One Step Forward, One Step Back?
On Teaching vs Writing
When I left the classroom in June 2022 I was definitely burnt out. It was the end of my 9th year of teaching, but the onset of the pandemic (and the two school years that came “after”), made it feel more like year 15. I was tired of the inequity in public education, tired of the inaccessibility of resources, and more than anything, exhausted by what felt like my inability to enact change.
My two-book deal, officially signed September 2021, made it possible for me to take a “break” a year later. That’s how I phrased it to everyone, anyways. A break. A way to launch my writing career without also working a full-time job.
In my head, though, I was hopeful. Hopeful that magic would happen, and maybe I’d be able to continue on that work-from-home path.
On paper it seemed like all I had to do was sell a book a year and I’d be set (lol), but that doesn't really take into account all the waiting that the publishing industry also entails: waiting for your book to be acquired, waiting for a contract to come in, waiting for pub days that are a long ways off, and waiting, always waiting, for payments that seem to take much longer than they should to land in your account.
(I spent three months paying my rent and bills with credit cards this past fall, for example, while contracts & clouds of invisible money that I knew were coming any day now floated above my head.)
It's been... stressful, to say the least. Very stressful. And for me, financially unsustainable, at least at this point in my career.
Will working full-time slow down my ability to write and pub books? Yes, definitely. Will it mean less availability for travel and events? Definitely x 2.
I’ve actually already had to turn some 2024 opportunities down.
BUT returning to the workforce also means health insurance, and a steady income, and less pressure to sprint on the write-sell-write-sell wheel in order to keep a roof above my head. I know of loads of authors who keep their day jobs for precisely these reasons, and next month I will once again be one of them.
It’ll be a bittersweet transition, of course. I wrote Iveliz Explains It All and the first draft of Something Like Home while teaching, and I remember all too well how rough it was to balance my job exhaustion and my author creativity.
But I also can’t deny that I’ve missed being with kids all day, missed feeling useful, and I’m hopeful that whatever job I end up accepting will bring both financial stability and a freshness that will help it feel brand-new.
All this to say that I hope this post doesn’t come off as pessimistic. Publishing is hard. Making art for money is hard. Teaching is hard. But I’m still excited to see what the new year will bring.
xoxo, Andrea
It’s All or Nothing, Vale : My next MG has a title and it’s now been officially announced! Coming to you soon (in 2025 haha).
Special Shifter YA : I’ve been working on this on and off in between my middle grades for a couple of years now, but 2024 is the year I finish drafting it! I’ll be moving slower on this due to having a full-time job again, but I’m excited to see it come to fruition.
Something Like Home : My sophomore baby has been out in the world for three months now and it’s been getting some love from teachers and librarians! SLH is officially on the 2024 Bluebonnet Award list, and it was chosen as an NCTE 2024 Notable Novel in Verse. If you haven’t read it yet, and you’re curious, you can check out my interview with Latinx in Publishing here.
Forgive Me Not | I Am Kavi | If You'll Have Me | Where the Streets Had a Name
Do I craft? No. Do I follow anyone who crafts on my social media? Also no. But this craft drama youtube channel has me in a chokehold. I blame
.As you all know, I love gaming and I love authors, so anytime a writer recommends a game you know I’m gonna check it out. Jas Hammonds raved about this one AND IT IS SO GOOD. Favorite game of 2023. (P.S. If you want to see what else I’ve been playing this year, I shared a roundup here.)
Thanks for reading! Until next time,
The tug between enjoying the financial stability and tangible feelings of “usefulness” that come with classroom teaching vs. the desire to live a slower life built around a writing desk… it’s so real. Grateful for this read.
Proud of you for hanging in there despite all the ups and downs. I don't think it's a step back, just a different turn in the path to your success. Love you and I'm so excited for Vale!