ARTICLE

ARTICLE Can You Afford to be a Writer?

by William Gensburger

There are over 45,860 writers in the United States (as of 2019)1 with one percent or less traditionally published.

Of the rest, self-published or hybrid published, seventy-seven percent (77%) of self-published authors make $9000 a year. Only zero point sevent (0.7%) of selfpublished authors make over $100,000 a year.

The average age of writers is 42.9 years2, so don’t fret if you see the years adding on before you make headway.

Amazon.com offers over 2 million books. Most Amazon authors will not make more than $500 per month3, with most firsttime authors selling 250 copies or less.4

So what’s the secret to beating the odds? How can you, a selfpublished author, compete in a vast market with the odds skewed against you?

The reason self-publishing is so huge an industry is that it makes it easy for any writer to publish any work at little to no cost and be able to claim the monicker of being a published author. The problem begins with that premise. “95% of these books are insufferable.” [goodreader.com].

When you can write quickly, fail to do so in a pleasing manner, or grammatically flawed, spelling errors, poor formatting, bypass the editing and proofing cycles that are invaluable to producing a quality product, utilize the Amazon ‘Create-A-Cover’ using basic templates, you can handle it all with no effort, and join the ranks of the 45,860 authors cited above.

The only problem is you are not

a valid author. You are a sloppy author, enamored with the idea of writing, perhaps with illusions of celebrity reactions from adoring fans. After all, JK Rowling write at her kitchen table and whipped out the ‘Harry Potter’ series of bestselling books. If you research JK Rowling and discover the massive work that went into the creation, plotting, multiple drafts, edits, proofing involved in each book before it could be published, it quickly becomes apparent that not only was it incredibly difficult to complete, but she handled it professionally from the start. All the lousy books on Amazon hurt the visibility of those books worthy of a look. And if you expect to make a living from your writing, you are starting with a false expectation. Writing is a passion for most authors–they enjoy telling a wonderful story that, if they do their job, is well crafted and grabs the reader. Most authors have other income sources whether side jobs, or perhaps freelancing writing in other forms (copywriting, 77% OF SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS MAKE $9000/YR

speeches, ghost-writing, resumes, teaching….)

Assuming you did your due diligence, crafted a solid novel, edited and proofed, created a decent cover, obtained some reviews (beyond friends and family), there are many things you can do to amplify your visibility and sales. I will cover these in another post.

Can you afford to be a writer? The correct answer is that it is the wrong question. The correct question should be “Can you imagine not being a writer?”

1. www.publishingperspectives.com 2. www.database.io 3. www. youngdumbandnotbroke.com 4. www.medium.com Busy Writer RecipesQuick & Easy Meals for the Busy Writer

Asparagus Shrimp Stir Fry

in under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons butter, divided 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups cold cooked rice 1-2 asparagus stalks 1 stalk green onions 1 garlic glove (or powdered garlic) 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen defrosted) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a pot, boil 5 cups of water. Add 3 cups of rice. Cook for 10 minutes covered, then turn off heat for additional ten minutes. Allow to cool.

While rice is cooking, chop up the two stalks of asparagus into thirds, dice the green onions. Mince the garlic. In a separate pan add 2 tablespoons butter, the eggs and stir until cooked and broken apart. Set aside.

To the same pan add the remaining butter, garlic, onion, asparagus on high heat, stirring regularly. When asparagus has become a deep green, add the shrimp, oil and soy sauce and cover for five minutes.

Serve rice in a bowl and top with the asparagus, shrimp topping. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 3-4.

MORE BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ

STARPLEX by Robert J. Sawyer

For nearly twenty years Earth’s space exploration had exploded outward, thanks to a series of mysterious, artificial wormholes. No one knows who created these interstellar passages, yet they have brought the far reaches of space immediately close. When an unknown vessel — with no windows, no seams, and no visible means of propulsion — arrives through a new wormhole, an already battle-scarred Starplex could be the starting point of a new interstellar war . . . https://amzn.to/3MdoG4B

INDIE AUTHORS ONLY

Promote your book HERE for $25 per issue. No contracts. No minimums. Visit www. BooksNPieces.com and click INDIES. NOTE: Variations can include large shrimp, different vegetables, or replacing shrimp with chicken, pork, beef. Also, the addition of tofu cut into small squares offers a variation of texture.