My most published friend with one picture book published while still in college, then three YA fantasies, one historical novel and 2 adult fantasies has always had other jobs (priest, flower supplier and musician). She also rides horses. She majored in music, but took creative writing courses in college. Unfortunately the publisher of the adult fantasies went out of business and she was never able to persuade another publisher to let her continue the series. She’s finally going ahead and self-publishing e-books. All those experiences make her way into her books, more than waitressing would probably!
I know very little about publishing. But I’ve been wondering whether self publishing could turn out more profitable. If the publishers are pocketing enough to make a living themselves but the authors aren’t getting enough, what happens if you cut out the publishers?
If the professors at a school are only focused on the most evidently advanced students, then they’d appear to be acting more as judges than teachers. Personally, I’d choose a college where most courses are open to most students on a roughly equal basis.
The Authors Guild published as survey of full-time writers in 2015 that seems to show that writing-related income is down dramatically over the past six years (since they surveyed writers in 2009). The average writing-related income for full-time authors is $17,500 a year. Yowza.
I know, I know - sample size, selection bias, whatever. Just one survey, just one snapshot. But still.
https://www.authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/the-wages-of-writing/
If you are an advanced student, you don’t want to be sitting around in a class being taught to the lowest common denominator. It drove my kid nuts her first year in college that her college had eight or nine different levels of math that students were sorted into, so that she with a year of non-AP calculus wasn’t holding back some kid who had already taken linear algebra and analysis. But when it came to literature, everyone was in the same class, regardless of what they knew. She was bored the whole time; it was like another year of high school (except in high school her teachers mainly gave her independent work).
It’s great if a college has a range of beginner-intermediate-advanced courses. But that takes a lot of resources.
Self-publishing is a bonanza for a lucky few, and a great option for cult authors who already have their cults, and who don’t care about producing physical books. There are ginormous economies of scale in producing and distributing physical books, and the companies that produce and distribute physical books for self-publishing authors – starting with Amazon – make a lot of money on it. I think most of the people who have done well self-publishing wind up signing with conventional publishers, although there are a few notable exceptions.
I personally know four successful writers, where I define successful here as having published several books.
One got a PhD in physics at Harvard and worked as a researcher for many years before turning to science fiction. She has published several books and won some awards. I knew her years ago as a grad student, so don’t know if she still has (or needs) a day job.
One has a BS in English, and taught middle school English (my son had him in 6th grade*) for many years. He wrote a literary biography that was nominated for a Book Critics Circle award. I believe he got a contract for the book based on a magazine article–the advance let him stop teaching and work on the book, but it was right back to middle school teaching when he was finished, as even a good selling book in that category barely makes back the advance. However, that book led to the opportunity to write an “authorized” biography of another, more famous writer, which did win the Book Critics Circle award. Now he is a creative writing professor at a college in the town where his wife got a job.
Another is a woman with a PhD in sociology and a career as a community college instructor. She started writing novels late in life. I knew her while she was working on her last book before she passed away, and she complained bitterly about her editor micromanaging and failing to appreciate her vision.
The last is a poet who has published several books of poetry and had poems appear in national publications. She has a BS in English and for many years had a day job teaching computer programming to non-majors at the local university. She told me that she prefered this to something writing related, which would use up her energy for poetry. She is now retired and has more time for poetry and related projects like collaborations with the local ballet company. Over the years, she had many gigs teaching poetry writing workshops during the summer, all over the English speaking world.
*This teacher turned my son into a writer.
@motherbear332 , thanks, it is interesting to the variety of experiences. I also know some writers but none who seem to be supporting themselves just by writing.
D1 really liked her writing and literary criticism classes in college. But she is disappointed that her instructors haven’t been more helpful with networking. My daughter has very good social skills; thus her success at serving. So she feels comfortable talking to just about everyone. But getting the connections so that she is in a position to talk to people is more challenging.
I am wondering whether some of the writing programs are notable for helping students establish connections. And how much writing is like many other areas where surveys show the majority of people got their job through someone they knew.
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/feedback-from-james-joyces-submission-of-ulysses-to-his-creative-writing-workshop
One of my daughter’s college classmates shared this article. I think readers and writers will enjoy it.