If the average advance in SF is $5K, you can imagine how many authors don’t get a cent. My publisher is small, doesn’t pay advances. Our royalties are higher than average, but that means you gotta sell the darn books to make money.

It’s a good thing I ain’t doing this for the dough. I’m doing it for the glory (she says with a snarky grin).

I am doing part time work as a substitute teacher right now. Been working on my first novel. I am in the finishing stages now and hope to start the publishing cycle soon. If I get an offer for full time teaching position for next year I’m not sure what I should do. Even if I send stuff off and someone eventually wants to publish it that will take a long time. But teaching does not allow time for writing.

This blog made some good points. Writing would not be the best financial decision. But if I can publish this story at all its setup as a series. I look forward to the 5 Things that Do happen part.

“I suspect Mr. Scalzi gets his benefits the way I get them… by having a spouse who works a steady 9-to-5 in a company that pays good benefits.”

Now, yes. Previously, before my wife got her current job, I got them through self-incorporating and having a small business plan. My wife, then my employee, had benefits through the corporation and our child was attached to her benefits — it was cheaper that way and I got a tax break for giving my wife employee benefits.

I’m not a member of the Author’s Guild; the only practical reason for me to be a member would be for benefits, and I’m not in a state where they have coverage.

Re the benefits question: Well, there certainly are places that a writer can get benefits. But it’s never as clean and easy and, well, beneficial as getting that pre-tax deduction from your employer every paycheck. I suspect Mr. Scalzi gets his benefits the way I get them… by having a spouse who works a steady 9-to-5 in a company that pays good benefits.

Wait a minute. John Scalzi doesn’t have benefits? Isn’t he a member of the Author’s Guild?

Yes. Absolutely. Excellent piece, David. I’m going to print it and keep it on my board at work. (I’m in between non-fiction book 1, which is now out in paperback, and number 2…which has yet to be accepted…and sweating out whether I’m ever going to actually get an offer to write it.