There is the pseudo-reality of being a writer, sitting at home, producing your writing, occasional lunches with your editor, reading your work in a theatre in front of hundreds of people. Ahh, and luxxy gatherings with fellow artists and fat advance checks.
And there is the real reality, that writing is not money-making. The image of the `starving artist` stops being glamourous at the very moment you become one. But this is not the point because it`s just another stereotype. The point is that when one starts taking writing seriously, they quickly find themselves facing the fact that writing – most likely – will never be their primary source of income. Or at least not the way they thought it would be.
Many writers, myself included, waste several vaulable work hours in time-comsuming, underpaid industries like hospitality. (side-note: quite a few people told me when I started working as a waitress that I will meet a lot of interesting people I can get inspired by. That`s not true. After about two months, all the customers are the same) But there are more complicated cases. If let`s say, yu`re teaching creative writing, or are a social media content writer or a blogger, does that count as making money with your writing?
I`ve come to the realisation that being a writer – not a part time one – takes a lot of discipline. Every writer that I know do numerous jobs at the same time and their income altogether is built up from all those £400-500 here and there. To be honest this is very overwhelming to face, especially the fact that this is how it`s going to be all my life. The dream of one single steady source of income is down the drain forever.
At the same time it can and it does make me more ambitious and determined. I`m taking the occasion here to share with you my first attempt to make money with my art. For a little while now I`ve been working on a zine. It`s a small notebook-sized zine, completely handmade and handwritten and kind of crossbreed between a diary, a miscellaneous notepad and a `writer`s notebook` (we all know what that is…) featuring some of my very own poetry. But let the pictures speak for themselves.
This is obviously not all, but I don`t want to give it away. The zine is soon ready, and anyone who wants to has the chance to buy a copy. Every single one of them is going to be handmade and handwritten, and I will post it to you wherever you are in the world on the 18th February. The prices are : £4 if I know you in person (so I don`t have to post), £5 within the UK and £6 anywhere outside the UK. You can make you payment through PayPal here and send a screenshot of the payment and your address to desireleaveslondon@gmail.com. I will sent you a reply about receiving with payment and another reminder on 18th.
Thanks for all of you supporting my art, can`t wait for all this to properly start off!