No Money?… Are You Really a Writer? Part 2 of 12
Okay got the email out into the light of day, see yesterday’s post for it. I do need to be diplomatic so I did take out the more explosive sections. Still people, remember use nice words, and nice arguments. This person has pledged to read this series, and wants to see what we come with here. Welcome to all who are new, feel free to comment and add your views. Always great to have you here. Onward and Upwards!
I’ve said this before, it is easy to be a writer. It really is, my view might be a bit off, but honestly, if you have a sense of direction and passion it will be your guide. Having a good editor helps as well. The new mentor group is formed, just waiting to hear back, but we’ll be up and running soon. If you haven’t heard back from me, please drop me an email. That’s the second step, honesty.
Now for the big thing, yes money is needed in our lives, but I doubt there is a person here who would say that money is needed to make a writer. I think yes, money is needed to continue to be a writer, but ( and this is a big but, enough to keep you going. If you live in a huge house with a big mortgage, you’ll need to make more as a writer than say if you had few things to pay for.
Money Management is a must. That being said, Money still doesn’t make one a writer. Whether you write a blog and it makes some money for you, or you write in magazines making a bit of money here and there all money is good to have.
Conversely, if all you focus on is money, as both Carrie and Rob so aptly put it, you run the risk of going no where. See, people are very intelligent, and as any writer can tell you, are often smarter than us, the writers! Because of this minor detail, people will avoid a person whose goal is money, or seems not to care about them as readers. connection, I believe is more important than money.
My question for you today is this: On the “needs” lists where would you place money as a writer?
6 Comments
Cindy
I'd definitely place money on the "wants" list instead of the "needs" list. I DO need money to get by, but I am getting no money from writing at this point and still consider it a job and keep going despite that. And, even if I still don't make money from writing as I continue this journey, I'll keep doing it anyway.
AmberInGlass
Just reread Cindy's comment for mine, because she said the exact same thing I was going to even down to the fact that I haven't made any money from my writing yet. Thanks, Cindy, for doing my work for me. ;-P
On another note, I'd only put money on the "needs" list as high as it needs to be to feed and support myself. I suppose I could always try living in a cave and learn how to hunt and gather for substance, but between all that, I'd probably have a hard go of finding time to write.
BeckyJoie at Leaders in Learning
Money is definitely a necessity but even if wads of money do not come from writing, I am a writer because I write. Simple as that. I write about anything and everything–at odd hours and in weird places and for good reasons. And because I love to write. I don't think, however, that the love of money should be the motivating factor for a writer but rather the love of writing. Writers write to express their hearts and values as well as to interpret and report on that of others.
I believe in the law of sowing and reaping. If you work, you will eventually benefit from it. Good writing will eventually bring money or other types of compensation. Though I profit from my writing, I have learned that greed is not a good motivator. Greed produces fear which produces poor writing. Just my opinion. Well, here's to all you other writers: I wish you success in every way that you can possibly imagine. Reject the rejection.
Daisy Soap Girl
Writing my DaisySoapGirl Blog is so much fun for me. The interaction with my readers is really what moves me. I have been asked if I wanted to make money from it but fear that if I do I'll lose some of my readers and it will stop being fun for me.
Uninvoked
I have read all 3 available parts to your rant, and I must say I am at a loss for words. You make a good point, and so do many of the other readers. As mentioned on Amber's site, when I first started writing I wrote for pay. I was good at it. I never got more than two rejections before my works were accepted, and the pay was good. I dropped all that to work on my noveling blog, Uninvoked.
Why did I give up being paid to write?
It isn't that I gave it up, its that I had a novel, and it couldn't be published in standard format. My personal hope is that enough people will believe in the blog to talk about it, and that talking will help my readership grow. I crave readership more than money. I would rather give $20 a month (which is about what I'm paying to have uninvoked on its own domain) and have a readership than get paid a few hundred for a short story and never see the readers.
I love to hear what people say when they read my work. Good or bad, I love people commenting on my noveling blog. This is my payment, and it is worth so much more than money.
At the same time, after taking a second look at that letter…it feels to me like it is being written from the perspective of a badly rejected person. Someone who has been beaten down by everyone, and who has let those attacks fold them up.
Some writers feed on rejection, some are destroyed by it. Keep that in mind next time a little form letter comes in the mail.
Damaria Senne
Money is top in my needs list, because I'm a career writer and need the money to pay all my living expenses. Making the money helps me create an environment where I can take my writing to the next level and write stuff I want to write. I'm not very creative when I'm worried about bills that need to get paid:-)