There’s a long, slow, ranty back-and-forth conversation happening around various blogs, and it has to do with earning a living.
The basic issue is that many people love to write and want to be writers, and so they start a blog. And they also want to make a living at it, basically because it’s easier to love writing when you’re good at it, and it’s easier to get good at it when you do it a LOT. And it’s easier to do it a lot when it’s your main gig. Especially when you love it.
Some really smart people have weighed in on the issue of making money while writing— all of whom are making money, good money, on the strength of their writing.
Three of the most recent are:
Recently my Portland neighbor and international writing travel star Chris Guillebeau posted this fantastic article about how to make it as a freelance writer: The Writer’s Guide to Money and Passion.
Then I saw another friend and colleague, the Launch Coach Dave Navarro, write this powerful ranty post: The Dark Side of Ugly: When Free Gets Ugly
And then a new friend, Career Renegade Jonathan Fields wrote this one: Someone always Pays: The Truth About Blogging and Money
I’d like to add to the discussion, and it has nothing to do with being upset about folks who don’t want to pay for content.
Are You “In Writing”?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be a writer and enjoy it. There’s nothing particularly wrong with wanting to be paid for it, either.
Back in 2005 I wrote this article about artists, and received some very upset emails back from said artists. But I stand behind it 100%: Do You Have the Right Focus to Make Your Dream a Business Instead of a Hobby?
I have a simple question I want to ask: are you “in writing” or “in business”? If you’re “in writing” then enjoy it. But if you only see yourself as a “blogger” or a “writer” then I’m thinking you may have some challenges with this whole money-making thing.
If you’re not ready to embrace the “being in business” thing, I have another question for you.
When Did You Last Hire A Writer?
I don’t hire writers. Very few people do. But I’m in relationship, financial and otherwise, with businesses all the time. If you’re a writer, the vast majority of your audience may be happy to support you in a variety of ways, but we don’t have experience with hiring a writer.
Sure we buy books from writers, but those cost $5-$15 each. And how many books do I buy from a single writer? One a year? Two? Usually I get it from the library first, and then if I think it’s a keeper, I buy it.
But if someone is in business, it’s a whole different relationship. I know how to relate to a business. If they put samples out on the counter, they know and I know that they are selling larger portions of the same thing.
Two Sets of Expectations
I want to challenge you to open your heart to the thought that you are “in business” and not just “in writing.” By doing this you’ve changed two sets of expectations.
The first set of expectations is in your audience. If they see you as “in business” then there’s no upset or outrage about charging for something. They may or may not want to buy, but they don’t get upset. I’ve been writing prolifically for my business for over ten years, and I’ve never gotten any upset or outraged emails from people offended that I dare charge for something.
The second set of expectations is in you. You can realize that no matter how good a writer you may be, your business needs you to learn more than just writing.
Five years ago I was a darn good writer, and yet our online sales weren’t so great. I needed to learn copywriting. I humbled myself, let go of my self-image as an experienced writer, then did I what I needed to do as a responsible, open-hearted business owner: learn copywriting. The result was a dramatic increase in my ability to connect with people willing to pay for our products and services online.
That’s just one skill out of dozens that I’ve learned in order to have a successful business.
If you are “in business” Instead of expecting people to pay you for your writing, you will see that your writing is just one skill. To properly serve your audience with what they need, and to take care of yourself, you’ll need to learn things. About business. About money. About sales and marketing.
You can be upset about this if you like. There’s room to kick and scream and complain. It’s okay to grieve that things aren’t as easy or simple as you thought. And once you have received the support to move through those emotions, take a deep breath. Drop into your heart.
See your business, yes your business, through the eyes of your heart. See the beauty and possibility there. See what it needs to grow and flourish. Then get it what it needs. Give yourself two to three years to develop your business. And it will take care of you for a long time.
If you want to write, write. I think it’s fantastic. My life has been made amazingly better through all the writing I’ve read. Just don’t expect me to pay for your blog post.
Because I’ll be over there, hiring someone who is in business to help me apply whatever it is I’ve learned through writing.
Are you going to be that someone?
10 Responses
This blog has been an incredible read for me the past few weeks as it really applies well to the blogging business I am building as well as my day job in retail. I currently do in home sales for a big box company and previously was a department manager. Heart of Business has really great insight into the personal side of business.
This post was no exception. Great stuff. Reminds me of a guest ost by Kelly Diels on Problogger. Same topic, entirely different approach. But both have been an inspiration to me.
Keep up the great work!
.-= Carlos Velez’s lastest post: Conscious Me vs. TheInfoPreneur: The $10 Prize =-.
Hi Carlos- I can’t tell you how your words lift my heart- thank you so much, and I’m glad we’re here for you.
It’s all done with mirrors. 🙂
Mark
Hi Mark – I’m not a blogger but I do blog regularly.
I suppose the difference is that my primary focus is the off-line service I provide whereas my blog is a secondary interest and a way of sharing what I know as well as a means of letting people get a feel for what I stand for.
Since I’ve been reading more blogs, I’m noticing that some bloggers (writers) see earning money from their blogging activities as some kind of betrayal.
It’s not just blogging, I got an email today from an online service provider who’s been offering an application for free but can no longer afford to do it for free.
He sounds most remorseful and guilty that he has to charge money now and assures everyone that the money will be used for server hosting and not to make him rich.
Perhaps the “In writing or in business” is a harder line to cross when you’ve started something as a hobby?
Or is it an inherent expectation that online stuff should be free?
.-= Reeta Luthra | Stress and Health’s lastest post: How to Make Better Decisions =-.
It can be a hard line to cross, but again I don’t think it’s really about the audience expectations- I think it’s about our own. If we set ourselves up as “in business” instead of just doing a project, it just makes for a very different relationship with folks.
Hey Mark,
Just finished the telecall with you, which was awesome, some very interesting stuff for me to roll around and play with as I build a business (and I say this as a writer!).
I came across this post this morning and it was very much of a zing! thing – I’ve been pondering/working through this very thing over the last few months, feeling like I totally know how to be a writer/editor, know I can do that, know there’s people out there I can help, yet totally don’t know how to do the business/freelance side of it (and that’s vital, critical to getting to do what I DO know how to do), so I’m working to learn. But thank you for the validation and perspective along the way, and for all you’re giving and contributing.
.-= Shana ‘s lastest post: It’s a head-cold-fogged sniffy one =-.
Right on, Shana. It’s quite a journey we’re all on here- and I think it’s ultimately a worthwhile one. As you struggle and work to learn about business, remember it’s the same basic mission as learning to write- answering the question “How do I best share the love?”
Thanks for saying this, I think you said it a lot gentler than I would have. I can get cranky when people have expectationy energy about getting paid for creativity without taking the time to understand business. I put a lot of sweat and tears into learning and creating a business so I could earn a living, and I learned all the stuff about marketing, money, branding, etc because that’s just what you have to learn to create a successful business. People wouldn’t have “just paid me” for creating a website if I didn’t also do all the work of packaging it and leading them through the process and making sure I was meeting them where their actual needs were, etc, etc.
I think that there is this cultural thing where artists get to feel righteous about how society doesn’t “value” them…and there is all this sniping about “real art” vs “selling out” — but learning how to truly serve other people such that they value you and pay you is not selling out at all, it’s kind of…growing up. IMHO.
I get less cranky when I remember that a lot of this attitude is really encouraged by art schools and certain segments of counter-culture, and often people just haven’t really been given an alternative, i.e. the option to think of business not as some evil endeavor, but as a creative process of learning to be in service.
But still, I’m glad you always keep your heart front and center and hopefully that lets these ideas be heard better. =)
.-= Emma McCreary’s lastest post: Create a Boundaries Plan for Your Business =-.
Patience is something that I cling to at times. 🙂
I’m glad you liked this and said so, Emma- thanks! I think the real thing I have empathy for is when someone so totally gets how and why what they do is valuable- but have made the leap internally and just haven’t explained it to anyone else.
And of course learning about marketing and business is about making that internal understanding external for others to get. And it’s always hard for us to do that, on any topic, business no less.
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