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line, 56 % of respondents would qualify, if they relied solely on income from their writing. The survey also indicated that not only are many authors earning little, they are, since 2009, also earning less. Overall, the median writing-related income among respondents dropped from $ 10,500 in 2009 to $ 8,000 2014 in 2014, a decline of 24 %.( highlight added).
That’ s way below the poverty line! Small wonder that most authors depend on another job to survive …
So if you’ re not selling your books, take heart, you’ re not the only one. If you’ re considering becoming a writer, think twice, it won’ t make you rich. To be honest, if I could do my life over, I wouldn’ t go into writing( though I love story-telling), I’ d go into … film making! That is the art of the future, people don’ t read books, they go to the movies, they binge on TV series, they play video-games. And in all these – movies, TV, games – good story-tellers are more needed than ever …
No, the art of writing is not dead, it is just undergoing a change of venue!
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