I was one of those people who used to say, “All I want to do is write.” I didn’t care about Google Analytics, marketing, or social media. I didn’t care about getting readers. All I just wanted to do was write, no matter what it was about. Many of us have been instilled with this mindset since childhood.

We were sold the dream that we could become published writers. We would earn enough money to own a cottage by the sea, where we would spend most of our time writing. We have been sold a lie. If you want to become a successful six-figure writer, you need to launch a paid email newsletter, create a website, build a portfolio for potential clients, build a brand, and coach other writers.

That’s exhausting for those of us who just want to write. For much of my life, I assumed that writing was my vocation. I do feel that writing is somewhat of a vocation. For me, it’s as natural as breathing, eating, sleeping, and loving. Writing helps me make sense of things. It gets the clutter out of my head. I write journal entries. I write emails to a support group. I write news articles, travel listicles, blog posts, and now, this newsletter. Much of my life is writing.

If you do most of these things, you’re a writer, too.

But what does it mean for writing to become a vocation? Melissa Miles Carter has been writing ever since she was a little girl. “When writing is a vocation, you should see being a writer as having a writing life,” she says. “This means the emails you write, the essays in class, the blogging you do, are all opportunities to develop your craft. The upside of living a writing life is your body of work isn’t just what gets published or wins accolades, it reflects who you are and want to be.”

This reminds me of Jeff Goins’ book, You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One). He says that the writing journey starts with the belief, “I am a writer.” But it’s more than just a silly affirmation. It becomes part of your personal mantra, which sounds equally silly. It’s embedded into your psyche and soul. But you can’t just sit around and tell yourself that. It takes more work than that. You’re going to have to write.

Goins says, “You are a writer, you just need to write.”

The difference between writers and non-writers is that writers write on a daily basis. In the book, Goins shows you how to choose or build a platform that helps others through your words. His advice is also similar to online marketing: finding out what makes people tick at night and solving it for them.

“You are going to have to be a marketer, an entrepreneur, a talented salesperson. Because this is a business. If your art is going to have the impact you want for it, you had better learn the tricks of the trade — not so you can become part of the system, but so you can start changing lives.”

But we’re told that we can publish a best-selling fiction novel, and the rest is history. Most writing advice is about cracking into the non-fiction market. Starting a blog or newsletter and networking are going to be hard if you just want to be a self-published writer. But you can still become a successful writer if you’re willing to put in the work.

I am currently reading Amy Suto’s new book, Write for Money and Power, the Anti-Starving Artist’s Guide to Becoming a Seven-Figure Writer. She found the answer that McNee also revealed to her readers: diversify your income. Suto reveals that the secret to being a successful professional writer is through freelancing, self-publishing, and a paid newsletter model. I’m basically skimming this book because it contains fluff, AI-slop, and repetitive sentences like, “Because here’s the truth...” or “It’s not X. It’s Y.”

It’s the ultimate manual for struggling freelance writers who have lost clients and jobs to AI. Suto offers practical approaches to building a business that could put you in the six-figure range. Of course, it’s not all about the money. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, work is not just about a paycheck. Our work should be tied to dignity, family, stability, and the human person.

On the other hand, our sense of purpose also needs to pay the bills. That’s where professional work comes in. As Emma E. Collins wrote on Substack, “Pros work for money. The stakes are real. Pros endure embarrassment. They don’t over-identify with their jobs, but during those hours when they are on the job, they give it their all. This is happiness. Hard work is happiness. Some of us, in fact, do dream of labor.”

TLDR: Work is important, but it has to serve people; it can’t be self-serving. McNee might claim that she “doesn’t want to work.” But she still has a successful writing business that took sweat, grit, and tears. It’s also helping other aspiring artists share their work in the world. McNee successfully established herself as a writer, even if she claims not to have a structured writing routine. As for Suto, she wanted to write for money and power. The power to have control over her writing, and money to support her nomadic lifestyle and chronic health issues.

Suto’s book brought out the inner girl boss in me. I know we all hate the term “girl boss,” as it has a bad rap with Millennials. But there’s something oddly alluring about female-owned brands that have a pretty and feminine Instagram aesthetic. My new hobby is gawking at woman-owned businesses on Instagram. Most have the same aesthetic: minimalist and beige. Yet, I’m a sucker for it. I want an aesthetically pleasing business, even though it doesn’t fit what I’m creating. But it’s not about creating a pretty brand for the ‘Gram.

The first step is to identify yourself as a writer.

Not necessarily approach writing as a vocation. Our vocation is to love. Kristen of the Catholic platform Many Hails Mary at a Time wrote, “A spiritual director (I’ve only seen once) said, ‘Kristen, God’s will is you allowing Him to love you and you loving Him.’ Then she told me to leverage the bathtub as my quiet space to ponder how I let God love me and how I loved God that day.” We overcomplicate our vocations and God’s will for our lives. But it’s simple. Love God. Love others. As they say, “Charity starts at home.” That involves providing for our families and helping those in need.

To achieve this, I need to think of myself as a professional writer, not a starving artist. After all, I have bills to pay and a roof to put over my head. Writers don’t have to starve. We can use our words to help solve some of the world's problems. Because of that, I’ll never stop writing. There are days when I write and days when I just sit around and contemplate. When I write, I feel better. The world feels lighter. I feel more productive. Not writing is the worst feeling in the world. I always feel like I’m missing out on something. I wonder why I can’t find inspiration as easily as other writers do.

It’s okay to feel that your writing is a calling or a vocation. Save some of that creativity for yourself. Or use that to help others. But then, act like a professional the rest of the time. In 2012, Camille Paglia wrote an op-ed titled “How Capitalism Can Save Art.” She wrote that “artists should learn to see themselves as entrepreneurs.” That doesn’t mean we should become sellouts or create a brand that leaves us lifeless. Rather, we should embrace a CEO mindset, as Suto mentions in her book and newsletter. We’re not just writers. We’re creating an empire. A brand. That’s necessary in this day and age, whether you like it or not.

Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh shared some interesting insights in 2021, before he died. To college people seeking a career in fashion after graduation, he told i-D Magazine, “It’s painfully simple but works 100% of the time. It’s literally just do what it is you dream of. Tackle the smallest amount of your goal possible upon reading this message. It’s guaranteed to get you where you want to go.”

Fashion designer Rei Kawakubo explained her concept behind her career, “I am not an artist. I am a businesswoman.” In 2015, she shared, “There is no difference between creation and business... I see it as a whole.” First, define yourself as a professional writer. This will steer the relationship that you have with yourself and with the people you intend to help. This can help you take accountability and make a living from writing. McNee, who repeatedly demands that “We Need Your Art,” dismantled the “starving artist” archetype by refusing to wait for anyone else’s permission and achieving success through her craft. We can all do the same.

The question isn’t, “To be or not to be a writer?” The real question is, “To create art or to become a professional writer?” Both. We can still create in our downtime. But in order to eat, we need to see ourselves as professional writers. We have to care about metrics, analytics, and marketing because it helps get our work out there. The only way we can make both (the art + the profession) happen is to stop hiding. We have to share our art. We have to love and serve others. We have to share what’s on our hearts, our minds, and souls. Somebody somewhere in this world is likely to want it someday. So don’t be afraid. Show up, not for yourself, but for the world.

Talk soon,

xo Chanél