Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
A distressed writer asked me: “Why can’t writers sell their books, that they’ve agonized and slaved over, sometimes for years, for the price of a cup of coffee?”
To which I replied: “Because our consumer society values coffee higher than books. People buy what they want — be that coffee or books.”
They weren’t impressed, to put it mildly, but I stand by what I said.
It’s an excellent question — even if the author meant it differently and my response was unhelpful.
Why SHOULD you be able to make a living from your writing?
I ask this as a writer. But I answer it as a writer too.
The world doesn’t owe you a living.
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