In the movie “Max Dugan Returns,” Max gives his grandson a Great Dane named Plato. His grandson asks who Plato is and Max explains that Plato was a famous philosopher.
His grandson then asks, “Can you make money as a philosopher?”
Max replies, “It depends on what philosophy you have.”
So, what is your philosophy of writing? Are you a fiction or nonfiction writer. Do you write for profit, pleasure, passion or pastime?
If you are writing to earn a living, it is indeed possible. According to statistics, the average annual income for writers in every genre is around $49,000. This includes textbooks, technological tomes, advertising, marketing, newspaper and magazine careers, every form of the written word.
However, when you pare it down to fiction writing, statistics are a bit more ambivalent. My research indicates a writer can earn between $15,000 and $127,000 annually. I’m not buying that. I have never once in all the years I have freelanced made even close to $15,000 a year. And for the 25-plus years I worked as a newspaper reporter, I barely earned $25,000.
Bottom line, unless you have the talent and luck to hit it big with a blockbuster novel, don’t quit your day job!
But having said that, writing means more to me than money. I have published four fiction books and what I really want is for people to read them. That’s what I write for… connecting with readers who chose to read my work. Even better is when I hear from some of them, because the feedback is both encouraging and instructive. So is writing worth it?… all the effort, time, creative energy? Definitely, it just depends on what writing philosophy you have. Keep up the good work.