Now I am a writer who can command fairly good payments from magazines with large circulations, I very often refuse to write for them and still write sometimes for small magazines for nothing.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
When I write, I don't allow the fear of consequences to interfere with the writing process. I have in the past paid for my commitment to the truth and the way I live my life. I am prepared to pay more if I have to.
I try to keep all my novels in print. Sometimes publishers don't agree with me as to their worth.
Of course I want to be a best seller because I'm in the business and I want to be read, but there is no money in the world that can compensate for writing badly.
I was a writer for hire. I wrote to pay the bills.
As a novelist, I tell stories and people give me money. Then financial planners tell me stories and I give them money.
I worked at magazines for over 10 years before I even thought of writing a book.
A writer writes. Period. No matter if someone is buying your work or not.
I believe my publisher has shown a great deal of faith in me over a lot of years but I'm not prepared to be so arrogant to say that the long-term literary value of my work would compensate them for a financial failure.
Being with a small publisher has been huge. They bat for me for everything.
I didn't want to write for pay. I wanted to be paid for what I write.