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| Every once in a while, I'll find an article that's directly relevant to writers. Like this one, from Esquire, which is nearly two years old: Has It Ever Been Harder to Make a Living As An Author?  Those who are trying (including Tom Perrotta, Ayad Akhtar, and more) tell us what it's like. Hadn't heard those names before, which may be one reason why it's so hard to make a living as an author. In early August, after Andrew Lipstein published The Vegan, his sophomore novel, a handful of loved ones asked if he planned to quit his day job in product design at a large financial technology company. "Loved ones?" That was a test. "Are you going to frag off from your high-paying job to do something with questionable earning potential?" The myth of The Writer looms large in our cultural consciousness. Yes. You know why? Because writers control our mythology, or at least part of it. When most readers picture an author, they imagine an astigmatic, scholarly type who wakes at the crack of dawn in a monastic, book-filled, shockingly affordable house surrounded by nature. What? No. Okay, maybe Stephen King fits some of that description, but other big-name authors? I couldn't name even one who matches that archetype (or is it stereotype?) Also, any career that requires me to wake "at the crack of dawn" isn't one I'd want to pursue. Most novelists have day jobs, and the majority of those who don’t are either independently wealthy or juggling a handful of projects at once, often in different mediums like film, journalism, and audio. It's been my long-standing impression that authors don't make the big bucks until their properties are licensed for cinema or broadcast. These days, it seems the only way for a full-time novelist to ensure financial stability and a comfortable life is to write a Big Book—a reality that’s almost entirely outside their control. In other words, roughly equivalent to winning a lottery. Not the big pick-7 jackpot, but a moderate scratch-off grand prize. Far be it from me to encourage lottery-playing, but it's a hell of a lot less work than novel-writing. So how is it that so many writers seem to be living comfortably? They’re moonlighting as screenwriters, bylined or not. For decades, Hollywood has been the place where fiction writers could not only make a living, but receive healthcare and benefits through the WGA. Even screenwriters who’ve never had scripts produced have Writers Guild of America health insurance and own homes in Silver Lake or the Hollywood Hills. “Unless you have a big, huge hit play or a lucky best-selling novel, you’re probably paying your bills with a TV or movie gig,” said Lowell Peterson, the executive director of the Writers Guild of America East. We can rail all we want about the social structure that rewards film/TV more highly than the printed word, but that's the reality we live in. Hell, I watch more than I read. On the other hand, writing for TV, movies, theater and video games is still writing. One thing to remember is this: the majority of people are extroverts, and while movies, plays and shows (and even video games) lend themselves well to being a group activity, books generally do not. And then there's simple economics: there are more writers out there than can be supported by readers alone. The article goes into more detail, of course. I'm not here to quash anyone's dreams, and, as I said, I don't have anything published; nor am I trying to, so I don't really have a horse in the race. Mostly, I just thought the article might be of interest to writers. |
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