The reality is that writing professionally is a career that, according to the US Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 165,000 people are currently doing in the United States alone. And like any other career, it requires a complex and refined skill set, years of training and practice, and involves navigating a constantly evolving industry. But we don’t treat it like any other career. As a culture, we have a horrible double-standard when it comes to writing as a career. We deny that it can be a viable career, while simultaneously starving it of all the time and investment it requires to be viable. We treat writing as a hobby and expect to get paid for it. Then, when we don’t get paid for it, we declare confidently that it’s not a viable career.
