This month, we’re focusing on what it takes to quit your day job and become a full-time author. We learned how Rachael Herron used Patreon to fill in the financial gap left by her day job. We heard how Keir Graff write both his own books, as well as the books of others by ghostwriting.
It’s clear, there’s no wrong way to be a full-time writer. But it’s also that having a successful author career doesn’t mean you have to do it full time.
Today, I’m speaking with bestselling author, Gigi Pandian. Gigi had the opportunity to take a sabbatical from her day job and fulfill a dream of being a full-time author. But, she learned that she actually missed her day job, and decided to return to her 9-5.
Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and Anthony, Agatha, Derringer, and Lefty Award-winning mystery author. The child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, she spent her childhood traveling around the world on their research trips, and now lives in Northern California. Gigi writes lighthearted traditional mysteries including the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, and locked-room mystery stories. She has served on the national board of Sisters in Crime, currently sits on the board of her local Mystery Writers of America chapter, and is one of the co-founders of Crime Writers of Color.
Want to continue the conversation around what it takes to write full time? I encourage you to become a member of Your Breakout Book. In the community, we’re trading ideas, answering questions, and sharing experiences, so you can launch your own breakout book. Move closer to the full-time writer dream…or keep the day job!