Becoming a Portfolio Writer

Are you a professional writer struggling to make ends meet? You’re not alone.

According to a recent survey by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the median income of full-time professional authors has fallen by over 60% in real terms over the past 16 years. In 2006, median author earnings were £12,330. In 2022, the median has fallen to £7,000, a drop of 33.2% based on reported figures, or 60.2% when adjusted for inflation. In light of this, I have seen more and more panels at festivals featuring sessions on ‘how to survive as an author’ or ‘how to succeed as a portfolio writer’. But what is a portfolio writing career? How does it generate us income and, perhaps most importantly, will this career path fulfil us as creatives, rather than ‘creative enterprises’?

(Image from the 2023 Northern Publishers’ Fair)

Being a portfolio writer means that you are not relying on a single source of income from your writing. Instead, you are diversifying your writing portfolio by exploring different opportunities to make money. This approach can offer many benefits, including a more stable income stream, greater creative freedom, and the ability to pursue different types of writing projects.

Every ‘portfolio career’ for a writer will look different.