So You Want to Make a Living as a Writer?

For those of us who are not celebrities, or salaried writers in corporate media, earning a living from our own writing can seem like an impossible dream. Like other creative fields, the competition is extremely tough and only a tiny percentage will ever earn enough to live off their craft. The stereotype of the starving artist sacrificing everything for their art, only to die in poverty, is a romantic notion that has become embedded into our collective consciousness. So much so that some of the most talented beginners will sabotage their own possibility for success because of the mistaken belief that good art can never be profitable.

There is nothing wrong with writing simply for the love of the craft. Many teachers, lawyers, and waiters are content to have a stable income from their jobs while working on their novels, poetry, and essays on the weekends. But there are others of us who become depressed at the very thought of spending eight hours a day slaving for something that isn't our passion. The demands of a job cause us to lose our focus and soon we find there is not enough time or energy left to pursue our creative endeavors. Eventually our project gets stored in a file and forgotten. Years may pass before it is even looked at again.

Our society also tends to view the salaried job as as a label which defines our identity. Humans have a need to place everyone in categories and occupation plays a huge role in portraying who we are. We ourselves may know we are writers, but unfortunately many people won't until it becomes our main source of income. Family and friends may not understand your need to spend so much time writing when it isn't your job. They may even view it as selfish and try to make you feel guilty for not spending that time with them. Potential publishers may assume you won't have the time to produce an adequate amount of work due to your day job and pass you over. For some, the lack of respect, combined with the inevitable rejection slips and stress of everyday life becomes so demoralizing it causes them to give up on their dream.

Some writers are perfectly happy working on their short stories or memoirs without any need for compensation or recognition beyond a small circle of readers. They often produce great material that deserves a wider audience unless by luck it falls into the the right hands. The writer who wants to make a paying career in this field does not have the option of passively waiting for the possibility that one day he too will be discovered and given a huge advance check with a spot on the bestseller list. It would be easier to just play the lottery because the odds are about the same.

If your goal is to make a living at the writing game you will have to be proactive and willing to make it happen, not just hope that it will. Like all creative fields, the most talented writers aren't necessarily those who make the most money. The top earners are the ones who understand how the market works and use that knowledge to their benefit. These days it is important to realize that the traditional publishing industry is extremely difficult to break into, but it is also on the decline. The opportunities for new writers are in the new forms of media that are developing. You must keep up with the constant changes because what works one day might not the next. Any motivated person with adequate writing skills, a few good ideas, a little creativity, some self-discipline, perseverance, and the willingness to learn how to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in this rapidly changing field is capable of making money. It may not be the easiest career path, but if writing is your passion then you will find it is the most rewarding.