Sometimes I really do feel like I'm a scam artist with all this writing stuff going on. It's the end of the month and end of the quarter so I am getting money from both Amazon and Smashwords. I don't know why but I always feel like it is found money, like I didn't do anything to deserve it. Sure, I strung a few sentences together in a semi-coherent way to make a story, but that's not work, it's fun. I think I need to put my writing in a different light because thinking that getting paid is scamming people really is belittle what I do.
See, I started writing stories in the third grade. In the fourth grade I got a typewriter as a present. In middle school I wrote my first novel (it really sucked, I'm sure). In High school I once wrote 120 poems in a week. It's just what I do for fun and I enjoy telling a good tale. When I was little I wanted two things, to be a pilot and to be a writer. I dreamed of seeing my name on the cover of a book as early as the 5th grade (I wanted to put together a joke book). I didn't think of money then. So now when I get paid, it's almost like getting paid to take a nap or eat McDonalds. i tell people of this great scam I have going on. I won't get into numbers, but lately I've been doing quite well and it makes me feel guilty because people slave all month at jobs they hate and make less. I just don't know how to change my mindset.
Comments
If you really feel like a
If you really feel like a scam artist give back. There are many great causes that you could use some of your extra money to help. Like the hatbox and server fund. Do not feel like a scam artist though you are a artist I will give you that. Your complaint would be like me complaining if I would get a job programming and would complain I write code for fun and fun doing it. I personally feel a little bad when I get rewards from from DM of my D&D group for helping to male maptools macros. You should count yourself lucky that you are able to get money for doing something that you love to do. That is the true goal in life to find something that you love doing and getting paid to do it. It makes life a lot better on the whole to do so.
That is my two cents take it or leave it.
Scam?
I look at it this way: I did that. I took something from the world around me, from experience and emotion, and formed it into a coherent story. I made people from watching humanity. I brought something new into the world, and some people are willing to pay for it. I didn't work for someone else, or process their goods or ideas.
My ego is a fragile thing, but just this once I get to bask a little.
You Deserve Your Success
I can tell from your blogs that you work hard to produce the best stories that you can, you put similar effort into promoting your stories, and you share them here for free. You're over thinking. Just enjoy your success. I know I'm delighted (as I'm sure many others here are also) with your and other authors here having success selling on Amazon and other online stores.
Not a scam
A scam is defined as "a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit; swindle." You, on the other hand, are selling the rights to reproduce a work of art you have created. That doesn't make you a scam artist, just an artist. If someone who enjoys painting sells the painting that results, then they're legimately making money from something they enjoy doing. Worth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder. Behold the legions that believe your works have work.