Firing record · the first twelve weeks
Side work isn't switched on. It's fired, slowly.
Kiln Log is a small reference for people starting a second, smaller income alongside a full-time job. We don't sell courses, tools or coaching. We follow what usually happens in the first three months, the way a potter keeps a firing log: what goes in, how long each stage takes, and what tends to crack if you rush it.
The firing curve
Most of the first month is heat going in, not pots coming out.
A kiln can't go from cold to full temperature in an hour. Clay that's heated too fast cracks or bursts. Potters raise the heat in stages and use small ceramic cones that bend at set temperatures to check progress, because you can't judge it by looking.
Side work follows a similar curve. The first weeks go on setting up, and the first jobs are small. Repeat work, if it comes, usually starts in the second or third month. People who expect the end of the curve in week one tend to quit just before it starts to rise. The cones below are checkpoints you can actually see.
Cone 1 · Set up
Profiles approved, tools ready, you know the platform's fees and your tax obligations. Usually one to two weeks.
Cone 2 · First payment
Money has actually arrived in your account, not just been promised. For many kinds of work, this falls somewhere in weeks three to eight.
Cone 3 · Repeat work
A client, buyer or student comes back without being chased. This is the cone that tells you the work might last.
Kiln log
How long different work takes to fire.
Firing time here means the usual wait between starting and receiving a first payment, based on platform documentation and readers' reports. It's not about pay. We leave rates out because they vary too much by country, platform and experience to print a number honestly.
| Work | Hours a week | Firing time | What goes into the kiln |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transcription | 3–5 h | 1–2 weeks | A typing test, approval on a platform, good headphones |
| Online tutoring through a platform | 3–4 h | 2–4 weeks | Profile review, a short demo lesson, a regular evening slot |
| Pet sitting through an app | 4 h, weekends | 2–6 weeks | Identity checks, a first review or two, living near clients |
| Freelance writing | 4–6 h | 4–8 weeks | Writing samples, pitching, waiting for invoices to be paid |
| Selling handmade goods online | 5–8 h | 6–10 weeks | Making stock, photos, listings, shipping supplies |
| Bookkeeping for small businesses | 4 h | 6–12 weeks | Relevant training, trust built slowly, local registration where required |
Kiln faults
What cracks in the first firing.
Potters name their faults so they can avoid them next time. These are the ones readers describe most often.
- blowout · fatigue
Too much heat, too soon.
Taking on every job in the first week, on top of a full shift, is how people burn out by week four. Start with fewer hours than you think you have.
- crazing · fees
Fine cracks across the margin.
Platform fees, payment fees and shipping costs are small one by one. Add them up before you set a price.
- dunting · tax
Cracks that appear while cooling.
Side income is usually taxable, and the bill shows up months later. Keep a plain record from the first payment and check your tax authority's rules.
- shivering · contract
Edges that flake off.
Your employment contract may limit outside work or competing activity. Read it before you start, and ask HR about anything unclear.
- contamination · fraud
Something in the clay that shouldn't be.
Anyone asking you to pay to start, buy a kit, or move money for them is not offering work. Walk away and report it.
The studio
Write to the studio.
Corrections, questions and firing times from your own experience go to [email protected]. A person reads every message and replies within a few working days.
Kiln Log is educational. It isn't financial, tax or legal advice and doesn't promise any result. Read the disclaimer.