Real book pages, good will, and a career crossroads
Then today I got my first proofs back of the laid-out book. I can't even begin to explain how weird that feels. A year ago I wasn't sure there was even the slightest chance that I'd ever write a book, but here it is. In another two months or so it'll be a pile of dead trees in my hands that I can show to my friends. That's really, really weird. I hope it doesn't suck.
This week also marks the first anniversary of the week I started the last day job I had. It was a contract job at Progressive. It was a really big deal for a really big deal company. I ended up leaving that job after five months for a number of reasons. The biggest reason was the book. It was just too impossible to research, write and go to a job that was an hour each way. The other reason was that I was stuck in an area that really wasn't right for me. They have a really outstanding IT organization, and they have absolutely brilliant people there. The problem was that, working through a contract agency, I couldn't just get to the right position the way I could as an employee (the HR folks there don't like to lose anyone, they will get you to a place where you're satisfied with your job).
So I've been "self employed" since last spring, and it has allowed me to really enjoy life in ways that I didn't think were possible. Generally speaking, I've been more relaxed, notice more of the subtle things in the world (like bug noises outside, for example), and I'm getting better, more focused results than ever out of my volleyball coaching. I'm writing better code too!
The only real sticking point is that I'm not making quite enough money. I'm spending more than I'm making. When I finally see some royalties from my book (assuming it sells well), then things will be a little easier, but until then I need to find something else to generate a little revenue. My ad serving software is almost done, so a few licenses a month would help there. One of my frequent clients is trying to throw a little work my way. I've got an ad sales campaign underway for one of my sites, and I've got a few sold campaigns in the pipe (that won't see money for a bit). Surprisingly enough, short-term and part-time contractor jobs aren't as easy to come by as I thought. Everyone wants you in on a year or more, and I can't commit to that if I sell my next book.
So this is it. This is the year, or half-year, where I figure out whether or not I can make it on my own. Will I continue to do things my way, or have to go back to The Man? Stay tuned...