Last week, I covered some great reasons to pursue writing as a career. But there are as many bad reasons to write.
Here are some of the wrong reasons to go down this path:
You want to be famous.
Yup. Good luck with that. Very few writers become famous. It’s like winning the lottery. Only the best of the best become a household word. There is only one J.K. Rowling. Most writers are only known by librarians, publishers and a small percentage of readers. Very few reach that vaunted level.
You want to be rich.
Again, good luck with that. Most writers receive small advances for their work. It usually takes a minimum of five books before those advances increase. A writer is doing well if she can make a living with her writing. Only a tiny few become rich writing. For every one you can name, there are thousands who don’t.
You think writing will be an easier life than a traditional career.
In some ways, you may be right. As a writer, you get to set your own hours and have some flexibility with where you work. But if you don’t have discipline and put in the work, you will starve. It’s not easier. It’s a risky way to live without a steady paycheck, no 401k, employer health plan and relies entirely on your creativity and drive. It has it’s advantages and disadvantages, but I would never call it easier. It’s a labor of love.
You want the freedom of living just you and your laptop.
I can see the appeal. I love that aspect of writing for a living. But again, it’s not an excuse to be lazy. You need discipline to make deadlines and drum up business. As always, that freedom comes with strings. Freedom alone is no reason to choose writing. There are many other careers that allow telecommuting and freelancing.
You don’t want to deal with other people.
Ah, the introverted reason. I totally get that one. I’m a huge introvert. But the reality is this business means dealing with a lot of people, from agents to editors to publishers to readers and more. It’s not as isolated a career as you would think. If you want to freelance, you are adding even more people to the mix and you have to know how to interact with them.
You want to be your own boss.
There are many careers you could choose to do that. Writing is tough enough without loving it. If this is your only reason for choosing writing as a career, keep looking. If, however, you love writing and want to be your own boss, then freelancing may be a great option for you. It takes business skill to run a successful freelance business.
You got laid off and figure this is an easy way to make a living.
I’ve heard this one so often it shocks me. Writing doesn’t pay well or quickly. It’s not a great option for a transitional career. Sure, if you have clients already lined up that are willing to pay a retainer or upon receipt, you may make it work. May. There are no guarantees.
You think you could write (insert genre book type here) kind of book because they are so easy.
This is a huge misconception in the general public. No book is easy to write. They all take skill and work. Looking down on a particular genre is not the best reason to try to write it.
Figure out what inside you wants to write. If it is not based in loving the act of writing, then find something else. Similarly, if you don’t like to read, don’t take up writing. I’m amazed how many people have told me they want to be a writer but admitted to not liking to read. That’s kind of insane. Reading and writing are intimately linked and cannot be separated.
What are your reasons for wanting to write?