Have ya'll tried writing with the intent to generate income?

[davion2308]

I like writing and I've been doing it for a long time. My stories on here are pretty good based on scores, comments, and feedback.

Are they going to make money? Maybe. I decided my goal for 2025 was to start writing with the intent to sell on KDP or another platform.

I started experimenting and I wrote something as my first story to publish on KDP. I found, though, I didn't have nearly the fun I do when I write for me. My stories are for me, not for you lovely people. And now that I'm writing for money, so to speak, I'm gearing it more for the audience and not myself.

That makes things less fun. It makes it more work and I don't care for that.

Has anyone else had the same experience? What are your thoughts or observations on what I'm sharing? I'm curious how it looks from others who are doing or trying or have tried to sell works on Kindle or Smashwords or wherever.

Thanks!

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Writing for your own enjoyment and writing to please the audience (and to motivate it to buy your stories) are often two opposing concepts. You can't have it both ways unless your own taste happens to coincide with what the audience wants.
But from what I've seen here, writing smut and succeeding commercially is far from easy. It takes a lot of work and dedication and even patience. Being able to write decently goes without saying.
There are easier ways to earn money.

 

[davion2308]

Writing for your own enjoyment and writing to please the audience (and to motivate it to buy your stories) are often two opposing concepts. You can't have it both ways unless your own taste happens to coincide with what the audience wants.
But from what I've seen here, writing smut and succeeding commercially is far from easy. It takes a lot of work and dedication and even patience. Being able to write decently goes without saying.
There are easier ways to earn money.

I agree with the last sentiment. I have a full-time job, I'm fine doing what I'm doing and it's more of a question if I could monetize a hobby. I have heard and read enough to say a hobby shouldn't be a business or a side hustle because it takes away the fun. I'm surprised I discovered that so quickly while in the process. I know it's not easy. I had set a goal to "make $10 from sales or commissions through 2025" but it turns out I'm just not sure I even want to try it.

Thanks for the observation and conversation. I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[onehitwanda]

I wrote a book once. It was a terrible book. I had great fun writing it, but I think that's probably why it was such a terrible book. Ultimately, it got the story out of my head and down onto paper so I could stop thinking about it.

I'm learning Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor because it's beautiful and technically challenging, not because I have any asperations of ever being Valentina Lisitsa or Yuja Wang. I write because I love writing down the stories in my head, not because I have any aspirations to try to sell my words.

I love writing too much to want to make it my job, in exactly the same way that I like playing the piano too much to want to do it as my job. My job is something else, and these are things I do because I love them. I do them at my own pace for my own enjoyment, and sometimes my cats are pleased with me.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

To add to Wanda's words, here's something from my own experience. I've been studying and playing music since I was five, and I chose guitar as my primary instrument. I absolutely loved it while I played for fun, for friends, for non-profit concerts, and such. At one point I started playing guitar and singing semi-professionally and while I earned damn good money playing in hotels, restaurants, etc. I rarely enjoyed it anymore.
Sometimes, the crowd would be really good and energy would start flowing, and in those cases yeah, the feeling would be there. But that didn't happen that often. I only truly enjoy playing when I play something for pure fun and for a great audience.

My point is that doing something as work tends to kill the pleasure of it. Sooner or later, writing would start to feel like a chore if you ever get into it in a proper commercial way. That's my assumption, but I suppose those here who do write commercially can give you better insight.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I wrote a book once. It was a terrible book. I had great fun writing it, but I think that's probably why it was such a terrible book. Ultimately, it got the story out of my head and down onto paper so I could stop thinking about it.

I'm learning Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor because it's beautiful and technically challenging, not because I have any asperations of ever being Valentina Lisitsa or Yuja Wang. I write because I love writing down the stories in my head, not because I have any aspirations to try to sell my words.

I love writing too much to want to make it my job, in exactly the same way that I like playing the piano too much to want to do it as my job. My job is something else, and these are things I do because I love them. I do them at my own pace for my own enjoyment, and sometimes my cats are pleased with me.

 

[onehitwanda]

View attachment 2446590

I will never, ever be good enough to play that.

She, however, gives the Piano an orgasm.

Also, @Jackie.Hikaru promised me a Bösendorfer but has yet to deliver...

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I will never, ever be good enough to play that.

She, however, gives the Piano an orgasm.

Also, @Jackie.Hikaru promised me a Bösendorfer but has yet to deliver...

She's amazing, of course. I must admit though that having listened to a good deal of live classical performances, I've grown to love listening to good YouTuber-pianists performing popular classical pieces with visualisers, performing movie tracks, and such. Here are a few interesting links if you want to give it a look.

 

[onehitwanda]

She's amazing, of course. I must admit though that having listened to a good deal of live classical performances, I've grown to love listening to good YouTuber-pianists performing popular classical pieces with visualisers, performing movie tracks, and such. Here are a few interesting links if you want to give it a look.

If you like Rosseau, you should have a look at Kassia.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I sell stories on Amazon and Bookapy. Most stories here were up for sale before I put them here.

 

[StillStunned]

TIL learned that Wanda plays the piano. On a related note, I think I understand Wanda's senior position in the ULA.

 

[onehitwanda]

TIL learned that Wanda plays the piano. On a related note, I think I understand Wanda's senior position in the ULA.

I am a presto digitator.

Piano is my first love. I still dream of owning a house with space for a Yamaha CFX or Bosendorfer imperial in it.

I played the violin as well until I broke my wrist (rollerblading, I was a stupid pre-teen who thought she was immortal) and I could probably get a reasonable tune out of most instruments given a few minutes to work out how they work.

 

[StillStunned]

I am a presto digitator.

Hehe, just today I wrote this text exchange in a story:

-Hi Merrel, I had a wonerful time last night. Thank you for everything! Thom X
-Sorry, that should read “wonderful”. Clumsy fingers.

-Dont blame your fingers. They were perfectly dexterous yesterday.

 

[onehitwanda]

Hehe, just today I wrote this text exchange in a story:

-Hi Merrel, I had a wonerful time last night. Thank you for everything! Thom X
-Sorry, that should read “wonderful”. Clumsy fingers.

-Dont blame your fingers. They were perfectly dexterous yesterday.

better dexterous than sinister!

 

[Kasumi_Lee]

I like writing and I've been doing it for a long time. My stories on here are pretty good based on scores, comments, and feedback.

Are they going to make money? Maybe. I decided my goal for 2025 was to start writing with the intent to sell on KDP or another platform.

I started experimenting and I wrote something as my first story to publish on KDP. I found, though, I didn't have nearly the fun I do when I write for me. My stories are for me, not for you lovely people. And now that I'm writing for money, so to speak, I'm gearing it more for the audience and not myself.

That makes things less fun. It makes it more work and I don't care for that.

Has anyone else had the same experience? What are your thoughts or observations on what I'm sharing? I'm curious how it looks from others who are doing or trying or have tried to sell works on Kindle or Smashwords or wherever.

Thanks!

I posted my thoughts on this earlier this year. In case you're interested, it's here.

I make a modest amount on the side from my erotica stories via Amazon KDP and Draft2Digital (they bought out Smashwords). Just be careful about the content rules or the vagueness thereof, in KDP's case.

 

[StillStunned]

better dexterous than sinister!

It can be very useful to be dexterous with your sinister hand too.

 

[Erozetta]

My stuff is up for sale on Smashwords, but I actively tell people to just message me and I'll send them the story they want. If someone buys it, cool, if they just want to read it, I'm gonna give them a coupon code to get it free. I'm not trying to make money off of my writing, it's just there as an option if people wanna be nice and toss me a couple bucks as a thank you or something.

I'm a terrible business person.

Plus, I don't want to sully the fun of writing with making it into work.

 

[Kasumi_Lee]

My stuff is up for sale on Smashwords, but I actively tell people to just message me and I'll send them the story they want. If someone buys it, cool, if they just want to read it, I'm gonna give them a coupon code to get it free. I'm not trying to make money off of my writing, it's just there as an option if people wanna be nice and toss me a couple bucks as a thank you or something.

I'm a terrible business person.

Plus, I don't want to sully the fun of writing with making it into work.

This isn't relevant to what you said, but I like your avatar. A sexy devil girl with a crush on a human guy?

 

[Erozetta]

This isn't relevant to what you said, but I like your avatar. A sexy devil girl with a crush on a human guy?

Thanks, I made it in Canva. It's a layering of very simple stock images.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I will never, ever be good enough to play that.

She, however, gives the Piano an orgasm.

Also, @Jackie.Hikaru promised me a Bösendorfer but has yet to deliver...

beautifully long fingers.
Wasted on the piano....
Ahhhhh, I can imagine them reimagined.

 

[Bramblethorn]

My stuff is up for sale on Smashwords, but I actively tell people to just message me and I'll send them the story they want. If someone buys it, cool, if they just want to read it, I'm gonna give them a coupon code to get it free. I'm not trying to make money off of my writing, it's just there as an option if people wanna be nice and toss me a couple bucks as a thank you or something.

That's pretty much how I treat mine. If I think of writing as a hobby with a tip jar, then every time somebody buys one of my stories it's an unlooked-for surprise. That feels much better than thinking of it as an extremely low-paying job.

For various reasons, I've needed a break from writing for the last couple of years. If I thought of it as an income source, that would be pretty stressful. As it is, I get to take time off without feeling bad about it.

 

[onehitwanda]

beautifully long fingers.
Wasted on the piano....
Ahhhhh, I can imagine them reimagined.

I saw her first!

 

[Cagivagurl]

Greedy

 

[onehitwanda]

Just thirsty, and the waterhole is... ahem... constrained

 

[Voboy]

I found, though, I didn't have nearly the fun I do when I write for me. My stories are for me, not for you lovely people. And now that I'm writing for money, so to speak, I'm gearing it more for the audience and not myself.

That makes things less fun. It makes it more work and I don't care for that.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

Yep.

It's the main reason I don't write for money anymore.

Also because the money is never worth it. Erotic fiction netted me maybe a couple hundred bucks a year, on average, and I was working with a publisher and getting advances. There were times I got more like $500 a year. Which is cool and all, but not worth selling my enjoyment for.