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I'm curious about how other authors feel about writing for money or just writing for the pure joy of writing. I am a 72-year-old great-grandmother and have only been writing (professionally) for a few years. I have never been interested in financing an 80-ft yacht with my publisher royalties. It isn't that I don't care if people like what I write----because I do feel great pleasure when someone tells me that they loved my books. I'm just not obsessed with monetary gains; it is more in the knowledge that I have made a good impression on someone just through a few written words. My writing began in elementary school when I would write funny stories to make my classmates laugh. I went on to freelance for the High School paper and much later for local papers around the community where I lived. I wrote my first two books loosely based on the lives of my father and mother; just something to leave my children who were too young to remember their grandparents after they passed away. I had a disagreement with my publisher because I just didn't have the ambition that he felt I needed to promote the sales of my books and we had a parting of the ways. Now I only self-publish through Amazon when I feel like writing something. But I get the distinct feeling that people don't understand my feelings about writing just for pleasure (I do so love to write) rather than writing for money. I actually bought hundreds of my own books just to give away. Does any of this make sense to any of you who write? Or am I just an old fool who should hang up my pen and paper? I don't blame anyone who writes for money; I have however noticed that some of my favorite and very prominent writers have lately seemed to be writing strictly for the money as their more recent books have lost all elements that made the reading a pleasure. Could I get a few opinions, please?
SEG

A lot of it, I think, comes from lifestyle. You've got your savings and (presumably) a pension to keep you, and writing is a great hobby for that. Not too much stress, not too much travelling about etc.

I'm in my twenties, living in Latvia at the moment, and pretty much everything I write has to, in some way, be financially motivated. Latvia's a cheap country, so I don't have to earn much to live fairly well (and I don't really go in for lavish anyway), but every euro still helps. Even doing volunteer reviews here can buy my food for the day if I'm smart about it

I think, especially for younger writers, the starving artist idea has some allure, and it can be very tempting to put all your eggs into writing, instead of getting a more secure career, and when that's the case you really do have to chase the market. Even the world famous renaissance painters made their daily bread with commissions.

I believe in writing for myself, but I am not a published author. If I HAD to write for a living then things might be different --- but you know what? as I know myself I really don't think I would do anything differently even if I couldn't be successful.

I am reminded of something Leo Buscaglia once said about the type of person one is, but I think this is applicable to how one writes as well. This was originally intended for people who change themselves to be more acceptable to others. .....

"You might be the most tasty, and most beautiful peach on the tree, but the people who pass by might prefer apples. Rather than struggle to change yourself into an apple wouldn't it be better to just wait? Sooner or later the peach lover will come by and will accept you for who you are and you wouldn't have had to change a thing."

I think this applies to writing as well. Write what your muse and your heart tells you to write. Write what you yourself would enjoy reading. Sooner or later if your work is worthy of recognition it WILL be recognized and it will be a reflection of your true artistic talent not some artificial, unfaithful, and prostituted rendering of your talent.

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You both make good points. I do have my retirement and pension, so I'm not desperate for money. My husband and I had to downsize our home---after the children and grandchildren left, we no longer had the need for a huge home and we had to get onto one level to avoid falls, etc. My health became an issue as far as travel was concerned so I had to cut out all the long distance travel for book signings and interviews. I did continue to do a few local engagements, but nothing extravagant. My publisher actually suggested that we sell our home and buy a large motorhome to travel in. Didn't much care for that idea. I think I'll just let my peaches hang on the tree until that peach lover comes by or they just overripe and fall off---there will always be another season.

If I were 20ish rather than 70ish, I might feel differently about trying to earn money; but this late in the game, I'm happy just to be able to write. And reading does seem to help keep my mind intact.

If I write for money I feel I have to be more strict on things, unlike writing for pleasure. Writing because I want to lets my inspiration run wild while having to write to survive adds in a rushed uncertainness to it.

Its all your opinion. If you don't care for money, why think about others opinion regarding your work. You can see your writings as your accomplishments and if anyone is entertained with your writings, it is an addition to your pleasure. But as a tip I would like to mention that on Amazon, you can put your book for free for sometime and during that period, you also can get it for free

Writing for myself is extremely important, before writing for money. That's because you have to put your character and personality into a book in order for it to become a winner. If your main focus is writng for money, then you'll never really gain much for it. Money wise and satisfaction wise.

It depends on the lifestyle. If a writer has a financial source from another thing, writing can be just for pleasure. For most of the young writers, it should be somewhat financially motivated because they should be provided by what they are doing.

I've written a fair amount of articles on various topics, and I do write those for money. I enjoy research, but an article on hemorrhoids is hardly my natural gravitation.

The reality of paying for rent forces money onto my mental stage. However, the spotlight is still focused upon my creativity. Attaching one word to another is oddly addicting. I'd rather write about hemorrhoids than work a job with higher pay.

There is not much money left in writing these days unless you are already famous (or infamous) for something else. Those are the only kinds of people who get agents or publishing contracts now. Writing is a creative outlet, one to be enjoyed first, and if you make some money at it, yea. Bonus.

Considering the only thing (prior to doing book reviews here on Onlinebookclub) i've published in the past are poetry pieces, and received only contributor copies in exchange, I must be writing for pleasure. I sure as heck am not earning anything from it.

I think there's no contradiction between writing for money and writing for pleasure. To me, pleasure and money come from different stages.
The process of writing gives me pleasure, and if the result gives me money, then all's well!

Inkroverts wrote: ↑29 Sep 2019, 19:22 I think there's no contradiction between writing for money and writing for pleasure. To me, pleasure and money come from different stages.
The process of writing gives me pleasure, and if the result gives me money, then all's well!

So true i must say

NRoach wrote: ↑20 Apr 2018, 09:47 A lot of it, I think, comes from lifestyle. You've got your savings and (presumably) a pension to keep you, and writing is a great hobby for that. Not too much stress, not too much travelling about etc.

I'm in my twenties, living in Latvia at the moment, and pretty much everything I write has to, in some way, be financially motivated. Latvia's a cheap country, so I don't have to earn much to live fairly well (and I don't really go in for lavish anyway), but every euro still helps. Even doing volunteer reviews here can buy my food for the day if I'm smart about it

I think, especially for younger writers, the starving artist idea has some allure, and it can be very tempting to put all your eggs into writing, instead of getting a more secure career, and when that's the case you really do have to chase the market. Even the world famous renaissance painters made their daily bread with commissions.

I think you're right about this! I would love to be able to make a living with my writing, and I've been able to find a lot of work writing and editing, but none of it pays enough to actually make a living with it! So I have a day-job, and then the struggle is now saving enough energy to write either before or after the day job.