Quitting the Day Job

I have some extremely exciting, if somewhat bittersweet, news.

I’ve given notice at my day job.

Between the book (which has been doing really well — huge thanks to everyone who’s bought a copy!), the blog, AlterNet, Free Inquiry, the public speaking gigs, donations, and assorted other bits and pieces of freelance income, I am now making enough money that I no longer have to have a day job. My last day there is June 15. After that date, I will be a full-time freelance writer and speaker.

The bittersweet part is that I’m actually quite fond of Last Gasp. I love working with my co-workers — a bunch of hippies, anarchists, punks, freaks, and just really smart, interesting people, all of whom really love books. And the company has a seriously excellent pedigree and history. Last Gasp started in 1970 as one of the earliest publishers of underground comix: they were one of the first publishers of Robert Crumb, they’re the publishers of the legendary Zap and Weirdo comix, and they continue today in the fine tradition of disseminating weird, underground, non-traditional books and comix and art (especially in the lowbrow art world). I’m proud to have been part of the company, and I’m going to miss them.

The awesome part is that, after June 15, I GET TO BE A FULL-TIME FREELANCE WRITER AND SPEAKER.

I will no longer have to stop in the middle of a productive writing day and go do the day job. I’ll be free to schedule my speaking gigs based on whatever works for me and Ingrid. I’ll have more time for reading, for networking, for keeping up with news, for promotion and publicity, for returning emails, for hustling up more writing gigs.

And very importantly, more importantly than anything, I will have more time for writing. And writing, and writing, and writing.

I have been working towards this for decades. For most of my adult life, really. I have been working hard at this, and making it close to my top priority, for a decade. I almost can’t believe that it’s really here.

The next few weeks will probably be a bit challenging. Paradoxically, I may have to put in a bit more time at the day job, tying up loose ends and training my replacement. But after that, I’m on my own.

I am so happy, I can barely speak. Just wanted to let y’all know, and to thank you. The fact that people want to read my writing, and have been following it and sharing it and otherwise supporting it, is the reason I can keep doing it. Writing ideas that other people want to read… this is my life’s work, the meaning of my life. I feel incredibly lucky that I can now do it full-time. Thanks to everyone who helped make that happen.

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Quitting the Day Job
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59 thoughts on “Quitting the Day Job

  1. 1

    Congrats on landing your dream job! I hope this means we’ll get to read more books from you in the future. 😀

  2. 7

    Congratulations! I hope you can come to Illinois State University sometime. We have a speaker series at the auditorium near where my wife and I live. We would love to see you there!

  3. 9

    WooHoo! I just love it when someone gets to do their dream thing! I shall vicariously enjoy your triumph!

    Congratulations, well done.

  4. 10

    1) Congrats! Not many people are able to grasp the brass ring.

    2) Perhaps you could write about (on the blog) about how much time and effort you have put into becoming a professional atheist. Many people don’t understand that becoming an overnight success is often times a ten year journey.

  5. 11

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    It’s a wonderful thing when someone as talented as yourself can spend more time doing what she loves to do! (Since you’ll be writing more, the rest of us will have to free up more reading time…)

    One question: What does this mean for the fate of the third volume of Erotic Comics?

  6. 14

    Congratulations!

    And Oops – guess I haven’t been paying attention – didn’t realize LastGasp.com was NSFW…

  7. 20

    That’s absolutely wonderful! Congratulations. Please accept, though you are under no obligation to do so, these *awkward internet stranger hugs of celebration, safely given in text from a distance*.

  8. 22

    I’m so excited for you! I got a copy of your book as soon as it came out and fell in love with your ideas. You’ve opened my eyes a little more (thanks for that) and the eloquence with which you speak and write is awe-inspiring. I’ve been telling everyone to read it. If you want to understand an Atheist, this is the book to read. I found myself regularly saying “YES!” after reading an idea you pose in the book. You’re spot on as far as I’m concerned. Thank you so much!
    As to your life change, I couldn’t be happier for you! It’s wonderful to see someone work so hard to achieve a goal and be there when they cross they “break the tape”. Congratulations! You deserve it! I’m sure Ingrid is quite pleased as well!

  9. 24

    Aww, shucks, we only do it because we atheists want a better world, which happens to be one in which there is as much time as possible for Greta Christina to write and speak.

  10. F
    26

    Oooh well awesome then. I hope your freelance career is as good to you as working for Last Gasp. Best wishes to you both!

  11. 30

    All the best, Greta!

    …But I am curious on one extremely finicky point: is there a particular reason you use ‘comix’ instead of ‘comics’?

  12. 33

    Congratulations. On a side note, I’d consider it a great personal favor if you could use the wisdom you’ve gained in this achievement toward the goal of getting Matt Dillahunty into a similar situation. Like you, he’s way to effective for our side to be hamstrung with a day job.

  13. 37

    Yaaaay!

    Now we get more Greta!

    Oh, and, I’m, like, happy for you too. And stuff.

    ^_^

    Congratulations Greta! That’s awesome news. Incredibly well done.

  14. 44

    Good news, indeed, for all involved (with the exception of course for Last Gasp and the theists (which would make an amazing name for a band.))

  15. 46

    So happy for you. I wish we could all reach that kind of fulfillment and the opportunity to devote all our time to our first commitment to free thinking and truth.

    I visit your site at least once a day and look forward to even more of your inciteful writing.

  16. 49

    Their loss is our gain! I check your blog… religiously?… and would love to see you do some more speaking engagements! Congratulations!

  17. 51

    […] seen happen in the Christian world a few times but never in the atheist world:Greta Christina is leaving her day job so she can become a full-time writer/speaker I will no longer have to stop in the middle of a […]

  18. 56

    Congratulations on a hard-earned and well-deserved next step. I bought and quickly read your book when it came out, and I’m looking forward to the next.

  19. 57

    Well, I’ll be damned…Last Gasp, huh? That could be a tough one to leave. It’s been years since I’ve been in the Last Gasp’s Florida Street world headquarters, but I have a special place in my heart for the annual burrito parties to which I was invited due my “professional” relationship with Zippy.

    Good luck in your new venture.

  20. 58

    Congratulations Greta.
    I hope to attend one of these conventions on reason, atheism, humanism, etc one day soon. Hopefully I’ll get to hear a speech from you when I do.

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