/).***