How about those of you filling your time working on that book or publication you've always intended to create?

So you've got all this time on your hands while in isolation and at this point of time, many people's thoughts are leaning towards working on the book (or publication) you've had in the back of your mind all these years.

Then there are those who are struggling with finances and they may be starting to think of writing as an alternative source of income.

First off, let's get a dose of reality into your thinking; creative or otherwise.

What sort of income do writers make?
For one thing, that depends on where you live and many factors such as whether or not there are any literary agents or publishers, willing and/or able to take your work.

Figures you see on-line are generalisations.
In this case, it is based on the large market population in America.
https://work.chron.com/much-novelists-make-7670.html
"...Average Pay
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2010 writers and authors earned a median salary of $55,420 per year, or $26.64 per hour. These numbers are for freelance writers and authors of books, though, and novelist income is harder to pin down because usually, income depends on book sales and contracts. A working novelist could be compared to a small business owner, because the amount of product sold will determine the novelist's salary, or income, for a particular year...."

Here's a realistic article from Australia.
https://authorsinterest.org/2018/02/20/whats-happening-to-authors-earnings-surveying-the-surveys/
"...Australian authors reported average incomes of A$62,000, of which A$12,900 comes from ‘practising as an author’. The median was much lower – just A$2,800 across all authors – suggesting there are a small number of authors making a good living and a large number making very little indeed).
The top 25% of literary fiction authors reported averaging A$9,000 from writing, with 70% of them stating that low earnings from creative labour prevented them from engaging in more of it.
Nearly 20% of surveyed authors worked full time at writing, but fewer than 5% were able to earn the average annual income from that creative work alone...."

For beginners, there are any number of how-to sources of information on-line to help you get writing.
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-and-Publish-a-Book

Off line, use your on-line resources to find someone (or somewhere) who will treat your work with the respect it deserves. Research what should be done by those you trust with your career, your work and intellectual property.i.e. no agent takes 80-90% or your earnings, the norm is 10-15%.
https://www.wheelercentre.com/

For professionals, let me pose a question to you.
At the end of this isolation period, there are going to be a whole heap of people who are trying to get their writing published. But where are the publishers? How many are still in existence and where are the Governments willing to encourage the book culture and market necessary to support the industries and personnel involved (let alone the freelancers)?

Worth thinking about! Where are professionals going to be at the end of this period of isolation? Who and what is going to be their competition in a decidedly different industry and/or market structure?

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker