what are the disadvantages in becoming a novelist?

Answer 1

It's very very rare to make a living at it, you live at the whims of the publishing industry. For every John Grisham and Stephen King, there are hundreds of lesser known novelists who still have to work at day jobs.

And don't get me started on breaking INTO publishing.

It's a difficult road. Worth it in many ways I believe, but very difficult.

Answer 2

It's hard work, you have to keep your creativity flowing. Breaking into the literary world is really tough, because so many people are trying to do it. I have a friend who had written and published fifteen novels before her publisher went out of business and spent a couple years trying to find another publisher that would take her on. Being a novelist doesn't happen over night. It takes dilligence and a lot of patience. Most authors work a full time job then write in their spare time until they can actually start making some money off their books.

In todays market there are a lot of "vanity presses" which will publish you but they do nothing to promote the book and make it nearly impossible for you to promote it. They prey on authors by selling the author as many copies of their own book as they can.

So on top of writing great books, the author has to really do their research in which publishers they submit to.

Yet, no matter the disadvantages, if you're a writer at heart, you'll keep trying. There's no alternative.

Answer 3

well first there's the chance that you get published and no one buys your book (hey at least you got published) then before that the finding of the publishing company....and then the fact that some of you friends might want to borrow money (providing you have any >IO ) there's alot of disadvantages but they all depend on being published. As many disadvantages as there are there's a ton of advantages as well.

Hope this helped~

Answer 4

You sit at a blank screen every day, people think you're wierd because they're out playing and having fun and they see you sitting at your blank screen. Then when you print it out and ship it somewhere, rejection stinks. And even if you sell one book, there are no guarantees. You're only as good as your last book. And there are only a few writers who can only write. Most of us have other jobs.

Okay. I've sufficiently depressed myself. The flipside? It's great talk at parties, you can do whatever you want in your novel world and not harm a soul. You can be the King, the Queen, The Pesant, and the Savior all in one day. And it's really fun.

Answer 5

Getting published is next to impossible.
The genre you love to write isn't necessarily the one that's "hot" and marketable at the moment.
You usually can't support yourself off your income.
People don't take you seriously.
When you tell people you're a novelist, they say, "I've been thinking of writing a book." They think it's easy.
It is a lot of work with little reward.
The waiting is lengthy. Waiting for responses, waiting for rejections, waiting for publication. Waiting for royalties.

And of course, the rejections.

§♥♥♥§

Answer 6

The biggest disadvantage is when you are just starting and that would be the work need to find a publisher and all that entails

Answer 7

Hard to make a living at it. You have to write something that sells in big volume.