Writing for the Love

“How many authors—people who write either full or part-time—are able to make a living from writing?”

The small class of fifth graders fidgeted in their seats. I gave them some percentages to choose from.

“50 percent, do you think? Maybe 25?”

“I think 50 percent!” said one prospective author. I hated to burst her bubble.

“According to some studies I found, only 2 percent of authors are able to make decent living through writing. So my message to you today is, if you want to be an author, you’ll probably need a day job…at least at first.”

I was visiting an elementary school for career day. Ten fifth graders gathered to hear about being an author and editor. As someone who mostly edits with a side of ghost-writing, I felt like a bit of an imposter, but I was able to offer some insight that hopefully gave them some perspective.

“The 2023 Authors’ Guild Survey said the median book income for all authors was just $2,000, with total author-related income—which includes things like advances, royalties, and speaking engagements—was about $5,000.”

Oof. Five thousand dollars probably sounded like a veritable treasure to an eleven-year-old, but those of us with mortgages know $5,000 doesn’t go far nowadays. Measure the amount of time spent writing a book with the eventual monetary return, it hardly seems worth it. And yet…

I wanted to balance dismal statistics with some success stories, so I shared with them how J. K. Rowling planned Harry Potter on the train during her daily commute to an office job and wrote it at coffee shops while her daughter slept in her baby carriage. Before Percy Jackson, Rick Riordon was a teacher. Outliers? For sure. But to find success they started small, and their hard work paid off.

Chances are most of us are not the next J. K. Rowling or Rick Riordan, but if you have a story to tell, tell it. Take a risk and write it down. Give yourself permission to write poorly at first—that’s where everyone starts. As I told my fifth-grade audience, “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first.”

If God puts a story in your heart, it has to come out. Wrestling with words is an incomparable joy and struggle. Truly dedicated authors will find a way to tell their story no matter the money and recognition.

At the end of my class visit, a boy told me he wakes up early before school to work on his novel, a science fiction tome he hoped to finish by the time he started sixth grade. I told him that was some pretty special dedication. He just might be the next Rick Riordan.