Investing in Your Writing...Is there a ROI?

The hubby (a longtime supporter of my writing addiction) and I were reflecting on the money we've investing in my writing. It's a lot. I'm not going into figures, but it's a lot.

One Bachelor's degree, many many books, a pitch conference, a writer's conference, a full novel critique that wasn't as thorough as it might have been but was still helpful, an MFA program, an alumni weekend trip...and another upcoming writing workshop/novel critique (which thank goodness I got a discount on!)

Was it all worth it? Well, the pitch conference was a rip off, I see that now. I learned very little from it given the time and expense it took, but I met some awesome people, some of whom I'm still in touch with today. But the rest of it? Was that worth it? Definitely.

Investing in your writing is scary, because there's no guarantee it'll pay off. And it's easy to think it's an unnecessary expense. Writing is easy, you just sit at a keyboard and type out some words, right? But not investing is risky too...it can stunt your growth as a writer. Sure there are some successful writers who have, with little time or money, become great successes. But most of the writers I know have spent lots of time and large amounts of money learning their craft. Think of it like with musicians: yes, there are people who, just from ear, can pick up any instrument and play it beautifully. Are you one of those people? I am not. I took four years of piano lessons, can't sight read to save my life, and have a grand total of two songs memorized, neither of them very impressive or advanced. Most musicians study music for years, paying lots of money for lessons. It's the same with athletes. My kids swim on a summer swim team, and love it, and we cheer them on at every swim meet. But they will never be very good. Why? Because they swim two months out of the year, and that's it. We don't have the time or the means to invest in a year round swim league for them (and thankfully they're okay with that). Those athletes in the Olympics, or even just on college teams? Years and years of practice, training, and financial investment got them to that level. And just like with writing, there was no guarantee that the investment would pay off.

I did work on my own for many years, reading craft books and novels and just writing. It was long, grueling, frustrating work. I had my BA, but going for that MFA seemed like a luxury I couldn't afford. So I worked alone, and did small conferences and such here and there. Finally though I got to a point where I knew I'd gone as far by myself as I could, and at that point I found Hamline and my MFA program. I'm actually grateful I waited as long as I did, because I think I got more out of it by waiting. And I progressed much more rapidly in those two years working with amazing professional writers than I had when it was just me, a blank page, and a stack of books.

So now I've got this novel...it's the fifth novel I've written, the one I started during my MFA program, my baby. I revised extensively during that gap between nonfiction books, and I got it as far as I could. It's the best thing I've ever written...the very best...but I'm left with this nagging question of is it good enough? So after much painful deliberation, I reached out to a trusted friend who is a professional writer...the kind I dream to be...and asked if I should invest once again in this writing dream.

And guess what I found out? This amazing successful writer has an independent editor! Yep, this writer is still investing in writing, even after getting ROI.

And I have seen some ROI, though small returns so far: I've sold two nonfiction books, which is something. I've been an adjunct professor for three years, and even though the pay isn't great it's a job I enjoy that allows me both time with my kids and writing time. And then there are the slippery, harder to measure things, like the fact that I'm happier. I'm always happier when I'm writing. My mental health is much better too, in ways that counseling and medication can't accomplish. I am still hoping for that big payoff: getting an agent, selling this novel that I love so much, but I've learned to be patient.

Here is my advice to you, if you are considering investing in your writing (because not all investments are equal):

1. Like in any financial investment, avoid the get rich quick schemes. This online course will teach you to write a best seller! Learn to self-publish and make six figures doing it! Launch a new career by writing nonfiction! The pitch conference I went to promised meetings with agents and a polished pitch. Looking back, the pitch I crafted there was mediocre at best. I only met one agent, and honestly I think my work was given as much consideration as something from the slush pile, because even though the agent did request my book, it was rejected with no feedback. I could have done just as well reading a few posts on Query Shark and sending out a cold query letter on my own. And there are lots of events like this that will promise you the exposure needed to sell your book, when really what you need is the ability to write a better book and query letter to sell it. Focus on craft, that's what should be most important.

2. Seriously consider going for the degree. Seriously. If you're underemployed, unemployed, if you hate your job, think about it. A degree can open more opportunities for you. In most states, a BA can get your foot in the door to teach public school or to at least sub. A BA in creative writing plus a few extra credits can be a teaching certificate. An MFA can mean teaching college classes. This is of course if you enjoy teaching. The perk of both of these career options is they still allow for ample time to write. The downfall is neither pays well, especially if you're an adjunct professor. But depending on your current job situation, it may be a worthwhile trade.

3. Ask advice. If you know any writers who are successful on any level, talk to them about what helped them the most. How did they get there? What investments paid off the most for them? If you go to a conference or a reading, and there's time to ask the author questions, ask them this.

4. Look for community. Writing is a lonely business, and you need community. If you look through literary history, many great writers were friends with...other great writers! Like Tolkien and CS Lewis...who liked each other, but not each other's work. Now I've tried those writing groups on Facebook and Twitter and such, but it's not the same as a connection with people you've met face to face. When you're looking at conferences or MFA programs, look also at the networking potential. These friendships are great for the sake of camaraderie in a lonely craft, but they are also great for connecting with others and learning about job opportunities. Most writers I know are interested in helping and building each other up...and you need that!

5. Find or start a critique group with writers who are on the same level as you. This is a cheap investment in the financial department, but can be hard to pull off logistically. This can be a helpful way to start improving your craft.

6. Look at credentials. This guy selling you this conference, who is he anyway? What's he done that's so great? Who will you be learning from at this event, and what feedback will you be given? Can you find reviews from others who have attended this event in the past?

7. Don't pay for something you can do for free. You don't need to pay to meet agents. I know this is a bit of a repeat of number one, but it bears repeating. Almost all the writers I know got their agents by sending out query letters. A very few got referrals. It's cool and it's thrilling to meet an agent, and if you're at an event where an agent is speaking on the business side of writing it's totally worth your time, but don't pay money to pitch an agent.

I get that investing in your art is scary, and hard. We've never really been in a place financially where this investment has been easy, but we keep doing it. And I can see it paying off. My writing is much stronger, my critical reading skills are much sharper. I can see the bits and pieces of novels now, and how all the little moving parts fit together, and it's truly amazing. My mental health is better, I'm a better wife and mother for it, and I'm happy. Will there be a financial payoff as well? Will I sell a best-selling novel, or even a midlist novel? Will I get a faculty position at the college I teach at? Will I keep selling nonfiction books? I don't know.

But I do know I'll still be here, just writing. And you should be writing too.