Some truths about writing

I was interviewed by Alec Pangia of One True Promotion for the Drop A Line show. We talked about a number of experiences I’ve had as a writer, from publishing Amigato the ways my parents influenced me. I also discussed several truths I’ve learned about writing. They are things I wished I learned when I was starting out, and I see many newer writers having the same misconceptions I did. If we learn these truths, we can avoid costly mistakes and frustrations that cause writers to give up.

Here are some important truths you should learn.

Have a career to support your writing

Don’t plan on supporting yourself solely from your book writing. The Authors Guildreported that the median income for full-time writers was $6,080 in 2017. Writing income has declined because of the dominance of Amazon, the loss of revenue as magazines and newspapers close shop, and lower payments for content. Also in that Authors Guide survey, roughly 25 percent of all published authors surveyed earned no book-related income that year.

You need a regular paying job that enables you to pay the bills and provides health insurance. Ideally, you should find a career you enjoy and satisfies you even if the book writing never takes off. I’ve found that in technical writing.