tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post4462839719665588760..comments2023-10-31T10:59:03.023-04:00Comments on INKSPOT Crime Fiction Blog | A Place for Mystery, Mayhem, Writing and Life: Survey Says IVLinda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-74159120330259515242008-09-22T22:17:00.000-04:002008-09-22T22:17:00.000-04:00Um, I meant underpaid. Duh. Need more Dunkin' Donu...Um, I meant underpaid. Duh. Need more Dunkin' Donuts.jbstanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05839153589205692508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-14938414991099640702008-09-22T22:16:00.000-04:002008-09-22T22:16:00.000-04:00Great. So I'm unpaid AND old. Thanks, Joe!Great. So I'm unpaid AND old. Thanks, Joe!jbstanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05839153589205692508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-56954924840145886952008-09-21T16:43:00.000-04:002008-09-21T16:43:00.000-04:00Felicia,Take heart, less than zero is still zero, ...Felicia,<BR/>Take heart, less than zero is still zero, unless all those female authors are paying to be published.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-724579002781914592008-09-20T21:28:00.000-04:002008-09-20T21:28:00.000-04:00I've never been much of a believer in surveys or s...I've never been much of a believer in surveys or statistics because I know how numbers can be skewed to say whatever the survey takers want them to say. All I know is that I do believe that female authors are still paid less than male authors and that bothers me... a lot. I've seen that documented in other places and just don't understand why. <BR/><BR/>The reality is that if you really want to write, you'll write and if it gives you a thrill deep down inside each time, odds are you're meant to be a writer. If you're a woman, you'll be used to working twice as hard to make it. That's what my survey says.Felicia Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03556232226152556397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-6909431432811556982008-09-20T06:29:00.000-04:002008-09-20T06:29:00.000-04:00Mark, you bring up a good point. I missed that ref...Mark, you bring up a good point. I missed that reference between the two. But I always jump at reading the results of any survey that gives hope to possibly making money writing novels.Joe Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00028401465567502250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-29405613947909062092008-09-19T21:51:00.000-04:002008-09-19T21:51:00.000-04:00I'm not 100% I believe this survey's accuracy, now...I'm not 100% I believe this survey's accuracy, now that I've taken the time to read the report's executive summary. But then again, I write a lot of these things for a living and surveys can be pretty weird because they misrepresent things. Send out 10,000 surveys, get 85 responses and call it good.<BR/><BR/>185,276 is the total number of authors and writers, 2005<BR/><BR/><BR/>51.9% of authors work full-time writing<BR/><BR/>I think there's a disconnect between these 2 numbers. I just don't see 95,000 writers and authors working full-time in the U.S. unless most of them are making $7000 a year and living off spouses, mommy and daddy or a trust fund. I wonder how many college professors that have written a book are calling themselves authors or writers or how many journalists, including the ones working for the Bluffton Bulletin, or the person who gets paid $1000 to put together his/her church newsletter.<BR/><BR/>I'm very, very skeptical of this number.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-67467290247308830062008-09-19T15:41:00.000-04:002008-09-19T15:41:00.000-04:00Yes, Happy Birthday, Lynn!I was so fascinated by t...Yes, Happy Birthday, Lynn!<BR/><BR/>I was so fascinated by this survey I looked it up. Here's the executive summary:<BR/><BR/>http://www.arts.gov/research/<BR/>ArtistsInWorkforce_ExecSum.pdf<BR/><BR/>Pity the poor dancers, who have the lowest median annual income - $15K.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-81805541373499184752008-09-19T14:38:00.000-04:002008-09-19T14:38:00.000-04:00Joe, Just think how much you and Lynn raise the co...Joe, Just think how much you and Lynn raise the compensation numbers... And BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN!Keith Raffelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926077627965529183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-82382029275629521542008-09-19T11:05:00.000-04:002008-09-19T11:05:00.000-04:00Wow. Thanks for the depressing post, Joe! Made my ...Wow. Thanks for the depressing post, Joe! Made my day!<BR/><BR/>Actually, $50K a year is a lot of money, depending on where you live. So the bright spot here is that you *can* make a decent living writing if you're willing to pass on buying that Jaguar. <BR/><BR/>But the male/female numbers really, really, really tick me off, too. Hug your wife for me. You'd think this would be one gender-neutral profession, but no.<BR/><BR/>People ask me why I use initials for my writing name. Always have done: I wanted editors to come at my writing without preconceptions. (Whether it fooled anybody or not I've no idea.)<BR/><BR/>Your blog is timely; I'm guest blogging on a related topic (book covers and their target audiences) over at the Stiletto gang blog next Friday:<BR/>http://www.thestilettogang.blogspot.com/G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-90501649408892271912008-09-19T07:39:00.000-04:002008-09-19T07:39:00.000-04:00I don't know, at least at Dunkin' Donuts you get t...I don't know, at least at Dunkin' Donuts you get the perks of donuts and coffee.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.com