All I want to be is a poet/author when I'm done with school (which is many, many years away, i just want to know for what i want to do with my life ahead of time) but unless your like jk rowling and your books are famous, writers don't seem to make money by just writing usually they have other jobs too.
My problem is the only thing I'm good at is writing fiction and poetry so i'm not sure what else i'd be good at........
any ideas?
2007-11-09 08:56:26 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
David's right--there should be no "but" in there. Look, I don't know what kind of fiction you write (& it is harder to make a living on poetry, I believe), but I can name you some authors who have made it: Mercedes Lackey, Diana Gabaldon, Stephen King, Tamora Pierce, Peter David, Kevin Smith (tho he does have the movie credits too), Nora Roberts (probably). Though none of them probably have HER money.
Don't worry if you have to take a day job at 1st; it's like actors who wait tables, drive cabs, etc., before getting their break. Talk to any published author & ask what they did before getting published, or even after a couple books were released. They'll tell you everything: scientist, data entry, waiter/waitress, customer service, etc. That's the hazard of having a creative profession.
What you do in the meantime is write & submit, write & submit. JK Rowling was phenomenally lucky in that her 1st book was such a success--don't compare yourself to her!
2007-11-09 09:38:22 · answer #1 · answered by Amethyst 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dear somewhere between 5 and 10% of authors make a living at it. So that "day job" is a permanent thing for the other 90% or so. Glen Cook is a good example. He has written tons of books - sci fi, fantasy etc. all while working on the GM Light Truck Assembly Line. He recently retired. Same goes for those actors who wait tables etc. Only about 5-10% of them ever earn enough money to give up those day jobs. There is a big difference between doing what you love and doing what you have to in order to support yourself and a family. Unless you want to live in a cardboard box and write.
Other careers you might consider are editing, teaching, librarian, journalist ... something where you would be around books all the time. But there are very few JK Rowlings out there who have made a fortune writing.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Most likely, writing will not support you.
----
They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.
Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.
Pax - C
2007-11-09 10:16:51 · answer #2 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Your question alone "I really want to be a writer....but....?" has a flaw in it. In the sense that if you want to be a writer there should be no "but"
Yes - very few authors make it like J.K. Rowling. Yes - many authors hold down a second job, because writing won't support them.
I really don't see a problem. If you are good at writing fiction and poetry, then do so! Don't worry about becoming famous. Writers write for the sake of writing. It just happens that people like Rowling (who started out with zip, nothing, nada) make it to the big time. If you write, learn to exclude the word "but" out of your vocab, you may make it.
You are already said what you are good at - writing. Then do it.
2007-11-09 09:03:00 · answer #3 · answered by Dave 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't try to be someone you're not. Follow your dream and don't let anyone or anything stop you! Sure you will have obstacles ahead but just consider them something to get through. When the going gets rough, stay focused and determined. I know of one famous author who had her novel rejected by 12 publishers before it become the second most influential book in the world next to the bible. Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, published 50 years ago and is still selling in the hundreds of thousands.
2007-11-09 09:46:36 · answer #4 · answered by SNPUC2 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-06-03 17:07:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about writing books, but find something that could could help you with your writing that would be highly interesting to you.
2007-11-09 10:28:45 · answer #6 · answered by Doesntstayinvegas.com 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋