Paul Cumbo
tl;dr - get a real job; writing probably won't pay you much.
Don't count on it to be profitable unless you do the kind of writing that's profitable.
So, what I mean is, my advice in this regard depends on what kind of writing you aspire to do. If you think your novel is going to set you up with six figures and you can just write and sip tea all day in your forest retreat, you're nuts. That's the case for maybe .001% of authors. Writing what you love probably won't pay the bills.
On the other hand, if you put some time and effort into it, you can find a way to monetize your writing skills. You just have to be willing to apply those skills in areas where you might not feel a natural affinity. There is good money to be made in writing. The catch is that in most cases, you don't get to write what excites and interests you AND make decent money doing it.
So, to summarize it: get a real job, because your writing probably won't pay the bills. Supplement that real job by finding writing gigs that will pay.
And then use the freedom afforded by that financial security to do the kind of writing that you really love. You'll enjoy your writing a lot more once you let go of the expectation that it's going to earn a lot of money.
Don't count on it to be profitable unless you do the kind of writing that's profitable.
So, what I mean is, my advice in this regard depends on what kind of writing you aspire to do. If you think your novel is going to set you up with six figures and you can just write and sip tea all day in your forest retreat, you're nuts. That's the case for maybe .001% of authors. Writing what you love probably won't pay the bills.
On the other hand, if you put some time and effort into it, you can find a way to monetize your writing skills. You just have to be willing to apply those skills in areas where you might not feel a natural affinity. There is good money to be made in writing. The catch is that in most cases, you don't get to write what excites and interests you AND make decent money doing it.
So, to summarize it: get a real job, because your writing probably won't pay the bills. Supplement that real job by finding writing gigs that will pay.
And then use the freedom afforded by that financial security to do the kind of writing that you really love. You'll enjoy your writing a lot more once you let go of the expectation that it's going to earn a lot of money.
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