Or allows you to travel--tax free--in order to do research? It's a job that allows me to feel almost (but not quite) famous from time-to-time. And a job that has more than its far share of rewards. I'll never forget the letter I received from a woman whostarted one of my books before having heart surgery just so she'd "have something to look forward to when she got out of recovery". I get letters like that all the time, and nothing lifts my spirits more than knowing that I made someone smile, or laugh, or even cry. Sigh. Yes, I do love being a writer.
But it's got its downside, too. There is no such thing as job security. I saw a notice for a part-time mail carrier on our town bulletin board and the thought flashed through my mind that maybe I ought to explore that opportunity. Seriously. This is such a tough business. I've been kicked in the teeth more times than I can count. I've been "fired" by my publisher and then offered the sun, the moon, and the stars by other publishers, only to be treated like dirt after I signed on the dotted line. I've taken to calling myself the Susan Lucci of bestseller lists because I've yet to make it on the NY Times or USA Today, even though according to Bookscan (kind of like the Neilsen ratings of publishing) I routinely outsell the authors who DO make those lists. It sucks, but that's the name of the game. And to be honest, at the end of the day I'm happy to have a job. :o)
It's a great career and so I think I'll pass on that mail carrier position. Too bad, too, 'cause the cost of health insurance is killing me. |
