Actually, Money Does Matter if You Want to be a Working Writer
And why I will NEVER stop being transparent with you about my business.
Photo by Erik Dungan on Unsplash
I’ve seen a little burst, lately, of writers around here complaining about other writers talking about income.
I get it. It can get annoying. Maybe it can be demoralizing.
But here’s the thing. If some writers aren’t transparent about what they’re earning, how are new or aspiring writers supposed to know what to aim for or expect?
I read a particular post today where the author talked about how writers aren’t supposed to write for the money. We aren’t supposed to think about the reward.
I’m just going to, as politely as I can manage, call bullshit on that one.
Writing is a profession. It’s a career. At the very least, it’s a job.
I have a master’s degree in writing, for God’s sake. I am definitely allowed to think about being paid for my work. I have a multi-generational family of seven depending on my ability to earn a living at my chosen profession.
No one would expect me to not think about how much money I was earning if I was a classroom teacher or an accountant or a doctor, lawyer, or grocery bagger.
As my friend Meg Stewart likes to point out, no one would say that a ‘real’ plumber only cares about the joy of pulling stinking, rotting hair clogs out of bathroom drains.
So, in case you need someone to give you permission, here it is: you’re allowed to think about how much money you might earn as a writer.