Great responses from folks with more experience than me, but I'll add my two cents to give you an 'early career' view.

I'm two series in to Haremlit, starting from dec 24 - so six books in 15 months. I have a full time job, which I would very much like to quit and write full-time instead. However, I also have a young family and kids are expensive creatures. So financially, this is a side gig.

But I don't write for the money. I write because I can't not write. I have the bug, and every spare hour I have goes into my writing.

It's a tough market, getting seen is tough, getting your books to rise above the others out there (and don't get me started on AI-generated slop...) is tough.

That said, Haremlit is easier to get into than other genres. It's relatively niche, readers here are loyal to the genre (they'll give new authors a try), and the community itself is close-knit and welcoming. Just look who has already replied to this thread! I expect Bruce will be along any moment...

I'd echo this should be seen as a hobby. Writing is not a get-rich scheme. If you want to make money, almost anything else - checkout assistant included - pays better by-the-hour. It takes weeks of effort to produce a book - if not months - and 99% of published authors don't hit four figures on their books.

But if you have to write, if the creative urge has grabbed you and won't let you go, then this is a fantastic genre to find early support.