Spouse visa earnings: going from employed to self employed

[istanblu]

All and any advice, good news or bad appreciated.

My Turkish wife and want to return to the U.K. in the first half of 2017, we have two children, both will have British passports ('will' because the application for our newborn has only just been sent). My wife is a consultant surgeon, she has passed all the exams required for GMC registration and the first part of the RCOG exams so she is ready to work, but cannot without the spouse visa. The tier whichever is possible but almost impossible because it is extra leg work for employers and there are plenty more applicants, so it's on me.

I am employed in Turkey and my wage after exchange rate conversion meets the 18,600 requirement. I work as an editor and have built a healthy private practice alongside my university work, but none of those earnings are official, that is it is not documented/invoices/taxed etc so I know I cannot use it to present future earnings. My primary goal is to set up as an editor, officially, when or before I/we move, but have no idea if how or even if I can present earnings for the next year with no official paper trail. Do I need a years' data and evidence? Or would I be wiser to put that all on hold and get a 'proper' job with job offer letter and pay slips?

Like everyone in my position I don't want to be separated from my family for anytime ic it can be avoided, but will suck up the minimum if needs be.

Any and all, like I said. Be brutal!