I'm not trying to sound like "The Secret", but...
I want to talk a bit about the ever popular subject of money. Specifically, something that irks me. The idea that writers can't make a living. Periodically a blog post or something comes along about how poor writers are and gets everybody depressed.
Now, before you rush in to correct me, Let me assure you that I understand the following:
-- There are a ton of people who want to be writers. Even when you narrow it down to people who have actually finished, and even edited, a novel and are actively submitting, a lot of those people will never make it. Although most of the truly dedicated ones actually will, in my experience.
-- Many people think writers are all rolling in dough once they are actually published by a legitimate publishing house. So I can understand why writers, editors, agents, etc. are eager to correct people about that assumption. It's annoying when you sell a book and people start lumping you in with JK Rowling. In fact, since I sold the book most people think I am either rich or a starving artist. Apparently there is no in between in the entertainment industry.
-- You can't reasonably count on anything in publishing. Don't put anything on a credit card for an advance or payment you don't have yet. I know people who waited a year to get their first advance check. Six months is average. And lest you think future checks will come more swiftly, things can always get weird with those too.
So yes, it is a precarious situation, and I understand why people don't want anyone to get inflated expectations.
Despite this, I do know a lot of writers who are doing pretty well financially. So clearly it isn't this impossible task. It bothers me when people say things meant to discourage everyone. Your situation as a writer will largely attend on your situation as a person. And, of course, those wonderful variable factors.
If you are a middle-aged person who needs good health insurance and not just catastrophic, if you are supporting a family with a good job, if you write contemporary, particularly "quiet" contemporary and you don't win a major award, if you only write picture books, if you only finish a book every two years, if you are unable to be flexible to market changes, if your book has no appeal to foreign markets, if you have no time to market, if you live in an area with a high cost of living, then it is true. I still don't want to tell you you can't make a living writing. I believe in expecting great things. But I'll admit, I'm not really writing this for you. You, um, probably should consider that advice about having other plans to make your living. Just in case "The Sad Contemplative Bunny" isn't a mega-bestseller, to the disappointment of your ten hungry children.
But a lot of writers, including me, are young or in otherwise modest financial circumstances. When I hear again and again that a debut novelist should never quit their day job, for some reason I feel a little as if that person is shaking a finger at me. In my case, my job paid so poorly that it's a better financial move to take the chance and live on my advance, giving me more time to write more books and stay on top of marketing. I had the kind of job that you can always get back again, or something equivalent. There was really absolutely no risk involved, unless you count the potential trauma of getting used to working from home and having to go back to work if my career tanks. But that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Basically, what I'm trying to say in a muddled way is that I don't like thinking pessimistically about making a living as an author. I don't like telling aspiring authors that they won't ever make much money. Like I said, don't actually go into debt or anything expecting money from writing, even if that advance is supposedly coming in a month. But please, dream big for yourself. Just because there aren't a lot of authors who make a lot of money doesn't mean you can't be in the lucky few. There is always another spot for you. I'm not in the position to really call myself successful yet, not in the sense of true career security. But I'm going to expect that it will come. In the meantime, if my bank account dips below what I can live on in a year, you better believe I'll be eating more lentils. ;)
Now, before you rush in to correct me, Let me assure you that I understand the following:
-- There are a ton of people who want to be writers. Even when you narrow it down to people who have actually finished, and even edited, a novel and are actively submitting, a lot of those people will never make it. Although most of the truly dedicated ones actually will, in my experience.
-- Many people think writers are all rolling in dough once they are actually published by a legitimate publishing house. So I can understand why writers, editors, agents, etc. are eager to correct people about that assumption. It's annoying when you sell a book and people start lumping you in with JK Rowling. In fact, since I sold the book most people think I am either rich or a starving artist. Apparently there is no in between in the entertainment industry.
-- You can't reasonably count on anything in publishing. Don't put anything on a credit card for an advance or payment you don't have yet. I know people who waited a year to get their first advance check. Six months is average. And lest you think future checks will come more swiftly, things can always get weird with those too.
So yes, it is a precarious situation, and I understand why people don't want anyone to get inflated expectations.
Despite this, I do know a lot of writers who are doing pretty well financially. So clearly it isn't this impossible task. It bothers me when people say things meant to discourage everyone. Your situation as a writer will largely attend on your situation as a person. And, of course, those wonderful variable factors.
If you are a middle-aged person who needs good health insurance and not just catastrophic, if you are supporting a family with a good job, if you write contemporary, particularly "quiet" contemporary and you don't win a major award, if you only write picture books, if you only finish a book every two years, if you are unable to be flexible to market changes, if your book has no appeal to foreign markets, if you have no time to market, if you live in an area with a high cost of living, then it is true. I still don't want to tell you you can't make a living writing. I believe in expecting great things. But I'll admit, I'm not really writing this for you. You, um, probably should consider that advice about having other plans to make your living. Just in case "The Sad Contemplative Bunny" isn't a mega-bestseller, to the disappointment of your ten hungry children.
But a lot of writers, including me, are young or in otherwise modest financial circumstances. When I hear again and again that a debut novelist should never quit their day job, for some reason I feel a little as if that person is shaking a finger at me. In my case, my job paid so poorly that it's a better financial move to take the chance and live on my advance, giving me more time to write more books and stay on top of marketing. I had the kind of job that you can always get back again, or something equivalent. There was really absolutely no risk involved, unless you count the potential trauma of getting used to working from home and having to go back to work if my career tanks. But that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Basically, what I'm trying to say in a muddled way is that I don't like thinking pessimistically about making a living as an author. I don't like telling aspiring authors that they won't ever make much money. Like I said, don't actually go into debt or anything expecting money from writing, even if that advance is supposedly coming in a month. But please, dream big for yourself. Just because there aren't a lot of authors who make a lot of money doesn't mean you can't be in the lucky few. There is always another spot for you. I'm not in the position to really call myself successful yet, not in the sense of true career security. But I'm going to expect that it will come. In the meantime, if my bank account dips below what I can live on in a year, you better believe I'll be eating more lentils. ;)