Why Being A Writer Sucks In 2024 - But We Can Be Better

Blame It On The Alcoh- The Technology We Have

I swear this isn’t strictly a “phones bad” conversation, but it kinda is.

In an era oversaturated with technology, we are constantly barraged with the successes of others. Not limited to writing, nowadays, how great we are is often judged on how frequently we are viewed as creators.

Whether how many likes we get on a post meant to market our work or how many people buy our books, numbers, and attention are all that matters.

Highlighting that last part, attention is what drives success.

The endless promotion blasting you see on platforms like Instagram or Facebook is entirely intentional because the numbers don’t just mean more people can lay eyes on your product. Still, they show everyone else that you are “someone who can be taken seriously.”

From another POV: as a musician myself, getting gigs at places isn’t judged on how good you are, but how much people are willing to come out and give their attention to you.

So, What Do Writers Specifically Have To Put Up With?

Whenever my family asks how I am doing with my writing, they usually expect me to talk about some book I'm working on that I could one day send to a publisher to release into the world.

They never expect me to talk about the multiple blogging sites I write for and freelance work I do to keep a roof over my head.

The game of being a successful, I mean- financially-stable writer has changed drastically. While you can still write a novel and make it big through traditional/self-publishing, most writers who do this full-time make their income through multiple different means.

• Freelance writing on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
• Writing blogs or articles for sites on niche topics.
• Creating SEO content for product promotion.
• Releasing short works for self-marketing on sites like Vocal or Medi- hey, wait a minute!

All of that doesn’t include the fact that most writers still need to have a “normal” day job to make ends meet.

The role of a modern writer is predominantly seen to draw attention to the big-name sites that they write for.

Well, That Sucks, But What Can We Do?

To get one thing straight, there’s not much to change the system itself, but we can change how we approach writing.

Burnout is a prominent factor as to why writers give up on their dreams. I don’t think there’s a single person that will want to write 20 different articles about the same Amazon product they’ve been trying to promote for the past month.

Thankfully there are things like affiliate marketing and some Freelance services that can be used to corner our topics around things we are actually interested in.

In other words, remember why you started writing in the first place and search for writing opportunities on subjects of your choice.

Medium and Vocal are already great sites that can monetize stories and articles you are interested in writing. While it may not be a whole lot, it can still be a way to make a more subtle but passive income.

But what about outside of normal writing sites?

If you haven’t done yourself this favor yet, Google “write for us” and then add a topic you would love to write about. You will find dozens of different sites that will pay you to write articles.

Personally, I have been able to make between $600-$1k a month just writing about Old School RuneScape (seriously).

No having to deal with the process to “get it in” with big-name publishers nor crazy marketing and self-promotion on social media platforms, just passionate writing for sites that are willing to accept your work.

Speaking of knowing your worth, doing Freelance writing is still a fantastic way to be paid by clients who you can personally work with to create pieces that you care about.

While it can be intimidating to draw in work from multiple different avenues (hence why being a writer nowadays sucks if you are only viewing it in the eyes of traditional book writing), you can still write about what you love in a variety of ways.

The moral of the story is that you should be unconventional about your typical writing habits if you want to do this full-time and stay happy while doing it.

If you stick to your guns and find the right sources, you can easily make a living as a realized artist who writes about what they love.

While this may not be a formal guide to making a decent income as a writer, I hope this offers some inspiration to keep going and don’t give up on what you love.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this!

If you enjoyed it, consider checking out my artist profile on my LinkTree, where you can view my writing profile, music, and other creative works!

Thank You For Your Time,

-Kadence <3