Why Writers Write. For the Money, of Course!

I don't know how many people reading this are writers. By "writers," I mean folks like me who write and publish novels, either traditionally or self-publish. The next paragraph doesn't apply to my cohort; it's for those who are thinking of writing a novel and to understand their motives for doing so.

I mean, who wouldn't prefer to write fun stories for a living over wasting time slaving away at a low-paying job they hate? After all, we all know about writers who make millions after a few months of hard work at a computer. And sure, the Stephen Kings and John Grishams of the world do make serious change. But like most things in life, the huge successes, especially in the arts, are outliers.

CONGRATULATIONS: YOU'VE CHOSEN POVERTY

Novelists who write books full time earn on average $15,000 a year selling books--basically qualifying them for welfare benefits. That amount rises to about $25,000 when adding in author-related gigs like teaching and speaking. And that factors in the mega-bucks earned by superstar authors. All this according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Writers are not alone in this respect. Less than 20% of SAG-AFTRA actors make more than $26,000 a year--and you have to have decent acting credentials to even qualify for the union. Dancers average about $25/hour, but seldom work enough hours to make a full-time job. 

Painters and sculptors: the lowest 10% make under $31,000, the highest 10% make over $131,000--all BLS numbers. So get that headline at the top of this post out of your head!

ARE YOU OBSESSED?

Most experienced writers understand that our profession is not a sure avenue to wealth. With millions of books being published every year, your odds of hitting it big as an author is about the same as winning Powerball. But that's not why writers write. And it certainly isn't why I write.

The reason real writers write is because we have to. It's a compulsion. The same dynamic that drives actors to act, painters to paint, dancers to dance. I'm not sure I even love writing. I just know I have to do it. Every day. It's an addiction, which is why so many creative artists are drawn to booze, drugs, gambling, and distance running.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

I've written professionally for almost 50 years. In a sense, I'm successful because I made a comfortable living doing what I do best. But that was in corporate advertising and marketing communications. My true obsession has always been writing novels on the side.

Over the years I've written the books described on this website, plus a couple of others that I'll never publish. While my books haven't produced much revenue, they've been well-reviewed and a couple have done well in literary competitions.

My true quest was not necessarily to sell a lot of books, which would be unrealistic for a writer of literary fiction like me. My goal instead has been validation. To me, validation would be having a manuscript accepted by an agent and purchased by a traditional publisher.

I landed an agent years ago for my book, Race Riot, but the agency couldn't sell it. It took 40 years(!) to land my first traditional publisher for my latest book, The Indispensable Lottie Hot, which will arrive on March 2, 2027.

It would be nice to sell a lot of copies and make my publisher happy. But for me, I've already achieved my validation and nothing I've done in my writing career has been sweeter than that!