Put Off Going Self Employed As A Writer

Truegho

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I can't help but think you're being a little over-optimistic about selling enough books to make a living, or indeed any at all, OP.

But plenty of people ARE making a living from writing books and self publishing them. Have you not read all the case studies of this on the Internet. It CAN be done. You just need to find a good, profitable niche, and you're away.

Truegho

devonlad wrote: »

cant someone get his ip address etc and give it to the police. he has posted in four other threads what a tool

Why, what's happened?

FBaby

Truegho wrote: »

But plenty of people ARE making a living from writing books and self publishing them. Have you not read all the case studies of this on the Internet. It CAN be done. You just need to find a good, profitable niche, and you're away.

Not sure about the 'just need', I think talent and contact go a long way to make the business a success. What you seem to also forget is that you are not the first one having thought of this business, which let's face it, demand little time and attention for enough remuneration to claim benefits. I have friends who have experience in translation in niche domains. They used to get business quite easily, but nowadays, with the easy access of internet to build a port-folio of contacts, the competition is much more fierce and the hardest part of their work is not to do the actual translation any longer, but win the business.

ArtoDeeto

Truegho wrote: »

Given such a red-tape minefield, just HOW can small businesses just starting off be expected to grow, if they are knocked back before they even begin? I mean, just how many new businesses start off from day one earning the national min wage?

Are you seriously saying "I'm writing a book" is a self employed small business and not a hobby?

What help are you expecting? I'd give up my job tomorrow to write a book but I don't think the benefits system would pay for it. Once you have your success then you wouldn't need to worry.

Truegho wrote: »

What a crazy assumption that your business must earn a minimum wage before it can be classed as a business. Totally, totally ridiculous! How the hell are you supposed to even BEGIN a business if you have these looney red-tape barriers?

As I said are you telling me "writing a book" is the equivalent of being in a self employed business??? And if it is why are you worrying about benefits - your self employment is your income.

Truegho

ArtoDeeto wrote: »

Are you seriously saying "I'm writing a book" is a self employed small business and not a hobby?

What help are you expecting? I'd give up my job tomorrow to write a book but I don't think the benefits system would pay for it. Once you have your success then you wouldn't need to worry.


As I said are you telling me "writing a book" is the equivalent of being in a self employed business??? And if it is why are you worrying about benefits - your self employment is your income.

But you misunderstand me. Writing and publishing IS a business. And it is not just writing books that I am intending to make a living from, as I am also offering freelance writing services, CV typing etc. etc..

I should point out that I have now had FULL expert consultation about my intentions to go self-employed from a business advisor, and have been assured that I CAN go self employed as a writer, as I would get Working Tax Credits for working 30hrs pwk on my business.

samroo

30 hours a week on a new business is not nearly enough effort to get the business up and running successfully and making a profit.

Dunroamin

People don't seem to understand the difference between being self employed and running a business.

Icequeen99

Truegho wrote: »

But you misunderstand me. Writing and publishing IS a business. And it is not just writing books that I am intending to make a living from, as I am also offering freelance writing services, CV typing etc. etc..

I should point out that I have now had FULL expert consultation about my intentions to go self-employed from a business advisor, and have been assured that I CAN go self employed as a writer, as I would get Working Tax Credits for working 30hrs pwk on my business.

The business advisor may well be right from a business perspective, of course there is nothing stopping you.

But he isn't a tax credits expert and not one of their compliance officers. I have now dealt with 11 self-employed appeals since January where people have been doing artistic related self-employed jobs (writing, making crafts, selling paintings). All were initially allowed to claim WTC, but after a couple of years all had their WTC stopped and overpayments created.

Some we won at appeal, but not all of them.

CV writing etc...is fine but if you're advertising rather than doing it may be a problem.

IQ

Truegho

Icequeen99 wrote: »

The business advisor may well be right from a business perspective, of course there is nothing stopping you.

But he isn't a tax credits expert and not one of their compliance officers. I have now dealt with 11 self-employed appeals since January where people have been doing artistic related self-employed jobs (writing, making crafts, selling paintings). All were initially allowed to claim WTC, but after a couple of years all had their WTC stopped and overpayments created.

Some we won at appeal, but not all of them.

CV writing etc...is fine but if you're advertising rather than doing it may be a problem.

IQ

I appreciate your comments. However, I must hasten to stress that I am certainly going to plough EVERY effort I can into making my business grow. Once it has grown to the extent that it eventually brings me in a full-time income - and then, hopefully, go on to expand beyond that - then of course I won't need any additional support. It's only in the early stages, whilst I am trying to get it off the ground, that I will be needing at least SOME monetary backup. Isn't that the case with every business? You just can't expect it to make you a fortune overnight, as entrepreneurs like Alan Sugar would probably echo. It takes time, effort and dedication.

dktreesea

Icequeen99 wrote: »

The business advisor may well be right from a business perspective, of course there is nothing stopping you.

But he isn't a tax credits expert and not one of their compliance officers. I have now dealt with 11 self-employed appeals since January where people have been doing artistic related self-employed jobs (writing, making crafts, selling paintings). All were initially allowed to claim WTC, but after a couple of years all had their WTC stopped and overpayments created.

Some we won at appeal, but not all of them.

CV writing etc...is fine but if you're advertising rather than doing it may be a problem.

IQ

Why are only creative enterprises being targetted? Is it because they have insufficient revenue, so, e.g. failed to sell enough paintings, as opposed to sold enough but then failed to make sufficient net profit to live off?