The Monetary Deficits of Writing What You Please

I’ve always been attracted to red.

Hurrah. I finished my taxes. After three days of double-checking receipts and statements and mentally reliving the previous year of my life, my information has been relayed to my tax preparer, and I’m ready to get back to my daily routine. Now I have time to write.

Not that my writing generates taxable income, but it does generate joy. I may be a professional writer, but by choosing to focus on creative writing only, I spend more money on my writing habit than I earn.

How is this possible? I add up the numbers. I’m not a bestselling author. The money I earn from book royalties and honorariums is nominal. Most literary publications pay zero or very little.

The Writing Life has its expenses.

Meanwhile, although I tell myself I am going to steer away from paying submission fees and contest fees, inevitably I end up paying a few dollars here and there, which end up totaling several hundred dollars. (I do submit a lot because I like being published.)

In addition to submission fees, I maintain a website and sometimes I need technical assistance. I also subscribe to a few writer publications and newsletters. These also cost money.

I suppose if I were more mercenary, I could try to monetize my blog by soliciting tips or subscriptions, but I’m just trying to share my knowledge. If I create content solely to attract paying followers, I’m no longer writing what I please. I just have to believe, if I write something good, someone somewhere will want to read it.

We need to find what makes us happy.

Anyone reading this, thank you for allowing me to ramble on. While I’m ashamed my writing career is currently operating in the red, red is a nice color, and writing is what makes me happy. So, here’s to the arrival of spring and the writing life. On the subject of red, here’s a piece of flash prose previously published in T himble Literary Magazine titled “Red Roses.”

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Originally published at http://nadjamaril.com on March 14, 2024.