Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe
Well, you can do as most author and have a day job since if you have time for other stuff then writing then you can do anything with that time.
Also most authors write essays and reviews and articles and so on. So they have other income.
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The vast majority of essays, reviews and articles don't pay. (Reviews very seldom pay and most authors avoid doing reviews because it can cause them problems with other authors.)
Yes, we can work. And so do most musicians. That doesn't change the fact that they have more opportunities to make money in their chosen field. And I'm not saying it's easy for them, just that there are other opportunities to show their skills and gain an audience for their work. Me writing an essay (paid or not) isn't necessarily a good showcase for my urban fantasy. Sure, we can swizzle some articles, but most readers I talk to don't even agree that a short story is a good way to "sample" an author. An essay is removed even further from a book, while a musician can play the exact songs he sells whenever given the opportunity. And hearing a live song may make you want to hear it again. Hearing a story told aloud...once you know the ending...well, it's different. Some people won't care if they ever "read" it again.