A friend of mine, the talented artist Susan Saul, wrote a Facebook post about a month ago on how insulting and frustrating it is for artists to be asked to give discounts on their work. Susan designs and makes gorgeous, unique jewelry using expensive materials. She spends hours on each piece and has studied and taught her craft for years. If you want to see some of her work, here's a link to her website. https://www.susansauldesign.com/
Susan got me thinking about my own artistic journey and how strange it is to be a writer. It's a crazy way to make a living, and no one would do it if they weren't compelled by some deep desire. Writers work for years, putting in countless hours on a project that may never be published no matter how good it is. If we are fortunate enough to get it published, readers buy it for somewhere between five and twenty-five bucks. Once those readers have finished, they pass the book along for free to friends and family, who then pass it along. (I've done it, too!) The same thing happens in the music industry.
It makes sense. There's only so much room on our bookshelves, and besides, we all want to share the joy and insights we've gotten from reading a novel or listening to fantastic music. It's a loving impulse to share something great, but it doesn't help writers struggling to stay afloat.
So, if you have an impulse to share a book, tell your friends all about it and suggest they buy it. Or, if you can afford it, buy one for them.
Hungry writers everywhere will thank you.
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