Yesterday was a lot of fun. Tonight, we’ll come back to reality. What is it actually like to be an author?

Let me begin where I ended yesterday, which is to say every author is different. I can talk about my experiences and relay some of the things I’ve learned speaking to authors at various points on their career. But since every writer is different, every writer’s career is going to be different. Some of us move along similar paths, but what works for one person may or may not work for the next. Also, the profession has changed over time. There is no one-size-fits-all description for the author life.

As part of a presentation I put together for the Day Job, I looked up some numbers about writers. Only around 10% of people that set out to write a book actually finish. Of those, less than 10% publish. I don’t know how many people are able to sustain themselves on their writing career alone, but those numbers are painfully small.

It’s difficult to get into stores. You’re extremely unlikely to write a book that will find its way into a Walmart. It’s relatively easy to get your book onto Amazon with everyone else, but Amazon is only going to promote your book under very specific circumstances.

Like yesterday, let me paint a picture of what the author life is like for most writers.

As an author, you’re going to have a Day Job so that you can pay your bills and stay afloat. You may be passionate about writing, and you may be talented and driven, but the market is fickle and there is no easy guarantee of success. Whether you’ve put out one book or ten, it’s most likely going to be a struggle for you to live a comfortable, stable lifestyle based purely on the sales of your books.

You might have a Patreon. Lots of authors have those, these days. The extra income will help make your financial situation more stable. In fact, if you’re one of the few lucky authors that gets to quit their Day Job, Patreon might be the first step. But if you have your Day Job, don’t quit it just yet. When your job gets in the way of financial gains, you’ll know you’ve reached the point to take the leap.

Time never seems to be on your side. You may be working under a deadline. You might have a family that deserves your attention, or other hobbies that you rely on to maintain your mental stability. Finding a healthy balance is a constant shuffle. The author’s life is just a constant effort to keep all the plates spinning.

Some authors are doing very well. The superstar, ridiculously rich authors are basically lottery winners. You know their names, and there aren’t that many of them. But people that don’t know any better will compare you to their work, whether that comparison is favorable or not. You may dream of attaining their wealth or fame, but chances are, that’s not why you continue to write.

Authors write because that’s what we’ve always done. We enjoy it. We may want to support ourselves on our stories, but if we are wise, we will keep our expectations in check and just keep showing up to do the work.

It is work, by the way. The words don’t always show up on the page without a fight. Some writers make it look easy, but for most of us, we have to dig deep, unpack our adjectives, spelunk our mind palaces, and really push to get the right words to line up in the right order.

Some authors write every day. Good for them. Some write when they can squeeze it into their schedule. Some write for a couple hours at most a day. Some sit down and write until the coffee pot is empty, or when the sun has gone down, or when their spouse finally drags them away from their keyboard because they’ve been at it all day already and damn it, you said you were going to spend some time with me this evening and it’s already getting late.

Authors go long periods of time without getting the feedback they desperately crave. Authors are the camels of the art world, plodding along, carrying their own water, marching through the desert of isolation, hoping to find an oasis of sales and recognition before their resolve gives out.

It doesn’t happen to every author, but most of us forget whatever magic spell we wove in order to produce the previous book. Every time we start a new project, we have to learn how to write that story, because they all demand different nutrients in order to grow and thrive.

No matter how hard we work on a story, there will always be readers that don’t get it. Sometimes the criticism we receive is deserved. Sometimes, when the reader laid eyes on our carefully crafted story, they just weren’t in the mood.

For the most part, the author life is not glamorous. But it really is the life I want. And I’ll keep showing up to work, putting in the hours, because whether the rest of the world sees it or not, it’s who I am.