Why do we write? If I’ve learned anything over the last (near) decade I’ve spent in the industry it’s that very few are making money in the writing world, at least, not in the amount we often assume they are. Not writers, not agents, not publishers and definitely not booksellers. Sure there are a few household names who rake in good cash and I guess the BIG 5 (publishers) are doing alright, but if you’re looking for a field in which you can become rich and famous, writing isn’t really the one I’d recommend going after. So why do we do it?

I know not all people are motivated by money. Many people choose a career based on fulfillment and passion rather than the paycheck, so we writers aren’t alone. But every so often I think it’s good to remind ourselves why we do this writing thing. Like everyone else, we need to pay the bills and have funds with which to live life… so if we aren’t writing in order to do those things with lavish style, why is it? Without taking the time to reflect and remind ourselves, the whole process (and career in general) can feel pretty defeating (Especially as we watch our friends and former classmates nearing the pinacle of their dollar-earning years in a variety of other career fields - at least, that’s how I sometimes feel.)

I was reminded of all these thoughts when I saw a friend’s Facebook post a couple weeks ago. His reflection on why he writes was accurate and heartfelt and gave great insight. So I wanted to share it with you. But first, here is why I write. Here is what fuels my passion to wake up each day and try to make my way in this wonderful, perplexing, and occsionally daunting, but more often joyful, pursuit we call writing.

I write, because words on paper – whether read or written – feel like magic. In them I sense a power that is cumulatively greater than ink and paper. Stories are an entwining of spirit and imagination. Writing is a.png

Why I Write

by Brett Brockman

For years, I’ve wanted to become a full-time writer. It’s every writer’s dream. Quit your day job and just write all day long. Sounds amazing!

I wrote my first book back in 2016 in only 9 months, which I thought was incredible. A whole book done in only 9 months! Yeah, I could definitely be a full-time writer. Granted, this was before I had kids and had a lot of free time on my hands. Then I found out that writing the book was the easy part.

Edits take forever and beta readers are hit-or-miss (I’ve recently found some really good ones that are worth their weight in gold…and then some!). Then once you’ve got your book ready to go you send it out to agents, hoping they will represent you and your work to get your book published. Easy, right?

Almost 80 queries later and not a single agent wanted more pages for my first book. What a kick in the gut.

But that did not deter me from writing. Oh, no. Right now, I’m working on book #4. The writing is going a lot slower than the first book because children require a lot of your time and attention, so the only time I can write is when Charlotte goes to bed. But that’s okay. She’s worth it

I’m working on querying agents for my second book after a long slog of edits, which is going about as well as the first book. Thirty queries, no requests. It could be that my writing isn’t good enough—that was the case for the first book—but it could be a million other factors. I’m a new author who’s not writing a specific genre, I don’t have a background in writing, and the book I’m querying is a bit long for the genre (it’s a 110,000 words for a YA fantasy novel…about 30,000 words over the norm). If I was an agent, I’d be hesitant to take me on, too.

That doesn’t mean I won’t ever be a published author. I could tweak the book until agents cannot find a single reason to turn it down. I could self-publish it and sell it on my own. Or I can put the book back on the shelf and try another book. The options are there. I just have to figure out which direction I want to take. Each path will require time, knowledge, and quite possibly money out of my own pocket.

When I first wanted to become a full-time writer, I had a decent job making okay money. I wasn’t rolling in the dough by any means, but I was getting by. Giving that up to be a writer full-time wasn’t that hard to envision. It wouldn’t be too difficult to replicate that income. Since then, I got another job and making good money. Not holy-crap-I’m-rich money but enough to support my family while my wife goes back to school. Something like that is HARD to pass up. Now if I want to become a full-time writer, I will either have to take a pay cut—most writers aren’t millionaires—or wait until I can replicate the income I’m making now with writing alone. Essentially, I raised the bar for myself to become a full-time writer.

There are plenty of writers out there that make really good money. I’ve been to a few conferences where the keynote speaker makes six figures. Now we’re talking! But then they discussed what they all have to do to reach that point and…holy buckets!

Don’t get me wrong, I get that being a full-time writer is a legit job, a job that demands a lot more from you than people realize. One author had to write a book a month, under multiple pen names, and her entire day was nothing but writing or editing with a few breaks here and there. This was not just writing 12 books a year.

Oh, no. They had to get them all edited, proofread, getting cover art made, and published in this timeframe. On top of that, most of these writers self-publish so a lot of those extra expenses came out of their pockets. They’re still making really good money, but the amount of time—writing from sun up to sun down—and money they have to put into makes me hesitant.

I currently work 40 hours a week on a set schedule, using the rest of my time to spend with family and writing. I have a good paying job—not quite six figures but it’s definitely above a living wage—that comes with great benefits. Being required to write a book a month to make six figures might be difficult when your family is expanding like mine.

I’m not sure what independent authors do for income when a new baby arrives, but I get 4 weeks paid leave on top of a bunch of “Time Off” I can use on whatever else I want. It’s pretty nice. And what about insurance…retirement plan…sick leave? From what I’ve found, I haven’t found a publisher that matches 6% for your 401K.

I probably sound ignorant and doing nothing but complaining because I haven’t published a book yet and not every author has to write 12 books a year to stay afloat. Those authors will probably pick apart what I just said and tell me I’m full of shit. They’re not wrong. Even I think I sound like I’m whining harder than Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. “But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters.” Yeah, that’s me. That’s me to a T.

But I’ve also seen a lot of authors not make it in the business and never publish a single word they wrote. I’ve seen numerous authors try to self-publish, putting in tons of hours researching the market and writing the best damn story in existence, only for no one to buy it. I’ve seen various authors, self and traditionally published, who never quit their day job because they simply cannot live off an author’s wage alone. I’ve also seen authors rely on their significant others to make up for that difference just so they can write full-time, hoping one day to break even. It’s a tough business.

Not every author will make it. Some make it from one book. Others have to pump out a new book each and every month to stay afloat like the keynote speakers I saw. A few are able to take their time with the craft and publish 1 or 2 a year. For me, I know my limits.

Even if I wrote full-time, I’m not sure I could write a new book a month. Two a year I could probably do, maybe even three. I also know that I don’t want to give up my awesome job with fantastic benefits to work my fingers to the bone to make less than I make now.

Will I get something published one day? Probably. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop writing, and I know some of my books will make it to print either through traditionally or self-publishing. Either way, it’ll happen.

The real question I have is, will I ever become a full-time writer? I’m not sure. I want to, no doubt. But I’m realizing now that if I don’t, I won’t be heartbroken that I never “made it”. As far as I’m concerned, I already made it with the career and family I already have. Being a writer is just icing on the cake.

I write because I love it, not to get rich. While others have to rely and getting any writing gig they can get to put food on the table—the starving artist clique is a real thing--I’m fortunate enough to work on my craft when I want and write what I want. If I can make more money than I do now writing full-time, that’s would be fantastic! But it’s not a necessity.

I might not ever be a full-time writer…and I’m okay with that.

If you liked this article you might also enjoy…

An Author’s Day in 9 photos Video Diary Entry: My Meeting with Scholastic Self-Publishing Resources

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