Why Would You Want Creatives To Work A Day Job?

"There's too much talent trapped by poverty."

- Anonymous

The economy has been doing barrel rolls in the middle of its swan dive over the past year, and as an elder millennial who was living on my own back during the crash that came after the housing bubble burst 15 or so years back, this feels like very familiar territory. People are losing jobs left and right, and it seems like every day I scroll social media and see Go Fund Me campaigns for people who are trying to keep their homes, trying to pay their medical bills, and just trying to keep food on the table.

That said, though, there is another phenomenon that I've seen rear its hideous head over the past year. It's been present, swimming just beneath the surface, but it's been in full-throated roar the past several months; it is people who, in response to the struggles or requests of artists, have responded with vitriol and mockery. And the most common refrain is, of course, that we should all go and get real jobs.

Leaving aside the stupidity of that statement for just a moment... why do you want to take someone who can write, sing, perform, paint, animate, or entertain, and force them to stand behind a cash register, stare at security cameras, or deliver pizza? Why don't you want people with skill, vision, and drive to make things that could entertain you, and add value to your life?

A question that is really worth pondering. Especially if it's uncomfortable for you.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more! And, of course, check me out on Blue Sky, since that's what we're talking about today!

Seriously, Though... Why?

If someone has a skill, and a desire to put that skill to use, the most logical thing is to let that person do the thing they're made to do. If someone likes to work on cars, we let them become a mechanic. If someone is satisfied hanging drywall, framing walls, etc., we get them onto construction crews. If someone can fix computers and set up networks, we get them into device repair or some form of IT. If someone is good at cooking, they work in a restaurant, if they're a good driver they might work in a cab or driving a bus route, and so on, and so forth.

Because, for some reason, we understand that in these examples you should pair a person's skillset with the job that best utilizes said skillset. However, when the person is a singer, a videographer, a writer, a painter, or really anything artistic, all of a sudden we start looking for reasons they shouldn't be able to make a living using those skills.

To be clear, all the naysayers will still encourage (and in some cases demand) that the creative folks keep making things. They just don't want said creative people to be paid for utilizing their skills.

Yeah... I don't get it either.

Here's a bottom line for folks. People who create, whatever form that takes, generally enjoy the act of creation. And yes, there are always going to be folks who are willing or able to just do things for the love of the game. But if you've ever wondered, "Why don't people make art like they used to anymore?" the answer is always money.

Because if you look at those classic sculptures, the amazing paintings, and so on that fill our museums? If you read books by a lot of classic authors? You're going to rapidly notice that a majority of them either came from money (and their family supported them so they could just be an art goblin without worrying about bills and food), or they had patrons (old-timey sugar daddies who threw money at their art goblins who wanted them to keep making great art instead of getting up to adult fun time when they were in town).

That's it. Period. End of story.

Money is necessary for artists to make art in the world we live in. Because it takes time to write novels. It takes energy to make audio dramas. It takes skill to paint, sculpt, and illustrate. And if someone is spending 8+ hours a day at a job that doesn't engage them (or worse, makes them want to chew their arm off to escape), they aren't going to have those necessary resources when they finally manage to get home.

This leads to the current issue. If you want creatives to be able to keep being creative and making art, they need to be able to focus their skills on doing that. However, if they don't come from a wealthy family, or have rich patrons backing them, how are they supposed to make it happen?

You. The answer is you, the person reading this right now.

We Literally Depend On You

I've said this before, but for anyone who hasn't been present for the sermon, creatives depend on our audiences to support us. And that audience is made up of individuals who are all doing their part to help raise the artist's profile, boost the signal, and to make sure that their pet creatives have the necessary resources they need to buy tacos and pay rent so they can spend their days producing more of the art that their audience wants to see.

And sure, maybe that means you just give an artist you like money. Whether it's as a tip on Ko-Fi, or you have a regular subscription through Patreon, just giving creators money is a great way to just grease the wheels so they can make more stuff. My Patreon and Ko-Fi are here, since we're on the topic.

If you don't want to just give an artist money, however, the next best thing you can do is buy their creations. Whether it's novels, paintings, prints, or just merch for their YouTube channel, this is the second best way to make sure their bills stay paid. After all, haven't you ever wondered why every concert you go to has a merch table at it? It's because the concert itself essentially makes no money once all the costs and ticket sales are tallied.

Seriously... bands make more money off your tee shirt than they do your ticket.

But what if you don't have any money? Well, you can actually make sure that your pet artist gets paid with nothing more than just your time and attention!

Do you like to watch YouTube videos? If you want to support that creator, then watching those videos without your ad block on means that you are actively making sure they get paid by advertisers, which allows them to keep making videos. And if you subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment of at least 7 words, you're also increasing their momentum in the algorithm, and helping more people find them! You can add a similar amount of weight for authors by following them on social media, leaving reviews for their books on places like Amazon and Goodreads, and actually requesting your library to buy copies of their books. This lets you read them for free, but the author still gets paid for the sale, in case you were curious. Hell, even leaving 5-star reviews on a podcast you like will make it more likely to show up in other people's searches and random mixes!

As I've said before, if you don't like a particular artist or a particular creator, you are under no obligation to support them in any way. However, if you do like a given artist, and you want to help them keep creating, then that burden is on you to help in whatever way you can. If you want them to make more art, then you (and everyone else in the potential audience) needs to help turn the crank to make sure they get their needs met.

Because the spark of creativity dies in the wet, grinding misery of being forced to spend all the resources you need to make art on scanning items, bagging groceries, or making phone calls when that isn't what you were called to do. And if you genuinely want your pet artist to keep making art, then do what you can to make sure they can nurture and grow that spark into many, many future projects!

Actually, Speaking of Future Projects (That Are Free)

The A.L.I.C.E. Files is a YouTube channel I launched in partnership with Alice Liddell, and it's an ongoing audio drama narrative that will also have other dramatized stories from both our bodies of work, as well as various other authors over time. So if you want to support a free project that takes just the click of a button, as well as your eyes and ears, then please watch this trailer, give it an upvote, leave a comment, and subscribe to the channel to help us out!

YouTube requires you to get 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours before they share ad revenue with you... and we definitely need all the help we can get on this one.

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My Blue Sky

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- The A.L.I.C.E. Files (where many dramatized versions of my stories can be heard for free)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list.

The 1 Gift Every Author On Your List ACTUALLY Wants

It's the holiday season, and we're all asking that same question we always ask around this time of year; what does that special someone on our list really want this year? Whether we're trying to get a gift for our parents, our siblings, our partners, our children, or even just friends, it can be tough. You want to get them something they'll like, something that's meaningful, but also something that feels personal and shows you took an interest in them. However, if anyone on your list this holiday season is an author, I'm going to save you a lot of time, energy, and effort on this one. Because there is one thing that every author out there wants, and it will make them absolutely beam this Yule time.

Are you listening? All right, here it is...

Support their work. That's it. That's the secret!

There you go! Now start placing orders.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more! And, of course, check me out on Blue Sky, since that's what we're talking about today!

The Kinds Of Support You Can Give

All right, so you want to give the author in your life the kind of support they're going to appreciate, and which is going to make them feel special. I'm going to give you a descending order of impact regarding the kinds of support the authors in your life need.

#1: Become A Patron

Whether the authors in your life have a Patreon, they're still on Only Fans (yeah, some of us use it for writing rather than... other content), or they've got another way for their audience to crowdfund them, just do that. An extra $20 or more a month can make a big difference to a creative professional... and if you can get a few other family members together on this one, it's possible you all could quite literally pay their bills throughout the year so they can work without worry. Or at least make paying those bills a bit easier.

I cannot overstate how much direct assistance helps. And, of course, if you're not as tech savvy or you want to have a physical something to hand over, suspicious envelopes of cash are a great universal gift.

#2: Buy Their Book

It sounds obvious, but authors get paid when people buy our books... so just do that when you can! And sure, it might not be that big of a deal if just one person buys one copy, but ask yourself how many people are in this author's extended community? How big is their family, their friend circle, etc.? Tally up what kind of royalty check they'll have if all of those people bought a copy of their book, as well as getting one for their friends, in-laws, and so on, and so forth. And, while you're at it, imagine the look on their face as everyone in their circle comes up to ask them to sign the copy they got for Christmas. Also, review their books online, because once they break 50 reviews, that's when the Amazon algorithm starts actually giving them attention.

Seriously, I cannot overstate how that feeling never really stops hitting you when you're an author. And for those who don't know, I've got all sorts of books on My Amazon Author Page, so go check it out if you haven't! Or grab yourself a copy of my new RPG, Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic... after all, who doesn't love a new game for the holidays?

#3: Consume Their Free Content (If It Pays Them)

Whether the author in your life puts work on platforms like Vocal.media, they have a podcast, they livestream themselves doing something creative, they have a YouTube channel, etc., support on those platforms is what determines the size of their check. So read their articles, watch their videos, listen to their episodes, and leave upvotes, comments, and share it around as best you can. Even if you don't have money to spend, showing your support like this can help them reach a wider audience through you, which can be encouraging, but also boost their signal enough to help them gain traction so they can earn more.

For folks who don't know, you can find a slew of my content on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, as well as over on My Vocal Archive.

#4: Follow All Their Social Media Pages

You know how when you have an indie band that's playing their first handful of shows how there's nothing more discouraging than looking out and seeing no one but the other bands and their significant others? How there's no fans filling the space, and no one interested in their performance, but they pick themselves up and play anyway? Well, following a writer's social media pages is basically you choosing the be the warm body in the audience cheering them on.

This matters more than just moral support, too. The social media algorithms pay attention, and if there are people following their pages, liking the things they share, leaving comments of at least 7 words, and resharing the content, that will make them more likely to get bigger boosts from the website itself.

There's Something For Every Budget

Some of us have a big, fat budget to buy gifts with. Some of us just have time, energy, and a willingness to try to make our loved ones smile. But if someone in your life is an author, the best thing you can do is help support their work in whatever way you can this holiday season.

And who knows? If you're not already an avid reader of their work, maybe you'll find out you like their books a lot more than you thought you would!

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My Blue Sky

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

What Do Creators Do When The Grind Grinds You Down?

There has been a single, constant refrain from most folks who get to see behind the curtain of what it takes me to make a living as an author. Everyone, without fail, tells me that I need to take time for myself. That I can't be working all the time, or I'm going to overheat my engine and explode. At best, I'll get burned out, and at worst I'm going to have a heart attack and wind up in an early grave.

And they're not wrong. The stress of having to constantly be on the grind all the time is bad for your health, both mental and physical. Even if you eat well, exercise regularly, and try to get good sleep, you need time to not be grinding.

The problem is, of course, capitalism doesn't recognize your humanity, or its attendant needs. So unless you're one of a privileged few, you wind up stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Shit is relentless, and you can't stab the sea and stop the tide.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

This is a Pay-To-Win Game

I want to make something very clear to folks out there. I don't take on so many projects because I'm filled with a burning desire to do a thousand things at a time, or because I have a Type A personality that simply will not allow me to take my foot off the gas. I do so much stuff because I live in poverty, and not doing these things means it's unlikely that I will have the money to keep paying my bills at the end of the month. If I didn't have to do all these things to keep my head above water, I would do less writing every day, and I would probably shift my focus to projects that I am very passionate about/interested in, but which are not big earners for me as a creator.

I know this because about 10 years ago I was making more than double what I'm making right now. And at that time I would get up, put in the articles I'd agreed to write by mid afternoon, and then I'd do something else. I'd go out to eat with friends. I'd play video games. I'd drive out to a LARP, or I'd roll some dice during a board game night, etc. For a while I even had a weekly sword fighting meetup that I'd go to, and I could spontaneously take trips to go see people just because I missed them. Because money buys you time, and opportunity.

I did not dedicate every minute of every day to working on new projects when I didn't have to. I still wrote short stories, I still planned out novels, and I still made notes on script ideas, but I wasn't hammering on them all day, every day like a madman. More importantly, though, I didn't have anxiety that kept me up into the wee hours of the morning, and which jolted me out of bed because the sun had risen, and it was time to put the pedal back to the metal until my tank was utterly out of gas again.

Let's get this bread...

I say this because I want to frontload an important point, here. The amount of stress that creatives you know are under is, 9 times out of 10, about money. Because if we had money, it would solve a majority of our stresses, and fix so many of our problems. Because the more money you have on-hand (or the more your work regularly earns you), the less you have to worry about it. When something goes wrong with your teeth, you can call the dentist. When something goes wrong with your car, you can take it to the shop. When you're hungry you can ask, "What do I want to eat?" and not "How can I make that pack of Ramen taste different than the last 6 I've eaten this week?"

So if you've wanted to ask how you can help your creative friends feel less burned out, the top answer is going to be, "Give them money and/or support so they don't have to work so damn hard." If you can afford to become a patron on Patreon, or to tip them on Ko-Fi, do that. If you want to get them a gift, or take them out for lunch some time, do that. If you want more people to see their work then leave reviews on their books, share their articles and blogs, on your social media, and use your voice to help them be seen. For those who are interested in numbers, I have a pretty good break down in If 90,000 People Read This Article, I Can Pay My Bills This Month.

Because everything else that comes after our concerns about earnings and money is just, "How to distract yourself from the fact that you don't have enough resources to live your life the way you want to."

And for folks who like my work, and are wondering if I have a collection of links all in one place so you don't have to go search, I do! So consider supporting me at the following:

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

With That Out Of The Way...

With that said, if you can't just write a book that becomes an instant bestseller, or post a video that goes viral and makes you an overnight sensation, there are some things you can do to help stave off that grinder. This isn't a complete list, obviously, but these are the things I do to help me stay as even as I can while dodging the stamping boots of capitalism.

#1: Take Care of Yourself

This is easier said than done, but it goes a long way. First of all, drink water. I know that we all live off of Mountain Dew and coffee in the creative fields, but please, I'm begging you, alternate your drinks so you're properly hydrated. It really does do wonders for you. Beyond drinking enough water, try to get some exercise every day (whatever form works best for you). I'm fortunate enough that my apartment complex has an on-site workout room that I can use whenever I want to, but even just going for a walk, doing a yoga routine, or some body weight lifts can help reduce stress and clear your mind. Sleep as best you can, and don't be afraid to use some tea, warm milk, or a melatonin tablet if you need to.

If you aren't up to a challenge physically, that will make everything ten times harder, and this stuff is hard enough as it is.

#2: Make Opportunities For Your Passions

Again, this feels like something that's a pie-in-the-sky scenario for a lot of us. After long days of working on a dozen projects, where are you supposed to get the time and energy to just do one more thing?

For me, this comes down to finding some way to turn something I want to do into at best a tax-deductible expense, or at best a paying opportunity so that I can justify spending resources and time to make it happen.

As a for-instance, any convention where I volunteer for programming, hand out business cards, etc., becomes a business expense. Mileage, ticket costs, meals, hotel room, etc., are all things I can claim at the end of the year. Not perfect, but it does allow me to attend events I otherwise wouldn't because they're just self-indulgent, or I want to see my friends. Alternatively, I really like making audio dramas. I couldn't justify the half dozen hours even a small snippet took to make, but when I reached out to Azukail Games and they hired me to turn my fiction vignettes into audio dramas for the Azukail Games YouTube channel (which you should check out and subscribe to), suddenly this thing I didn't have time for could be made a priority because it came with a check.

This can be difficult, but it never hurts to use the network and connections you have to try to get more personal enjoyment out of the work you do. And sometimes this can result in you finding a new niche, growing as a creator, and really enjoying your work in a way you weren't before. Even if you can't reduce your workload, finding work you feel motivated to do helps a lot. Variety helps, too, so if you're getting bored doing one thing, try some sideways thinking to see if there's a way you could change things up without damaging your bottom line.

#3: Allow Yourself To Be Entertained

I don't have a single subscription to a single streaming service. I flat-out can't afford them, and I know there's a lot of other creative folks out there who are in the same boat. However, diversion and entertainment are key to not overloading your brain, and you need to make time to just sit back, and enjoy things sometimes.

Fortunately, there are options out there for free stuff all over the place.

First and foremost, check your local library to see what services they offer. A lot of them have apps these days that allow you to check out ebooks and digital audio books right to your devices, which can make everything from riding the bus to going to sleep a lot better. YouTube is also full of great content you can just binge at will, and if you are a fan of independent narration, I'd recommend checking out A Vox in The Void, as well as Warrior Tier for those who really enjoy Warhammer 40K content. If you live in an area where there's local events then you may have free concerts, movie screenings, and a dozen other things going on as well. There's online roleplaying groups, watch parties, and all sorts of other activities you can do, too!

As always, there's the matter of time, convenience, and how much energy you can put in. But sometimes you just need to put in some headphones and listen to a new album, or catch up on some creepy pastas while going on an evening walk, to recharge your batteries just a little.

Wars Aren't Won on a Single Charge

With a dramatic few exceptions, your career isn't going to explode overnight. Most of us won't make something that goes viral, or become massive bestsellers. Changes take time as we build our archives, find our audience, try new things, and so on. While the best way to help the creators you want to see succeed is to give them any and all support you can, it's also important that when you're down in the trench that you do the best you can with what you have. Change your socks so you don't get trench foot. Drink tea or coffee in between shellings. Take a bite of chocolate every now and again.

You have to keep up your strength so that you can keep the pressure on when it matters. Be as kind to yourself as the conditions allow you to be.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects! You can also check out my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary for free audio dramas!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!