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banker, business, dentist, doctor, gynecologist, human resources, humor, the writing business, writer, writing, writing as a business model
I’ve gotten several requests for this post, so I’m adding a few new professionals who could approach their jobs like writers…
Surgeon: I’m giving away free appendectomies so more people can experience my art. I’m working two extra jobs to pay the bills, but it will be worth it when the reviews start rolling in.
I’ve been having this recurring dream that what I tell you ends up in Barb’s blog
- Psychiatrist: I’ve spent over twelve years honing my skills, working a day job at Chez Mac’s while exchanging psychotherapy consults with my psychiatry group at night.
Freelance IRS Auditor: I could get better medical insurance if I worked for Starbucks, but I’m sticking with this because tax audits have always been my dream.
Repost from January, 2014—
A well-meaning friend just sent me another breathless article about the business of writing. All I can say is, I’ve been in business and it would look a lot different if other professions took the same approach as writers:
Lawyer: “I’m not actually charging my clients because I’m building my reputation. Someday I’ll be famous and they’ll all pay.”
Dentist: “I’m doing a blog tour, and you can enter my rafflecopter giveaway for a free root canal if you send a tweet, leave a comment, and add your email to my mailing list.”
Broker: “I’m sending out free shares in hopes that people give them good reviews on Goodreads.”
Chef: “If I charge more than the food truck, nobody will buy my next dish. I’ll get a day job at Chez Mac’s so I can keep giving my gourmet dishes away.”
Banker: “I think I’ll just work at home, alone, second-guessing all my decisions while I whine about getting lenders-block.”
Human Resources: “Instead of a salary, we’ll pay people a small advance against future profits. Then they’ll get paid in royalties. If they actually sell enough to pay back that advance, that is. And there will be at least a year’s delay before the payments start, of course.”
Gynecologist: “The first ten people who ‘like’ me on Facebook get a free pelvic exam.”
This is hilarious. My husband, a lawyer, glared at me when I showed him that meme, though. Apparently his sense of humor doesn’t lend itself to lawyer jokes ..
I’d like to see CEO’s join this club: Let’s see, I’ll just see if I make a good product that doesn’t kill people, and if I do, they can pay me. If not, the survivors can divide up my ill-gotten gains from my last job’s golden parachute!
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The CEO is hilarious! (I’m sad though, that I didn’t think of it first.) Oh,and please tell your husband that it’s not a lawyer joke, it’s a writer joke. Okay, maybe it’s a little bit of a lawyer joke…
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This is a hoot, Barb. I especially like the free pelvic exams if you like the GYN’s facebook page. 😀
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Yeah, that one’s still my fave. Cause nothing says “score!” like a free pelvic!
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Funny if it didn’t hot home so hard. Seriously. My daughter gets back more using coupons for purchases than I earn in a week on my book. Ha!
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Well, it’s not fair to compare a charitable contribution like writing to productive activities like couponing or brain surgery or frakking.
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..still laughing ! 🙂 but it is so ON THE BUTTON!
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Do you have a profession you’d like to contribute?
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So funny, more people need to read this.
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The really sad part is how many of those writer things I’ve done…
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Your last comment was scary … when was the last time you did an appendectomy?
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Ha ha – this is brilliant, Barb! Spot on 🙂
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Thanks Helen!
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