Why Should You Be a Writer Anyway

Why Should You Be a Writer Anyway?

This morning, I got an e-mail from a friend. While surfing, my friend had come across an author’s website. This author has written over thirty novels, several in his own worlds as well as others in the Star Wars® and BattleTech® universes. That sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? You’d think said author would be able to support himself with all of those books. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The e-mail my friend sent me included a link to an essay the author had written pleading with his readers to buy his original books before they went out of print and he had to find a “real” job. “Has it come to THIS for us?” my friend asked. “Is this what we'll have to do when we break it big and try and face continuing in the job at the mercy of the market?”

Yes, it is.

I tell my friends it’s easier to break into Heaven than to break into print. I’ve received over two dozen rejections from editors and agents, and I still haven’t made my first sale. People tend to assume, though, that once you’ve made a sale, you’ve got it made and can start earning money like J. K. Rowling. That’s unrealistic. For every Rowling out there, there are many more authors who can’t earn a living from their works. My writing mentor, who has edited two anthologies and sold several short stories, has a day job. Last week, my dentist told me about a local mystery writer. His first book sold really well, but the second one didn’t do so well, leading the publishers to reject his third book.

Granted, you don’t have to earn Rowling-level royalties to earn a living by writing fiction. A couple of years ago at ChiCon, the 58th World Science Fiction Convention, I attended a panel where professional writers discussed the pros and cons of becoming a freelance writer. I came away from that panel with the impression that it wasn’t worth it; you would trade a regular paycheck and benefits for a job with irregular payments and no benefits, particularly no health care coverage. Also, some of the writers on that panel paid the bills by writing media tie-in novels, just as the writer I mentioned earlier did. If you enjoy the shows and like to write about them, that may be fine. Personally, I consider that taking time from my own personal projects. In effect, those writers still can’t work full-time on their own unique projects either, since their first priority has to be putting food on the table.

So, is it worth writing fiction? And if you still think it is, is it worth going to a traditional publisher when you can self-publish or work with a publisher who does POD (print-on-demand—they don’t make a paper copy of the book until someone orders it) or e-books? It’s hard to tell, especially since POD and e-books are still relatively new and you can’t predict how much the general public will use them. But I think it all comes down to why you want to write.

If you want to become a writer just to become rich and famous, think again. Yes, it’s possible, but not very probable – rather like forming a band because you think you and your friends could be the next Beatles. Unless you do manage to make it, you’ll never be happy.

It’s better to write because you want to, even need to – you may have a character or a plot in your head that won’t leave you alone until you commit it to paper. You may need to write something down in order to work through a problem or issue, or you may feel your friends and family don’t understand you and want to reach someone who does. All of these are good reasons to write. And if you’re as much in love with books as I am, you’re willing to write, rewrite, and play the publishing game so someday you can enter a bookstore and see a book with your name on the spine.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get paid for your writing. I’ll be honest; one of the reasons I started this website was to get people to read what I’ve written so far so that one day when my fantasy trilogy gets published, they’ll be more willing to buy and read it. Promoting yourself is a part of being a professional writer. On the other hand, there are a lot of other ways to earn money; some of them are even legal. If you’re realistic about what a writing career really means and how much business is a part of it, but you write because you love it, you’ll manage to find happiness in it no matter what your sales are like. And in the end, that’s what matters most.