Like acting, writing is not a real way to make money, so if you’re writing because you think you’ll make a living at it, don’t.
I was reading an article on acting recently and on how most actors will never make enough money to even support their acting expenses, let alone paying their rent. It’s much the same way for writing. While it seems as though it costs nothing to write a book, publishing a passable or good book and then marketing it takes money.
Besides the free time consumed (time where you’s do better with a minimum wage job), you need to make sure you have the tools to write and communicate, you’ll need to factor in the costs of editors, proof readers, book interior design, cover design, production of books to give away, marketing / advertising expenses, an enormous amount time to manage the marketing, mailing costs, contest fees and book fair fees, and the cost of driving to independent book stores, carrying inventory for consignment sales, it keeps going . . .
There are millions of books published every year—yes, millions. Of these fewer than 1% of them will ever sell even 1000 copies, and if yours was one of those lucky few, your profit from these 1000 copies won’t even pay for one of the expenses I listed above. You’d need to be in that rarified atmosphere where your book sells many thousands to actually make a living.
If you write, write because it’s what you love to do, and if by some miracle you make a few dollars—maybe enough for a meal at a fast food place , or maybe an actual living—then count your lucky stars.
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