This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.
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How silly is that? I’m not going to be a millionaire. It used to be a thing when I was young. All of us wondered what we would do with a million dollars. Now I wonder why I bothered to stop at six figures.
Since I’ve been published it seems some people and their besties want part of the pie and they make me laugh.
Best kept secret EVAH!
The only people that know most authors don’t make fists full of money are the authors. *sigh* I’ve tried to tell them that if I ever made it big, huge big, we’ll all be too old. I’m using Stephen King’s time line of ten years to success.
Ten years only guarantees that many more readers may know who I am. It 
doesn’t guarantee I’ll be rich. HA!
I don’t know if the jokes on them or me. I’m thinking them, since I’m the one laughing. I’m going to ignore the pressure and carry on as usual.
What about you? Anyone one got their hand out yet? After all, we are author superstars. 🙂
elements of emaginette 
If people have their hand out, their arm is going to get awfully tired. 🙂
Like you said – we just need to “carry on as usual” and keep doing our thing. 🙂
Is it wrong to find this funny? I sure hope not. 🙂
Seeing what happens to so many lottery winners, who wants to be a millionaire? I’ll settle for able to pay my bills.
And that would work for me too. 🙂
Although there might be time to make a million dollars in a life time, I doubt most of us will ever have that much money at one time. If writers wrote just for money, a lot of us would have quit already.
Non-writers don’t seem to get that I write for the love of story. 🙂
What a great post. Thank You Anna. I think for me it’s the dream of seeing my work published that matters most. Money never brought me any happiness anyway.
Right now, I think it’s complicating mine. I know your dream will come true. 🙂
Yeah they either think you are going to make money or they think you are wasting your time. I get a lot so when you going to get that book written? Like I’d rich if I ever did it. Most people don’t understand it takes a lot of hard work, time and more than a month or two to make any money as an author. LOL like you don’t know if jokes on me or them. Enjoyed your post.
Juneta Writer’s Gambit
At least we can laugh together. One of the many perks of being a writer. 🙂
Sighs, rolls eyes at self. I did read over that,when I wrote it, but I missed a lot of errors. My mind put the right words in despite the fact they were wrong. I do not know why comment posts are so hard for me to do without error, but there you go. Sorry–I’ll post now and see how I did with this reply. @@ Yes lets laugh together and @ me, lol.
Try not to worry about it. I knew exactly what you meant. 🙂
I’m by no means I millionaire, but I’ve seen some financial success with my writing. More than I deserve. YES, I’ve had people with their hands out, oh my goodness. My favorite was someone on my personal fb who asked if I could send them money to help them with a sick relative. Otherwise some ask me to invest in a project or some such. I’m always like “you know I don’t make as much as you think I do, right?!”
I did my best not to laugh in their face and I don’t mean in wicked way. It’s sincere surprise. 🙂
Take it as a compliment – they obviously think you’re worth it 😉 and no, it’s not wrong to find it funny. I’ll laugh right alongside ya 🙂
Outstanding.
I do feel like a human superstar, but its mostly because I’m a legend in my own mind. hehehe
Nothing wrong with being a legend in your own mind. If you don’t believe, who will? 🙂
sherry @ fundinmental
*snicker*
I too dreamt of six figure deals. Sigh, no such thing happened *wipes a tear or two*
My son would like a big inheritance. I think dreaming must run in the family. hehehe
If someone has their hand out around me – I’ll probably put a dishcloth in it and say – kitchen’s that way.
It’s a fun game to play – what would I do with a million – but now I think the number is more 500 million or a billion.
Tweeted.
Thanks. Yes the numbers should be higher and that’s a fact. 🙂
haha.. put them to work! I like it.
Quite brilliant 🙂
Most authors don’t have much money. If they do, it’s because they have another source of income! But, whatever. You are rich in imagination, connection, and satisfaction in this old life. Go. Create. Inspire!
All of my favorite things. Oh, did I just sing that aloud. hehehe
That’s the sad thing…people thing you get a ton of money when you publish a book. Well, we don’t. Not until you have one of those huge publishing houses behind you.
Ten years? *sigh* I’m not a patient person.
Then prove Stephen King wrong. I know I’m going to give it a shot. Maybe, I’ll do it in nine or eight. hehehe
Oh gosh yes, it’s amazing how many people have ‘jokingly’ asked me for a loan. Only a few people know how much I REALLY make. I don’t tell most people because it’s more fun letting them think I’m rich (but weirdly haven’t moved to a bigger house/gotten a nice car/or anything else that would indicate I have money).
I wonder how many other superstars have this problem. 🙂
Yeah I have had comments like this as well and it is comical. If only!! I hope you make that ten year goal. 🙂
Thanks. Lot of time to succeed 😉
I ask people how many books they read a year, and are they bestselling authors or do they seek out smaller names. When people think about their own book buying habits, that can steer them toward logical conclusions of who is making money and who is not.
I do think there is a positive aspect to looking ahead. Maybe you aren’t a millionaire now, but do you want to be? You might think everyone would say yes, but I know people who don’t. I actually believe you can get there IF you want it. I have not indie published, I am going through traditional routes for my YA books (first book debuts this year!), but I have my foot into several indie pub circles to keep up with what’s going on. Marie Force, a romance writer, has shared her publishing story several times. She makes a lot of money these days, and she works really hard at it. No writers journey is going to be the same, but she is doing things publishers told her would never happen, She pubs herself and with a few traditional contracts. It took five years or longer to get where she is now. Five years isn’t so long in the scope of life!
Don’t give up. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your insecurities!
I’m writing about social media overload today with a few resource links on how to better focus your efforts: My IWSG post: Stephanie Scott
Some of us are naturals at marketing, publishing, and the whole lot. I’m one of those learn-as-I-go types. Much slower for me.
And I’d be good with paying my bills with writing. No million for me. 🙂
All the best with your goals. Writing needs to be a passion.
So true 🙂
Even a big publishing house behind you won’t guarantee big bucks. The average debut advance from a major publisher is $5k. Try living on that for a year. Worse, should you not earn back the advance, you’ll see no more money and no more contracts. Publishing is not for the faint-hearted.
VR Barkowski
I’ll avoid the advance if and when I can. It feels safer. 🙂
I’m always surprised that people think you can get rich from writing books. Seems like it’s definitely the exception rather than a rule. Like any creative venture, I imagine it’s best to pursue it because you love it, rather than hope to get rich. That way, if you do get rich, it will be a nice surprise 🙂
A definite bonus. 🙂
Nope, lowest paid job ever. I always said if I really wanted to make money in the publishing industry I’d be a PR person or an editor.
Ah, so that’s where the money is. 🙂
Any half decent writer will write for the love of writing, not the financial reward. Of course, getting the money as well might be nice…
I wouldn’t turn it down. 🙂
I’m to new at this game to be chased after yet but with the business background I had they all thought it came to me easy and there were a few that were more than happy to offer help with spending my hard earned savings. Good news is, I got really good at dodging the bullet my giving to those I felt worthy and telling the others I had already donated my yearly quota:-)
HA! Good for you 🙂
I haven’t had people hold out their hand to me, but they do tend to try to suck some of my time because they think I’m not busy.
Wasting all the time in front of the computer no doubt. Some people just don’t get it, but we’re here now. 🙂
I’ve had people make those assumptions too. The average person knows nothing about the publishing world and how it works. We don’t all make millions, get sent on book tours, or live in garrets. Oh well.
If we are alive there is still time for some of it. hehehe
Heck, a millionaire? I’d settle for replacing my North Carolina teaching salary and being able to give up the day job (HINT: that’s not many dollars).
hehehe I’m thinking you have a better chance than I do. You go girl. 🙂
let’s just say I’m sooooo glad I have a day job 🙂
You and me both. 🙂
We do have to love writing to stick with it, because quitting the day job only happens to a lucky few.
So true 🙂
When I first told my boyfriend I was a writer he was like “Sweeeeeet. You write the next HP and we’ll be billionaires.” I think I laughed at his face. So cute.
Sure, it’d be nice to make big bucks but we’re in it for the writing. That’s the real payoff.
We are on the same page. hehehe
I’m not expecting to get rich. I just want to find a group of readers who enjoy reading my stuff. That would make me happy.
Yes. That sounds good to me too. 🙂
My 13 grandchildren think I am a rock star because I have a blog and that is all the rich I need for now but I am going to keep dreaming and keep writing. If the 10-year rule is true I am 1/2 way there woo hoo! Good luck to all of us.
Outstanding. A rock star and half way there. 🙂
Whadda ya; mean? I’m already working on my second million. I gave up on the first! Love this post. Everybody knows there’s no money in writing, except the authors. I giggled at that. I should cry though. Oh well, it is what it is.
So true. We must love it. 🙂
You’re right, the joke is on them. Being published, even if it’s by one of the Big 6, well now 5, is no winning lottery ticket. It’s a misconception that a book deal equals to a boatload of cash. But it’s not because like you said it’ll take at least 10 years or until your third to fifth book, before you reach some measure of monetary success. Let them think what they want and keep writing.
Will do. None of us can stop now. 🙂
Great post Anna!!! J.Q.’s comment made me laugh. It is funny how the general public perceive writers. One thing that amuses me is, people believe they can ask how much money writers make. That’s not normal is it`? When I was a School Director not once did anyone ask me how much money I earned. And it was a humungous amount compared to what an average writer earns (Oh my, I miss that money :)).
So far no one’s asked, they all just assume. And you know what that means. 🙂
Ha, I definitely don’t write for the money, that’s for sure. It would be quite discouraging if I did. 😉
That goes for me too 🙂
Great post! Thankfully I don’t know anyone under the illusion that I make more than a couple of bucks a month. Ten years, eh? Maybe I’ll be able to retire into being a writer with a decent income then!
Fingers crossed for both of us. 😉
What a great title and post. Do any of us write for the money? We would be such failures then. We do what we love. And that’s all that counts. (Money would be good, though.)
Money would be great! 🙂
No one with a hand out at my place, except maybe me! haha! But I too, enjoy being an author even if I’m not rich, yet! Thanks for dropping by my blog!
Me too, and yet my palm is still empty. 😉
Haha, that’s hilarious. I thought everyone knew that writers don’t make any money! I’m the opposite. The people who know me are always giving me their second-hand castoffs, “in case” we need them. Perhaps people are more realistic down this neck of the woods! 🙂
That’s something to consider. 🙂
That’s funny. People with their hands out already? They obviously don’t know the writing business. I haven’t had that problem. I’m another one of those who’d be happy just to have the bills paid.
I think that’s the majority. 🙂
I knew from the start that I’d never be big. I don’t think I expected to break even. Then again, I never set out to be a career author. All I want is to write my 4-book series, the companion novel, and a series of novellas, and I’ll be happy. If someone else enjoys them too, then that’s even better!
I hope you make it big. It’d be nice to say, “Hey, I knew her before she was a bagillionaire!”
Wouldn’t that be something. 🙂
I get a lot of people asking me to donate books to good causes. I don’t know if they realize the books aren’t free to me, but surely they know the postage is not free. And that is adds up significantly when you multiple their request by 20 others.
Yes, funny how that works. 🙂
Girllll, preach it! I can tell you for a fact that NO, we don’t get rich. I’ve learned that to make the big bucks, you need one of those buzz-generating books like Gone Girl. And then, nothing against Gillian Flynn, but you never seem to follow that up with a subsequent success quite as big. Whatever happened to the author of The Help, for instance?! Often they either never write another book or they continue to write but never quite have the same success… I’ll settle for a moderate LONG career, but it would be nice to make a full-time living writing fiction. I thank God every day I get to make a full-time living writing, period, even though 90 percent of my income comes from freelance writing. Who can complain about that? I can work in my PJs!
Stephanie
http://stephie5741.blogspot.com
I’ll dream of pj’s from now on. It’s a better fit anyway. 🙂
You’re not going to be a millionaire? Me neither. 🙂
Now there’s an author group waiting to be started – The Non-Millionaire Writer’s Support Group.
The perfect name for the perfect members 🙂
If you want to make good money as an author, get your book made into a movie, lol
Okay, I’ll get my camera. hehehe
I used to dream about being a millionaire and then I became a teacher 🙂
Anyway, you have to remember that money only pays bills it doesn’t make you happy or healthy.
Keep doing what you do and be happy!
Ruty @Reading…Dreaming
I’m pretty happy when writing. Problem solved. 🙂
Good thing we are writers and can just use the hilarity to fuel novels. As far as hobbies go, writing is cheap, so at least it’s not like throwing money to the wind…just time. I think an indie writer is successful if they can pay for conferences, books and coffee with their writing. Making millions on a bestseller is like winning the lottery, and probably harder to obtain.
I would say it is rare for sure. 🙂
I dreamed of mansions and six-figure deals when I started out. That’s not the reality for most writers. I don’t deal with people who have their hands out since that’s not my type of friend. Strangers do think I have money and wonder if I’ll help them write a book so they’ll make money too.
It’s the perception of the craft. 🙂
Haha! This is actually called “survivorship bias.” When all that is visible is success (i.e. Stephen King, JK Rowling, Danielle Steele), we forget to account for failure. Still very frustrating to try and explain to people.
Exactly. hehehe