38 flights last year. Zero day job. How Andrew Buckley built an author career by thinking outside the box — and like a business.
If you're an author still grinding away, waiting for royalties to pay your bills, you need to hear what Andrew Buckley figured out.
After a decade of writing as a side hustle while working 40+ hour weeks, Andrew quit his job in 2022 — and within TWO MONTHS, he had replaced his entire monthly salary. From speaking, teaching, and building a multi-stream author business most writers don't even know is possible.
In this episode, we go deep on:
- How a single accidental school visit turned into a full-time speaking career
- Why "talking about writing" sometimes pays better than writing itself
- The exact audiences (beyond writing conferences) that pay authors to show up
- How he went from beet-red, palpitating introvert to chasing crowds of 700+
- Why book sales spike EVERY time he speaks
- The hybrid traditional + self-pub strategy he's using in 2026
- What most authors get WRONG about marketing in the AI era
If you've ever felt like writing more books isn't moving the needle, this conversation will completely change how you think about building an author career.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 — "I replaced my salary in 2 months"
01:16 — Meet Andrew Buckley
09:36 — A decade of side hustle before going full-time
14:41 — The pandemic pivot + quitting the day job
17:00 — How the speaking career started (by accident)25:14 — How to land your first paid speaking gigs
36:24 — Introvert to stage-chaser: the transformation
49:36 — Multiple income streams beyond book sales
🔗 FIND ANDREW BUCKLEY
Website: andrewbuckleyauthor.com
Instagram: @andrewbuckleyauthor
Story Centric Podcast: Listen here
🚨 Author Discounts & Promos
Check out all of our sponsors at pintandportal.com/deals
Sign up for WISE today: Get your free international transfer
Herman's Author Site
Welcome to The Pint and Portal Author Podcast — where I sit across the table from authors who've built real careers and get them to share the strategies that actually worked.
#AuthorLife #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #WritingPodcast #AuthorIncome #AndrewBuckley #PintAndPortal
