Why write?
Black Swan Planet
Over the years I've met hundreds of people and through small-talk, I end up mentioning that I'm an author. Responses can be typically broken down to three categories:
1. Meh. (Quick change of subject, no interest whatsoever)
2. Mild interest. (Sometimes even a "where can I find your stuff?)
3. Interest in the financial aspect of writing. (How much can you make as an author? Often the follow-up question, then why write?)
Somewhere on the internet (and you can't lie there!) I read the average author can expect about $250 off a novel. Now I know enough about averages to know that means a lot of people make nothing and a few people make millions.
Having said that, why would I spend hundreds of hours creating a work with an expected payback rate of perhaps 30 cents per hour? Because every once in a while, an author makes it big. I'm still waiting for that to happen, but I've seen the next best thing - random people reaching out to me to tell me how much they enjoyed one of my stories.
That's what makes it all worthwhile. The random kind words from a stranger. "Your story made me laugh during a hard time" or something of the sort.
Its the worst-paying job I love!
James Peters
Over the years I've met hundreds of people and through small-talk, I end up mentioning that I'm an author. Responses can be typically broken down to three categories:
1. Meh. (Quick change of subject, no interest whatsoever)
2. Mild interest. (Sometimes even a "where can I find your stuff?)
3. Interest in the financial aspect of writing. (How much can you make as an author? Often the follow-up question, then why write?)
Somewhere on the internet (and you can't lie there!) I read the average author can expect about $250 off a novel. Now I know enough about averages to know that means a lot of people make nothing and a few people make millions.
Having said that, why would I spend hundreds of hours creating a work with an expected payback rate of perhaps 30 cents per hour? Because every once in a while, an author makes it big. I'm still waiting for that to happen, but I've seen the next best thing - random people reaching out to me to tell me how much they enjoyed one of my stories.
That's what makes it all worthwhile. The random kind words from a stranger. "Your story made me laugh during a hard time" or something of the sort.
Its the worst-paying job I love!
James Peters
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