Writing For Pay

John Scalzi’s advice to new writers about money

February 13th, 2008

Author John Scalzi offers some profoundly useful guidance to writers about money, correctly diagnosing most of us having as much financial sense “as chimps on crack.”

It’s a long essay, and I recommend you absorb every word of it. Here are his top points:

1. You’re a writer. Prepared to be broke.
2. Don’t quit your day job.
3. Marry (or otherwise shack up with) someone sensible with money, who has a real job.
4. Your income is half of what you think it is.
5. Pay off your credit cards NOW and then use them like cash later.
6. Don’t have the cash for it? You can’t have it.
7. When you do buy something, buy the best you can afford — and then run it into the ground.
8. Unless you have a truly compelling reason to be there, get the hell out of New York/LA/San Francisco.
9. Know the entire writing market and place value on your own work.
10. Writing is a business. Act like it.

Hilariously, in my marriage I’m the one with the real job.  My wife is a full time self-employed artist. I’m a writer, but a salaried one.

Entry Filed under: Careers, Freelancing, Tips