Why Most Writers Struggle to Make a Living (And How to Fix It)

Most writers never earn substantial money from pure writing—the very thing that brings them joy and initially inspired them to pursue it.

Don’t get me wrong: you can capitalize on writing as a skill; the world is not short of copywriters, content writers, ghostwriters, UX writers (for tech & SaaS), technical writers (for structured, research-based writing), Growth & Direct Response writers (for marketing roles), Legal/Compliance Writing (a well-deserved nod to them).

However, these roles are rarely the result of a writing degree alone. They typically stem from expertise in other fields—IT, web design, marketing, law, science, or economics—before transitioning into writing. The process often times is reversed: people metabolize their cognition in major areas, and only then (either by their own choice or indication of their superior/team leader) narrow down to writing about subjects within those fields. A very common example could be a marketing graduate who worked the initial years close to brand awareness, but then refines his or her expertise in copywriting for social media.

On the other side, we have pure writers—the true focus of this article. The artists who pursue Literature, Creative Writing, or any related Bachelor of Arts, and stay stuck, underpaid, unpublished, or juggling side jobs in unskilled jobs to feed their passions (literally, feed themselves or pay their rent).

I write this with both research and personal experience in mind. Despite my efforts to remain objective, my connection to this topic runs deep.

Whenever someone asked, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' my answer was always the same—'a writer.' Most were surprised, considering children lean towards more galant crafts like policeman or firefighter. As I grew older, I started reading—putting more reps in—, acquiring more vocabulary and employing literary devices that would make writing seem like a different language. It felt great. I found myself longing to write for a living, though I had no clear path to make it a reality. In my mind, I was constructing a grand, idyllic pyramid—one where a life of pure writing would sustain itself. More than a dream, it felt like the only way to exist within Einstein’s relative clock, where time accelerates when you’re fully immersed. Everything else felt like a slow march through monotony.

I eventually graduated from law school with a minor in business. As life’s realities set in—the cost of travel, the allure of financial freedom, the simple luxury of living alone and not having to share a flat—the pyramid I had built began to fade. With time, I came to see the world through a different lens, one that measured value not just in artistic fulfillment but in market demand and financial sustainability. Some call this growing up.

But I did not lose my pure writer nature. I don’t think I could, actually. And this makes me step on both ends, pure writers and capitalized writers. Over the years, I’ve been close to the work of digital agencies, copywriters, advertisers and social media content creators: besides being connected with quite a few on a personal level, I did some freelance writing work for others.

I wish I could say I realized this soon… but that wasn’t the case. Adhering to the obnoxious cliche reference of “this kept me up at night”, I decided to do some research. The fact that I am now, at 25 years of age, closer to creative writing scholars, successful authors, poets, novelists, urged me to professionally sort what differentiates those who live their whole lives being underpaid—and justifying their stale attempts with society’s reluctance to reward literary writers—versus those who capitalize on writing—and end up developing a successful business propensity.

This article breaks down:

• How certain cognitive traits affect success.
• What common cognitive traits contribute for surrounding wealth and which psychological barriers impair writers and artists from growing.
• Why pure writing is one of the hardest careers to monetize.
• Practical steps to build a stable career in writing.

If you want to write for a living, but struggle to turn it into a full-time career, keep reading.

After studying Walter Mischel’s Stanford Marshmallow Experiment and analyzing traits among my most successful acquaintances, I identified key cognitive and behavioral patterns. These patterns shape their ability to create, and more important, sustain financial success.

• Structured Thinking → They break down problems into clear, actionable steps. They analyze risks logically rather than reacting emotionally.
• Delayed Gratification → They don’t usually act impulsively, and don’t require immediate rewards from themselves, which decreases their chances of incurring into imposter syndrome behavior.
• Detachment From Rejection → They don’t view failure as personal but as data to improve.
• Financial Literacy → What I mean transcends understanding assets, liabilities, and cash flow; it’s actually recognizing that wealth is built through investing time on a skill. If I had to translate this into a very simple example, a successful mindset would prefer an unpaid internship that teaches a valuable skill versus a paid full-time job that revolves around robotic tasks.

So, now that we’ve gone through a very simple resolution of brilliant features, what is the connection to writers and artists? What kind of ingrained characteristics shape their mindset toward work, money, and career choices?

• Overattachment to Subjective Value → They assume their work’s worth is inherent, rather than determined by demand. They resist adjusting to market needs.
• Cognitive Rigidity → They follow a fixed career model — publishing, recognition, academia — while ignoring alternative income streams.
• Low Tolerance for Repetitive Tasks → They avoid structured, systematic work in favor of spontaneous creativity. This makes consistency and long-term execution difficult.
• Gratification Seeking → As a consequence of the excessive role Subjective Value has on their life’s craft, they chase inspiration rather than building habits, routine, discipline and patience.
• Aversion to Financial Strategy → They see business as separate from creativity, rejecting skills like sales, marketing, and negotiation.

A study published in the Journal of Creative Behavior (2018) found that 70% of creative professionals, including writers, follow an inflexible career path, even when alternative opportunities exist. Despite having transferable skills, they resist pivoting into adjacent fields like marketing, UX writing, or corporate communication. Again, we see the compounding jab fight between pure writing and business writing.

Writers often see publishing or academia as the only “real” writing careers, ignoring higher-paying roles that require the same skill set. Instead of adapting to market needs, they wait for an industry that rarely rewards pure creative work.

What happens when writers reject adaptability? Most remain underpaid, struggling to turn talent into a sustainable career.

These traits make writing fulfilling but financially unstable. And then it becomes unfulfilling as a consequence.

Writers rely on passion over planning, instinct over structure, and craft over commerce. The result is a cycle of underpayment, uncertainty, and frustration.

• Writing lacks a clear career path.
• Markets change, but many writers don’t adapt.
• Skills like marketing, sales, and networking matter as much as writing itself.
• Cognitive patterns — like impulsivity, perfectionism, and overthinking — hold many writers back.

So what can be done? You know, besides a lobotomy on writers’ brain circuits.

• Redefine Value → Stop with the market rigidity. Writing has market value when it serves a demand. Engineering, Law, Medical Sciences only seem to have inherent value because there’s a closeby market that will absorb these skills. So, for writers, they need to identify industries that need clear, structured communication, and apply their skills to areas where writing solves problems, not just where it expresses creativity.
• Expand Career Models → Writing is not limited to books, journalism, or academia. Explore fields where your ability to explain, persuade, or structure information is valuable: UX writing, copywriting, content strategy, legal writing, and technical documentation all require the same core skills.
• Develop Pattern Recognition → Study what makes writing financially viable. Observe how professionals in tech, law, or finance structure their careers. Apply the same logic — build assets, create scalable work, and think long-term.
• Improve Risk Tolerance → Taking unpaid or low-paid writing work is not always exploitation. In some cases, it builds experience, credibility, and a network. Invest time strategically, choosing work that leads to better-paid opportunities.
• Adopt Business Thinking → Treat writing as a service. Study negotiation, pricing, marketing and sales. Learn how to position skills in ways that attract demand. Financial growth comes from treating writing as both craft and commerce.

Writers who embrace these patterns can create stability by applying structured decision-making to their craft. Instead of passively waiting for the industry to change, they take control by adapting their approach.