Do you think you need to be rich to start professional writing? Do you believe you need a college degree and a stocked home office? If so, you will be surprised to see how much you can accomplish even on a minor budget.
Writers go about their professional progress on a daily basis with no extra money at all. The staggeringly talented and brilliant writer Ray Bradbury had nothing more than a high school diploma. Starting out, all you need is a computer, an Internet connection, some paper and writing instruments. That’s it. Writers today are fortunate enough to have almost no overhead, so it’s easy on your budget.
Writers across the nation live on shoestring budgets daily. J. K. Rowling, Stephen King, and many other wildly popular authors all lived in poverty during their early careers. The last major statistic stated authors who earned their livelihoods solely from writing are 30% of all professional authors. What does this mean? It means that 70% of professional authors can’t survive on royalties or advances alone. They either rely on the income of their spouse or must work full-time at a regular job. Is this to say financial independence can’t be done via writing? Not at all. You should always strive be as successful as possible, but you should have realistic expectations.
Despite these statistics, you will meet a host of companies and individuals who will want your money, everything from major writers’ organizations to seedy agents and editors. A writer can easily invest tens of thousands of dollars in books, seminars, workshops, classes, research materials, supplies, and equipment before seeing a single page of their work published.
You should never be manipulated into a financial area you aren’t comfortable with. No, you aren’t “serious” if you spend a thousand dollars on a book doctor who loved your work. You’re far more intelligent if you don’t. Never spend more than you have to get into writing. Don’t spend it unless you absolutely need it. It’s common sense writing for today’s expensive world.
