I know people with rave book reviews, books on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, that got to speak to their local news channels, and had writeups in newspapers— authors who after a year, still haven’t made back their advance.
I also know writers that their book opened all kinds of new roles for themselves. Are those authors living off only their books income? No. Not a single one. But they are more comfortable now. Getting cooler teaching jobs. Seeing their work on the big screen.
(Please note: every single one of these writers marketed the shit out of themselves and their books beyond what their publisher did for them).
Are there people making lots and lots of money as writers? Absolutely there are. Are there people making livable wages? Yes. Are the majority of writers getting by with just their writing? No. Is this writer getting by just by her words? No.
If you find all this depressing, and want to dwell in the pain some more, read this article:
The Novelist Who Nearly Gave Up
But we don’t do the work because of the money, if the money comes, that is a perk. We do the work because we enjoy the practice of creating (or having created). We do the work because we can’t not write. Please remember this when you are struggling.
If you liked all the memes and wanted more:
Services:
I added a few new services. Take a look and see if any of them are something you need right now. Happy creating!
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