Writing can be an art and a business, and I've been trying to improve my knowledge of both sides of it.
I was thinking the other day about highly-paid professions--take a doctor, for instance. They have to go to school for 8+ years past high school. Then after all of that effort, they get through their residency just to get swamped by huge student loans and malpractice insurance fees. It probably takes several more years to get that sorted out, not to mention the social pressures and built-up stress telling them they should have the big house and nice car immediately after they start practicing. Dave Ramsey calls it "Docitis."
The stereotypical vision most of us have of doctors playing golf all the time is probably far from the truth today. They have to keep working, or their income goes away. There's nothing wrong with sacrificing that much if that's a person's dream--eventually they do get out of debt and prosper by helping other people. I admire their determination.
I look at that in comparison to going into writing full-time professionally. I'm seriously thinking about it right now. I know it's still difficult, and I haven't been at this long enough to say, "See, I have this book deal and that published..." What I do know however is that the odds are in our favor today probably more than any other time in history.
Look at what the Internet has done and continues to do. People couldn't have imagined a site like this 20 or 30 years ago. We have nearly unlimited outlets and markets, and that is exciting to me. Just by the numbers alone, it's possible to find a niche. It's just a matter of just trying and gaining more knowledge about the industry.
Writing is one of those fun professions where if you do the work right once, you can get paid over and over again for that same work. Intellectual property is still property. You can't make a $100,000 yearly income magically appear from thin air, but you can use your imagination to earn it. People do it all the time, so we can't say it's impossible for us.
What some people don't understand is they don't have to be the smartest or the best writer out there. I keep noticing just from the shelves in bookstores that it's often the persistent writers that really are winning. A lot of writing is more about the heart and soul than just pure intellect. It was hard to get my mind around that at first, especially growing up in a school environment where IQ and SAT scores seem to determine your financial value in society if you're not a great athlete or auditioning for Hollywood.
People want knowledge, and they want to know that they're not alone in what they're facing in life. Most of us have something to offer in one area or the other.Don't let the fear of rejection keep you from trying. I get rejected hundreds of times a day and don't even know it--my husband and I own Internet businesses. We just don't get piled down with letters saying, "We like your products and services, but we do not have a need for them at this time..."
I'm just going to be flattered to have publishers at least spend 5 cents worth of paper and ink on me, lol! In the middle of a lot of rejection can come great sales. You never know that the next day will bring...
Plus look at our overhead as writers--a computer, printer, envelopes, postage--maybe a couple of hundred dollars worth of books to help improve the art side of things. Compare that to what it takes to be a doctor, starting a traditional business, or even just going to a 4-year college! I'm going a little longer than normal with this entry, but what I'm trying to say as a fellow writer is Don't Give Up! We're all unique, and we can all win in our own way.
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